Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-05-30
CHAPTER ON ARMENIA
A People Whose Persecution Has Equaled That Of
the Jews.
Were Enjoying High State of Civilization and Pros
perity During Dark Ages of Europe-Have suf-
fered Terribly at the Hands of Islam.

tianiZed and the religion was adopted
| by the state. The mummied hand OF
Saint Gregory is still laid on the head
of every bishop at his conservation,
thus carrying on tie most perfect
I apostolic succession in the world.
1.-The glories of independent Armen-
la quickly passed. With the seventh
east more fatal to Armenia than any
of her ancient enemies-the religion
and Islam. Like wildfire, the religion
of Mohammed spread from Mecca to
Gibraltar; but when it reached the
Armenian people it found substance
it could not consume; the Armcnians
could not be converted to ISLAM, al
though their kingdom could be burned
to ashes and their people enslaved.
Like fire and water, Islam and Chris
tianity met and struggled, but neither
could destroy the other, until they set
tied down in the same land, sullenly
irreconcilable.
1.-The races might long ago have been
blended, for they are not Temperament
tally antagonistic, but, on the con-
trary, we'll fitted to be friends; but the
two clashing religious, each claiming
the world for it's kingdom, could never
be reconciled.
First, as the followers of the pro-
phet conquered Syria and the Armen-
ian provinces of Byzantium, came the
Arabs; later came the Seljuk, Turks
and subjugated part of Armenia, and
finally the Ottoman Turk conquered
vast empire and set up his mosque
in Agia Sofia.
"Mohammed the Conqueror had not
enough Moslem subjects to fill his
empire or his conquered city, so he ac-
septed his great body of Christian sub
jects with tolerance of their laws,
customs, and religion. He left the
Rayahs', or Christians, contemptuous-
ly alone, granting them, however, no
civil or military advancement unless
they accepted Islam.
"The Ottoman Empire was organi-
zed into 'millets,' a religious division,
there being an orthodox millet, Gre
gorian millet, a Catholic millet, and
Jewish millet, and in the nineteenth
century a Protestant millet. Each OF
these millets has its head, who Is its
representative or ambassador at the
Porte. This is not purely ecclesias-
tical position but is really diplomat
ic and political office and demands in
tellectual rather than spiritual quail
ifications.
"The Armenian question was
brought about by the entrance of
Russia upon the stage. Toward the
end of the eighteenth century the pro-
vince Of Karabag, peopled by 100000
Armenians and 100000 Moslems. and
governed by Armenian chiefs under
the suzerainty of Persia, was con-
quered by Russia, so that Armenia
was divided between Persia, Russia,
and Turkey. The Armenians in
Persia have been treated we'll and
are content; the Armenians in Tur-
key were enjoying fair treatment up
to 1876.
But the trouble had begun, for Rus
sia had framed policy for the pro-
lection of the 'Rayahs' Of the Otto
man empire and annoyed Turkey by
her intervention and demands for re-
form At first it was her coreligionists,
the orthodox Christians. Slav or Greek,
whom Russia sought to protect, but
later it included the Armenians.
I'm 1876 there came to the throne of
Turkey one Of the most cruel and alb
ominable tyrants whom the world has
ever known-Abdul Hamid ii. Short
| ly after occurred the Russo-Turkish
war. At the treaty of San Stefano,
that closed the war the grievances Of
the Armenians were definitely put for
ward, and Russia engaged to carry out
reforms in the provinces inhabited by
the Armenians and to guarantee the
security against Kurds and Circas-
sians.'