New-York tribune., 1896-02-04

BAcK COUNTRY TO STIR Up THE MosLEMs
DURING THE MONTH OF BAIRAM-THE
SITUATION IN coNsTANTINoPLE
Constantinope, January IS.
Winter has come IN Constantinople, the worst
winter that has been seen here since lS92-coId.
rar ard sunless. The fierce winds come driving
down from the Black Sea, bringing clouds, rain
and snow. The streets Of the city from the
Bridge 10 the city walls and from Galata to
TchlchU are rivers OF liquid mud through which
splash the sorry coach horses and dolorous Pc
sestrians In Asia Minor the snow IS heaping
higher and higher. burying beneath its masses
every vestige Of food and fuel that could sustain
and warm the wretChed sufferers In the central
provinces the snow is reported TO be already
three feet and a quarter deep, and is constantly
increasing The winter has come in force and
with II has come famine and pestlence.
From these enemies there to be no
escape The bubble OF European intervention mas
broken and LETT hardly a. trace. AL efforts az
relief Jealous as they are. seem almost pueTHe
In comparison with the magnitude OF the distress
The coming OF the Red Cross has been the great
hope OF the people, and to-day 1t seems proo-
able that this hope is to go the way Of all others
The first OF the week Minister Terrell r~ceiNeu
from Washington orders 10 notify the Porte OF
70 carry relief TO the suffering people He did
SO and has lust received hts answer IL was ds
expected The Porte, while entertaining lh- pIo-
foundest sentiments OF admiration Tor 'he Neu
Cross Society and It's work. feels Obliged 70 eA-
press its unwillingless that the Red CrOss s'iO"'u
enter Anatolia al the present time. Inc reA"Sa'
for @ refusal II is. practically-is Daseu upon
TWO reasons viz: There neither Is nor has been
war IN progress and there is no need 10 warrant
the entrance Of the Red Cross
This is the position that the Porte mas oeeh
carefully fortifying ever since IT became apparent
,ho, The Ped cross Society was inclined to take
IN the work OF relief The former position or the
Government. that nothing of Importance had
banpsned In Anatona. wes abandoned several
weeks ago. 1t became necessary to convince
E,,rooe and America that the poor victims or
rnalevoleut Ku-ds were being tenderly nourished
bv The al-sufficent bounty OF His Imperial
Majesty. Whereupon great light breaks upon
Yrdiz Palace; there have been massacres. there
is distress, there Is famine: but every wound
shall be healed by the Imperial goodness for' as
the Sabah states. no one in all the Empire
con feel pain but that His Imperial Majesty
flies 10 succour him"
THE SULTAN IS LORD BoUNT1FCL
Four days ago the Sultan appeared in his
new role With a great flourish or WORDS II
was announced in all the city papers that his
Majesty has ordered the institution or a COM
mission under his own high presidency with
The object of giving aid 10 the MussuI'nah anu
ror-Nussulman inhabitants who nave suiIe'-1
from the troubles that broke out there lately
The Commission will print subscription tickets
md the funds collected will be used 10 relieve
the necessitous inhabitants and 10 repair anu
rehu;ld their houses The institution Of this Com
he [rrlf
CT compassion and sympathy with all those WHO
srfea~ vrerever ard whoever they may be
With this advertisement. the Commission was
Instituted II has chosen rs officers, has en-
gagged five secretaries. has resolved 10 meet iou'
times week and has chosen the form OF 'lcKe'
% be used for subscriptions, subject 10 the ap-
proval Of His Majesty. That Is the total thus 'a'
toward ,ts work or feeding the starving The
future Is no. difficult 70 foretell No one VIII
subscribe. the Commission will get angry VIII
sunnrnon a dozen Armenian merchants sAO"
them the dungeons Of Stamboul and invite them
70 subscribe 1900 each Then the Turkish news
papers will proclaim that men are fastening
- Isv their wealth at the feet Of HIS Majesty.
and that all the wide world Is smiling Win
nlenty through his goodness. Some men in
Europe and America will believe il. ard the Com
mission will have served It's purpose Then the
nachas will pocket the money, and the Commis-
sion will dissolve.
Of the same kind Of theatrical benevolence
has been the Government distribution Of bread
which has taken place IN several cities ana
the much-boas:ed return Of stolen property
To families that have lost all their property
and possibly all their male members. the Gov
ernn1ent does out few pounds OF bread each
dav in the large cities. and returns blanKtl
and a couple Of cooking pots The return OF
stolen property is an absolute farce II Is zone
so1sl, for the purpose Of attracting attention,
&c carried on In a few places only. and accom-
n,Isbes more harm than good for under cover Of
restoring property fresh outrages are oi'en COM
n,tted. From these facts it can he judged now
effective the work or the o"4ta''
Relief is likely to be.
Tho eacond means by which the Government
has sou9bt 10 strengthen its position has been
N nresent Asia Minor as a paradise IN "hch
reign peace. prosperity and love. FOR TINS oe-
sign testimonials were necessary anu were
ordered from the provinces Ihey ma a.
rived: the papers are full OF thenl' coucHeu ~
glowing terms, praising tne Jusoo' ,d si,nod
mercy and wisdom OF the sovereign anu sisid s..
bv leading men Of the Armenian coiniluhltIeA.
In reality these letters are the despaiIlhe
of an utterly broken people. VINO WIN II"
thor Thought of resistance, Hex the feet OF t!eAi
master: these addresses Of gratitude anu loyaIty
are written in the fOulest dungeons oI -lsi1
Minor by men who have been tortuleu uHJ -
day; In ruined villages, where women an" O'i-i
dren are starving and freezing or al the point
of the sword by men who see no safety except
In submission.
WILL AMERICA STAND FIRM
To all these people. tortured, starving lree@-
ing. tantalized by empty promises OF relief 'he
helpless victims OF every brutal ruifian IN the
country, the coming Of the Red Cross is ques-
ton Of life and death. II it comes. every agent
OF the Red Cross viii be both brlnger Oh m ne
and a " tness OF the truth; II IL does not co'le,
death by famine, cold and pestllence confronls
thousands and thousands Of wretched peOple.
The supreme question OF the hour Is, VIII the
United States stand firm?
Meanwhile the relations between the am