The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-13
A Duty That nust Be Met.


Before an audience Of $500 or the
most prominent residents OF the nation
al capital. Justice Harlan, Rev. d.
Talmage, Miss Clara Barton ana sew
eral others on Friday evening last
pleaded with eloquence and effective
ness for aid in behalf of the starving
Armenians. Like the stirring service
in the First Presbyterian church OF our
own city last evening, this gathering
of men and women eminent in the pub
lie affairs Of Washington represented
q spontaneous outburst of righteous
Indignation at the terrible and as yet
unpunished atrocities committed by the
Mohammedan Turk, and typifled the
Christian sentiment which everywhere
is rising to the duty of providing for
the surviving victims. In it's list of
officers we find the names of men of
every race and creed, bishops of Prot
estantism and of Catholicism, generals
in the army. presidents Of universities
and distinguished exponents of the
learned professions:
One sentence i'm the address of JUS
tice Harlan deserves to be noted with
attention: IF half of what has been
published In reference to the outrages
perpetrated upon the Armenian Chris
tians be true" said he. "it is safe to
say that their sufferings are almost
without parallel in the history of the
last one hundred years. Any govern
ment that tolerates such outrages with
In its jurisdiction, or which remains
inactive while they are being perpe-
trated, ought to perish from the earth"
This, be 1t remembered, was said not
by frenzied zealot, but by a justice
of the supreme court Of the United
States Not less striking was the re-
mark of DR.. Talmage: president
Cleveland expressed the sentiment of
every intelligent and patriotic Ameri-
can when he thundered from the white
house warning to all nations that
there Is not one acre or one inch more
Of ground on this continent for any
transatlantic government to OCCUPY.
And by that doctriue We stand now and
shall forever stand. But there is a doc
trine as much higher than the Monroe
doctrine as the heavens are higher than
the earth. and that is the doctrine of
humanitarianism and sympathy and
'nrlstian helpfulness." And this same
wrought was even more forcibly en-
bodied In the resolutions, which said.
4, "miie we commend our government and
us minister In Constantinople. The Hon
n,,rs"ca ierteil err, Tor the course thus far
slncere desire that something other th,n
mere dlplomacy might be resorted to In,
our government and the European powors
committeJ NM t 1Gn IN 10 the atrocities daily being
ane turkish empire. We deem it import.
ant that our government should take ,iI
ruSai n,,w steps necessary. to the protection OF
bu bir,, naiurailzed citizens Of Armenian
, pir'h WHO are being taxed and oppressed
pv the Turkish government.
In view of the steps which have been
taken In our city to aid in the alleyia-
tioh OF the Armenian famine sufferers
IL may not be amiss to quote briefly
the remarks at this Washington meet-
ing OF Frederick d. Greene. the secre.
tary OF the National Armenian Relic,
committee a gentleman who resided for
many years in Turkey. Said he: "It
10 reported by impartial and trust-
worthy American residents in Turkey
that as result of the recent massacres
as many as $4,000 Armenians have al-
ready been killed, and that at least
three hundred and fifty thousand are
now In danger Of perishing from star
walton and exposure. We need 500. 600
now, and at least 81, 900, 900 will be need
ed to tide over the Armenians till next
year." But most eloquent of all was the |
speech Of a young Catholic, Father |
Stanord, who carried the immense au-
dience as by magic when he said:
l am heartily glad of this opportunity to |
meet upon the same platform the clergy. |
men and people of the several religious /
denominations Of Washington. and with
them to plead in the cause Of right and |
5ns.ice. Hn whatever whatever be the unhappy divi-
thank God there are yet left us some COM /
mon principles, common platform upon /
wnich we can all meet and be one. Doc
trine Is exclusive. The assertion of one /
doctrine Is the exclusion and reputation |
Of all others. Charity knows no lines and i
stops at no barriers, but embraces all the |
world. Liberty! Liberty! This is a
theme for us all. When any nation out
RACES natural Justice we have a right /
to protest. and we do protest against
these Armenian Outrages. Turkey Is
bound by positive convention and treaty
with the great powers of Europe to pro. |
tect the Armenians. She has disregarded
that treaty. and the six great powers have
looked complacently on. 81 /
1t Is our duty to make the liberty Of L
this country SO perfect and our Influence
abroad so great that no corner of the /
globe will dare lift a sword above aIuiafi i
and say. believe or die." This IN cer-
kAinlY our mission in the world. and may