The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-01-26
OUR MISSIONS IN TURKEY
Ex-Minister Angell's Impress
sions Of the Turks.
SAYS THEY ARE NOT INT0LERANT

'The Ordinary Turk a Good, Honest
Fellow, hut Capable of Great Fanat.
icism"-Feeling Of Turk. Axain.t
Armeninns Akin 10 That In Europe
Against jews.
James b. Angel. former minister TO
Turkey and now president Of the Mich
igan university, addressed an audience
IL the Central Congregational church in
Brooklyn the other night OH Turkey and
Armenia The meeting was in the in.
terest Of the American board Of foreign
missions. Mr.. Angel described the
work Of American missionaries there,
particularly what they had done and
were doing toward the education OF the
Turks. He told how tho maesacres OF
1884 came about. The general belief
here has been that Turkey was very in
tolerant toward any religion save the
Mohammedan. Mr. Angel said that the
reverse was the fact. He said that In
Turkey the various religious organiza-
tions practically had all OF the freedom
In religious matters they could ask for.
and in addition they had measure Of
civil government that denominations
have nowhere else.
An Armenian who dies leaves a will.
That will doesn't go to any probate
court Of the empire, but TO the patriarchs
Of the church. and they administer the
estate. In various other matters Of civil
government also the heads Of these &C.
clesiastical organizations have extensive
powers. One Of the results OF this was,
Mr.. Angel said, that the population
was divided into many societies. Each
society kept more or less to itself, and
because OF this there were naturally
good deal OF friction and want OF
unity.
OF the Armenians, he said that for
100 years they bad been in subjugation.
and they had acquired the characteris-
tics Of seryile people. They had been
oppressed TO an extraordinary degree by
the mountain Turks or Kurds, who
would swoop down on their villages and
carry away their property and often
their wives and daughters. That was
one complaint the Armenians had, but
there was another quite as serious. ln
Turkey no one is allowed to be a col.
dier unless he is Mohammedan. 4
Greek or an Armenian is not permitted
to serve in the army nor 20 have any
firearms in his possession. While the
Armenians couldn't be soldiers, Mr..
Angel said. they developed a tremen-
dous natural gift for mechanical and
mercantile pursuits.
The natural consequence Of the Ar
menians devoting all their talents to
business was that many Of them grew
rich. They held mortgages on land
owned by the Turks and because as
they grew rich the Turks grew poorer
there was feeling growing in Turkey
akin to that feeling in Europe against
the Jews Mr.. ANGEL said that the op-
preston from which the Armenians suf-
fered led u percentage OF them to emf
CRATE TO another country. where many
were converted to anarchism. The
young men saw only in anarchy their
deliverance from the oppression Of the
kurds. Just previous to the massacre in
Constantinople about 90 Of these young
men came to Constaniinople imbued
with the idea that they would relieve
their countrymen by blowing up build
ings and killing people. They did blow
! up the foreign Office and other buildings.
The Ottoman government then let 1t
be understood, Mr.. Angel said. that
those who cared to could slay Arme-
mans and escape punishment, aud Il
came about the next day that the city
was full Of young Turks, each Of whom
carried club. They went through the
streets, and whenever they met an Ar.
menian they beat him to death. This
went on for three days. Mr.. Angell
said there could be- no denying this. As
to the number Of persons who were
killed in the city he said that conserva-
tive estimates placed it ut from 8. 900 to
Q, 900. His predecessor on one visit to
the Armenian cemetery saw In one night
700 bodies brought in and piled up.
What happened in Constantinople hap.
pened in other parts OF the empire. and
anywhere from 100. 900 to 900, 900 per.
sons were killed. all told. in some places
/ tho WuUSO VOpu10VaOu OOsu0 Sosu0AcO ~
churches and burned.
Mr.. Angell said that after the mas
sacre the Ottoman government charged
that tho American missionaries were
teaching the natives revolution. The
sultan called on the minister Of foreign
affairs and directed him to present the
matter to tho American minister. Mr.,
ANGEL said he knew that the charges
were false. The specifications that were
brought forth one at time to prove th.
charge, he said. he had investigated
carefully, and he found that every com
plaint originated. not with the Turks.
but with some one of the rival ecclesi
sstioal organizations. He reported hil
discoveries to the Turkish government,
and that ended the matter.
He said there had been no trouble IL
Turkey with missionaries during thu
mast year. From his personal knowledge
he did not believe that the Turkish gov
eminent ever bothered the miaionarie,
any more than it bothered other travel
ara So far 20 hs bad seen al psopll
wsre treated alike II the missionasie,