Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-08
Relief for Armenia.

An ancient nation is being eNtermi-
mated in the land of the Bible. Fifty
thousand victims stretched out under
Gods sky in the slow circle of a year.
women, pure, devout and comedy, Suf
ferins two deaths-a living and Il dy-
ms death; little children poised on the
bayonets of Moslem soldiers, villages
burned, starvation and pestilenee the
common lot.
On the other hand. Christian Europe,
with seven millions of soldiers who
take their rations and their sacrament
regularly; statesmen who kneel on vel
vet cushions in beautiful cathedrals.
and pray we beseech Thee to hear us
good Lord, diplomatists who can
shape the whisper of throne and
shade the meaning of an Uitimatum: :.
but neither statesman, diplomat nor
soldier has wit. wisdom or will to save
single life, shelter a single tortured
babe. or supply a single loaf of bread
to the starving Christians on the Ar
menian hillsides: vested interests
are against it. the balance of power
does not permit it, the will of the Sui
tan is the only will in the Empire of
turkey, and all the will of all the
Christian nations cannot move it one
hair.
me Turk is barbarous while the
Statesmen are over-civilized; he is
frantic while they are--craven towards.
Meanwhile a star out of the West
stands over the Orient: it caught its
ilSht from the Star of Bethlehem. one
woman, well-nigh 20 years of ace. has
h..r
Forward to the rescue: she has gone to
blnd up wounds. to give out bread. to
ilSht Tires on blackened hearthstones.
to put hope into broken hearts. She
is greater power today for God and
brotherhood than all the statesmen.
and soldiers The worlds
eyes follow her with love; they cannot
see her plainly for tears.
Did our Heavenly Father overrule
the Wickedness of diplomats and rulers
to put before humanity an object les
son on the broadcast scale of the fulfil
ity of force and the omnipotence of
love?
but we have not rallied to the call
OF cur own Clara Barton as we might
have done. We have not made good
our pledges OF sympathy and help. The
deadly horror of the situation seems to
have benumbed iis--and that situation
was never more awful than today.
Let me, urge you to send help and
send it speedily to the National Ar
merriam relief committee. whose guar
antce of $50 600 enabled Miss Barton
to begin her work and to which she is
looking for the money to make 1t pos
shlc for her to go on. Brown Bros. &
Co. 80 Wall street. New York, are the
treasurers of this fund. OF
the $500 600 needed on the lowest cal
culation, only one-fifth has yet been
siYen.
Miss Rebecca Krillorian. of Aintab.
Turkey, whose sister has been stolen |
md thrust into a Turkish harem, and |
\, hose father, pastor of 30 years |
standing. is now in a Turkish prison, |
S going out to raise funds for her peo-
pie
She is devoted Christian, and an
speaker.
Read this appeal in your church |
prayer meetings, get your pastor to
loid q meeting, call together the local |
societies of women, and remember that |
s. will keep one family alive three
months until the next harvest Re
member that the hearty and substan-
iai support of this relief work will be
II great value in demonstrating to the
Turks our sincerity in our Christians,
md the depth of our interests in our
bretheren. The time is short
II which any of us can work on this
Stand of a world. We are bound for
he continent of immortality. Let us
Tot be neglectful or forgetful-we shall
lot pass this way again" God save
he martyr race!
The regular meeting of the West Pc l.
ObScOt 'Ta:pbnr'e will ko