St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-20


terrible fighters in the world, and in
numbers the Moslems are ten to one
against the Armenians. To suppose
that these poor, unarmed, quiet
Armenian peasants %%and traders ever
thought of a revolution against such
fearful odds is to suppose them IDIOTS
which they are not. They are sensible,
pateut people. They have had no sym
pathy with the Hunchags, or revolution
lists They have petitioned the Sultan
for mercy. They have protested their
loyalty to him. He has spurned them
with the dagger Of the assassin.
In destroying this poor, delenceless
remnant of dcfenceless people, "the
Sultan deserves the sympathy of every
right-minded man for his defence of his
country and law and order. 1t is a
grand, noble and plucky thing for him to
do, and he is doing it admirably" Shades
of Mehmet the Conqueror Here is the
redoubtable Abdul Hamid, who can pull
out at least ten armed Moslems against
one unarmed Armenian peasant! And in
killing him, in burning-after looting-
his habitation and leaving his wife and
children homeless and shelteress if they
will not Ismalize, he has done "a grand,
noble and plucky thingl" We should call
him simply a coward and murderer
There are three or four hundred thous-
and widows and children and old men
looking forward with terror to the
approaching winter; and the Christian
sympathy felt for their suffering, and the
efforts on their behalf, Mr.. Hopkinson
Smith ridicules as 'pathos-mongery!"
Clara Barton's work and all the efforts
of the missionaries and of benevolent
people in England and America to rescue
and save the sufferers from starvation
and cold are "pathos-mongeryw
What is the design of the Sultan in Civ
ing up 100000 of his subjects to plum
der, robbery and assassination? To
provide pay for his soldiers and officers
in that way is too monstrous to be a
leading motive. His whole course since
| he came to the throne must be studied in
order to understand him. He has deep
and invincible hatred of the Armenians
and has for Is years nursed the design Of
destroying or converting them to Islam
His motheri is said to be a renegade Armen'
ian woman; and it has been general law
for renegades to hate bitterly their race
remaining faithful. There have beer
many illustrations Of this in Ottoman
history.
There are two remaining points in this
utterance OF Mr. Smith upon which HI
needs enlightenment: the Hunchags, OF
revolutionists, and the missionaries
Russia very early saw her opportunity
to make Abdul Hamid her instrument il
destroying the Turkish Empire ant
opening her path to Constantinople
Russian-Armenan Hunchags, or revolu
tionists, began their work in Turkey
when it had become evident that tn
Sultan had determined to exert hi
power for the conversion or destruction
Of the Armenans. They came on from
Russia with Russian passports, whic
made them safe in committing any out
rage-for they would be taken before tn
Russian Consul for trial. They began t.
form secret revolutionary organization
where they could, deceiving some light
Drained youth to join them who ha
neither brains nor wit to see how absur
was the project of obtaining freedom
by force. All sensible people utterl
rejected them, although the increasing
expressions of the government and tn
robberies of the Kurds we're becomin
intolerable. They made good thin
out of it themselves by forcing Armenian
of means to give them heavy contribt
tions for the cause. Many somewha
rich Armenans have been assassinate
bv these Russian Armenian Hunchag.
One obtained, under threat Of assassin;
ton, thousand pounds; and when tt
; man revealed the fact to the governm Ell
he was speedily assassnated.
These plots and violent publications
the Hunchags were promptly taken a
vantage of by Hand. They were +
, ported in the Turkish newspapers so I
to make it appear that all the Armenian
= were rebels. The Hunchags have tn,
y helped the Sultan to tan the fanatics
of the Turks and prepare the way for Il
y massacres The Turks are not difficu
people to live with, if you do not excl
=, their fanaticism. have heard respect
a." Bile Armenians say that they never hi
y anv difficulty with their Turkish neig
d" bors. But when anything arouses the
=, religious fanaticism, reason, ludgme
and mercy depart. The Sultan hi
y aroused fanaticism which he came
:. easily allay.
These Hunchags are no representative
e, Of the Armenian people. They are Ri
- sian agents to stir up strife The A
q menians have always preferred Turkey
v Russia; as is proved by the fact that t
= two countries are coterminous, and y