The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-24
ArmenianS Will Be Swept
From the Earth.
Great Scheme of Reform Said
to Be AfOOt.
But 1t Has Not and Never Will Be
Carried Out.

BOSTON, March 24--The ultimate ex.
tinction OF the Armenian race Is the belief
set forth in n document received i'm this
city from an influential Armenian in
Turkey. The following abstracts are
taken from the paper. which Is entitled
"Armenia's FAREWELL:
We are evidently doomed people. A
hundred thousand Of us have been butch
cred and more than 800, 900 Of us are in OK.
treme suffering from hunger and cold and
nakedness. Multitudcs beyond the reach
of foreign aid must inevitably perish be-
fore spring. AS to the rest OF US, our sup
plies or food and money arc rapidly dimin-
ishing. We can prosecute no business;
we are not ut liberty to earn our daily
bread, and for even the most fortunate
the future has only the prospect OF starva-
ton little later than ourpoor brethren.
we hear the announcements that order
and peace are being restored, but to US
these are empty words. Tho terrible and
wholesale massacre at Oorfa and Bird
Jik occurred long subsequent TO the most
solemn and emphatic assurances that
nothing more OF the kind was To he appre-
hended: long after the commission sent
out from Constantlnoplc TO carry the mes
sage OF peace and reform to Armenia had
reached It's field Of labor.
Massacres are not now as frequent as
they were few months ago, but the at
tltude OF relentless hostility on the part
of the government toward Us. the fero-
cious aspect of our Moslem neighbors has
not a whit improved. They seem to bo
fnr on, mo
ment in which TO finish their bloody work
and rid themselves forever OF this trouble
some demand for reform. May we not
then rightfully offer our farewell message
to our fellowmenY
Charity Toward Friends and Foes.
First, to our Moslem fellow country
men. We desire to express our deepest
gratitude to those of you who have SYM
pathized with and helped rs in these days
of calamity and bloodshed 10 those who
have robbed and massacred us and plum
dered and burned our houses we have
chiefly feelings of compassion. You have
perhaps done these terrible things i'm what
has seemed to you tho service of your re-
ligion and government.
Second, TO our sultan, most dread and
potent sovereign: Apparently you have
been persuaded that we are rebcllious
people, deserving only utter and speedy
determination. 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. IN this
work you VIII no doubt soon and easily
win from your admirers tho proud title of
"Fatih," the Victorious For ourselves,
we can only make oar last and solemn
l..
been rebels.
For your majesty we feel the glory OF
your triumph VIII not be little tar.
nished when 1t Is known, us it surely will
be, that your victory has not been ia
breaking the power OF your enemies, but
in crushing out the life OF your loyal and
inoffensivc subjects. who, when they see
the widespread and indescribable ruin
and horror which your imperial anger has
caused can scarcely persuade themselves
that such fury and wrath would be poured
upon the heads OF so feeble people, even
had they been in armed rebellion.
Third, TO tho European powers: We
have not been an importunate nor turbu-
lent people. We did not incite the Crimean
war nor any of the subsequent wars
which have shaken this empire. 1t Is not
of our will that we were begotten TO new
political life by tho treaty OF 1856. Our
complaints and appeals have been based
solely on the sentiment of humanity and
the common rights OF man.
"Reforins" That Proved ArmenIa's Ruin.
1t was you who arranged the scheme
of reforms" and urged IL upon our sultan
till he was irritated TO the extent that he
seems TO have adopted the plan OF Kidding
himself finally OF this annoyance by ex-
terminating us as IA people. and now
while he is relentlossly carrying out this
plan you are standing by as spectators
and witnesses of this bloody work.
We wonder II sympathy and tho broth
erhood of man and chivalry are wholly
things OF the past, or nre the material and
political interests dividing you so great
that the massacre of whole people is u
secondary things In either case, 1--WE who
are about to die salute you
Fourth, TO the Christians of America:
Although we have cherished strong preju.
dices against your mission work among
us, recent events have proved that our
Protestant brethren are one with US, and
have shared fully our anxieties and our
perlls. You havo lubored through them
TO promote among us the peace and pros
pcriiy of the Gospel. IL is not your fault
that one result of their teaching and ex-
ample has been to excite our masters
against us You, at least, know the situ-
alton too we'll To believe for % moment
that we are being punished for political
sins. =
20 far as we have been the occasion OF
the bloody massacrcs which have come
upon us, our crime IN the eyes of the Turk
has been that we have so fully accepted
aud so far adopted the Christian civiliza-
tlon OF the West. The Turkish govern
ment drcads.nnd dislikcs nothing somuch
Ms the ideas of progress which you have
sent Us.
A short year ago aud nobody could
have believed that at tho end of this 10Th
rcntury Christian people could on nc