The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-11-19

To the Women of Americd:
Some animal life produces devastation
and some vegetable life produces poison,
and it is necessity in the economy of
nature that there shall also be other
forms of life which shall counterinf1uence
these and produce what we call physical
equilibrium. Moral laws run parallel on
higher plane. Who shall say that the
condition of untold and unreliable moral
leprosy which perIneates the land of Tur-
key to-day in u state OF epidemic excite
ment is not at this moment casting
blight OF contamination over the whole
world?
The institution of Home is recognized
10y all civilized people to be fundamental,
essential and holy. Motherhood is held
sacred by nations in direct ratio to the
exaltatiOn of their moral standards.
If had n voice which could reach into
the heart OF every American woman,
would speak aloud and call them to come
and gather upon the brow Of the hill Of
this fair, free land OF ours, while our
fathers and brothers and sons are at
tending to political matters | would
call them to stand and look with me
upon Il mighty onslaught which is being
made in the light Of day upon the lnsti-
tuition of HOme-;n onslaught which is
being made with a fixed purpose to an
initiate that Institution, to blot it from
the face OF an entire country. | would
call them to turn their eyes away from
their children, their young babes and
their maidens, for they are safe in our
land, and to set them upon the records
of history which show that for five hun
dred years the Armenian people have
been suffering all humiliation and bear
ing all burdens, and serving in all ser
vice, and enduring all privatons, for the
sake of their homes, with a great cour-
age, with an astounding tenacity to their
mighty faith in God which they have held
| fast as an entire people, generation alter
generation. Those armenian mothers,
| in an atmosphere of indescribable moral
| cOntagiOn, have walked SO queenly be-
fore their children, and have taught their
sons after so wOmanly a fashion, that
| those sons have come up to manhood
and have gone out into the unclean
world about them to hear language
full of nameless vieness and to face every
| temptation which the enemy of decency
could put before them: they have gone
out from before their mothers face to be
met by brihes of wealth and office if they
would enter into pOlygamy and then re-
| J
name of a murderer and a thief tina
these Armenian people shall be extermi-
mated, because they have refused.
Our fathers and brothers and sons
would get up from their gold and silver
| catechisms with great noise and they
would fight a great fight if an army were
coming to break down our doors and
hurt as. They would not go with open
palms and plead in diplomatic phrases
about palliation and amelioration and
concessions. These same fathers and
brothers and sons may hear US if we go
to them and talk little about the
| women of Armenia who are doomed, with
their doomed homes and their little
children, if the women OF America do not
do something about it and that quickly.
Europe is playing a chid's game of
soap bubbles with the life blood of a ma
| ton.
The Christian Church is summoned be-
fore the tribunal OF the Christless world
and stands accused OF rank hypocracy
cruel than the cruelty of wild beasts, I'M
less she does the utmost possible to Sc
cure deliverance and protection to her
defenceless children in Turkey.
If the records of this generation are not
to be written in one great stain OF blood,
to shame the generations of future days
we must arouse from our Indifference and
put away the things which kill our time
and stupefy our reason, and befog our
recognition OF justice; we must gather
money out of what seems possible and
out of what doesn't seem possible; and
we must send it to feed and cover and
protect the Armenian people: we must
give to the uttermost and without de
lay, for the honor of our kind and for
the saving of the Day, that disgrace be
not fixed upon us forever, in the destruc-
ton OF helpless but noble people which
we might have saved.
1t is useless to discuss the; RESPONSE
blity of governments. But we can get
influential men to write letters to Secre.
tary Olney and to the President; and we
can get wOmcn's clubs. both political
and otherwise, to pass and send in reso-
buttons to influence our Government to
proffer her support to England if Eng
land will take the initiative and go for
ward for the protection of the Christians
of Turkey.
We can go to the woman who is a
friend and: ooh. NY friend. Listen!
There's a woman who has little children
: she lives in a desolate country; an enemy
is preparing to destroy her and her child
rem and her home She has a father and
a brother and a son, but their hands are
empty: they have been robbed of every
kind of weapon and they are full of bit.
terness because they love the woman
PLEASE help me and pe ril send money 10 sac.
her,
Money for this purpose should be sent
to Charles Fl. Stout, Esq, Treasurer OF
The Armenian Relief Association, Ma
tional Bank of the Republic, No. 3, Wal
Street, New York City
And any one who wishes to correspond
upon the subject may address me, al
Room sos, Mail and Express Building
2O3 Broadway, New York City.
In bonds of service, am, very faith
fully yours,
WLLIMINA l.. ARMSTRONG.