The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-01-04
IN BEHALF OF ARMENIANS
MASS MEETING HE6D IN CENTER
 CHURCH EAST EVENING.


 and J. 0. Kebabian-Mayor Hendrick
 Presided-Letter From Senator O. H.
 Platt-Funds to be Raised for the Red
 Cross Society-Financiai Committee Ap-
 pointed-several Armenians Present.
 Much interest was manifested in the mass meeting held last evening in Gen. ter church to consider the Armenian atrocities and a means of stopping them. When 1t was called to order by Rev. Dr. Smytlh a large audience was present.. pr. Smyth nominated Mayor Hendrick as chairmanl of the meeting. On taking the chair the mayor thanked the meeting for the honor conferred on him and said that he was gratified to see so many present interested in such a worthy cause. He then introduced J. c. Kebabian of this city, an Armen- on the situation in Armenia. He said that the power in! Armenia us in the hands of nomadic Kurdish chiefs, who have placed the Armenfans in sort of vassalage. The people also struggle under imperial taxation and extortion. There is a press censorship, and text books in the public schools are suppress ed on the grounds that they are sedi- tionai The horrors of the Turkish pris- ons can hardly be imagined; they are worse than hell itself and into them Armenians are thrown by thousands to perish from cruelty and starvation. Since 1890 the Sultan has armed the Kurdss with Winchester Tifie and calls them his children. When these Kurds make forage on Armenam villages to steal cattle and plunder, the villagers usually resist. and if they kill any Kurds the vengeance of the Turkish government falls upon them as they are said to have killed children of the sultan. During the first fifteen' days of last September i,500 Armenians were butchered. Since foreign warships have been massed in the Aegean sea over 50,000 have been murdered. and in all about 100, 900 have been killed. Half a million people are harmless, helpless and feft to the lust and barbarity of the Kurds. Armenia once contained a pop ulation of 5O,O0o,0O0 persons, but to- day it has only about 5.000000, and these are rapidly decreasing. The coun- try has a history over 400O years old. It has ben a barrier between Christen- dom and Mohammeda,n countries, and has received the first blow from all sides. It has been a barrier in one sense for all Europe. Itspeople demand aid, not as a favor, but as a birthright.
 Rev. pr. Douglas of Trinity Episcopal church next spoke. He pointed out the fact that in mass meetings of this sort action was often taken and resolutions passed of a nature demanding impossi- ble things from the government, but thought that no such thing was con- templated by this meeting. There has been ill all history something more pow erful than the power of aims-the power of ideas. These shape the policies of nations, fire muskets, and are controll- ing factors in human affairs. If 70,000,- 900 people in this part of the world be found actuated by an idea that the Ar menians atrocities should and must cease the effect of this idea will have a force equal to that of cannon balls. England and America should overlook family differences and unite on a com
 mon ground for the preservation of Christian people. In bringing order out of the chaotic condition in Armenia the Red Cross society can be trusted to do an honorable and noble work.
 Dr. Douglas was followed by Prof. Brewer of the Sheffield Scinetific school. He said that i'll Armenia at present 1 Christians are being murdered by Mus sulmen, as they have been for centu- ries. In this Armenia question the questions of race politics and religion are all involved. There seems to be no way of meeting it by moral suasion. During all history the story has been the same. Turkey has been for centu- ries a stumbling block in the path of civilization. It's attitude and the senti- ments of it's people are unlike those of Christian nations.
 Prof Brewer said he believed that the United States has the power to change the condition of affairs in Armenia without going to war. He said he want ed to see material aid go to those suf- fering millions Armenia has held ths Christian religion through the centu- aleS. The uuHfDeTS or Jne people nave been reduced, but the religion is still there and we ought to protect them. A bad idea with which Christians have to | combat in Mussulman countries is that the way to heaven is through Chris- tians' blood.
 Dr. Francis Bacon spoke after Pro- lessor Brewer and called attention to the great good done by the Red Cross society in recent wars and the great good it can do in Armenia. In closing he said that our action at present in ! helping Armenia might some day gain for us friends across the sea in place where we most need them. Rev. Dr. Newman Smyth read a letter from Sem ator Platt of Connecticut, which was as follows:
 SENATOR PLATES LETTER. 1 Rev. Newman Smyth, New Haven: My Dear Sir-I have your favor of December 30th. I feel, I hope, as deep ly as you do the shame, disgrace and horror of the Armenian situation. The facts as communicated to congress by 1 Secretary Olney officially represent the situation there to be, think, more hor- rible than even the newspaper accounts. ! Senator Hoar has a resolution pending before the foreign relations committee i of the senate expressing the feeling of in, r,oct anonhatic |