The Lamar register., 1897-11-27

Turkey have never been faithfully re-
ported by the press of the United
States, and that he hoped that ! would
make known to the American people
what he was then about to say. Con-
tinuing, he said:
Early during the Ottoman conquests
In Asia Minor. the Armenians, who
were being crushed by repeated inva-
sions of the Tartars and the Persians,
emigrated in large numbers, and OBJ
tanned protection from the Ottoman
rulers. They were kindly received,
Hospitality treated, and received bene-
fts in the protection OF their lives and
property. No nation continually en-
gagged in war can excel in industrial
and commercial pursuits. Thus 1t oc-
CURED that while the early sultans
were busy with conquests. all manu-
featuring and commercial interests
we're monopolIzed by Christian races,
and chiefly by the Armen!ans. Their
religion was also tolerated. for Mus
sulmans tolerate the religion of all
men who worship God. Thus the Ar
menIans ptospered. and remained con-
tented under Mussulman rule for over
four hundred years. They became the
manufacturers, contractors and bank
ers of the Ottoman empire. They en-
joyed their religion. openly worshiped
for centuries in their ancient churches
and monasteries. and built new ones
when needed. Their patriarch could
always present their complaints at the
Sublime Porte. and they were always
protected in the enjoyment of their
own methods OF worshiping God. Four
49,. a al v-al ht- a1
Mussulmans. namely. the Koran. the
book of Confucius, the Talmud OF the
Jews. and the Bible of the Christians.
How could a Mussulman murder Ar
menians merely on account of their re-
igion. when the Koran prohibits CRU
city. and requires that all men who be-
lieve in God shall be Protected. except
during war? One of my ancestors
Selim l.. the grandson of the conquer
or of Constantinople-once thought
that his empire would be stronger IL
all his subjects professed the same re-
ligion- Some disturbances raised by
Christian races caused him to ask the
Sheik-ul-Islam II It would be lawful for
him to kill all Christians who refused
to be converted to Islam. The Sheik
issued fetva, in which he answered
that 1t would not be lawful. and that
Christians who were peaceful must be
protected. So Selim respected the fet-
va. Fire-worshipers and idolaters
alone have no right to protection, and
Mussulmans are prohibited from eat
ing meat cooked by such people"
The Sultan then cited many evil
dences OF the favor and Partially ex-
tended to and of the confidence re-
posed in. the Armenians by himself
and by former sultans, to show that
their religion was not the cause of
their recent misfortunes. The Sultan
more than once repeated his declara-
ton that no Christians had ever been
prosecuted by his government or peo-
pie for their religious faith, and that
their churches and monasteries, which
have stood from the early ages of
Christianity, had been respected, pre-
served and worshiped in; that they
had always selected their own patri-
archs and bishops and were always
protected in the full enjoyment OF
their religious freedom. Referring to
the massacres. he said: THE truth
unfortunately. is never published in
Christian newspapers about conflicts
between my Moslem and Christian