The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-09
PLOGGED TO THEIR BAPTISM.
HOW ARMENIANS WE'RE TREATED
BY RUSSIAN PRIEST.
An Incident In Ilfo Of VssailOv, VINO
Was Assassinated -Protests In This
Country Against the Seizure by
Russia or Armenian Church Property.

Of the Friends Of Armenia, Mrs. julia ward
Howe, president, sent out to-day circular
entitled Religious Persecution in Russia.
II says in part:
"A few days ago the press dispatches
reported the assassination Of the ortho-
dox archpriest Vassilov In tho streets OF
Alexandropol, FOR having converted three
Armenian villages Later advices from
Europe give some account Of Vassilov's
record and OF how he incurred his unpopu-
larity His assassination was an incident
Of the popular evaporation caused by the
religious persecution In Russia.
1T is the well known policy Of the Gov
eminent to put pressure upon all its nom
orthodox subjects, to make them conform
to the Russian State Church. Whether
Jews, Doukhobors, German Lutherans.
or Polish Catholics, those who will not con-
form must suffer. Just now the screws
are beng put upon the Armenians. In the
Caucasus, where the population Is largely
Armenian, the Government Is sending in
colonies Of orthodox Russians and settling
them there to crowd out the original peas
antry. Those who will turn orthodox,
but are given additional grants OF Gov
eminent land and other favors.
Last year about twenty five Armenian
peasants In the village of Karakilissa made
up their minds to join the State Church,
and sent petition to the Russian synod
asking to be baptized. A few days later
they repented OF this act OF hypocrisy, and
wrote to the synod that they had decided
to remain In their own communion. They
supposed this would end the matter; but
some time later they received notice from
the Governor Of Alexandropol to he ready
for baptism on a certain day. The peasants
told the Governor that they had changed
synod to that effect. The Governor an
swsIed, We have orders from st. Peters,
burg to baptize you. Those who 60 back
on their word will be exiled to Siberia
The next Sunday the Governor came
to the village with regiment OF Cossacks,
accompanied by the Russian archpriest
vassilov with Bible and crozier, and many
quets, to attend the ceremony; but the
peasants refused to be baptized. The Gov
ernor first tried to persuade them: then.
failing in this, he ordered the Cossacks to
use their whips. The unwilling converts
were hogged to the place OF baptism like
guard over them with their whips to keep
them from running away. while the arch.
priest Vassilov read from the Bible and
sprinkled them with holy water. The
wives Of tho unfortunate mon, with their
children. left the village, declaring that
they could not live with husbands who let
themselves be converted by force. This Ia
career.
AS items in the forcible Russianization
Of the Caucasus, the Government has sup
pressed all the Armenian benevolent and
philanthropic societies, has subjected their
newspapers to rigid censorship. and closed
many OF their public libraries, including
that OF the Armenian philanthropic society
casus, which was used by all nationalities
and had been OF great benefit TO the city.
The Government during the last few years
has also systematically discouraged their
commercial and manufacturing enter
prises, laying special restrictions upon
them. and offering great advantages to
| their competitors. Armenians are now
almost wholly excluded from Government
| Offices, in districts where the bulk OF the
| population Is Armenian.
sDuring the past few weeks the confsoa.
ton of the church property has called
out great popular demonstrations In Alex
andropol Tihis, Ervan, Baku, Shusha
and Elizavetpol, accompanied in several
cases with bloodshed. In Alexandropol
all places Of business were closed and the
| city WAS hung with black. In Ertvan
several thousand people, taking with them
| the Archbishop, and overcoming the re-
sistanoe Of the military and police marched
| in procession to Etchmiadzin, whore the
| head of the Armenian Church has his see
| In an ancient monastery at the foot Of
| Mount Ararat, and urged him not to give
up the property Of the Church. He and his
| clergy held q council and decided not 70
| surrender II voluntarily.
4Chrimian, the present head OF the Ar
menian Church, is an a. ed prelate, respected
| throughout Europe for his virtues. and
greatly beloved by his own church. He has
| begged the Car to grant him personal
| interview to demonstrate, but there is no
prospect that he will be successful.
-In Boston, Providence and other Ameri-
| can cities, meetings Of protest are being
| held by Armenians. naturalized citizens
| Of the United States, who assert that the
Armenian Church property does not belong
| to the Armenians in Russia alone, but to the
members Of the Armenian Church through
| out the world; and they ask President Roose-
| welt to protest to the Car against the con-
| fiscation of property In which thousands
| OF American citizens are part owners
| The Armenian Patriarch of Con tantinople
| and his clergy have entered a protest on
| the same ground--that the Church property
| belongs to the members Of the Armenian
| Church everywhere.
ain 1888 the Russian Government granted
| the Armenian Church constitution, the
| eighth and ninth chapters Of which guaran-
| tee the Church the right to administer
| it's own revenues and conduct Its own
| schools; but these promises have proved
| OF as little value as the guarantees OF consti-
| tutional liberty for Finland"