River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-03
Armenian belief Association

TO tte UonaeR Of Americd.
Some animal life produces devasta-
ton and some vegetable life produces
poison. and il is a necessity in the
economy of nature that there shall be
other forms of life which shall coun-
ter-iniluence these and produce what
we call physical equilibrium. Moral
laws run parallel on a higher plane.
Who shall say that the condition OF
untold and untenable moral leprosy
which permeates the land of Turkey
to-day In state OF epidemic excite
ment Is not at this moment casting
a blight of contamination over the
whole world?
The Institution of Home is recog-
nized by all civilized people TO be fun
damental, essen tial and holy. Mother
hood is held sacred by nations in direct
ratio TO the eyaltation of their moral
standards.
If | had voice which could reach
into the heart of every American wo-
man, | 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 broth
ers and sons are attending TO political
matters. / would call them TO stand
and look with me upon a mighty
onslaught which is being made in the
light of day upon the institution of
Home-an onslaught which is being
made with fixed purpose 10 annihi-
late that Institution, to blot il 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 hundred years the Armenian peo-
pie have been suffering all humilia-
ton. and bearing all burdens, serving
in all service, and enduring all priya-
tions, for the sake of their homes,
with great courage, with an astound-
ing tenacity to their mighty faith in
God, which they have held fast
as an entire people, generation af-
ter generation. Those Armenian
mothers, in an atmosphere of in
deScribable moral contagion, have
walked so queenly before their chill
dren, and have taught their sons after
so womanly fashion, that those sons
have come up to manhood and have
gone out into the unclean world about
them to hear language of nameless
vileneSS and to face every tenn ptation
which the enemy of decency could put
before them: they have gone out from
before their mothers face to be met
by brides of wealth and Office lfthey
would enter into polygamy; and they
have refused. And now, to-day, it is
sworn in the name of a murderer and
a thief that these Armenian people
shall be eXterminated, because they
have refused.
Our fathers and brothers and sons
would get up from their gold and sill
yer catechisms with great noise and
they would fight hard fight, if an
army were coming to break down OUR
doors and hurt US. They would not
go with open palms and plead in di-
plomatic phrases about palliation and
and concessions. These
same fathers and brothers and sons
may hear US if we go TO them and talk
a 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 some
thing about it, and that quickly.
Europe is playing child's game of
soap bubbles with the life blood of
nation. The Christian Church is sum-
moned before the tribunal of the
Christless world and stands accused of
rank hypocrisy and of unfaithfulneSS
TO her own, more cruel than the cru
G lty of wild beasts, unless she does the
u tmost possible to secure deliverance
anC protection to her defenceless chill
dren 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 delay,
for the honor of our kind and for the
saving of the Day, that disgrace be not
fixed upon us forever, in the destruc-
tion of helpless but noble people
which we might have saved.
1t is useless to discuss the response
bility of governments. But we can
get influential men to write letters to
Secretary Olney and TO the President:
and we can get wOmen's clubs, both
political and otherwise, to pass and
send in resolutions to influence our
Government TO proffer her support TO
England if England will take the
initiative and go forward for the pro-
lection of the Christians of Turkey.
We can go to the woman who is a
friend and say: ''Oh! My friend.
Listen! There is a woman who has
little children: she lives in des0late
country: an enemy is preparing to
destroy her children and her home.
She has a father and husband and
son, but their hands are empty; they
have been robbed of every kind of
weapon; and they are full of bitter
ness, because they love the woman.
Please help me and we will send
money to save her!'
Money for this nurnoSe should be