The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-04-24
THE CHRISTIANS
HAVE CONSENTED
And Declare They Are Not
Afraid of a Massacre.
A wARSHIP MAY BE SENT
To Threaten the Turk and II That Does
Not sufice There May be q Bonn
bardment and Seizure OF
Smyrna.

Chicago, April 21.-A special from
Washington to the Record has this to
say about the trouble with Turkey:
The president has not felt like send
ing a man Of war to Turkey to enforce
the claims Of the American missionar-
les for damages suffered during the
American massacres five years ago for
fear 1t would provoke the Turks to re-
new their prosecutions of the christ
ians and cost the missionaries their
lives. The latter, however were willing
to take the risk, and officials of the
department and the legation Of the
United States at Constantinople are
making inspections and receiving per-
sonal letters from missionary boards
and from the missionaries living in
Turkey asking the government to COM
pei the sultan to keep the engagements,
even IL 1t becomes necessary to bonn
bard Constantinople and seize the port
Of Smyrna and hold 1t for indemnity,
as has been suggested. While it is pos
sible that such a demonstration on the
part of the United States would pro-
woke Turkey to retaliate and cause the
destruction Of the missionary stations
and schools throughout the Ottoman
empire, and perhaps a massacre Of ma
tive christians in every direction, the
missionaries argue that the ultimate
consequence would be beneficial t, the
cause they represent by making the
Turks respect them as citizens of a
government that will not be trifed with.
| They are willing to take their chances,
and the American christians feel the
same way. They argue that the Turks
| respect nothing but force, and that IL
the sultan Is made to understand the
| United States is determined to protect
| its people and defend there rights there
will be no further trouble for either ma
tive christians or missionaries in Tur-
key.
To illustrate this the Rev. DIR. Jessup,
perhaps the most prominent of the mis-
sionaries in Turkey, related story
which he said was recently told about
the cafes to illustrate the peculiar
character of the people. A caliph of one
of the interior provinces had a son who
fell In love with the daughter of far
mer, and the caliph sent his grand
vizier to arrange for a marriage. He
carried handsome presents to the father
and the girl and presented the desire
of his mater with great humility and
profuse compliments. The farmer Or
dered him out of his house and treated
| him in q most ipcpltinp rnapnar Tho
caliph, thinking that the grand vizier
might have shown a lack of tact or
have given offense in some way, sent
| the general commanding his army with
apologies and more presents and a re-
newal Of the marriage offer, but the
farmer received him with even greater
indignity. and not only heaped upon
him offensive epithets, in which the
Turkish language is richer than any
other, but actually offered him personal
violence. The caliph and his son were
mortified over the failure Of their mat
rimonial negotiations. when an old and
very wise friend offered to try his luck
and offered no compliments, but, when
he came upon the farmer. began to curse
him and call him all the vile names
he could think Of He picked up clods
Of earth and stone and threw them at
him, beat him over the head with his
riding whip, pulled his hair, shook him
by the collar and spat in his face.
What are you doing all this for?'
exclaimed the astonished farmer.
why should a stranger abuse me
thus? What have ever done to thee?'
you will not give your daughter in
marriage to the son Of my friend, the
caliph."
II have never refused to do So" said
the farmer, humbly; but nobody ever
approached me about it in reasonable
manner"
DR.. Jessup said that If the United
States government would approach the
sultan in a reasonable" manner, with
a fleet of battleships, and act as 1t in
tended to protect the American mis-
sionaries in Turkey, neither they mol
the native christians would have fur
ther trouble.