The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-02-05
A Church's Appeal.

! = The bishops OF the Protestant Episco
pal church iu the United States are un
iting iu set of petitions addressed t
the heads of the great powers of Europ'
mploring them to intervene in Turkey
in behalf Of the prosecuted Christi au'
of Armenia. Each is add
somewhat different from but res sed il
stance is practically the same. the sub
Bishop Capers of the South Caroline
diocese has signed the petitions pre-
pared for the purpose, one Of which is
herewith presented
To His Imperial Majesty, Nicholas H.,
Gar of all the Russians.
Sire We, bishops Of the Protestant
Episcopal church in the United States
of America, most respectfully petition
your imperial majesty, as the head of
the Christian Church in Russia, in be-
half of your fellow Christians, the
Armeuiaus. They have been subjected
to the most cruel prosecutions by the
Turkes, and, as we are we'll Informed. !.
under the express orders of the Turkish
government, because they are Christ
ians. Tens of thousands have been
massacred outright. after having re-
fused to renoupce Chist and accept
Islau. and some hundreds Of thousan ds
are at this moment in utter want aud
destitution, or even fugitives in the
mountains, perisbing by cold aud huo-
ger, for the same cause. We believe
the evidence to be conclusive that the
purpose Of the Turkish government is
to extermiuate the Armenians as a
Christian people. at least in those 10
terror portions Of Auatolia and Ar
menia, where there are no foreign con-
suls. We implore you, 10 Christ's
name, to come to the aid of our per-
secuted brethren. Even under the
most bloody prosecutors among the
Roman emperors such an atroclous and
Wholesale massacre was never perpe'
taate; and 20 persecution of the early
church reckons so many martyrs for
Christ's sake. Aud shall the Chrlstiao
world of the end Of the ninteeosh Gen.
tury stand carelessly by aud see Chris
tain community utterly ezterminated by
the iu6dels? Our difference of do,-
trsue are as nothing 10 the presence of
a crisis like this. All we, who profess
aud call ourselves Christians, must place
the rescue of hundreds Of thousands Of
our fellow Christians from death, or
what is worse than death, above all
questions of more material or national
advantage. 1t is not a question of
policy, but of Christianity. aud even of
common humanity. For Christ's sake
save our brothers from death, aud rescue
Christian community from extinction.
10 this mo ment all else should couns as
nothing 10 comparison with this. God
grant that your imperial majesty. whom
may God ever guard and guide, may
heed our heartfelt cry, for Christie sake.
Amen.
Ellison Capers,
Bishop Of South Carolina, .. S A.
The appeal voices the sentiment of
the country's Christianity, but we fear
that it will fail of effect. The j.alou-
sizes of Europe have already proven
stronger than all the pleas of humanity
If it shall prove. as reported. that
Turkey bas consented to Russian pro-
,ectorase, with an agreement to To-
tervene 10 Armenia and re.establish
peace there, it will accomplished for the
Armeuiaus what no concert of Christian
nations has been able to do; yet the be-
lief that such terms have been made has
already inspired England to seek % al
lance which if effected would uusettle
the agreement aud bring on a general
European war. during toe course of
which the Armenian atrocities would be
continued and completed 10 European
diplomacy neither Christianity uor
humanity has large share.-The
State.