The sun., 1901-08-11


course drew them away from their own
circles.
Passing to the political side OF his subject,
our author describes the system OF govern
ment under which the various peoples
collected in Russian Armenia live. Tho
presence Of discomfort In certain quarters
NAV be regarded az the inevitable outcome
of the change OF rulers. The Mussulman
supporters OF the old Turkish dominion
share with their neighbors Of Turkish
origin the humiliation OF q fallen state.
Their Turkish sympathies and connections
excite, on the one hand, the suspicious
OF the Russian Government, and, on the
other, dispose them to yield 10 the lightest
pressure and to cross the border into Turk
ish Armenia Even the Armenians, who
have been a mainstay to Russia, both in
her Persian and her Turkish wars, whose
lands have been swept by the tide OF battle
and who can recall the memory Of conflicts
which extended oven to the walls OF their
sanctuary, the cloister Of Edgmiatsin.
are inclined to temper their sentiments
Of gratitude with the consciousness OF the
services which they have rendered, services
which many among them may be disposed
to regard as having resulted only In the
imposition Of fresh and more burden
some yoke. North Of the tableland the
Georgian races. whose kingdom. harassed
by Mohammedan peoples. was driven to
seek outside assistance, have not yet for
gotten the disappointment Of the hopes
which many among them had cherished.
that Russian intervention might assume
the form Of a protectorate rather than that
OF a complete absorption OF the Georgian
element into the Russian state. In Mr..
Lynch's opinion. however, such regrets
and establishments do but represent
the familiar sequel to the constitution
OF empire upon new soil; under such
circumstances human nature Is moro prone
to count the loes than to recognize the gain.
It is certain that, since Russia completed
her subjugatiou Of the Caucasus. order
and peace have been given to the country.
and life and property are safe for the first
time during a long period. No longer are
Georgian children sold into slavery, and
a middle class is forming among q people
whose traditional relation to one another
was that OF noble and serf. II now in
Northern Armenia the Armenian peasant
gathers for himself the crops which he has
sown, and the restless Kurd consIlts his
safety by q respect for the law, 1t is to
Russia that the people owe deliverance
from the license and anarchy Of former
years.
Mr.. Lynch testifies that, had the Russian
n 70
the task OF maintaining public order
In formerly distracted country. Il would
have received the unstinted gratitude
Of the Armenians. until, in the maturity Of
time, they should have learned TO walk
unaided, and themselves 20 cope with such
unr,ly elements as might still resist the
yoke OF law The Russian Government,
however. was not content TO confne itself
to the role OF guardian, but desired TO bring
about as rapidly as possible the assimilation
OF the Armenians. The Russians them
selves are not q commercial people, and
would willingly see the Armenians conduct
! the commerce Of their native country
and develop Its vast resources, but only
on one condition, were they prepared TO
encourage such activity: the condition was
| Russians. and that the newly acquired
territory should be joined TO the Russian
| Empire. not only by the slender thread Of
annexation. but by the abiding tie Of .
common patriotism founded on a COM
| munity OF sentiment. The Armenian, in
| a word. was to sink his individuality and
resign his initiative into Muscovite hands
| He was made to understand that hs must
| imbue himself with the ideas which his
| rev rulers had prepared for him. although
these might be opposed to the tendencies
| and the capacities with which he had been
endowed In Nich prospect the Armenian
| can recognize nothing 10 admire and much
| TO fear. He sees the moro capable races
either driven from the Russian Empire
or made the subject Of incessant Jealousy
and anupathy, rather than OF increasing
respect. He feels the grip Of an organ
ization which ia founded on European
methods. and commands all the resources
which hose methods provide, but he dis
trusts t.se hand which wieds these weapons,
! and he is Indifferent to the objects TO which
they are directed. Even the material re-
suits Of such a system leave him little to
| hope for beyond what he has attained
The resources OF the country still lie
dormant. and the Government seems to
lack either the means or the will to
turn them to account Tho Armenian
sees the rich forests Of the peripheral
region, which might yield a considerable
revenue In rsturn for an outlay compare
lively small, left unexpected while ship
loads OF wood arc entering the ports TO
supply the requirements Of the oil industry.
That industry Itself he sees promoted by
foreign capital In Russian guise, although
the jealousy OF all foreign capital has closed
the door to It's bcneficent action in the
| provinces OF Russian Armenia Only a
single military railway traverses the table
land. and there Is scarcely q wagon road
upon IL. except such roads ~ arc rendered
necessary by the exigencies Of the army.
The two principal towns are Alexandropoa