The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-27
FOR ARMENIA.
Interesting Exercises in Portland
Churches Last Evening.


nor speak-The Bishop of Maine Has a
Word to say-Many Other Portland
Clergymen ON the Subject
Last evsning meetings were held at
State street, Free street, Chestnut street,
Congress street and West End churches
at which many of the clergymen OF the
city spoke in behalf of the outraged Ar
menians, and Bishop Nicely, at the Ca
thedral of ST. Luke's, also had word
to say.
Free st. Baptist Church.
A large audience assem- bied at thls
church where addresses were made by
Rev. Henry Blanchard, d. D., OF Congress
Square church, Rev. Asa Dalton, u. D.,
of ST. Stephens church, and the paster,
Rev. I. S. Samson.
THE choir If the Payson Memorial church
leu the music and also sang very beauti-
fully an anthem.
An abstract of the addresses is given
below:
DR.. Blanchard began by alluding to the
attitude of England toward the Armeni
an question and read the poem Of Will
liam Watson, whom said tho speaker,
should have been made the poet laureate,
the noble poet VINO 80 boldly, heroioally.
assails the mpassive and Indifferent
feeling of England. For many reasons
should our own government be called
upon to act in this matter Our own
Senators and Representatives in Congress
should be appealed to, because it will be
impossible for individual efforts to ac-
complish what is necessary to those who
are not destroyed by the cruelty Of the
Turks. Measures should be adopted which
would compel the Sultan to listen to
the ultimatum of the powers of the
world. The time has come for the estab-
lishment Of worlds tribunal. before
which all internati onal matters should
be brought for adjudication. Toward
this should the thoughts of the rulers Of
the world be turned anu the
church should demand all who call
themselves statesmen to hasten the for
nation of such a tribunal. I ask, there
fore, that this message be sent to our
legislative representatives by this as
sembly tonight God speed the day when
Chritians everywhere shall show they
are His followers by their deeds rather
than by their words. God speed the day
place the cross shall SO in all Tt rk BY
as in Armenia.
DR.. Dalton alluded to the early history
of Armenia, and compai ed il with Baby
lon, Assyria and Rome. Armenia, alone
of these remaining, notwithstanding it's
oft repeated attacks and oppression
Yhe Oldest church in Christie mdom, is
in Armenia, its origin having been in
the thiro century, and if centuries ago
the Armenians hadss renowned the cross,
they would have been today the leaders
of the Eastern world. Nowhere have
our missionaries labored with greater
success than in Armenia, and their
steadfastness in the faith ranks them
with the martyrs of the Christian faith
in all the history of the church.
AS to the English government main
tanning such a silence Oh the Armenian
question, probably England fears coils
ion with Russia and a possible uprising
in India, and one or the other of her pos
sessions wrested from her.
The nations of the East stand armed
and threatening each other prepared for
general war, and their leaders hesitate
before making a move which should
bring such a horror to pass
nr nalfon most oorpas+Iv ,,1o,d
action of our government which should
strengthen and fortify our coast cities
in the interest of peace with all the
world. The depravity, infidelity and
sensuality of the urks was dwelt upon
most forcibly. The religion of Mohaniet
is curse to The world, it is an anarch-
ism, and when the conflict between Mo.
hammedism and Christianity does come,
as come it may, the great Mosque of
Q nstantiuople shall become a church of
Christ, and the crescent disappear for
ev er from the EARTH
The following resolution was unani- |
Inously adopted as the sense of the me et-
ing:
Resolved, That this meeting, represen-
tdGlFe Oh 6ne cl6lZenS or Portland, Detit- |
ion the Senators and Representatives of |
Maine in the Congress of the United |
States. to take such steps as, in their |
judgment, will secure cooperation be- |
tween the United States and the govern |
ments of Europe to compel Turkey to de- |
liver Armenia from injustice and car
mage.
The services closed with the singing of !
America, and the benediction by DR.. |
Dalton.
Chestnut St. Church.
At the Chestnut street church crowd |
ed audience listened to Rev. DIR. Fem. |
Rev. W. S. Ayres and Rev. DR.. Parsons. |
Ihe pastor of the church, Rev. DR.. Par
SONS, presided, and introduced DR.. Fem |
as the first speaker.
Df. rem objected to the talk of war,
pue said that this is one of the most i'm
portant eras in the history of the world.
The Armenian question is cosupyinu the
attention of the civilized world, and is
In the thoughts OF all m Ell who believe
IN Justice and right. He denounced ex-
6raVagant demonstrations and sohen,es |