New-York tribune., 1896-01-07
SOWING THE WIND.
rr-RKEY's ARMENIAN wICKEDNESS SURE
TO END IN DISASTER.
>,rroNa1. BANKRUPTCY IMPENDING FROM THE
INABILITY or THE OPPRESSED TO FAY
r,xrs-ExM1r1Es ri1lNG Up FOR
THE DAY or RECKONING.

THE DAY or RECKONING
Constantinople. Dec. 1S-Thc city Is tranquil
epsin For a week disquieting rurnors have
troubled even the most nervous. The eunboats Of
the Powers have taken up their positions in the
Rosphorus where their defiant FLAGS may 30 plainly
seon from Ydiz Kiosk
Yet even here in the city. where tho foreign innu
.nce IS strongest. tho triumph Of the Ambassadors
has been more apparent than real. While the rep
resentatives Of the Powers were husily engaged in
irving to obtain permission for the entrance cf The
cnnboats the agents of the police equally
blsv In arrestnC ArmeniaNs.
II will he remembered that after the demonstra-
ton Of Monday. September 80 In the city. several
hundred Armenians took refuge IN the churches
both in Pera ard IN Kun -kapou and consented to
come forth only a personal guarantee of safety
from the three Ambassadors OF England. Russia
ard France. These Armeuians received promise
o. immunity from punishment. the honor Of the
Sultan witnessed ~ ,hc three Ambass As
protection against the Turkish police. the refugees
received cards signed by the dragonans % the diff
ferent embassies. guaranteeing their safety. Two
months passed and recently the agents of the
cret police have been extraordinarily busy. Arme-
mans have been arrested by in the city. The
cards Of tho Ambassadors have been torn bits
and spit upon. and the unfortunate holders dragged
20 the grea; prison The doors of that prison canG
behind them and their friends know nothing more.
The Government; says that ;hev have been sent TO
their country" to keep thom from doing harm but
their relatives look no further. They know at night.
while Constantinople sleeps. gang Of prisoners
Is marched silently from the great prison ir STAN
houl to the BcsphOius. and IS there embarked on a
Turkish steamer But the country which those
poor creatures arc to behold is the country from
which traveller ever returns. BY sword. by
famine by ire. 10y water. the road IS shor,
Naturally the Sultan is to-day tho most COM
placent in the Empire. Now that the strain
has been removed. he IS in the hest Of humor. The
members of tho diplomatic body find him agreca BILE.
effable disposed 20 chat on all topics and ready TO
listen with fatto~.rg condescensicn to whatever
they propose. ions as the execution of the plan
Of reform is leit to himself lie is again in the
hes; of health. and with apparent good resson
sdcrs that the crisis Of his reign has been success
fully passed The Turkish Government has mas
sacred 10000 Arn"nians with perfect immunity. IN
defiance OF all Europe, has frightened many thou
sand Christians into profession Of Islam. and
has thus made the unwecome reforms OF no avail
Ore cannot but contraei the Sultan Of to-day with
the Sultan Of six weeks ago. when he WAS repre-
sented by common gossip 10 be half-mad between
regret FOR the pas: and fear for the future To-day
he smiles and sautes the world with confidence
THE WHIRI.WIND TO CONE.
Nevertheless spite Of the momentary triumph
the Turkish Government has sowed the wind and.
unless history proved false il shall reap the
whirlwrd. In IT'S thirst for revenge has failed
reflect upon the consequence that must follow the
irnpoverishmeat Of the Armenian population. For
centuries the Armenians have been the most indus
'rious of all the peoples tha inhabt the Turkish
Empire. They frugal. hard-workns and thrifty
and endowed with aptitude for business that
has made them the rivals of the Jews in the East
Twenty years ago the largest and richest banking
and mercantile houses I'm Cons rtinople were In
the hands OF Armenians. lnthe interior Of Asa Minor
and in Erzero"m. SiVas. ialpoot and other cities
practically all the business is conducted by Ar
mcnians. or rather. was until two 'ronths ago IN
the country districts they have been farmers and
shepherds from the days OF the mythical laik.
Both In city ana in country thev had acquired CON
siderable wealth. IN spite OF the eXactions of the
Turkish collector
But by the woyk OF devastation fha, began o.
tober 20 al Tre5zond and has since then continued
u1ceasinely. this Armenian population IA six great
provinces has been utterly ru!ned-reduced to ah-
soute begeary. Bankers and merchants in Erze-
rouIn ana Trebzond who Few months ago Nerc
paying .aXos thousands OF pounds o. property
today begging bread the doors OF the
American missionaries. From men 90 utterly
ruined even the lash and tortures OF a Turk
ish publican wiring taxes. According 20 the
best estimates obtairable several hundred thou
sand Armenans have been thus Impoverished. They
have been robbed not only OF their stock. bur
every OF obtaining livelihood in the future
has been taken away
Thus reduced to starvation. thousands have taken
10 flight The steamers which touch Al Trebzond
haze eyed leas, three thousand from that
Bstoum. From the vayet o, Van a constant
stream of pilaged. starving half-naked ygrotches
+ crossing the frontier TO find refuge under ihe
empire % the Czar In short. IL is beyond dispute
mat the deva policy Of Government has
resulted in the expatria,ion Of thousands OF iht
most Industrious vealth-producers of tho empire
~ say nothing of the thousands who have died by
the sword and by famine.
4 WEAPON FOR RUSSIA
We're IN. Turkish authorities less infatuated with
their policy. they would observe the inevitable
result OF this line Of conduc Primarily. they are
placing in the hands OF J Us a fearful weapon.
For when the day of comes and the Rus
san eagle desccnds from the peaks of the eau
,asus the Armenian refugees VIII be the bitierest
enemies OF Turkey. No one who remembers II and
the genius OF Iazaref and Mekof, both OF Ar
rnenian blood will doub, either the courage or the
ability OF the Armenian soldier.
s!ble war threatens Turkey az present National
bankruptcy stares the empire IN the face The ds
trade Business between Constsntinople and the in
,S 1eTior tbs rs pros Of having MS shop psd at any
moment. Consequently the merchants OF Consisntl-
uople who have. indeed. escaped being plundered,
are now almos, ruined by the depression in trade
rompared with the receipts OF former years. Thus.
with the revenue-y!elding popuiat. on OF ASA Minor
evident that Government VIII soon find itself in
precarious condition. ...- .o .r,,,, .or,o
quarter The interest on the debt must be paid or
English bondholders vii experience a shock ma ma
Money must be found COR current expenses for me
purchase Of arms the salaries Of foreign officers,
and the brihng OF newspapers The Redifs Teserrve
troops that have been modified must De man ln
taned this winter. Prepare lions must be Inadc lol
quellng the rising that 10 expected IN Maeedonla
next spring. ,., T., -,
The question that confronts the Minisrv Is. nov
Il this money 10 b" obtained The treasury -
empty; so are the treasures Of :he interior prov
inces Payment 70 officials IN the Interior ceased
long ago: the soldiers never receive any pa. 70
speak of the salaries Of civil onaries are sev-
eral months in arrears. and now Y iraks our mar
The embassies IN foresm countrl~s ma. no. is ,tI
paid for three months. The G2vernmen is oxcf9'Ss -