The sun., 1896-02-10
1nn nIsnors TO 1ns PoWBns.
Appeal or the protestant Episeopai Church
in the Unisea States In Behnif OF Armenia.

in the Upi,ea states n. Behaif OF Armenia.
Tho Bishops of tho Protestant Episcopal
Church In tho United States. who, week ago,
sent n petition to President Cleveland asking
that tho Government interfere In snvinR the
Christian Armenians from continued massa-
ere ut the hands Of tho Turks, have forwarded
to the powers OF Europe and to the Archbishop
of Canterbury n memorial OF similar import,
praying that immediate measures be adopted to
compel the Turks to cease from slaughter and
persecution. AT tho time the petition was
sent TO President Cleveland the State Depart
mont was consulted ~ 10 tho best procedure
to be used in orde that the petition should
reach the eye Of tho various European potcn
ta,es to whom 1t was to bc addressed. On
the advice OF the State Department. the sew
eral memorials were forwarded on Saturday,
addre sscd to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Of
France, Germany, Austria, and Russia. At
the same time In which tho letter was do
spatched to President Cleveland letter was
sent to the Archbishop OF Canterbury US head
of the English Church. Notice OF the reccp-
tion OF the letter to the Archbishop Of Canter-
bury has already been received.
This action thus taken by the Bishops of tho
Episcopal Church M Sehhif Of Armenia is the
result of letter sent to each of the Bishops by
tho Right Rev. John Williams, d, d., Bishop
of Connecticut and Presiding Bishop, enclos.
ing a circular showing the condition of affairs
in Turkey at the present moment. The con-
tents of this circular are now given to the pub
lie for the first time, and are as follows:
las is now generally known. during tho
months of October and November the Mus
sulman population of eastern Turkey. in many
places actively aided by Ottoman troops. put to
death from 10000 to 10000 Gregorian and
Protestant Armenians. Tho killed were chief
ly males. and included considerable portion Of
the educated and influential classes In the six
provinces named in the reform scheme, namely,
the provinces Of Erzeroum, Bitlis. Van, Diar
bekir. Harpoot, and Sivas. A part of the
cities of Trebizond Aintab. Marash. Ourfa, and
Cesarea. which outside the provinces
named above; The massacres were accom-
panied by pillage on such scale that nearly
the whole Armenian agricultural population
in the villages. and tho greater part of the Ar
towns towns Of OH, The " provinces % and districts M named
above. have been plundercd of money, goods,
ss esns
selves reduced to abtect want.
The purpose of this paper is to invite the
attention OF the Christian world to pro
| gressi,e aggravaton of this awful crime which
has been brought to light since the middle Of
! I'm a territory some 60, 900 miles in area an
effort has been and is now being made to ex.
tinguish Christianity among the Armenian
| clergy, and forcing the surviving members OF
their focks in all places where foreign Consuls
Mohammedans. 1t now seems probable that a
| large part of those who have been Killed In the
country astrets st are; are MARTYRS "a whG have
Large numbers of widowed Christian women
and orphaned children have been swept, with
men who have destroyed their women. Thou:
| sands of others, deprived of succor, deserted
by Christendom, and threatened by instant
| 0eath. have been led to accept in name the A.
| ligion which has ruined them. Lave been cir.
cumcised by force, and now tescech God and
| humanity to save them from the death which
the Mohammedan law holds over such in case
they afterward attempt to obey the dictates
now being singly approached and put under
pressure OF the most awful threats If they con
TO 'eR ea' the
largest and most sturdy. of the Asiatic Chris
tian churches. has made great progress in in
members have been nursed and fed upon the
Bible moro than those OF either of the other
Gent Church I is g now | in the throes Of annihila;
ton Unless Christendom acts instantly and
overwhelmingly to arrest this infamy, this
history rs the one in which a Christian peo::
Pile was DESTROYED with the full knowleige lee and
| nation being sufficiently moved by the specta.
Gle 70 lift hand to prevent it.
Only from a few places. comparatively. has
ferocity of this attack upon Christianity in
Wherever a foreign Consul is established these
things have not been carried to the extent now
reyeaea FOR In ,bS IKE order snEe
must be observed also and emphasized that
the same hand which beckons to Europe to wait
| and see II reforms will not be carried out
| pushes on its work and screens it from the eyes
| of foreign observers. Hence the facts which
Of the horrors Which have occurred"
The American Bishops have thus addressed
| the Archbishop of Canterbury:
ITO the Most Rererend. His Grace. the Archbishop Of
MY LORD ARCHBISHOP: We Bishops of
| the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United
States of America. having learned with deep
| sorrow the deplorable and cont tinuous persecu.
| behalf. Is it n ot possible for us. laying aside
at this crisis all questions political, interna-
plane of earnest sympathetic action. that a
stop may be put TO the horrible massacre "t
ali the members suffer with it, 1t is evident
from careful ANALYSIS, of the causes and rea,,
sons of this determined assault, that the real
| object of 1t Is the destruction of the Church In
give allegiance to Islam. 1t is therefore dis.
tinctly religious persecution; and the number
of martyrs. already sacrificed is probably
larger than in any of the persecutions of The
ferocity Of the cruel attack upon our brethren
| in Armenia. the awful suffering they nre en-.
during. the fact that the offer Is made to these
| Christians that their lives shall be spared II
they renounce their fait., that crusade sup
| ported by Christians the world over would be
truly, warranted. We therefore respectfully
| Christ's sake, for the sake of His religion you
intcrpose the weight of your office, and in
| tiuence to succor and defend this afflicted and
prosecuted branch OF the Christian Church.
| May we not ask that the great Church of Eng.
land. through her episcopate, shall take decisive
action. that our suffering fellow Christians
| may find not only ready sympathy, but speedy
! deliverance from their foes"
| Ninth Regiment Mt Church.
| The officers and men. numbering GAO, Of the
| Ninth Regiment attended divine services In