The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-01
THEExTINCTION OF ARMENIA.
s,r,.;yors of MASSACRE Face Inevitable Q
Starvation in Desolated Homes.


Starvation in Desolated Homes.
Boston, March 2S.-Under the title
"Armenia's Farewell" a highly edu-
Gated, prominent and influential Ar
menian in Turkey has written docu-
ment declaring that the extinction of
his race is not far distant.
Following are some abstracts from a
translation sent here by the author:
1--WE are evidently a doomed people.
A hundred thousand of us have been
butchered and more than million OF
us are in extreme suffering from hun
ger and cold and nakedness.
"Multitudes beyond the reach of for
eign aid must inevitably perish before
spring.
"As to the rest of us, our supplies of
food and money are rapidly diminish
ing. We can prosecute no business,
we are not at liberty to earn our daily
bread and for even the most fortunate
the future has the only prospect Of
starvation a little later than our poor
brethren.
I'VE hear the announcement that
order and peace are being restored, but
to us these are empty words
THE terrible and wholesale massa-
ere at Oorfa and Birdjik occurred long
subseqent to the most solemn and en-
phatic assurances that nothing more
of the kind was to be apprehended-
long after the commission sent out
from Constantinople to carry the mes
sage of peace and reform to Armenia
had reached its field of labor.
"Massacres are not now so frequent
as they were few months ago, but
the attitude of relentless hostility on
the part of the government towards US,
the ferocious aspect of our Moslem
neighbors, has not whit improved.
May we not then rightfully offer
our farewell message to our fellow
men?
"First-To our Moslem fellow coun-
trymen:
I'VE desire to express our deepest
gratitude to those of you who have
sympathized with and helped us in
these days of calamity and bloodshed:
Towards those who have robbed
and massacred us and plundered and
burned our houses, we have chiefly
feelings of compassion. You have per-
haps done these terrible things in
what has seemed to you the service of
your religion and government.
"Second-To our Sultan-most
dread and potent Sovereign:
Apparently you have been per-
suaded that we are rebellious people
deserving only utter and speedy ex-
termination. For such as you this
work of destruction is no doubt an
easy one, the more so as we have had
neither the means nor the disposition
to resist it.
"Third- the European Powers:
1--WE have not been an importunate
nor a turbulent people. We did not
incite the Crimean War, nor any OF
the subsequent wars which have
stricken this empire. It is not of our
will that we were begotten to new
political life by the treaty of 1856.
"Our complaints and appeals have
been based solely on the sentiment of
humanity and the common rights of
man. It was you who arranged the
scheme of reforms and urged it upon
our Sultan till he was irritated to the
extent that he seems to have adopted
the plan of ridding himself finally OF
this annoyance by exterminating us
as people, and now, while he is re-
lentlessly carrying out this plan, you
are standing by as spectators and wit
nesses of this bloody work.
I'VE wonder if sympathy and the
brotherhood of man and chivalry are
wholly things of the past, or are the
material and political interests divid
ing you so great that the massacre OF
a whole people is a secondary thing
In either case We who are about to
die, salute you
Fourth the Christians of Am
erica:
although we have cherished strong
prejudice against your mission work
among us, recent events have proved
that our Protestant brethren are one
with US and have shared fully oul
anxieties and our perils. You have
labored through them to promote
among US the peace and prosperity Of
the Gospel. 1t is not your fault thai
one result of their teaching and ex
ample has been to excite our master:
against US
1.-The Turkish government dread:
and dislikes nothing so much as the
ideas of progress which you have SEN
u.s."
A Strange Story.
The Augusta Chranicle says lat
dance in Barnwell county number
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