The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-07
The Protestants In Turkey.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: You sale
| lately, regarding the condition Of the native
| Christians Of the Balkan States. that the racia
| and reli gtous animosities among them are the
greatest hindrance to their emancipation
that among the Armenians the conditions
are still worse" that Catholic Armenian.
have not only betrayed their brothers In race
| to the Turk but, as the archives In CONSTANT
nople would show. they have been suspected
Of subsidizing the Kurds to prosecute and
| attack their Gregorian fellow Armenians:'
and you add that meanwhile the Protestants
among them hold aloof with naughty supe-
riority from the two other creeds."
Now, the Protestant element in the Turkish
provinces Of Eastern Europe and the Asiatic
provinces east and southeast to the borders
Of Syria, Is the result Of the work Of the Ameri-
can Con gregational Church. through its mis-
sionaries sent out by the missionary society
Of that Church. Can the American Congre-
gational Church be justly accused Of teach
ing naughty superiority" toward any class
of worshippers. be they professedly Christian
or openly heather?
So far from that, when the American Board
began their work among the Oriental Chris
tians they tried TO help those churches by
establishing their schools among them with
out a separate church organizations; but the
bitter opposition to their work by the hierar-
establish a Protestant Church among them.
into which to gather those who wished to
worship IN more simple manner and to re:
eeive the Bible as the only rule OF faith and
These American missionaries have done a
notable work. Years, ago, the Earl Of SShaftes-
bury, that great and noble man. while on a
acquainted with the American missionaries
and their work. and gave them unstinted
praise, few years since. also. during the
A fho rit iSh Ats,h n low
said OF them. The one bri ght spot in the
Eastern question is the American missionary,
to whom he gave unbounded praise for tact
| The lives of thousands Of native Christians
were saved by their gathering within the pro-
| tected mission premises; and more than one
| between the ruthless Kurds and bashi- bazouks
| and school of Armenian girls.
| The schools OF this missionary society are
| scattered through eastern Europe and west
ern Asia up the very shadow Of Mount Ararat
with high schools and colleges for both boys
and girls, The most. notable OF American
i I At Gonstanttinople. to Which Mr. Mr. Stead
the English writer. gives the credit for the
degree of preparedness for self--goyernment
h that now sNss in rks
| desire for better conditions that Is stirring
both Christians and Muslems in. Turkey,
In the Turkish Province of Syria the Ameri-
| can Presbyteri Ian Church has one of the finest
the Syrian Protestant College at Beirut Con-
nected with it are schools for both boys and
girls. young men and young women. to which
and daughters There is also a medical de-
partment that is raising the standard OF
medical practice throughout Syria and the
regions. beyond; They have also an Arabic
press that sends It's publications among the
millions Of Arabic speaking people.
How. then. can anyone rightfully accuse
the American Protestant missionaries OF
stimulating spirit Of naughty superiority? 2"
Why not give praise to American enterprise
not only for extending the sphere Of American
exports. but also In carrying Christian civil
to Japan. to India and Slam and TO the islands
OF the sea?" KATE r. COOPER.
WELLIN dToN, Ohio, Sept 20.