Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-01-04
THE PROSECUTED ARMENIANS
Chicago People Suggest Timely and
Practical Plan for Their
Relief.
COLONlzE THEM IN THE UNITED STATES
Among the Most Hardy, Industrious,
Sober and Moral People in the
World-Familiar with Agr-
culture and Irrigation.

Recently Hon. Loron Miller, secre
tary of New Mexico, received lette
notifying him that a committee of Chi
cago citizens had decided to hold pub
lie meeting in Central Music Hall of that
city, on Sunday, January S, 1896, to ex
press sympathy with the suffering Ar
menians aud if possible suggest methods
for their relief, saying that Mayor George
B. Swift would preside at such meeting
aud inviting Mr.. Miller either to attend
in person, or to address communication
on the subject indicated either to the
chairman of the committee or to Mayor
Swift. The formal invitation was ac-
companled by the appended
| TIMELY AND PRACTICAL STATEMENT:
Hon. Lorion Miller, Santa Fe, N. NJ.
Chicago, Dec. ~, '95.-My Dear Sir
You are familiar with the sad tales which
come to Us from Armenia of the persecu-
tion and attempted determination of a
race of hardy, industrious people, whose
greatest crime is their determination to
hold to the religion of their fathers.
The great mass of the Armenians are
agriculturists. They have cultivated,
since the dawn of history, the table lands
of eastern Asia Minor, whose varying alti-
tudes have accustomed them to a climate
ranging from that of Dakota to that of
Texas. They are hardy, industrious,
sober, frugal, moral and devoted to do
mestic virtues.
The dryness of their lands has COM
PEELED them to study irrigation with the
most admirable results. With primitive
tools and great encouragement from the
oppression of the Turkish government,
and the robbery of the K1rds who
sweep down upon them, they have yet
made living and lived in contentment.
Within few years, however, systematic
effort has been made By the Turkish gov
ernment to exterminate this people. The
remark attributed to the sultan seems to
express the awfulness of the situation:
'If I choose to destroy certain race
among my subjects, whose business is it
but mine? They are my property"
Some time ago the head men of a
group of villages came to an American
and asked If there we're not some means
by which the Armenians of these villages
could 90 to America. The answer was of
course that the Americans could not un-
dertake such work and that it would re-
quire large amount of money to carry
it out. The men replied with sadness:
"We are not rich" and, pointing to their
stalwart arms and broad breasts, "but if
the Americans would only transport us
and see that we get safely away from this
hell, we would be content to live and die
their slaves, and work for them for our
bread until we die, if 80 be that our wives
might live without dishonor, and our
children be citizens of the great re-
public"
committee of Chicago citizens are
arranging for mass meeting to express
sympathy with the Armenians. We find
from careful investigation that they
would make an excellent class of citizens.
There are about 10000 of them in this
country and their record is equally as
good as that of any other nationality In
all that constitutes good citizenship. We
think they could be saved from exter.
mination ii an asylum could be found for
them in this country.
We estimate that somewhere in the
neighborhood of 100000 of these people
could be transported to this country.
They would readily assimilate with our
people and institutions. They are farm
ers-strong, healthy, temperate-just the
class of people you desire. They are ac-
customed to the cultivation of wheat,
barley, millet and fax.
Would you not think it would be very
desirable If means could be brought
about to bring 100000 or 100000
of these people to America and
place some of them on the lands of yoar
provided, of course, they have
sufficient funds in their hands to carry
them over one seasons crop and build
houses for themselves.
From information that has come to us
it would seem not improbable that this
could bearrsnged and we think it will
help Us very much in our efforts to help
these oppressed people if We can have
letter from you stating that in your
opinion your territory would gladly well
come many Thousand Armenians if placed
upon your land under favorable condi-
tions. Very sincerely,
EDWARD +. CRAGIN,
Chairman of Committee. |