The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-02

Il NENIOhlES ago, IN Wnat we are
Y j pleased to call the Ozark Ages" an
obscure monk-Peter the Hermit-sum-
moned Christendom to arms for the re.
covery Of the holy places where Jesus
had been born and crucified. The re-
sponse proved that if there was then
lack of light in the Christian world there
was no lack of heat. Some, indeed. have
regarded the Crusades as waste Of ef
fort. They forget that the waste would
have been greater. il the hosts that
swarmed to the East had remained at
home to fight against each other, as had
been their wont; and that by their
union and valor they saved Europe from
the dreadful fate of subsection to the
Crescent. We can now see that the OBJ
iect for which they fought was a paltry
prize, unworthy of their heroism. The
Christ is not confined to Nazareth, Beth
lehem or Jerusalem. He is as truly in
our hamlets and cities as he ever was in
Palestine. But can we not see that there
is an object worthy of our sacrifice, and
that to it we are called? Now, is it not
clear that the nameless atrocities which
have been perpetrated on his "little
ones" for more than fifteen months, in
the fields, the mountain passes, the
cities and the churches of Armenia,
summon us to new Crusade? We have
read from credible witnesses Of unutter-
able horrors that we believed could
never again pollute the soil Of earth.
Not merely the systematic pillage, ra-
pine and murder of an ancient Christian
people, but the abduction by wholesale
of their bereaved women for harems and
their boys for Islamism, the slow torture
of imprisoned leaders by law and the
rape of helpless little girls by brutal
savages.
Christian nations have looked on
at the spectacle, calmly specializing
what political gains they might possibly
make out of it all. Two nations, above
all others, were morally bound to inter
fere, and what have they done? They
have subscribed a great many dollars to
buy food for the starving remnants, to
give them another start in life, that is,
to put them in circumstances where the
Kurds and Turks will consider them
worth plundering again. That is all.
England had formerly posed as friend
of Armenia. but when she thought of
acting, Russia declared that she would
consider interference an as "unfriendly"
act. Russia was backed by France and
Germany. for they were all convinced
that the motives of England were COM
mercial rather than philanthropic. The
United States, too, had formerly pro-
fessed profound sympathy for the Ar
menians. Missionaries by the score
had gone to them, and sought to revive
their ancient faith. through education,
the press, the preaching of the Gospel.
and all the means of quickening the dead
given to US. The Armenians listened.
Their ancient faith revived. They be-
came men. Not only we're thousands
renewed. but the whole nation felt the
inspiration of new life. How much bet
ter had they been left alone! What
right have we to bring children into the
world il we intend to abandon them to
wolves? The reawakened feelings of
manhood and womanhood, of Christian
faith and hope, made the poor Armenians
capable of feeling pangs to which in
their former condition they would have
been strangers. Their new tastes be-
came their greatest torments. IT, in the
sight of God, we are responsible not
only for what we do, but for what we
refuse to do. then in his sight Britain
and the United States are as responsible
for the long continued agony of the Ar
menians as is the Turkish Government.
Are we not more responsible? The Sui
tan's religion bids him put "unbelieving
dogs" to the sword. Why do they refuse
circumcision and the Koran? He has
acted up to what he calls his religion.
Have we acted up to ours?
1t may be asked, Could we interfere
with reasonable hope of success? Brit
ain alone could not. The United States
alone could not. The two powers acting
unitedly could do anything. for they
would represent in such case, not only
the moral forces of humanity; but also
absolutely irresistible material force.
They have at their command numbers
and science. discipline, intelligence and
untold wealth. The navies could strike
the Turkish Empire at dozen points,
arouse Arabia to separate. take posses
sion of seaports levy customs and main.
tain order by the marines or an armed
police, till abundant security was given
for the protection of Christians in Ar.
menia and everywhere else for all time
to come. No other power would ven.
ture to check them, for no sinister mo.
tive could be imputed. A new hope
would dawn on the world, that hence
forth the inalienRble rights of man
would be sacred. 1t has been said that
the first gun fred would be the signal
for the massacre of all by the enraged
Mohammedans. That is preposterous.
They would know that that meant for
them irretrievable ruin. But even at
the worst maaaacra would he hetfer