diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/53170-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53170-0.txt | 3949 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 3949 deletions
diff --git a/old/53170-0.txt b/old/53170-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0f72aed..0000000 --- a/old/53170-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3949 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Betrayed Armenia, by Diana Agabeg Apcar - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Betrayed Armenia - -Author: Diana Agabeg Apcar - -Release Date: September 30, 2016 [EBook #53170] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BETRAYED ARMENIA *** - - - - -Produced by Cindy Horton and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: you will find both Christian(ity, etc) and -christian used in this book, seemingly interchangeably; spelling of -names is also variable. - - - - -When this book was written, the writer was under the supposition then -generally current that the Armenian Massacres of April, 1909, in -Cilicia were instigated by Abdul Hamid and his Yildiz Clique. Babikian -Effendi, the Armenian deputy who went to Adana from Constantinople -to investigate into the massacres, plainly reported that all -investigations had failed to trace them to Abdul Hamid and his Yildiz -Clique. Babikian Effendi, as was to be expected, died suddenly on -his return to Constantinople, but later on it became known that the -massacres of April, 1909, had been planned, prepared, organized and -carried into execution by the Constitutional Government of what has -been called “Liberal Turks” or “Young Turks.” - -[Illustration: THEY TORE THE BABES FROM THE ARMS OF THEIR MOTHERS, TO -HACK THEM TO PIECES WITH KNIVES, OR THROW THEM ALIVE INTO THE FIRE.] - - - - - BETRAYED ARMENIA. - - BY - DIANA AGABEG APCAR. - - ILLUSTRATED. - - THESE ARE THEY WHICH CAME OUT - OF GREAT TRIBULATION. - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, - BUT TRANSLATIONS INTO FRENCH AND ARMENIAN PERMITTED. - - YOKOHAMA: - THE “JAPAN GAZETTE” PRESS. - 1910. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE. - - Why and Wherefore 3 - - Disinterested Evidence 5 - - Preface to 2nd Printing 8 - - Introduction 9 - - PART I. - - The Armenian Massacres and the Treaty of Berlin 19 - - The Armenian Massacres and the Turkish Constitution 25 - - The Armenian Massacres and the Armenian People 34 - - The Armenian Massacres and the Future of the Armenians 37 - - The Armenian Massacres and Civilized Europe 42 - - PART II. - - Out of the Depths 49 - - What the Turkish Constitution Means for the Armenians 51 - - The Armenian Question 53 - - Open Letter to the Honorable President William Howard Taft 56 - - Abdul Hamid, the Triumph of Crime 58 - - L’Avenir 60 - - The Origin of the Armenians--The Introduction of Christianity - into Armenia--Decline and Grand Revival 63 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE. - - They Tore the Babes from the Arms of their Mothers Frontispiece - - Scene of the Massacres in Asia Minor 4 - - In this House 115 Women and Children were Roasted Alive 5 - - Ruined Church and Homes at Adana 6 - - General Prince Loris Melikoff 19 - - General Ter Goukassoff 24 - - Muckertich Khirimian 30 - - Matthevose Ezmerlian 33 - - Nerses Varjabetian 46 - - Minaret at Erivan, one of the Cities Tradition Ascribes to be - Founded by Noah 64 - - Great and Little Ararat 66 - - Abgar King of Armenia 70 - - Soorb Gregore Loosavoritch 74 - - The Cathedral of Etchmiatzi 76 - - - - -WHY AND WHEREFORE. - - -In making a study of my race, I have found three marked characteristics -Intelligence--Energy--Industry. Combined with these three -characteristics is an intense Love of Nationality. We live in a -complex world. In an independent people these characteristics and this -sentiment are laudable Virtues. In a subject people they are Crimes. - -After I had laid this bitter Truth to heart, I did not have to seek for -the Why and Wherefore of the Armenian Massacres. - -The Armenian Massacres stand without their parallel in history. The -human mind staggers to contemplate the fiendish orgies of which they -have been the victims, and no pen can describe their horrors: and this -helpless christian people are to-day in the same deadly peril as they -have been since the famous Treaty of Berlin consigned them bound hand -and foot to the mercy of their executioners. - -The Armenians may be led again “as sheep to the slaughter” and the -work of extermination may be completed--Jesus Christ was crucified on -Calvary and the servant is not greater than his Lord--but the work of -their extermination can only be completed when the evil influences in -the Turkish Empire have reached their culminating point. Hitherto the -Powers of Europe have by their jealousies and rivalries cultivated -these evil influences, they have watered them and made them grow, -but when their culminating point is reached, they must re-act on -Christendom and the natural consequence must follow. Those who sow the -wind, must reap the whirlwind. It is in the natural order of things. - -I will allow that Liberty, Justice, Equality, Fraternity are the -watchwords of Young Turkey, but Young Turkey is only a small minority; -the great majority of the Turkish nation are not Young Turks. - -The question therefore resolves itself into this critical point: “What -will Christendom do even now?” - -[Illustration: SCENE OF THE MASSACRES IN ASIA MINOR. - -The trouble began in Adana. An armed mob strengthened and augmented -by soldiers fell in overwhelming numbers upon the unarmed Christians. -The Armenian population of Antioch and vicinity were practically wiped -out and the Armenian villages in the Alexandretta district destroyed -with immense loss of life. Hadjim, Kessab and the neighbouring villages -were burned. The Armenian quarter in Tarsus was ruined and ill-omened -Marash stained again with the blood of thousands of Armenians. Zeitoon -was desolated. The entire population of Kirikon between Aleppo and -Alexandretta were massacred to the last babe. The mob and the soldiers -burned what they could not carry away, so that the material loss has -been enormous. In place of the former abundance and thriving industries -there are instead desolated provinces and the charred and blackened -remains of pillaged and ruined homes, and the residue of those who -escaped massacre are reduced to homelessness and starvation.] - - - - -DISINTERESTED EVIDENCE. - - -I have thought it advisable to insert a few extracts from accounts of -the Massacres of April, 1909, given by disinterested witnesses. - -[Illustration: IN THIS HOUSE 115 WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE ROASTED ALIVE. - -History repeats itself. In 1895 Turkish soldiers fell upon seventy -to eighty young women and girls in a church, where they had fled for -refuge, and after hideously outraging them, barricaded them in, setting -fire to the building at the same time, and derisively shouting to their -victims as they were being roasted alive, to call upon their Christ to -save them now.] - - “We are having a perfectly hideous time here. Thousands have - been murdered--25,000 in this province they say; but the - number is probably greater, for every Christian village was - wiped out. In Adana about 5000 have perished. After Turks and - Armenians had made peace, the Turks came in the night with hose - and kerosene, and set fire to what remained of the Armenian - quarter. Next day the French and Armenian schools were fired. - Nearly everyone in the Armenian school perished, anybody trying - to escape being shot down by the soldiers.” - - “The Turkish Authorities do nothing except arrest unoffending - Armenians, from whom by torture they extort the most fanciful - confessions. Even the wounded are not safe from their - injustice. A man was being carried in to me yesterday when he - was seized and taken off to gaol. I dare not think what his - fate may be.” - - “For fiends incarnate commend me to the Turks. Nobody is safe - from them. They murder babies in front of their mothers; they - half murder men, and violate the wives while the husbands are - lying there dying in pools of blood.” - - “The authorities did nothing, and the soldiers were worse - than the crowd, for they were better armed. One house in our - quarter was burned with 115 people inside. We counted the - bodies. The soldiers set fire to the door, and as the windows - had iron bars, nobody could get out. Everybody in the house - was roasted alive. They were all women and children and old - people.”--Extract from letter of Mrs. Doughty-Wylie, wife of - British Consul at Adana; published in the London “Daily Mail.” - - * * * * * - - “The soldiers led the way in these horrors and were guilty of - atrocities so terrible that they can never be described in a - public print. Even the soldiers landed at Mersina--the soldiers - sent expressly to restore order--added to the crimes and for - three days continued the murders unchecked.”--Extract from the - London “Daily Mail.” - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH AND HOMES AT ADANA.] - - “The outbreak began in the Armenian bazaar on April 14th, and - on the pretence that an Armenian revolt was in progress the - Redifs or reserves were called out. These, as villainous a crew - as could well be found, had arms and ammunition served out to - them, and immediately joined in the slaughter, and all the - worst of the subsequent killing, looting, and house burning was - done by them.” - - “The Armenians did not take their punishment lying down. Their - quarter of the town was so well defended that the mob, mad - as they were with lust for blood, would not venture into it. - Houses on the outskirts were besieged by thousands of men and - held by half a dozen; in fact, the courage of these hordes of - Moslem savages was only equal to butchering women and children - and unarmed men. I saw a Greek house which was held for eight - hours by one Armenian with a shotgun against hundreds of Turks - firing from the surrounding houses and the minaret of a mosque. - At last his cartridges gave-out, but not for two hours after - that did the mob pluck up courage to rush the house.”--Extracts - from accounts by Mr. J. L. C. Booth, special correspondent of - the London “Graphic.” - - * * * * * - - “Kessab was a thrifty Armenian town of about eight thousand - inhabitants, situated on the landward slope of Mt. Cassius - (Arabic, Jebel Akra) which stands out prominently upon the - Mediterranean seacoast half-way between Alexandretta and - Latakia. Kessab is now a mass of blackened ruins, the stark - walls of the churches and houses rising up out of the ashes - and charred timbers heaped on every side. What must it mean to - the five thousand men and women and little children who have - survived a painful flight to the seacoast and have now returned - to their mountain home, only to find their houses sacked and - burned! There were nine Christian villages which clustered - about Kessab in the valleys below. Several of these have been - completely destroyed by fire. All have been plundered and the - helpless people driven out or slain.” - - “Can you imagine the feelings of the Kessab people as they - climbed on foot the long trail up the mountain, and then as - they came over the ridge into full view of their charred and - ruined dwellings? Their stores of wheat, barley and rice had - been burned; clothing, cooking utensils, furniture and tools - had gone; their goats, cows and mules had been stolen; their - silk industries stamped out; their beloved churches reduced to - smouldering heaps. The bodies of their friends and relatives - who had been killed had not been buried. And yet the love of - home is so strong that the people have settled down there with - the determination to clear up the debris and rebuild their - houses.”--Extracts from “The Sack of Kessab,” Stephen Van R. - Trowbridge. - -As these sheets are going through the press there comes news of famine -at Zeitoon. The Rev. F. W. Macullum, American Missionary at Marash, -writes to the Rev. W. W. Peet, American Missionary at Constantinople, -that 12,000 souls in and around Zeitoon are dying of hunger; they are -wandering about in rags, mixing bran and water, and cooking and eating -it, if they can get even that. Rev. Macullum adds, “The same story -comes to us from all sides. As we foresaw all along, from now on the -distress will be greatest.” - -If 50,000 were massacred, the list of those who have died and are dying -of homelessness and starvation will exceed 150,000. It is true; and the -numbers are not exaggerated. Last year the people reaped no harvest, -and this year there are no sowings. - -The latest news is that Mush, a prosperous Armenian village that had -escaped the desolation of the massacres, has been plundered in a night -attack by armed Kurds, and the villagers are now reduced to extreme -distress. Before the outbreak the Armenian patriarchal vicar at Mush -had repeatedly appealed to the Armenian Patriarch at Constantinople, -and the Armenian Patriarch had repeatedly appealed to the Authorities -at Constantinople asking protection for the villagers of Mush as a -Kurdish attack was apprehended. It is evident that the authorities at -Constantinople are unable to protect thriving Armenian villages from -Kurdish and Turkish raiders. - - - - -PREFACE TO 2ND PRINTING. - - -The first and second parts of this little book were written and printed -in pamphlet form for circulation in the United States, shortly after -the Adana Massacres of April, 1909. I have now thought it advisable to -add a Supplement of a short history of the Origin of the Armenians and -the Introduction and Revival of Christianity in Armenia. - -The illustrations and the extracts from the periodicals “Harper’s -Monthly,” “The Wide World” and the “Cosmopolitan” have been added to -the 2nd printing. - - - - -INTRODUCTION TO 2ND PRINTING. - - -My object in writing this little book is to lay the hard case of my -unfortunate race before the men and women of the United States; since -it is from the United States that the American Missionaries have gone -forth, who have been the only helping influence from without for my -suffering people in Asiatic Turkey. To the earnest and devoted men and -women of the American Missions, we Armenians owe a debt of gratitude -which we can never repay. - -If in the contents of the pages of this little book I have exaggerated -Facts by one whit or one iota, if I have deviated by one hair’s breadth -from the Truth, I stand to be judged. - -“God save us from another Adana, but the sword of Islam has not been -dulled” was one of the clarion notes sounded at the Sixth International -Convention of the Student Volunteer Movement, which was held at -Rochester, New York. The man who sounded that clarion note knew Islam, -and because knowing of my own knowledge that the sword of Islam has not -been dulled, I tremble lest its sharp edge fall once more on the neck -of my helpless race. If I knew and felt sure in mine own heart that -the sword of Islam was dulled, I would be content to let bygones be -bygones, and to hold my peace and be silent for ever. - -Like the sudden explosion of a volcano in the physical world, comes -the explosion of a Turkish Massacre of Armenians in the moral world. -It comes just in that way; the subterranean fires are always there, -but all of a sudden the sulphur flames of religious fanaticism burst, -the lava floods of race hatred and lust of plunder, break forth and -run in fiery streams; the unfortunate victims are pounced upon, -swooped upon, pillaged, plundered, butchered, slaughtered, subjected -to outrages so hideous, cruel, loathsome, and revolting, that no pen -could depict their horrible realities and the details can never go -into print. The human mind is staggered and asks itself the question -if even the imaginations of fiends and devils could originate such -horrors. Then this orgy of the human fiends is arrested. For the time -being the appetite for blood, lust, and plunder is satisfied; for the -time being, the eye is content with the scenes of havoc and desolation -lying under the sun; the smell of corpses is in the air, the odor -from the carcases of the “christian swine” reek in the nostrils of the -Turk, he turns away, his jaws dripping with blood, and rests to couch -for a future spring. We have seen that sort of an end to the tragedy -of a tiger’s victim: the tiger has eaten his fill, he rests, to keep -guard over the crunched bones and mangled bits of bloody flesh that -bestrew the earth. So also now there is a residue left of those that -have served as the meat and wine of this devil’s feast; the demons -have gorged themselves over the banquet, and now there are left over -the broken remains of the banquet, the miserable residue homeless and -destitute. - -Civilized nations have received a temporary moral shock, like a shock -that spreads from the centre of an explosion; the electric vibration -running far and wide from the scene of the centre of devastation. There -are among these civilized nations generous and kind-hearted people -who open their purse strings; they give money to purchase shelter, -food and clothing for these homeless, naked and hungry beggars, made -homeless, naked and hungry through no fault of their own. But oh! ye -generous and kind hearted people! can any power under heaven assuage -the heart anguish of this miserable residue? Can they be made by any -means of human comfort to forget the black horrors or recover from -the effects of the fires of the hideous affliction through which they -have passed? What is there left for a woman who has seen with her own -eyes the slaughter and heard with her own ears the dying cry of her -murdered child? even her reason must give way under the stress of her -anguish. All ye who are mothers, I appeal to you, for one moment to put -yourselves in the place of thousands of such mothers, in whose hearts -the same mother’s love burns as in yours, and then measure the depth of -their agony. - -Generous and kind hearted people who open your purse strings; would -to God I entreat, ye would raise up your voices and demand that this -hideous slaughter and oppression of a helpless christian race should -cease. Would to God I entreat, ye would raise up your voices and demand -that this people of an industrious, intelligent christian race, robust -in mind and body, should be let to live. Would to God I entreat, that -ye would raise up your voices and demand for them that security of life -and property to which they are entitled just as equally as all other -peoples. - -Public Sentiment has done great things in the world’s history. Public -Sentiment liberated Greece, The Lebanon, The Balkan States from Turkish -Oppression. Slavery was abolished in the United States through Public -Sentiment: but alas! does Public Sentiment sleep for this helpless -Christian race. Are they not God’s creatures? have they not a right to -live on God’s earth as other nations? Does Humanity, does Christianity -allow that tender babes and children should be hideously and horribly -mutilated and butchered before the eyes of their mothers, or that the -ears of mothers should be rent with the cries of the dying agony of -their murdered children? Does Humanity, does Christianity allow that -helpless women should be forcibly subjected to the most hideous, the -most loathsome, the most revolting, and the most cruel outrages? Does -Humanity, does Christianity, allow all this? - -Christian Governments have organized a Hague Conference of Peace and -Civilization, but they have closed its doors to the cause of a bleeding -christian race groaning under the yoke of the cruellest oppressors that -the world has yet known. Christian men and women have held up their -hands in horror at the Indian Juggernauth; but alas! the political -wheels of Christian Governments have been a Greater Juggernauth for a -helpless christian race. It is by Christian Governments that “we are -made as the filth of the world, and as the offscouring of all things -unto this day.” It is as if the answer to our groanings had been made -by Christian Governments in just these words: - -“We know that you have had frightful grievances, such as have been -beyond the measure of human endurance. We know that since the Treaty -of Berlin your history has been written in blood and tears, as the -history of no other nation has been written before or now. We know that -your women are subjected to the most revolting and hideous agonies, -and your babes and children hounded to hideous deaths. We know that -the sum total of your wrongs and sufferings is so great, that the cry -of its anguish is piercing the very heavens, but really, our political -and commercial jealousies prevent; and we each one of us being on the -look out lest our separate political and commercial interests in the -Empire of your oppressors be endangered, cannot regard you. It may be -the deadliest scandal of Christendom that we Christian Powers should -be all gathered together, one against another, in the Empire of your -Oppressors, as eagles gather together round a carcase; but really -there is no help for it; and if you must die hideously by a hellish -extermination, why then you must die, and we have to condone your -hellish extermination, for in any case, each one of us must secure his -own political and commercial interests in this same Empire of your -Oppressors.” - -In “Transcaucasia and Ararat,” published by Mr. James Bryce in 1876, -there occurs in the chapter entitled “Some Political Reflections” the -following passage: - -“The attention of the West was so much drawn towards Herzegovina -and Bulgaria by the events of 1876 that the miseries of the Asiatic -subjects of the Porte have been unreasonably forgotten or neglected. -They are fully as wretched as the Slavs or Cretans have been; and in -so far worse off, that in Europe there exists no large body of tribes -making murder and robbery its regular and daily occupation as the -Kurds, and latterly the Circassians also, have done in Armenia. If -anyone will take the trouble to read the complaints of oppressions and -cruelties presented to the Porte by the Armenian Patriarchate in 1872 -(since reprinted in England) and some of the more recent statements -printed by the Armenians in England on the same topic, he will see that -the state of Turkish Asia presents as grave and pressing a problem as -that of Bulgaria itself.” - -In the 4th edition of the same book, published in 1896, the following -note appears to the passage I have quoted: - -“Shortly after this was written, the Blue Books presented to -Parliament, containing reports from British Consuls in Asiatic Turkey, -showed that things were really far worse there than they had been in -Bulgaria or Herzegovina.” - -What has followed since 1876 is too well known. For seeking redress -from their frightful grievances the Armenians were hunted like wild -beasts and killed like rats and flies during the Hamidian régime. - -You will tell me, my christian friends, that with the rise of the -reform party in Turkey, the era of massacres is at an end, and I -will tell you that the conditions of 1876 and 1896 have not actually -changed, though they may seemingly appear so to the uninformed and -uninitiated. I will answer you that the hideous massacres of April -last happened nine months after the reform party first rose in power, -and nine months after the inauguration of the Constitution. I do not -question the goodwill of the reform party, but the reform party does -not comprise the whole Turkish nation, and until the Turk learns to -become liberal, civilized and human, there may be no more Armenians -left, unless some Christian Power such as the United States demands -their protection and enforces it. No! my Christian friends, it can be -well for other Christians in the Turkish Empire with their powerful -Governments at their back; but alas! there is no security for a subject -people alien in race and religion. - -The massacres in April last raged from Adana to Alexandretta, and -according to authenticated reports about fifty thousand men, women -and children were hideously exterminated; more than this, the last -massacres were especially characterized by the most hideous, the most -loathsome, the most revolting and ferocious cruelties perpetrated -on women and children. Now what other name can we find for the -perpetrators of this diabolical orgy, except to call them fiends -incarnate; and who is the bold man who can guarantee that these same -fiends incarnate have become metamorphosed and changed all of a sudden; -or that the handful of liberal Turks at Constantinople are capable -of controlling and restraining them. We have not even heard that the -leaders and participators of the last massacres have been punished as -they deserved; and what is the reason they are left unpunished? because -the Government is afraid to punish Mahommedans for killing Christians; -because the liberal Turks dare not punish the “true believers” for -killing “Kaffirs.” - -The religion of Mahommed, the religion of the sword, has been infused -into the Turk, and to understand the effect of the religion of Mahommed -upon the Turk, it is necessary to regard it from four aspects, or from -four points of analysis. First, the fundamental doctrine and law of the -religion. Second, the character of the founder as an example to his -followers. Third, the racial and ethnographic characteristics of the -Turk. Fourth, the effect which this particular religion would be likely -to have on this particular race. When we have viewed the Turk and his -government from these four points of analysis, we have the explanation -of all the woe and desolation which have lain over the countries under -Turkish rule. - -“When ye encounter the unbelievers strike off their heads until you -have made a great slaughter of them” is a chapter of the Koran which -the Turk has religiously and steadfastly made his creed. - -In conclusion, I will ask my readers to compare one point of difference -between the two races, the oppressor and the oppressed. Thousands upon -thousands of Armenian women, thousands upon thousands of Armenian -children, have been hounded to death, or savagely, ferociously, -horribly and loathsomely maltreated by the Turk, and yet in all the -agonizing years when Massacre has succeeded upon Massacre, has there -been one known case or one single instance of a Turkish woman or child -maltreated by Armenians? - -The last massacres though especially organized from the Palace at -Constantinople, were officially announced to originate from an affray -between one Armenian and three Turks, in which the single handed one, -on the one side, grappling with the three on the other, killed one of -the three: given equal numbers and arms, the Armenian is always a match -for the Turk, but alas for him that unequal numbers and want of arms -have always made him the victim of his oppressor. - -Ahmed Riza Bey in the first part (Ses Causes) of his book “La Crise de -L’Orient” published in Paris in 1907 holds a brief for his nation which -through its own fallacious arguments falls to the ground. I will quote -one passage as an example. - -“Jamais les populations chrétiennes ne se sont révoltées, spontanément, -d’elles-mêmes. Les révoltes ont toujours été partielles et espacées, -ce qui tend bien à prouver qu’elles sont provoquées non par certains -injustices administratives que nous savons être constantes et les mêmes -pour tous, mais par les sourdes menées de l’extérieur. Les agences -consulaires, les écoles étrangères, les maisons des missionnaires, -couvertes par les Capitulations, ont servi de foyer de propagande, -de dépôts d’armes, et même de refuge pour les perturbateurs. Souvent -les ambassadeurs sont intervenus pour faire gracier des rebelles pris -et condamnés. On se rappelle avec quelle solennité les Arméniens qui -s’étaient introduits dans la Banque Ottomane furent conduits sains et -saufs à bord d’un bateau par le drogman de l’Ambassade russe--leur -complice. - -“Si ces prétendus patriotards sont tant soutenus et choyés dans le -monde occidental, c’est parce qu’ils constituent un élément ou plutôt -un instrument de destruction au service de certains Européens élevés -dans les préjugés des Croissades et qui crient avec Chateaubriand: -(‘L’espèce humaine ne peut que gagner à la destruction de l’Empire -Ottoman’).” - -The author of “La Crise de L’Orient” continues in this strain. Are we -then to suppose that the British Consuls, men whose truthfulness has -never been impeached, whose reports on the unsupportable sufferings -of the subject christian races and the oppressions and hideous -atrocities of the Turks, have filled volumes: and likewise the American -Missionaries, men who have deservedly gained the honor and respect of -the world, whose statements have corroborated the British Consular -reports; have been according to Ahmed Riza Bey the mischief-makers -in the Turkish Empire? since it is from them alone the world has -gained the widest and most correct knowledge of the daily miseries -and oppressions under which the subject Christian races have groaned. -Are we also to suppose that men like Mr. James Bryce and Dr. Dillon -have by mendacious writings upheld them, British Consul and American -Missionary, liars, and mischief makers? Or rather are we not to suppose -that if thinking men and women in the world have come to cry out with -Chateaubriand “L’espèce humaine ne peut que gagner à la destruction -de l’Empire Ottoman” it is because the Turks have earned the world’s -condemnation through their own diabolical acts, and on account of the -woe and desolation which Turkish rule has worked over the fairest -provinces under the sun. If the Turk will turn from the evil of his -ways unto good, the stigma of “the unspeakable Turk” which now attaches -itself to him, will cease to be a veritable truth. The bringing about -of the transformation rests with himself. - -Further in answer to Ahmed Riza Bey’s account of the Armenian -“prétendus patriotards” in connection with the Ottoman Bank; I cannot -do better than quote from Mr. Bryce’s version of the story, and the -massacre that followed: “In the following June serious trouble arose -at Van, where some sort of insurrection is said to have been planned, -though in the discrepancy of the accounts it is hard to arrive at -the truth. Masses of Kurds came down threatening to massacre the -Christians, and a conflict in which many innocent persons perished, was -with difficulty brought to an end by the intervention of the British -Consul. A little later the Armenian revolutionary party, emboldened -by the rising in Crete, where the Christians, being well armed and -outnumbering the Muslims, held their ground successfully, issued -appeals to the Embassies and to the Turkish Government to introduce -reforms, threatening disturbances if the policy of repression and -massacre was persisted in. These threats were repeated in August, -and ultimately, on August 26, a band of about twenty Armenians, -belonging the revolutionary party, made a sudden attack on the Imperial -Ottoman Bank in Constantinople, declaring they were prepared to -hold it and blow it up should the Sultan refuse their demand. They -captured the building by a _coup de main_, but were persuaded by the -Russian dragoman to withdraw upon a promise of safety. Meanwhile the -Government, who through their spies knew of the project, had organised -and armed a large mob of Kurds and Lazes--many of whom had recently -been brought to the city--together with the lowest Turkish class. -Using the occasion, they launched this mob upon the peaceful Armenian -population. The onslaught began in various parts of the city so soon -after the attack on the Bank that it had obviously been prearranged, -and the precaution had been taken to employ the Turkish ruffians in -different quarters from those in which they dwelt; so that they might -less easily be recognised. Carts had moreover been prepared in which -to carry off the dead. For two days an indiscriminate slaughter went -on, in which not only Armenian merchants and traders of the cultivated -class, not only the industrious and peaceable Armenians of the humbler -class, clerks, domestic servants, porters employed on the quays and -in the warehouses, but also women and children were butchered in the -streets and hunted down all through the suburbs. On the afternoon of -the 27th the British Chargé d’Affaires (whose action throughout won -general approval) told the Sultan he would land British sailors, and -the Ambassadors telegraphed to the Sultan. Then the general massacre -was stopped, though sporadic slaughter went on round the city during -the next few days. The Ambassadors, who did not hesitate to declare -that the massacre had been organised by the Government, estimated the -number of killed at from 6000 to 7000; the official report made to -the Sultan is said to have put it at 8750.[1] During the whole time -the army and the police had perfect control of the city--the police, -and a certain number of the military officers and some high civil -officials, joining in the slaughter. Of all the frightful scenes -which Constantinople, a city of carnage, has seen since the great -insurrection of A.D. 527 when 30,000 people perished in the hippodrome -there has been none more horrible than this. For this was not the -suppression of an insurrection in which contending factions fought. It -was not the natural sequel to a capture by storm, as when the city was -taken and sacked by the Crusaders in A.D. 1204, and by the Turks in -A.D. 1453. It was slaughter in cold blood, when innocent men and women, -going about their usual avocations in a time of apparent peace, were -suddenly beaten to death with clubs, or hacked to pieces with knives, -by ruffians who fell upon them in the streets before they could fly to -any place of refuge.”[2] - -I am also obliged to quote from an Article written by a Turkish Officer -who signs himself A. J. and published in the “Siper-i-Saïka-i-Hurriet,” -a Turkish daily, on July 6, 1909. - - Every time that I hear the name Armenian I feel the bleeding of - a moral wound within me. It was the year I was sent into exile - (1896). On a Thursday, before we had left the Military School - for our vacation, a rumor flew through the school,--“They are - massacring the Armenians.” All my young patriotic companions - turned pale from deep emotion. Every one tried to read in the - sad faces of others the reason for this bad news. But each - one avoided expressing his thought. After a time the details - began to circulate to the effect that the Armenians had dared - to destroy the Ottoman Bank and government buildings with - bombs, and that this was the reason why they were massacred. - At that time all of us trembled, because we also were enemies - of that government, because we also wished to overthrow it, - and although we were not convinced that the best service could - be rendered by bombs, we were working quietly to spread our - ideas. In our hearts a flame of enmity and indignation, no - less terrible than bombs, was burning. The poor Armenians - were being massacred ruthlessly, because out of their number - five or ten persons, resenting their wrongs, had rebelled. - But that which maddened these poor men, that drove them to - rebellion and placed bombs in their hands was the stupidity of - the people and the outrageous oppressions of the government. - And now this inhuman government was killing with clubs a - noble nation, under the pretext of putting down a rebellion - produced by its own oppressions. Among the crimes committed - by the former government the most unpardonable crime was the - Armenian massacre. If there was a race up to that time among - non-Moslem peoples which with sincere and deep feeling honored - the Ottoman fatherland that race was the Armenian. It is the - Armenians who wear most nearly the national dress, who speak - and write Turkish best, and recognize the Ottoman country as - their fatherland. Besides this it is the Armenians who engage - in commerce and agriculture, and thus, by demonstrating its - fruitfulness, increase the value of the Ottoman Empire. Because - a few among them justly started an agitation, these our noble - and industrious brethren were being massacred. What a terrible - scene! When we left the school building we saw hundreds of the - bodies of our Armenian compatriots being removed in manure - carts; legs and arms were hanging down outside. This bloody - scene will ever remain impressed on my mind. - - “This shocking crime of Yildiz formed a deep lake of blood, - and this lake, during the whole course of a cursed absolutism, - up to the last moment, grew wider. Even during the past - nine months of the Constitution, in spite of the brotherly - feelings which had been shown, the awful events in Adana took - place and the souls of all true Osmanlis melted into tears. - Up to the present time the deep sorrow caused by this event - has not disappeared, because this bloody wound in our social - body cannot easily be cured. While we fill our stomachs with - choice morsels, while we rest selfishly in our comfortable - beds, these fatherless and brotherless orphans, widows hungry, - naked, and barefoot wander hither and thither, and thousands - of families are fleeing from the fatherland. We are convinced - that the government is doing its work, but what has happened - is so great a calamity that it can keep a government busy for - years. However much sacrifice we may make, still it will be - inadequate, because the happiness of the fatherland depends on - healing such blood wounds as these as soon as possible. We are - convinced that the government and all connected with it are - persuaded of this as well as ourselves. We must now wipe out - the traces of the misfortune brought by a cursed period. We - must now comfort weeping hearts. We must understand and teach - those who do not understand that patriotism and brotherhood - do not differ from each other. The responsibility of the - government for the Armenians is very great and very weighty. - The whole Ottoman nation is under obligations to protect this - suffering race, because the liberty we enjoy to-day is in large - part due to the blood shed by the Armenians. We thought that - these truths were so obvious that we preferred to keep silence, - whereas to-day we understand that it is necessary from time to - time to recall the greatness of our obligation. We must not - forget that this unhappy people up to yesterday has endured - only barbarism, and for twelve years has been constantly - oppressed and ground to the earth, and has given thousands of - victims. Hereafter we must work to assure them that the era - of massacres has passed, and with all our strength of mind - and soul we must quiet them. The obligation of the government - to protect them is also very heavy, because our Armenian - countrymen live among wandering tribes. We must all assist the - government and point out its obligation. It must be declared - in public and periodically that the one of the most important - duties of the Ottoman nation is to protect, together with those - of other races, the interests, the life, and property of the - Armenians as well, since these are their sacred rights. Let - investigations be made and let whatever is necessary be done in - order to reach this aim.” - -This article of the Turkish officer, who however does not dare -disclose his identity; and the account given by an authority like -Mr. James Bryce surely refute the facile explanation of Ahmed Riza -Bey in alluding to the Massacres as “les Massacres occasionnés par -les aventuriers Arméniens.” Indeed it holds out poor hope for the -furtherance of liberty and justice in Turkey when the man who is the -President of the Chamber of Deputies only as far back as 1907 tries to -palliate the horrors of the Hamidian régime by misrepresentations. - -The author of “La Crise de l’Orient” also cites the Japanese as -an instance of the civilization and aptitude for progress of a -non-Christian oriental race. In this case, Ahmed Riza Bey certainly -needs to measure the distance between the mental, moral and humane -qualities of the Japanese and the Turk, a distance as great as lies -geographically between the North Pole and the South. - - - - -PART I. - - - - -THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES AND THE TREATY OF BERLIN. - - -Since the gathering of the Plenipotentiaries of Europe at the famous -Congress of Berlin in 1878, and the signing of the still more famous -Treaty of Berlin, the martyr roll of the unfortunate Armenian nation -stands without its parallel in history. - -In the Guildhall at Berlin hangs a picture of the memorable scene -witnessed in that city on July the thirteenth 1878. The painter has -depicted the proud array of representatives of the powerful Governments -of Europe, but in the interests of Humanity there should be attached to -that painting the wording of Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin written -in letters of blood (Armenian blood). - -It was a curious irony of Fate, that although the taking of “the -terrible stronghold of Kars,” universally admitted to be one of the -greatest and most difficult military exploits ever achieved, and the -crowning success of the Russian arms in Asiatic Turkey, should have -been accomplished by an Armenian General; that although Armenian -Generals in the Russian service had led to conquest, and Armenian -soldiers fought, conquered and died, yet by these successes not only -was no amelioration attained of the hard fate of their unhappy nation -under Turkish rule, but that fate, hard before, was made a hundredfold -and even a thousandfold harder. - -[Illustration: GENERAL PRINCE LORIS MELIKOFF. - -Commanded the Russian forces in Asiatic Turkey during the Russo-Turkish -war and captured the impregnable fortress of Kars. Appointed Prime -Minister of Russia by Alexander II. The liberal policy which -characterized the reign of that excellent monarch, and the Constitution -that he was on the eve of granting to his people were influenced by -Melikoff; but after the death of Alexander II he was not allowed to -continue in his good work of reforming Russia, being overthrown from -office early in the reign of Alexander III.] - -The efforts of the Armenians, and the entreaties of their Patriarch -Nerses had procured the insertion of Article 16 in the Treaty of San -Stefano signed between Russia and Turkey in March 1878. In fact the -wording of the Article had been suggested by the Patriarch himself. -It provided the following stipulation for the protection of the -Armenians:-- - -“As the evacuation by the Russian troops of the territory which they -now occupy in Armenia, and which is to be restored to Turkey, might -give rise to conflicts and complications detrimental to the maintenance -of good relations between the two countries, the Sublime Porte engages -to carry into effect without further delay the improvements and -reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by -the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the Kurds and -Circassians.” - -What followed has passed into history. The British Government of which -Lord Beaconsfield (then Mr. D’Israeli) was Premier, and Lord Salisbury -Foreign Secretary, once more pursued the old policy of baffling Russian -aggrandizement in Turkey. Afraid that her own real or fancied interests -would thereby become imperilled, England threw in the weight of her -power, and virtually commanded the substitution of the Treaty of Berlin -in lieu of the Treaty of San Stefano. Thus the substantial guarantee of -a natural and immediate protector, both able and desirous of enforcing -the protection which the Armenians then had in Russia, was taken away, -and the security of impotent words given in its stead, namely:-- - -“The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out without further delay -the improvements and reforms demanded by local requirements in the -provinces inhabited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security -against the Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the -steps taken to this effect to the Powers, who will superintend their -application.” - -“_It will periodically make known the steps taken to this effect to the -Powers, who will superintend their application._” How this last proviso -could furnish food for laughter were it not for the terrible tragedy -involved in it. - -The insertion of Article 61 in the Treaty of Berlin, granted, or rather -seemingly granted, by the six Powers of Europe, proved in reality, as -subsequent events bore out, an instrument of death and torture. It was -as if the reversal of the figures had reversed the possibilities of -succour and protection, and with the death of the Czar Liberator, the -last chance of the Armenians died. - -The Turkish Massacres of 1875 and 1876 which led up to the -Russo-Turkish War of 1877 are historical facts too well known to need -further comment in this article. The Czar Liberator stands out in -history as that noble figure--a benefactor of mankind. Through his -humanitarian susceptibilities, and his sublime efforts for their -deliverance, the Christians of European Turkey received immunity -from Turkish slaughter; and the protection of his benevolent arm was -extended over that unhappy Christian nation of Asiatic Turkey, the -Armenians; at least it would have secured them immunity from the -record-breaking slaughter that followed, but the Power that had stood -behind Turkey since 1791 frustrated his endeavours. - -A British commentator on that page of British policy has summed it up -in the words:-- - -“In no other part of the world has our national policy or conduct been -determined by motives so immoral and so stupid.”[3] - -The same commentator, in reviewing also the result of the substituted -Treaty, fittingly remarks:-- - -“The Turk could see at a glance that, whilst it relieved him of the -dangerous pressure of Russia, it substituted no other pressure which -his own infinite dexterity in delays could not make abortive. As for -the unfortunate Armenians, the change was simply one which must tend -to expose them to the increased enmity of their tyrants, whilst it -damaged and discouraged the only protection which was possible under -the inexorable conditions of the physical geography of the country.” - -It had been the constant endeavour of the Patriarch Nerses to point out -to the Armenians that their true policy lay in aiding Russian advance -in Turkey: that even if Russia were selfish in her designs, she was -the only Christian Power that would stand as their protector against -Turkish or Persian tyranny. His political foresight had already been -verified as early as 1827,[4] and his strenuous life-long labours were -nearing the goal in 1878, but were frustrated by the fatal action that -intervened. - -England, by commanding the substitution of the Treaty of Berlin in -place of that of San Stefano had taken upon herself the heaviest -obligations any nation could incur. It is unnecessary to repeat that -those obligations were never fulfilled. - -If the lamented death of the Emperor Alexander II was one of the most -unhappy events that could have befallen Russia; it was a hundredfold -more unhappy for the Armenian nation. His successor, who adopted -repressive and coercive measures for his own people in the place of -his father’s liberal policy, not only applied the same measures to his -Armenian subjects in his own domains, but left their countrymen under -Turkish rule to their merciless fate. - -Russia, twice foiled in her subjugation of Turkey, changed her policy -from that of crushing into that of upholding the Ottoman Empire. When -the horrors of the Armenian massacres, revealed to the people of -England by their own ambassadors and consuls, their own journalists -and men of letters, thrilled the hearts of men and women, when -England’s “Grand Old Man” thundered his vituperations against the -“Great Assassin,”[5] Prince Lobanoff in answer to British proposals of -coercion towards Turkey, conveyed Russia’s intentions in his warning -note to the Salisbury Government, and England, who in 1878 had rivetted -the Turkish yoke on the necks of the Armenians, to use the words of -an eminent British authority on Turkish affairs, “wrung her hands and -submitted.”[6] - -The same authority tells us that the _coup de grace_ to the -intervention of the Concert of Europe in Armenian affairs was given by -Prince Bismarck, “who in 1883 intimated to the British Government, in -terms of cynical frankness and force, that Germany cared nothing about -the matter, and that it had better be allowed to drop.” - -Thus the Concert of Europe, under whose aegis the aspiring Armenians -foolishly and fondly hoped to recover National Autonomy, became the -cause of dealing out to the struggling nation, not security from -Turkish oppression, but instead fire, famine and slaughter, a slaughter -to which were added devilish ingenuity of torture, and the loathsome -horrors of Turkish prisons. If before the Treaty of Berlin the -Armenians had suffered from various phases of Turkish oppression, they -had at least not been pursued with the relentless fury that followed, -until the soil of the fatherland was soaked, and reeked and steamed -with the life-blood of its slaughtered sons and daughters; until -women and children were done to their death under the most hideous and -revolting circumstances, and tender youths and cultured men of letters -rotted in Turkish dungeons. - -England, with her uneasy conscience, continued spasmodic efforts in the -shape of paper remonstrances, from time to time she rallied the other -powers who were signatories to the Treaty of Berlin and by means of -Ambassadorial Identical Notes and Collective Notes sought to terminate -the horrors that were stirring public feeling at home; but Abdul Hamid, -fully cognizant of the jealousies and rivalries of the Powers, and -knowing himself secure thereby, laughed in his sleeve at all the paper -remonstrances. - -No action was taken by the Cabinets of Europe to leash the tiger -sitting on the Ottoman throne. The lust of blood and the lust -of plunder of “le Sultan Rouge,” combined with the greed of his -satellites, were allowed to be gratified to the full on a helpless and -hapless people, whilst Europe looked on. - -The character of Abdul Hamid has been well summed up in the testimony -of a writer having opportunities of intimate acquaintance with him. - -“Il voit dans son peuple un vil troupeau qu’il peut dévorer sans pitié, -et à qui, comme le lion de la Fable, il fait beaucoup d’honneur en -daignant le croquer.”[7] - -When to these significant words, we add the following by the same -author:-- - -“De ce qu’Abdul Hamid n’est pas bon musulman, il ne faudrait pas -conclure qu’il aime les Chrétiens; il les déteste, au contraire, et -emploie fréquemment le mot _giaour_ pour désigner un infidèle ou -insulter un musulman.” - -We have the explanation of the Armenian massacres; especially as that -unfortunate people had become by Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin, -subjects of the paper remonstrances of the Powers of Europe, and -thereby also objects of the tyrant’s vengeance. - -[Illustration: GENERAL TER GOUKASSOFF. - -Relieved the beleaguered Russian garrison at Bayazid during the -Russo-Turkish war of 1877, captured the fortress; and otherwise -distinguished himself during the war. - -The other Armenian General who distinguished himself during the -Russo-Turkish war was General Lazaroff.] - -That the Armenians should be constantly appealing to the Power that -had pledged itself for their protection, and that the same Power -should be constantly rallying the others, and making Ambassadorial -demonstrations, was enough to rouse the vilest passions of a nature in -which no feelings except vile passions existed. - -Of all sins in this world, perhaps the sin of foolishness receives the -severest punishment, and of all crimes, the crime of failure meets -with the heaviest doom. For their foolishness in trusting in European -protection and hoping for European intervention the unfortunate -Armenians paid with rivers of their own blood, and for their crime of -failure they were made to wallow in that blood. The darkest pages of -their history have been written in the closing years of the nineteenth, -and the early years of the twentieth century; never since the loss of -their independence, nine centuries ago, had they hoped for so much, and -never had they paid so dearly for their folly. - -If they had carefully laid to heart the whole history of Europe’s -intercourse with Asia, beginning with the conquests of the Macedonian -Alexander, they would have read in the light of sober judgement, -self-interest, and self-interest only written on every line and -page, but they committed the folly of hoping that for their sakes -the history of the world, which means in other words the history of -human selfishness, was going to be reversed; and they forgot what was -more important than all, that Europe had nothing to gain by their -emancipation. There is only one explanation for their folly. It is a -peculiarity of human nature that the troubles we have been bearing -with more or less patience, become unbearable when once hopes of -deliverance from them are awakened. Article 61 of the Treaty of Berlin -awakened hopes that proved bitterer in the eating than Dead Sea fruit. -It aroused towards the Armenians the diabolical animosity of the human -fiend who held sovereignty over them. - -Hunted like wild beasts, killed like rats and flies, out of the depths -of its agony and its martyrdom, the nation has still contrived to rear -its head and live; for it was as it is now, the industrious, energetic, -self-respecting element in the Turkish Empire, with a virile life in -its loins and sinews, that centuries of oppression culminating in -the unspeakable horrors of a thirty years’ martyrdom has failed to -exterminate. - -As for the Treaty of Berlin--It has done its work. - - - - -THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES AND THE TURKISH CONSTITUTION. - - -The Turkish Constitution came with a bound that shook the equanimity of -Europe. To the anxious and jealously watching eyes of Europe the “sick -man in her midst” was at last becoming moribund. His recovery was as -startling as unexpected. Europe had not correctly gauged the latent -forces within the Turkish Empire, neither had she correctly estimated -the far-reaching astuteness of the tyrant on the throne. - -Assailed by enemies from without and within, feeling the foundation -of his throne crumbling, Abdul Hamid, arch murderer and assassin, -performed his own _auto da fé_, and rose from his ashes a -constitutional sovereign. The obduracy of the merciless tyrant melted -like wax before the approach of personal danger, and the act was -necessary to save himself. - -Hopes rose high at such a magnificent _coup d’état_ of the -revolutionaries. Young Turks and Armenians fell on each other’s necks, -embraced, and mingled their tears of joy together. Leaders of the -Turkish Constitution proclaimed in public speeches that the Turks -owed the deepest debt of gratitude to the Armenians who had been the -initiators of their struggle for Freedom, and in the Armenian graveyard -at Constantinople Turks held a memorial service and kissed the graves -of the Armenian dead, whom they called “the martyrs whose blood had -been shed for Turkish freedom.” - -At the banquet given by Abdul Hamid to the Delegates of the Turkish -Parliament, the Armenian Delegates alone refused to attend, declining -to be the guest of the man responsible for the murder of hundreds of -thousands of their countrymen. - -The Armenian revolutionaries had stood behind the Young Turk party and -joined hands with them; already the nation at large imagined itself -breathing the air of Freedom, and already in anticipation drank in deep -draughts of the air of Liberty. - -The awakening came all too quickly. In spite of the Constitution the -machinations of Abdul Hamid and his palace clique could find fruitful -ground among a fanatical populace to whom the Padishah was not only the -Lord’s anointed but the Lord’s appointed, the delegate of the Prophet -on whom his sacred mantle had fallen; added to this the incentive of -pecuniary rewards to a brutal soldiery and the lust of plunder, and -once more the horrors of massacres were let loose on the Armenians. -There followed sacked and burning villages, plundered and devastated -homes, an unarmed population put to the sword, and as in every case, -cruelties of the most hideous and ferocious nature perpetrated on women -and children. - -In the whole long story of the massacres, courage to face their -oppressors has never been found wanting on the part of the Armenians. -It is on record that the women of a whole mountain village surprised by -Turkish soldiers, in the absence of the men, fought and resisted to the -last gasp, and finally, to escape the clutches of the brutal soldiery, -committed suicide with their children by precipitating themselves from -their mountain cliffs. A nation which could produce such women, and -which has had the simple courage to die for its faith, as no Christian -people has died before, is not wanting in brave men, but no amount of -bravery and heroism can save an unarmed population from being mowed -down by soldiery equipped with modern instruments of carnage and -slaughter. - -The horrors of Adana coming on the heels of a Constitution they had -aided, and from which they had hoped so much, presages grave fears for -the Armenians. - -No one doubts that a great forward movement is reaching its culminating -point in the destiny of Asia. The West has learnt its all of religion -(the moral and guiding principle of mankind) from the East, and now -the East would fain learn the law of restraint and the law of freedom -(the protecting principles of mankind) from the West. Inspired by -this feeling the liberal Turks decidedly mean well, and they are -animated with a sincere desire to ensure peace and security of life -and property for the heterogeneous peoples under the Turkish sway, but -they themselves have had to contend and still have to contend with a -fanatical populace. - -To the Mahommedan world at large the Caliph of Islam is the envoy of -God, the sacredness of whose person must be inviolate. Abdul Hamid, the -astute politician, knew that the security of his sovereignty depended -on his Caliphal rights, and his main policy during the long period of -his execrable reign had been directed towards preserving and asserting -the same; thus we can see how his dethronement, which the liberal Turks -would gladly have accomplished simultaneously with the inauguration of -the Constitution, had to be deferred to a later period, and how it was -necessary for the Sheik ul Islam to pronounce the Caliph a traitor to -his sacred trust, a violator of the holy law of the Prophet, before his -dethronement could be dared or accomplished. - -The Christian Armenians in Turkey live in the midst of the followers of -a hostile religion, with no power or force behind them which makes for -protection. Who does not know that the great numerical preponderance -of Hinduism keeps the balance of power in India, and restrains bloody -religious hostilities; and when we review the whole religious history -of Christian Europe, and that terribly long roll of crimes committed in -the name of Him who expounded His religion with the parable of the Good -Samaritan, and the precept of loving one’s neighbour as one’s self, -we cannot feel surprise at the fanatical outbursts of the followers -of Mahommed, the founder of a religion whose doctrines certainly -fall short of the humane principles inculcated by the Founder of -Christianity. If authentic historical facts prove to us that horrible -and atrocious cruelties have been perpetrated by Christian nations, -not only on other religionists, but on fellow Christians of different -denominations, how then can we expect better things from the Turk -unless some power or force restrain him? - -Christianity has now partly emancipated herself from the ferocities -which darkened and poured the red stream of blood on her white banner: -but to the Mahommedan world at large, religion is still the powder -magazine which a spark can ignite. - -“Better the Czar than the Sultan, but better any form of national -autonomy than either Czar or Sultan” has been the principle which has -animated the Armenians, and the goal towards which they have been -striving for thirty years. - -National Autonomy has been the dream of the Armenians in Turkey, but it -is well to consider if such a dream has any possibility of realization. -Bulgaria declared her independence, and Austria annexed Bosnia and -Herzegovina, but these reductions of Turkish power were accomplished -by the force that stood behind them. Have the Armenians any such force -which could accomplish their deliverance? Have they an organized army -at their command? Are they equipped with all the necessary weapons of -modern warfare? are questions it is well for the nation to ask before -it makes itself a target for Turkish bullets. - -On the other hand is it likely that the Turks will willingly give the -Armenians independence? To do so would mean that they should themselves -dismember their own Empire, and when we see Christian Governments -actuated in their foreign policy by the supremest selfishness; -Christian Governments striving tooth and nail in their own self -interest to keep possessions which are lawfully not their own, then -why in the name of common sense should we expect such extraordinary -magnanimity, or such super-nobility from the Turk. - -Armenia stands in the unhappy position of being divided between Russia -and Turkey (if we except Persia, which does not count for much since -1827). It is evident that even the Czar Liberator, if he had been -allowed to carry out his humanitarian endeavours, would have liberated -Armenia from Turkey, not to give her independence but to make her into -a Russian possession, for to have given Turkish Armenia independence -would have been tantamount to fostering the spirit of independence in -those provinces of Armenia which had already passed under Russian rule. - -It is well known that the Emperor Alexander II was guided and -influenced by the liberal principles of Loris Melikoff (or properly -Melikian according to the Armenian termination of his name). Melikian -enjoyed the personal friendship of the Czar, and the successful victor -of Kars was rewarded by his august master with the office of Prime -Minister. The policy of Melikian made for the Russofication of Armenia, -and while it is not possible that he loved Russia more than he loved -his own country, it is rather more than probable that he saw in the -Russofication of his nation the only way of saving its people. - -With the death of Alexander II Melikian’s star passed out of the -horizon of Russian ministership; his liberal principles were not -acceptable to Alexander III, and the policy of Russia towards the -Armenians underwent a decided change. - -Since the disastrous war with Japan the policy of Russia towards the -Armenians has undergone another change. In the years preceding the -war, the reigning autocrat had pursued the policy of his father to an -even greater degree of repression. Not only had national schools and -theatres been closed in Russian Armenia and newspapers suspended, but -the Czar went still further, and confiscated the lands and the wealth -of the Armenian church. - -The late Armenian Catholicos Mukertich Khirimian (one of the delegates -sent to the Congress of Berlin by the Patriarch Nerses), to whom his -own people had given the beloved appellation of “Hairik” (little -father) had by his noble life of self-sacrifice, his unceasing labours -for the cause of the people, and his remarkable individuality, come -to be regarded as a sort of holy man. There in the Cathedral of -Etchmiatzin, under the venerable dome where for seventeen hundred -years the successors of Gregore Loosavoritch (Gregory the Illuminator) -had each in his turn held sway, and worshipped on the spot where the -vision of Christ the Lord had descended, there before the altar of -Christ, had Hairik the holy man lifted up his voice and cursed--cursed -the Czar; and cursed Russia--Pious Russia with its pious Czar at its -head shuddered, and the astounding reverses in the war with Japan that -followed were attributed to Khirimian’s curse. - -Russia in Expiation made Reparation: the ban on schools, theatres and -newspapers was removed, the church lands and the church wealth were -restored, and the Czar of all the Russias in a friendly note to the -Armenian Catholicos assured him of the Imperial friendship, and the -Imperial solicitude for the welfare of his people. - -The return from exile of the Patriarch Ezmerlian to Constantinople, -was quickly followed by his nomination to the See of Etchmiatzin, -left vacant by the death of his predecessor, and now we hear of the -Catholicos appealing to the Russian Government to take over the -protectorate of Armenia from Turkey. Ezmerlian knows Turkey, he has -been in close touch with the liberal Turks, and he knows the Turkish -nation as a whole; he knows also that the present and immediate future -of Russia is dark in the gloom of autocratic Czardom, and a man of his -intellectual attainments and liberal principles can have no sympathy -with absolutism. The appeal therefore of the Catholicos Ezmerlian -(the Iron Patriarch as he is familiarly known) must be read as a -premonition, that not only has all hope of wresting national autonomy -from Turkey died in his resolute heart, but also that he entertains -grave fears of the possibility of the horrors of Adana being repeated. - -[Illustration: MUCKERTICH KHIRIMIAN. - -(Late Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of Etchmiatzin. Author and -Poet).] - -Russia may go on massacring Jews until Russians have left off being -fanatical devils, and learned to be human, but however much she may -pursue the policy of suppressing nationalism, however much she may seek -to absorb the nation into herself, she has stopped at slaughter as far -as Armenians are concerned. In his appeal to Russia, the Catholicos can -be actuated by no other motive except the one motive of safe-guarding -the people, of whom he is the acknowledged head. - -A man of high character and a dauntless patriot, known to his people -under the beloved appellation of “Hairik” (little father). He was one -of the delegates sent by the Patriarch Nerses to the Congress of Berlin -in 1878. He worked for the cause of the people during his whole life, -and died, worn out with heartbreaking disappointments; his dying words -were, “We must not despair.” - -In an article entitled “The Church of Ararat” by Henry W. Nevinson in -Harper’s Monthly Magazine of April, 1908 there is given the following -interesting account of the late Catholicos. - - The old man was sitting up in bed, a gray rug neatly spread - over him for counterpane. There was something childlike and - appealing in his position, as there always is about a sick man - lying in bed in the daytime. One felt a little brutal standing - beside him, dressed, and well, and tingling from the cold - outside. It was a time for soothing hands and motherly care - to put this baby of fourscore years to rest. But his mother - was long ago forgotten: even his wife had been dead for half a - century; and his only nurse was a stalwart black-bearded bishop - of middle age. - - It was a long, low room, pleasant in its austerity. The - whitewashed walls, the bare floor, the absence of all ornament, - told of a clean and devoted mind. The windows looked upon a - courtyard, silent but for the murmur and fluttering of pigeons. - The old man’s hands lay quiet on the blanket, white, and wasted - almost to the bone. The nightgown hid a form so thin it hardly - made a ripple under the clothes. Through the white and shrunken - face every lineament of the future skull was already visible; - but on each side of the thin nose, hooked like a round bow, a - great brown eye revealed the inward spirit’s intelligence and - zeal unquenched. On his head was a close-fitting cap of purple - velvet. - - Thus, near the end of last December, one of a century’s - greatest men--Mgrditch Khrimian, Katholikos of the Armenian - Church, and soul of the Armenian people--slowly approaching - to death, lay in the ancient monastery called Etchmiatzin, - or “The Only-Begotten is Descended.” From the window of a - neighboring room he might have looked across the frost bound - plain of the Araxes, where the vines were now all cut close and - buried for the winter. Beyond the plain stood a dark mass of - whirling snow and hurricane that hid the cone of Ararat. And - just beyond Ararat lies Lake Van, last puddle of the Deluge. - On the shore of that lake, eighty-seven years ago, Khrimian - was born. In 1820 the Turkish Empire was still undiminished by - sea or land; the Sultan still counted as one of the formidable - Powers of Europe. It was four years before Byron set out to - deliver Greece from his tyranny, and established for England a - reputation as the generous champion of freedom--a reputation - which still rather pathetically survives throughout the - Near East. Long and stormy had been the life upon which the - Katholikos now looked back, but not unhappy, for from first - to last it had been inspired by one absorbing and unselfish - aim--the freedom and regeneration of his people. It is true he - had failed. - - From his earliest years, when he had witnessed the terrors of - Turkish oppression in the homes of Armenians round Ararat, he - was possessed by the spirit of nationality--such a spirit as - only kindles in oppressed races, but dies away into easygoing - tolerance among the prosperous and contented of the world. - He began as a poet, wandering far and wide through the - Turkish, Persian, and Russian sections of Armenia, visiting - Constantinople and Jerusalem, and recalling to his people by - his poems the scenes and glories of their national history. - Entering the monastic order after his wife’s death, he devoted - himself to the building of schools, which he generously threw - open to Kurds, the hereditary assassins of Armenians. For many - years, while Europe was occupied with Crimean wars, Austrian - wars, or French and German wars, we see him ceaselessly - journeying from Van to Constantinople and through the cities of - Asia, unyielding in the contest, though continually defeated, - his schools burned, his printing-presses broken up, his sacred - emblems of the Host hung in mockery round the necks of dogs. - When elected Armenian patriarch of Constantinople (1869), he - was driven from his office after four years. - - But the cup of Turkish iniquity was filling. The pitiless - slaughter of Bulgarians and Armenians alike was more than - even the European Powers could stand. With varied motives, - Russia sent her armies to fight their way to the walls of - Constantinople, and Khrimian found himself summoned to plead - his people’s cause before the Congress of Berlin. Though he - speaks no language but Armenian and Turkish, he visited all - the great courts of Europe beforehand, urging them to create - an autonomous neutral state for Armenia, as they had done with - success for the Lebanon. In London he became acquainted with - Gladstone; but Gladstone was then only the blazing firebrand - which had kindled the heart of England, and, in the Congress - itself Khrimian could gain nothing for his people beyond the - promises of Article 61, pledging the Powers, and especially - England, to hold the Kurds in check and enforce Turkey’s - definite reforms. It is needless to say that none of these - promises and pledges were observed. Beaconsfield returned to - London amid shouts of “Peace with Honor,” and Armenia was left - to stew. - - So it went on. Detained in Constantinople as prisoner, banished - to Jerusalem for rebellion, and finally chosen Katholikos, or - head of his Church and race, by his own people, he maintained - the hopeless contest. Year by year the woe increased, till by - the last incalculable crime (1894-1896), the Armenians were - slaughtered like sheep from the Bosporus to Lake Van, and - the lowest estimate counted the murdered dead at 100,000. - Gladstone made the last great speech of his heroic life. - England attempted some kind of protest. But rather than join - the Liberal demand for action, Lord Rosebery left his party - for private leisure, and Russia, France, and Germany combined - to secure immunity for the “great assassin.” It was the lowest - point of Europe’s shame. - - Blow followed blow. Hardly had the remnant of the Armenian - people escaped from massacre when their Church fell under the - brutal domination of Russia. Plehve ordained its destruction, - and Golitzin was sent to Tiflis as governor-general to carry - it out. Church property to the value of £6,000,000 was seized - by violence, the Katholikos resolutely refusing to give up - the keys of the safe where the title deeds were kept (June, - 1903). For two years the Russian officials played with the - revenues, retaining eighty per cent. for their own advantage. - But in the mean time assassination had rid the earth of - Plehve, and the overwhelming defeats of Russia in Manchuria - were attributed to the Armenian curse. Grudgingly the Church - property was restored, in utter chaos, and for the moment it is - Russia’s policy to favor the Armenians as a balance against the - Georgians, whom the St. Petersburg government is now determined - to destroy. - - Such was the past upon which the worn old man, stretched on his - monastic bed, looked back that winter’s morning. Singleness of - aim has its reward in spiritual peace, but of the future he - was not hopeful. He no longer even contemplated an autonomous - Armenia, either on Turkish territory or on Russian. On the - Russian side of the frontier the Armenian villages were too - scattered, too much interspersed with Georgians and Tartars, to - allow of autonomy. On the Turkish side, he thought, massacre - and exile had now left too few of the race to form any kind - of community. Indeed, for the last twelve years the Armenian - villagers have been crawling over the foot of Ararat by - thousands a year to escape the Kurds, and every morning they - come and stand in fresh groups of pink and blue rags outside - the monastery door where the head of their Church and race - lies dying. They stand there in mute appeal, as I saw them, - possessing nothing in the world but the variegated tatters - that cover them, and their faith in their Katholikos. Slowly - they are drafted away into Tiflis, Baku, or their Caucasian - villages, but nowhere are they welcomed. - - Some of the bishops and monks, who form a council round their - chief, still look for Europe’s interference, and trust that the - solemn pledges taken by England and other Powers at Berlin may - be fulfilled. The Bishop of Erivan, for instance, still labors - for the appointment of a Christian governor over the district - marked by the ill-omened names of Van, Bitlis, and Erzeroum. - I also found that even among the Georgians there was a large - party willing to concede all the frontier district from Erivan - to Kars, where Armenian villages are thickest, as an autonomous - Armenian province, in the happy day when the Caucasus wins - federal autonomy. But the majority of the Armenian clergy, who - hitherto have led the people, are beginning to acquiesce in the - hopelessness of political change, and are now limiting their - efforts to education and industries. One cannot yet say how far - their influence may be surpassed in the growing revolutionary - parties of “The Bell” and “The Flag.” Of these, the Social - Democratic “Bell” follows the usual impracticable and pedantic - creed of St. Marx. The “Flag,” or party of Nationalist - Democrats, is at present dominant, and at a great assembly - held in Erivan last August (1906) they adopted a programme - of land nationalization, universal suffrage and education, - an eight-hour day, and the control of the Church property by - elected laymen. If the Russian revolution makes good progress, - they will naturally unite with the Georgian Federalists, on - whom the best hopes of the country are set. - - Whatever may be the political future of the Armenians, they - seem likely to survive for many generations yet as a race, - held together by language and religion. Except the Jews, there - is, I think, no parallel to such a survival. It is a thousand - years since they could be called a powerful nation. For almost - as long they have possessed no independent country of their - own. For six hundred years their ancient capital city of Ani - has stood a splendid but empty ruin in the desert between Kars - and the great mountain of Alagöz, which confronts Ararat, with - nearly equal height. They have been rent asunder and tormented - by Persians, Turks, Tartars, and Russians in turn. Even their - religion is not nationalistic or distinctly separate from other - forms of religion, like the Jewish. Except for metaphysical - shades of difference, hardly comprehensible to the modern - world, there is little to distinguish it from the orthodox - Christianity of the Near East. Yet, through innumerable - disasters and attempts at extermination, the race persists, - like the Jews, with astonishing vitality, unmistakable in - characteristics which may not be exactly heroic, but lead to a - certain material success. After all, it is only in harassed and - persecuted nationalities that true patriotism ever survives. - -[Illustration: MATTHEVOSE EZMERLIAN. - -Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of Etchmiatzin. A man of high -character and great ability, also a distinguished linguist. As -Patriarch of Constantinople he was familiarly known as the “Iron -Patriarch.” Banished by the Hamidian Government, he returned from exile -in 1908 and was shortly after elected Catholicos of Etchmiatzin. - -The Armenian Catholicos is not infallible like the Pope. He is elected -by the nation, but his appointment is subject to the sanction of the -Czar.] - - - - -THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES AND THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE. - - -During a period extending over thirty years the civilized world has -heard of Turkish Massacres of Armenians. Massacres of a nature so -ferocious and diabolical, so hideous and revolting, that no pen could -adequately describe their horrors. - -Writing in 1896, Mr. James Bryce, in his supplementary chapter to the -4th edition of his book “Transcaucasia and Ararat” makes the following -grave comment:-- - -“Twenty years is a short space in the life of a nation. But these -twenty years have been filled with sufferings for the Armenian -Christians greater than their ancestors had to endure during the eight -centuries that have passed since the first Turkish Conquest of Armenia. -They have been years of misery, slaughter, martyrdom, agony, despair.” - -And the years that have followed from 1896 to 1909 have had the same -tale of woe to unfold; a tale of horrors such as have never been -surpassed in the history of nations. - -The opinion of the Turkish Pasha, “The way to get rid of the Armenian -Question, is to get rid of the Armenians” was followed by “le Sultan -Rouge,” and that the monster and assassin who sat on the Turkish -throne from 1876 to 1909 was not able to accomplish this policy to the -bitter end of complete extermination, was no doubt due to the grit and -stubborn endurance of the victims. - -A Turkish writer has made the remark, “There are Armenians, but there -is no Armenia.” This assertion would be true if meant in a political -sense only, for of all civilized races on earth, Armenians are -politically one of the most forlorn, but the country has not been wiped -off the map. It still occupies the geographical place it has held since -history has been written. The land of the Euphrates and Tigris, that -Araxes valley, where, as simple and primitive Armenians will to this -day assert in unshaken belief, God made man in His own image, and the -country round the base of Ararat, where the generations of men once -more began to people the earth. - -Once the land of Ararat was an independent kingdom until the tide of -victory rolled over it and conquered its independence. Hemmed round -by three Great Empires, Russian, Turkish and Persian, the unfortunate -geographical position of the country became the cause of its people’s -ruin. - -It is of bitter interest to Armenians to know that Ararat is the point -where the three Empires, Russian, Turkish and Persian, meet, whilst -the children of the land of Ararat have passed under the sovereignties -of Czar, Sultan and Shah. Thus it may be true that there is no Armenia -in the political sense of the word, but if Armenia has lost her -independence, the Armenian people have survived. - -The Author of “Transcaucasia and Ararat” thus writes of them:-- - -“The Armenians are an extraordinary people, with a tenacity of national -life scarcely inferior to that of the Jews.” - -The remark is true. There are two nations of antiquity who -notwithstanding unremitting persecutions, and centuries of loss of -independence, have survived their contemporary nations; their fortunes -have run on parallel lines, though their national characteristics have -been different in some respects. Together with his other avocations, -the Armenian is mountaineer, soldier, labourer, agriculturist, while -the Jew is purely a dweller in cities; but the same virility of life, -the same mental and physical strength have sustained both. The sons -of Heber, great grandson of Shem, have however become wise in their -generation, the Jew is now more American than the American, more -British than the British, more French than the French, more German than -the German. Not so the sons of Haik, great grandson of Japhet, for with -the same determined obstinacy with which he has clung to his faith, the -Armenian clings to his nationality. He has known how to resist Russian -endeavours of absorption, and Turkish systems of extermination. When -he gives up his nationality, it will be the story of the hunted animal -brought to its last gasp. - -The Armenians have been called “the most determined of Christians,” -a remark the truth of which has been borne out by their unequalled -martyrdom for their faith; and yet it may truly be said that in no -Christian Church is the lay element more strong than it is in the -Armenian Church. Conscious of this freedom, Armenians are surprised to -read assertions made by some writers, about “the gross superstitions” -of their Church, which they on their part regard as the happy medium -between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Surrounded with pomp and -splendour, and a show of outward ceremonies, which the average Armenian -regards as no more than mere adjuncts to gratify and impress the -sensibilities, the Liturgy of the Armenian Church, in its grandeur and -pathos, appeals to the heart of the Armenian people, as no other form -of worship can; it is the reason, as has truly been said of them, that -“they carry their religion with them wherever they go.” - -The Armenians have also been called “the interpreters between the -East and the West.” There is no doubt a certain adaptability which -is a national characteristic; and as language is the vehicle of -comprehension, their talent for acquiring languages helps to bring -them into touch with Eastern and Western peoples; but the main truth -of the observation lies in the fact, that being born Asiatics, and -living for the most part in the midst of Asiatic surroundings, they -fall into the ways of Asiatic life; they understand Asiatics better, -and know how to sympathise with them; whilst on the other hand, their -religion is the religion which has moulded the thought of the West, and -consequently also the religion that has moulded the thought of a people -who were the earliest Christians. - -The main point of social difference between them and other Asiatic -nations, lies in the exalted position occupied by their women, and this -point of difference may be traced to that one cause or influence, which -has exalted the position of women in the West, the doctrines of Jesus -of Nazareth. This point of difference in social life, together with the -difference of religion, has always kept them separate from Persian and -Turk. - -Private and trustworthy information to hand brings the news that the -ex Sultan Abdul Hamid, aware of his impending dethronement, desired -to bring about a general massacre of Christians in Constantinople, -beginning with the foreign Embassies downwards. “I must be the last -Padishah, even though Turkey perish,” was Abdul’s frantic appeal to his -satellites, but his minions, not daring to venture on so dangerous an -undertaking, planned the massacres to begin at the village of Adana, -inhabited by the unfortunate Armenians. It was a safe plan, since the -Armenians had no battleships to turn their guns upon Constantinople, -and by the bombardment of the capital, to seek revenge for the murder -of their countrymen. - -A massacre so wanton as that of Adana, can only find its counterpart in -the other Turkish massacres of Armenians which preceded it. - -“Abdul the Damned” has been dethroned, but he has not been executed, -and so long as he continues to draw breath, as long is there danger for -the Armenians. - -We hear of the Mahommedans in India cabling their petition to the -new Turkish Government to spare the life of the ex-Padishah and the -ex-Caliph of Islam; the erstwhile “God’s shadow on earth” and the -erstwhile “God’s envoy on earth” the sacredness of whose person should -be inviolate. In this demonstration of the Indian Mahommedans, we -can read the epistle of Mahommedan thought, and feel the pulse of -Mahommedan feeling all over the Sunni Moslem world. - -Although intensely mercenary, Abdul Hamid however not only never -grudged the gold which helped to accomplish the Armenian massacres, -but he used it largely in douceurs which purchased silence or false -representations of his diabolical acts, and it was by means of such -douceurs that he went farther than seducing merely his own subjects. - -“Mais l’oeuvre de l’impérial corrupteur a dépassé les limites de son -Palais et de ses États, N’a-t-il pas, en effet, étouffé sous des -baillons dorés la voix d’importants organes de la presse européenne? -N’a-t-il pas acheté à l’étranger des politiciens et même des diplomates? - -“Saïd Pacha ayant recherché ce qu’en six mois les massacres d’Arménie -avaient coûté au Trésor turc, en allocations à certains journaux -européens, a établi le compte approximatif suivant: 640 décorations, et -235,000 Livres Turques (près de cinq millions et demi)!”[8] - -It needs not be added that no one who knows the truth of Turkish -affairs, doubts the truth of this impeachment. - -“But whatever the future may bring, the past is past, and will one -day fall to be judged. And of the judgement of posterity there can be -little doubt.” - -In these memorable words, Mr. James Bryce in the supplementary chapter -of his book “Transcaucasia and Ararat” concludes his criticism on -what he calls “the fatal action followed by the fatal inaction of the -European Powers.” - -It is true. As surely as the world revolves on her own axis, and as -day succeeds night, so surely History will record and Posterity will -judge. But what compensation to the Armenians? What compensation for -the rivers of blood that have inundated their land? What atonement for -the hideous past? What relief for the present? What hope for the future? - - - - -THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES AND THE FUTURE OF THE ARMENIANS. - - -The above is a subject for profound meditation for the Armenian people; -it has therefore naturally for me occupied much deep thought. - -National Autonomy has been the dream of the Armenians; a dream which -through centuries of oppression and years of slaughter, the nation -has been striving and struggling to realize. The oldest of historical -nations, we have held to our nationality, language and religion; we -have struggled and striven, and though billows of affliction have -swept over us, we have not allowed ourselves to be engulfed. “Love is -stronger than Death” and truly the Armenian has loved his nationality -with a steadfastness and tenacity that has conquered death. - -Steady, stubborn grit, combined with a remarkable natural intelligence -have been characteristics of the race, and have kept us alive in spite -of national adversities, such as no other nation could have suffered -and survived. - -But our position is an acutely unhappy and an acutely unfortunate one. -Our misfortunes began with the physical geography of our country. -Surrounded by three great empires, our kingdom was strangled by the -overwhelming pressure, and to-day our country is divided up between -Russia, Turkey and Persia. For this reason we have been a great deal -more unfortunate than the Balkan States, and now if there were any -possible chance of wresting autonomy for Turkish Armenia from Turkey, -Russia fearing the spread of the same spirit in her own provinces, -would assuredly not only frown on such an attempt but use all the means -in her power to crush it. - -There is also a stern fact which a people so politically helpless and -forlorn as ourselves must ever bear in mind, namely, that we live in an -intensely selfish and intensely grasping world; no prating the pretty -nonsense of Western Civilization, or Western Humanity, or Western -Christianity can alter that stern hard fact as it stands, and as it has -stood since the history of our world has been written. - -Indeed, nineteenth century civilization, which has made the world -of commerce acutely grasping, has also made the world of Politics -unscrupulously selfish. - -However much it may clothe itself in the garment of fair speech, -what we call “Politics” is actually made up of that one devouring, -absorbing, grasping element--Selfishness. “The friends of to-day may be -enemies to-morrow” is more truly spoken in the domain of Politics than -anywhere else. - -Let the Armenians take a lesson not only from the Turkish massacres, -but from the attitude of Europe towards those massacres? Let them look -back on the past, and remember how they have been trampled under the -merciless foot of Political Selfishness, and then left to welter in -their gore. - -Who doubts, who can gainsay, that by so much as the lifting up of a -finger the Powers of Europe could have stopped those massacres? Was -that finger ever lifted up, however, all through the long years of -“slaughter, martyrdom, agony, despair” to save our helpless people -from butcheries so enormous, so hideous, so appalling that no pen -could portray the horrible realities? Had the Turkish bonds been in -jeopardy, Constantinople harbour would have witnessed the battleships -of the Powers of Europe discharging their cannon on the capital of -the Turkish Empire, but a hundred thousand or five hundred thousand -Armenians, more or less, mangled and butchered to death, or fleeing -from their sacked and burning villages to die of cold and starvation in -their mountain passes, could not rouse action on the part of Europe, -even though the Concert of Europe had been instrumental in their -destruction. - -I do not write with a desire to indulge in recriminations, since vain -recriminations will not bear profitable fruit; but I write with the -object of impressing on my countrymen to remember, always to remember, -the lessons written on the pages of a past that should never be -forgotten by us. - -In his book “Our Responsibilities for Turkey” the late Duke of Argyll -quotes from the famous despatch of a British Ambassador to Turkey, the -date being given as September 4, 1876. The despatch proceeds thus:-- - -“To the accusation of being a blind partisan of the Turks I will only -answer that my conduct here has never been guided by any sentimental -affection for them, but by a firm determination to uphold the interests -of Great Britain to the utmost of my power; and that those interests -are deeply engaged in preventing the disruption of the Turkish Empire -is a conviction which I share in common with the most eminent statesmen -who have directed our foreign policy, but which appears now to be -abandoned by shallow politicians or persons who have allowed their -feelings of revolted humanity to make them forget the capital interests -involved in the question. - -“We may and must feel indignant at the needless and monstrous severity -with which the Bulgarian insurrection was put down; _but the necessity -which exists for England to prevent changes from occurring here -which would be most detrimental to ourselves is not affected by the -question whether it was 10,000 or 20,000 persons who perished in the -suppression_. - -“We have been upholding what we know to be a semi-civilized nation, -liable under certain circumstances to be carried into fearful excesses; -but the fact of this having just now been strikingly brought home to us -all cannot be a sufficient reason for abandoning a policy which is the -only one that can be followed with due regard to our interest.” - -I quote this famous despatch merely to point out that “due regard to -our interest” was carefully followed out in the Past by the Powers of -Europe, and that “due regard to our interest” will be just as carefully -followed out in the Present and in the Future. - -From the Turk and Persian, the Armenian must ever remain separate, as -he has through centuries, though living in the midst of them, remained -separate. The gulf that divides the one nation from the other two, -the wall of iron that rises between them is the position of woman. The -Armenian has accepted whole-heartedly the position in which woman has -been placed by the Great Founder of his faith. For seventeen hundred -years unremittingly since Christianity was revived in Armenia by -Gregory the Illuminator, the Christian law with regard to the position -of woman has moulded the thought of the nation, it has left its impress -on the nation, and it is this vital and essential difference between -the law of Mahommed and the law of Christ that like a two-edged sword -has cleaved apart Christian Armenian from Moslem Turk and Persian. - -If “East is East, and West is West” it is on account of the social -plane on which woman stands, a social plane that is never so degraded -in any corner of Asia, as it is in the countries where the law of -Mahommed governs. - -The Armenians in Asiatic Turkey are scattered and dispersed among Turks -and other antagonistic races; they are without any military force or -organization to wrest autonomy from the military and governing power. -That Europe should aid their endeavours, or that Turkey should make -them a free gift of autonomy, are both of them absolutely out of the -question. Then what remains for us? - -To hold to our own nationality and to be subject--Subject to Russia, -subject to Turkey, subject to Persia--What shall it profit us? What -will it profit? What doth it profit us? Our strong, clever, energetic -men, our beautiful, intelligent women, when neither chance nor -opportunity can enable our finest and best to reach the higher rungs of -the world’s ladder, and when as a subject people we must ever remain -hewers of wood and drawers of water, even our Aivasowskis and our -Melikoffs have been known to the world as Russians, not as Armenians. -Have we a chance of bursting the fetters? Have we strength to break the -chains? Can we reach the goal toward which, bleeding and torn, we have -been striving, and still are striving? These are questions which we -must ask ourselves; looking them soberly in the face. - -But this is not enough: if we must persist in holding to our -nationality, we must look into ourselves, we must search out and probe -our national failings and our national weaknesses, and find out in what -essential characteristics we are wanting as a nation, and so build up -national character. Let us weigh ourselves in the balance, and supply -what in us is found wanting. - -In the period of less than a decade a Great Power has risen in the -Orient. The people of a small island empire with an empty Treasury -have beaten successfully and disastrously a colossal empire of whom -the Powers of Europe had stood in awe, and against whom not one had -ventured single-handed to engage. - -On the field the ever victorious army of little Japan undermined -Russia’s stronghold, and succeeded in driving back and ever driving -back the ever defeated and ever retreating army of colossal Russia. -At sea the ever victorious Japanese Fleet succeeded in completely -annihilating the Russian Fleet. It was war such as the world had -never yet seen. The secret of such astounding successes should be -investigated, and here I beg leave to quote from one of a series of -articles in which I gave view to my opinions during the Russo-Japanese -War. “Japan may be likened to the bundle of faggots in the fable -firmly tied together; one faggot of larger dimensions in the centre, -the sovereign round whom the whole nation clusters, and all, ruler and -people tied together by adamantine bands of patriotism.” - -These remarks of mine were based on observations of actual facts. In -national unity Japan stands as an object lesson to the world; she -furnishes an example which the world needs to copy, and which a nation -so politically forlorn as ourselves more than any other needs to copy. - -From the astounding success of Japan let us turn to the position -the Great Republic of the United States of America occupies in the -world, and take the lesson to heart of what Union can accomplish as we -contrast their present position with the position that the handful of -puritan pilgrims occupied when they first landed on American soil not -quite three hundred years ago. - -National Unity is our greatest need; it is the banner which we must -raise up over our national life. National Unity must be engraven on the -tablets of our minds and throb in the pulses of our hearts. There are -mountains of difficulties before us, and if ever we must reach the goal -we can only do so by being bound together like the bundle of faggots in -the fable, with no weakening or loosening of the bands. Then perhaps we -might once more be able to get an independent footing on the historical -soil of our fathers, and perhaps once more rally round our own flag. -A Japanese lives for the State, not for himself; we have no State for -which to live, but let us live for our communities whilst we keep the -hope in our hearts that communities grow into States. - -We have grit and endurance in an unparalleled degree, but these -characteristics will profit us nothing if we are wanting in unity. - -Let us remember that utterance of the Founder of our faith. In our -loyalty and allegiance to Him our life-blood has flowed like the -torrents of a cataract, but we must remember His warning utterance:-- - -“What shall it profit a man.” What shall it profit a nation. Unity is -the soul of a nation. Let us keep our soul and not lose it. - - - - -THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES AND CIVILIZED EUROPE. - - “Hear then ye Senates! hear this truth sublime, - They who allow Oppression share the crime.” - - “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; - Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her - children, because they were not.” - - -In the twentieth century of the christian era, in the age of trumpeted -progress, of boasted and vaunted civilization, there is a Ramah of -countries, a desolated Ramah, blackened and calcined with the fires -of oppression, and over her desolated wastes there flows, flows, -continually flows, ever replenished and ever renewed, that red stream -which crieth up from the earth to God: and out of this modern Ramah, a -voice is heard of lamentation and bitter weeping, it riseth up in its -boundless anguish to reach the heavens, it crieth out and will not be -stopped, for it is the voice of the Rahel of nations weeping for her -children and refusing to be comforted, because they are not. - -Ah! thou Rahel of nations! to the cry of thy boundless anguish, to -thy lamentation and bitter weeping, Christendom and Civilization, -the Christendom and Civilization of Europe have replied “Are we thy -children’s keepers?” - -Who that has read the history of the Crusades has not turned with -sickening disgust from the chapters wherein history has recorded the -savage barbarities and fearful excesses of those christian warriors, -who went to Palestine ostensibly fired with the enthusiasm of a holy -cause, but in reality only to glut in slaughter and gratify brutal -passions. Europe has, however, designated her past as the “dark ages” -into which she has thrust back, the ferocious outbursts of religion, -the merciless persecutions of the church, the savage sweep of the -barbarians of the north, and the unbridled tyrannies of despotic power, -from all which she loudly boasts to have emancipated herself, and like -the evolution according to the Darwinian theory of the anthropomorphal -ape, to have progressed into the state of civilization. But beginning -from the last quarter of the nineteenth and on into the first decade of -the twentieth century, the horrors of the darkest ages in human history -have lain at her doors, and towards these horrors Europe has kept up -the role of an extenuatingly disclaiming, a mildly rebuking, sweetly -frowning, smilingly denouncing, Disapprover. - -Half a million Armenians annihilated by organized massacres of the most -ferocious and hideous natures, and perhaps a corresponding number -fated either to rot to death in Turkish prisons or made homeless and -destitute to die of cold and starvation, with Europe nonchalantly -looking on is surely convincing proof that the Humanity, Christianity -and Civilization of Europe are whited sepulchres, hiding by the smooth -outside the rottenness within; therefore ye priests of the gospel come -down from your pulpits, close your churches, hold your tongues and -be silent for ever, for the Christianity you preach has bowed itself -out, if ever it existed, in Christian Europe. The Christ of Europe -is the demon of greed and the demon of land hunger, and the god of -civilization is Mammon. - -In 1878 an astounding policy was carried out by Great Britain; it was -the crowning act of her long continued support to Turkey, a government -she knew to be hopelessly vicious and profoundly cruel and bad to the -core. With this Power, England posing before the world as the home of -freedom, the friend of the oppressed, and the defender of the rights -and liberties of man, entered into a Convention. It was called the -“Anglo-Turkish Convention,” of which Article I reads thus: - -“If Batum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them, shall be retained by Russia, -and if any attempt shall be made at any future time by Russia to take -possession of any further territories of his Imperial Majesty the -Sultan in Asia, as fixed by the definitive Treaty of Peace, England -engages to join his Imperial Majesty the Sultan in defending them by -force of arms. In return his Imperial Majesty the Sultan promises to -England to introduce necessary reforms, to be agreed upon later between -the two Powers, into the government and for the protection of the -Christian and other subjects of the Porte in these territories. And in -order to enable England to make necessary provision for executing her -engagement, his Imperial Majesty the Sultan further consents to assign -the island of Cyprus to be occupied and administered by England.” - -It is well to remark here what was blazoned to the world at the time -that part of those “_necessary reforms_” “_in these territories_” -include twenty-two large organized massacres of Armenians (besides -smaller ones) dating from September 30th, 1895 to December 29th, 1895; -and be it remembered that these were massacres of a hideousness and -ferocity of nature even devils could not rival; besides also other -organized massacres by the Turkish Government of the same nature (large -and small) both before and after that period. - -The British press, followed by a large section of the British public, -raged against what they called the advance of Russia in the East, as -they had already raged for half a century past. It is astonishing how -one nation can swallow its own camels and strain at the other’s gnats. - -However, this Anglo-Turkish Convention and the Congress at Berlin was -the crowning act of England’s support and defense of a power whose rule -had been characterized by mis-rule, massacre and oppression. Her prime -minister returned from the Congress of Berlin loudly proclaiming “Peace -with Honour.” Of that “Honour” Time has been the test, and Time has -revealed to the world that “Peace” in its true character. - -Dating from the Congress of Berlin the supreme tragedy of Armenia -begins; deliberately and without compunction England revived the -dying tyranny of Turkey for the Armenians, deliberately and without -compunction she took away from them (a people politically the most -helpless and forlorn of all civilized nations) the only protection they -had of a powerful neighbour willing and able to enforce its protection, -and rivetted on their necks the yoke of the cruellest oppressor that -the world had yet known. The history of the rule of the house of Osman -up to the thirty-fourth Padishah was knowledge enough and experience -enough for the British Government and the British people, and yet in -the last quarter of the civilized nineteenth century, the great and -enlightened Christian power of Great Britain proceeded to carry out -and complete this gigantic political crime of fastening on the necks -of a struggling Christian people, the last remnants of an ancient -civilization, the merciless yoke of their oppressors. From that time -onward history must mark the course of the supreme tragedy of Armenia. - -The bold move taken by the Patriarch Nerses of sending delegates to the -Congress of Berlin cost the renowned prelate his life, his firm refusal -to recall his delegates aroused the last fury of Turkey’s Padishah; the -Patriarch was stealthily murdered and his genius and great personal -influence lost to the cause of his people. - -But a loss greater than the loss of their beloved leader befell the -Armenians in the assassination of the Emperor Alexander II, whose -untimely death plunged Russia back into the night of ignorance, bigotry -and superstition, of the savagery and slavery, out of the darkness of -which he was leading her; the best and noblest of Czars was succeeded -by a son whose policy shaped itself directly contrary to that of his -father’s, and Russia from being the help of the Armenians under Turkish -rule turned into one of the pillars of support of their oppressor. - -“Since 1884,” writes Mr. James Bryce, “it has been generally understood -in Constantinople that the Russian Embassy has made no serious effort -to bring about any radical change in Turkish administration, and it was -indeed believed that the more England remonstrated the more did Russia -point out to the Sultan how much he had erred in supposing that England -was his friend.” - -We have it on the authority of Professor Arminius Vambéry that the -Czar Alexander III had given assurances of his friendship and support -to Sultan Abdul Hamid; and there are not wanting political students -who affirm that the Armenian Massacres were in part instigated by -Russian politicians who saw, or professed to see, in a free Armenia -an impediment to Russia’s advance in the south and a fostering of the -spirit of independence in the Russian provinces of Armenia.[9] This on -the authority of Mr. James Bryce was the reason which Prince Lobanoff -assigned for his refusal to give support to British proposals of -coercion towards Turkey. “On January 16, 1896,” so writes Mr. Bryce, -“when the massacres had gone on for more than three months, he (Prince -Lobanoff) ‘saw nothing to destroy his confidence in the bonne volonté -of the Sultan, who was’ (”he felt assured“) ‘doing his best.’” And Mr. -Bryce continues to add “Turkey, which in 1877 had looked to England -for help against Russia, now turned to Russia for support against the -menaces of England.” - -We have it also on the authority of Mr. Bryce that shortly after the -terrible and cold-blooded massacre of Armenians at Constantinople “the -German Ambassador presented to the Sultan a picture of the German -Imperial family which he had asked for some time ago”[10] and the -friendship of Kaiser Wilhelm for Abdul Hamid “his friend and brother,” -as an American writer has called him; the costly gifts presented by the -ex-Sultan to the German Imperial family, the magnificent reception of -the Kaiser at Constantinople, and the still more magnificent concession -of Turkish territory to Germany, are too well known to the world to -need any further comment. - -Thus it became the fate of the unfortunate Armenians to be the bruised -and mangled shuttle-cock of powerful bats. - -[Illustration: NERSES VARJABETIAN. - -(Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople).] - -Much has been written and much has been said by great authorities, (far -more comprehensively and by pens much more forcible than my humble -efforts could aspire to reach) against the selfishness and callousness, -the inhumanity and cynicism of those great powers which have coldly -looked on and permitted the hellish atrocities and horrors of the -Armenian Massacres. The name of William Ewart Gladstone is loved and -revered by Armenians all over the world; but the thunderings of that -veteran statesman and the denouncing protests of those thoughtful men -whose feelings of revolted humanity have made themselves heard in -sounding language, have fallen on stony ground; they have been like the -voices of men crying out in the wilderness. Europe has turned a deaf -ear to the condemnations of justice and truth, even as she has turned a -deaf ear to the voice of Rahel weeping for her slaughtered children. - -The victim of Abdul Hamid’s revenge who was stealthily murdered in his -bed. He was elected Patriarch in 1843 and held the highest place in the -esteem and affection of his people. Mr. James Bryce gives his age at -the time of his election in 1843 as seventy-three; if this is correct -then he was over a hundred years old when he was foully murdered. Mr. -Bryce writes of him as, “the worthy leader of his nation,” “a man of -high character and great ability.” - -A writer signing himself Beyzadé gives the following account of the -Patriarch’s tragic death in the July number of “The Wide World:” - - The attempted poisoning and subsequent death of Monseigneur - Nercès Varjabétian, the Armenian Patriarch and Archbishop of - Constantinople, was a revolting illustration of the inhuman and - barbarous tactics of the Yildiz Kiosk “Camarilla.” Monseigneur - Nercès Varjabétian was not only one of the most prominent - prelates of the Armenian Church, but was also a fearless - patriot--a distinguished linguist, an eloquent preacher, and - a thorough gentleman in every sense of the word. When peace - was concluded between Turkey and Russia, and preparations were - being made for the Berlin Congress, it was he who, in spite of - the feared fanatical uprising of the Turks, threw prudence to - the winds and took a step that will long be remembered in the - annals of Armenian history. - - At the first meeting of the Berlin Congress the Turkish - delegates were thunderstruck to learn from official sources - that an Armenian delegation had arrived from Constantinople, - sent by Monseigneur Nercès, the Patriarch, their object being - to request the signatory Powers of the Berlin Treaty to force a - guarantee from the Turkish Government to make certain important - improvements in Armenia. - - Abdul Hamid and his advisers were furious at this affront, and - Monseigneur Nercès was summoned to the Palace. It is said that - when he received the summons he simply smiled and asked one of - his curates to read the Burial Service to him, as he did not - expect to return alive. However, he went. No one has ever heard - what passed between the Sultan and himself at the interview; - suffice it to say that he immediately summoned the Armenian - General Assembly and tendered his resignation. This was not - accepted by the Assembly, and, amidst enthusiastic cheers, - he was carried back to his apartments at the Patriarchate. - Meanwhile a peremptory order reached him, signed by the Sultan, - to recall the Armenian delegation from Berlin. This Monseigneur - Varjabétian point-blank refused to do, and retired to his - private residence at Haskeuy, a village on the Golden Horn. - The success of the delegation, however, did not come up to - his expectations. The Armenians, as it happened, could not be - heard, but they were so far successful as to have an article - inserted in the treaty. - - The Sultan and his advisers never forgave the Patriarch this, - though they could not openly do anything to him on account of - his enormous popularity. Time passed on, and to all appearance - the incident was forgotten, but it was not so. One summer - afternoon a most cordial invitation was sent by a very high - dignitary of the Palace, requesting the Archbishop to dine - with him informally. An invitation of this kind could not very - well be refused, so the Archbishop, accompanied only by a - body-servant named Vartan, repaired to the Pasha’s house. The - Pasha received him at the door and escorted the visitor with - much ceremony and extreme courtesy to a private apartment of - the salamlik of his house (the men’s quarters), where dinner - was served. The geniality displayed by his host dispelled any - fears that the Archbishop might have had as to his personal - safety. - - After dinner, as usual, coffee was served. Now, this serving - of the coffee is rather a ceremonial according to high Turkish - etiquette, and it is not unusual for guests to bring their - own _tchooboukdar_ (the servant who carries his master’s pipe - and pouch and also superintends the making of his coffee). - The Archbishop was presented with a “tchoobouk” (pipe) filled - and lighted for smoking, and a servant followed with coffee. - The Archbishop accepted both with due compliments to his - host, and took a sip at his coffee. Just at that moment the - heavy curtains over the doorway were thrown apart, revealing - the ghastly pale face of his servant Vartan, who cried, in - Armenian, in a voice trembling with emotion, “Monseigneur, I - did not brew the coffee!” - - This was enough for the Archbishop; he pretended to be - startled and spilt the coffee, but, alas! he had already - drunk a small quantity of it. Meanwhile a scuffle was going - on behind the _portière_, where his poor servant Vartan was - paying the penalty of his devotion to his master. Concerning - Vartan’s whereabouts or his ultimate end nothing was ever - made public--the poor fellow simply vanished. Monseigneur - Varjabétian, after a short interval thanked the Pasha for his - generous and kind hospitality and took his departure. On the - way home he was taken violently ill and a doctor was hastily - summoned. The Patriarch took to his bed, and lost all his hair - through the effects of the poison. Then, one morning, when a - servant took his breakfast upstairs he found, to his horror, - that both the bedroom door and the window were wide open and - his beloved master lay dead in his bed, which was covered with - blood! There are no such things as coroners and juries in - Turkey to ascertain the causes of mysterious deaths of this - kind, but the news that the Patriarch was dead spread like - wildfire through Constantinople. The Sultan himself thought it - advisable to show some concern in the matter, and aides-de-camp - from the Palace were sent to the Patriarchate to learn the - full details of this “sad catastrophe,” as they termed it. The - official statement was that the Archbishop died of dysentery. - Only a very few know how the Archbishop had died, and they - wisely kept their mouths shut. - - I was told the details of this story by a high official of the - Armenian Patriarchate. It seems that as the poison did not act - as quickly as the Patriarch’s enemies had anticipated, owing - to his having been cautioned in the nick of time, they “had - to resort to other means”! The funeral was the largest ever - witnessed in Constantinople, with an escort of Turkish cavalry - sent specially by the Sultan, and representatives of all the - religious denominations and the Diplomatic Corps. I was myself - present, representing a foreign Government. - - - - -PART II. - - - - -OUT OF THE DEPTHS. - - “Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears, - that I might weep day and night for the slain of my people.” - - -A book has been written and published in Japan, its title “Niku Dan” -translated into English, reads, “Human Bullets.” This little book, a -narrative of the siege of Port Arthur, after being read through the -length and breadth of the empire, found translators to translate it -into the best known of languages; and its young author, himself an -actor in the siege, was summoned to the presence of his sovereign to -be thanked and praised. The book is a graphic narrative of the most -terrible siege in history, wherein is vividly portrayed the deadly -struggle of the besiegers. It contains as an acknowledgement of its -merit, a page on which is recorded the Field Marshal’s appreciation, -and another page bearing the Commanding General’s commendation. - -In simple narrative the author carries the reader through appalling -scenes of horror, and as we read we are made to realize the slaughter -of the enemy’s machine guns, of their ground-mines, electric-wire -entanglements, and exploding shells; we are made to hear the roar of -the artillery fire dealing death and destruction, and there rises -before us the mental vision of the fierce hand to hand conflict, and -the dead and dying lying thickly in the dark ravine. - - “For hill and battle plain, - With dying men and slain, - Grew mountain heights of pain, - And mine is boundless woe.” - -The grim warrior who stormed and took the most impregnable fortress -in the world gives expression to his feelings on his own great -achievement, in saddest words. - - “And mine is boundless woe,” - -For the grim warrior’s heart is cleft in twain for the human bullets -that under his command hurled themselves to their death. - -In the world’s greatest war, human bullets were sacrificed for the -protection of hearths and homes and a nation’s existence, moreover the -human bullets were made of men who fought and died for sovereign and -country. - -But there is a counter picture of horrors in which also there has -been a sacrifice of human bullets, made not only of men but of women -and children, human bullets, not of soldiers, themselves fortified -and equipped with instruments of slaughter for fighting and grappling -with the foe, but human bullets of unarmed men, of helpless women and -children, of youth and old age, caught like rats in a rat-trap; and -these human bullets have been sacrificed to the savage lusts of murder -and plunder of the world’s fiercest oppressors, and to the political -and commercial interests of civilized nations. - -In the first decade of the civilized twentieth century, a horrible and -wanton slaughter of unarmed men, of helpless women and children has -been perpetrated with all the accessories of cruelties unsurpassed for -their fiendishness: whole towns and villages have been desolated, homes -pillaged and destroyed, not only men, but women and children subjected -to hideous deaths and nameless horrors, which no pen could depict in -their true realism, and the details could never go into print, and -this wanton slaughter, even as the many of a similar nature that have -preceded it, has come and gone like a ripple on a smooth sea. - -No cry of horror has risen from the hearts of civilized nations! Turkey -can butcher the helpless victims of her greed and carnivorous instincts -with impunity, since Christendom and Civilization are busy only with -Turkish concessions, with land grabbing and money making. - -“Human Bullets”! “Human Bullets”! here are human bullets of heavier -rain than at the world’s grimmest siege; here are “sure death -detachments” hurled to a more pitiful fate; and the civilized world -does not care, for Armenian Massacres come and go, and the civilized -world is getting used to them. But in the eternal order of things, a -Nemesis follows human actions, be they of individuals or of nations. -Material Prosperity is a great and good thing, but Moral Prosperity is -greater and better. The Armenians may be done to their death, the last -remnants of an ancient civilization may be exterminated and consigned -in their blood to oblivion; but to the nations grown great in material -prosperity that for their own selfish interests can allow and condone -this hellish extermination, history teaches a mighty lesson. The moral -cancer eating into the moral sense of nations, saps moral prosperity -which in its turn undermines material prosperity. Great Empires once -flourishing have decayed through moral poverty. History repeats itself. - - - - -WHAT THE TURKISH CONSTITUTION MEANS FOR THE ARMENIANS. - - -A year has passed since the inauguration of the Turkish Constitution; -since the first glad cries of “liberty, fraternity, equality” were -resounded as heralds of the peace and prosperity that were to follow; -but although a whole year has passed, the Turkish Constitution, thus -far, has only paraded itself as a spectacular effect, and as a panorama -on shifting sand. - -A whole year has passed and the liberal Turks have produced neither a -Prince Ito nor an Abraham Lincoln, though both were urgently needed to -meet the pressing exigencies and heavy responsibilities of the times; -and we may well ask now, Where is the man who is to hold the helm of -the Constitutional ship and steer it over the turbulent waters? - -The task of the new régime was the most difficult that could have -fallen to any administration. Beset on the one hand by the jealousies, -rivalries, and political intrigues of European Powers; on the other, by -the machinations of that “Red Beast” the ex-Sultan and his murderous -and corrupt clique, by disappointed plundering pashas and officials -(compelled to grant their arch enemy the ex-Sultan a lease of life -through fear of a fanatical populace), the liberal Turks on their -own part have not brought to bear upon their work any administrative -ability, when extraordinary powers of governing and the highest and -strongest genius for administration were absolutely needed. The Turk -has always shown to the world that he is a born fighter, but a puerile -administrator. - -For the Armenians the Constitution has resulted in two -conditions--Massacre and Oppression; their hopes and aspirations have -ended in the death throes of, as some accounts give, thirty thousand -and others fifty thousand of their unhappy race, in homelessness and -precipitation into absolute destitution of a few more thousands,[11] -and in insecurity for the nation at large. An unarmed population -scattered and dispersed among a hostile, murderous and fanatical -populace; their position even under the new régime is to be compared to -that of herbivorous animals standing at bay in the midst of ravening -wolves. - -His spiritual interests call upon the Moslem Turk and the Moslem Kurd -to murder the Christian Armenian; his material interests to plunder and -enrich his own idleness with the worldly goods the other has acquired -by his industry and toil, and the prosperity and well-being that the -Armenian labours to bring to the fairest provinces under the sun are -swooped upon and devastated by the brigandage of his enemies. Religious -fanaticism and lust of plunder have always been governing elements in -the Turkish massacres, and against these same religious fanaticism and -lust of plunder, the Armenians stand to-day in deadly peril under the -new régime. - -What more is to follow? Our hearts sicken to forecast, and our -minds tremble to foresee. Are the balance of our striplings and our -greybeards, our pen-men, and our ploughmen to be made to rot in -Turkish dungeons, condemned to such loathsome horrors as can only be -perpetrated in Turkish prisons? Are the balance of our women to be -subjected to agonies so hideous and revolting that death at the fiery -stake or on the iron rack were mercy and bliss? Are the balance of our -babes and children to be exterminated like vermin? Are the balance -of our people, the industrious, intelligent, clean, self-respecting -element in the Turkish Empire, to be yet again hunted like wild beasts -and killed like rats and flies? - -We are not wild and lawless descendants of Jenghis Khan and Tamerlane: -we are peace-loving, law-abiding citizens, lovers of language and -literature, of the arts and sciences, energetic traders, hardworking -tillers of the soil, industrious artizans and labourers, producing in -ourselves all the elements that constitute the society and well-being -of civilized man; and as the oldest Christians, we ask of Christian -nations, if we are to be trodden out? - -On the soil of our fatherland we are surrounded by a murderous, -marauding, religion-frenzied populace, and neither Humanity nor -Christianity will hold out to us a helping hand. - -If nothing else were done for the Armenians, at least Christian -governors should be appointed over the provinces inhabited by them: -we do not expect the Turkish Government to do this of their own -initiative, but we have a right to expect the European Powers that were -signatories to the Treaty of Berlin to compel the new régime to do -it. Since the signing of the famous Treaty of Berlin thirty-one years -ago, the history of the Armenians has been written in blood and tears, -as the history of no other nation has been written before or now; and -we ask, How long? How long will the Christian Powers stand silent -witnesses to the work of slaughter and oppression carried on under -their eyes? - -Alas! the weight of the Turkish bonds is too heavy in the scale, and -Armenian life too light; the selfish interests of the European Powers -involved in the Turkish Empire cannot be endangered to save the blood -of three or four millions of Armenians, and the death warrant of an -oppressed and bleeding nation can find no place on the table of the -Hague Conference of Peace and Civilization. - - - - -THE ARMENIAN QUESTION. - - -In the closing pages of “Twenty Years of the Armenian Question” -published in 1896, its distinguished author,[12] one of the greatest -authorities on the subject, makes the following notable comment on the -character and fate of the Armenian race. - -“They had maintained their nationality from immemorial times, before -history began to be written. They had clung to their Christian faith, -under incessant persecution for fifteen centuries. They were an -intelligent, laborious race, full of energy, and increasing in numbers -wherever oppression and murder did not check their increase, because -they were more apt to learn, more thrifty in their habits, and far less -infected by Eastern vices than their Mahommedan neighbours. They were -the one indigenous population in Western Asia which, much as adversity -had injured them, showed a capacity for moral as well as intellectual -progress, and for assimilating the civilization of the West. In their -hands the industrial future of Western Asia lay, whatever government -might be established there; and those who had marked the tenacity and -robust qualities of the race looked to them to restore prosperity -to these once populous and flourishing countries when the blighting -shadow of Turkish rule had passed away. But now, after eighteen years -of constantly increasing misery, a large part, and, in many districts, -the best part, of this race has been destroyed, and the remnant is -threatened with extinction.” - -These remarks made in 1896 by a great and disinterested authority with -a profound knowledge of the subject he was writing about, stand as true -to-day as when they were written. From 1896 onwards, events following -in succession one upon another have proved the truth and soundness of -his opinions. - -Can the Armenians hope now for any change in their condition under -Turkish rule? To this question, we must answer an emphatic No! - -The causes that must operate against any change are many and -deep-seated. In the first place it cannot be expected that a few Turks -of liberal ideas (or it may be French polished) at Constantinople, -are going to change the thought and character of the nation. The -characteristics of a people change very slowly, if they ever change at -all, and the predominant national traits of the many-blooded modern -Turk have been shown to the world to be, cruelty and fanaticism, -combined with a fierce sensuality; and what is more than all, and which -has to be remembered most, is, that they are a people accustomed to the -unbridled gratification of their worst passions. - -The ethnographic traits of the Turkman which history bears out, are -wildness and fierceness, and it would not be incorrect to argue that -with the instincts of his primitive ancestors have been assimilated the -many cross currents that run in his veins, into all of which has been -infused the doctrines of the religion of the sword, a religion which -does not make for the peace or well being of mankind; a religion, also, -which assigning one of the two sexes to the degraded position of being -created solely for the gross pleasure of the other, does not make for -the exaltation of mankind. - -To quote again the eminent authority previously referred to: “No -Mahommedan race or dynasty has ever shown itself able to govern well -even subjects of its own religion, while to extend equal rights to -subjects of a different creed is forbidden by the very law of its -being.” - -Not the Jewish conceit proclaiming itself God’s elect and chosen, and -originating the name “heathen” which it scorned. Not the Christian -conceit emanating from the Jewish source, and laying the flattering -unction to its soul of superiority over the “heathen” of its own time. -Not the unbending caste exclusiveness of the Brahman across whose -path even the shadow of the despised Sudra falling would be deemed -defilement. Not any of these, can equal the intolerant religious pride -of the Mahommedan, or reach the pinnacle of religious self-sufficiency -on which he has seated himself. To be a Mahommedan, is enough--_Cela -suffit_. - -To any one who has familiar acquaintance with Mahommedans, and intimate -with Mahommedan thought, one fact must strike itself most forcibly, and -that is, the Mahommedan is above all things a Mahommedan. His religion -is the paramount question in his life, and remains its predominating -feature above everything else. This should not be surprising, since to -the “faithful” Paradise is secured, and all crimes and transgressions -against “unbelievers” absolved. - -Added to these important factors of racial characteristics, influences -of religion, and long grown habits of the Turk, we have also in -Turkish Armenia another evil, from which the other provinces of the -Turkish Empire fortunately for themselves have been exempt; this -super-added evil, is, the large neighbouring bodies of Kurds and -Circassians, greater marauders and depredators than the Turks, the -regular occupation of whose lives comprises murder and robbery, and who -have through weary centuries unremittingly quartered themselves upon -the industrious christian peasants, and lived on the fruits of their -labour and toil. Indeed as the Hamidieh cavalry which was established -expressly for the Hamidian massacres was composed of these Kurds, it -ought to be matter of speculation what outlet these warriors, trained -and practised in organized murder, can now find for those habits in -which they were encouraged and trained to indulge by the Hamidian -régime. - -Under all such conditions no hope of better days can be forthcoming, no -prospect of better times seems possible, for that unhappy portion of -the Armenian race whom force of circumstances keeps on the soil of the -fatherland. - -The appointment of Christian governors over the provinces inhabited -by them might ameliorate some of the evils, or the other alternative, -of allowing the use of arms to all alike, irrespective of creed or -nationality, would furnish some means of self-defence against the raids -and barbarities of the oppressors; but even if such concessions were -granted, life for the christian peasant subject to Turkish rule, and -living in the midst of his enemies, must remain one long struggle and -battle against pillage, murder, depredation, and offences of the worst -nature. Not the most fertile soil, not the most favourable climatic -conditions, not the most assiduous industry, not the most peace loving, -law abiding instincts, can bring to the Armenian peasant under Turkish -rule even a modicum of that comfort, happiness, and security of life -and property, which the law of all civilized countries guarantees to -the industrious labourer and tiller of the soil. - - - - -OPEN LETTER TO THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT. - - -EXCELLENT SIR, - -You are the President of the mighty Republic of the United States -of America, and I am only an obscure unit of a forlorn and helpless -nation, but encouraged by the intrinsic qualities of your head and -heart, and also by the record of great and noble services rendered in -the cause of oppressed humanity, by certain of your predecessors in the -presidential chair (so encouraged) I venture humbly to address you. The -annals of that presidential chair on which you sit are clear and bright -as the noonday sun; turning over the pages of their brightness, I am -encouraged to address you its present occupant. - -Your immediate predecessor rendered a great service in the interests -of Humanity, by bringing a terrible and bloody war to its close. His -staunch strong hand of friendship was held out to the gallant nation -fighting heroically for its national existence, whilst the might of -his iron will strenuously contested and made the peace which will ever -be associated with his name, but there was a peace which his great -heart wished to break but could not succeed in breaking, and which his -upright mind has branded as “infamous”: such are his own words “the -infamous peace kept by the joint action of the great powers, while -Turkey inflicted the last horrors of butchery, torture and outrage upon -the men, women and children of despairing Armenia.”[13] For thirty-one -years the great European Powers kept up by joint action an infamous -peace, and out of regard for their own selfish interests allowed a -corrupt, vicious, gangrened and blood-thirsty power to wreak its -hellish atrocities not only on the men, but on the women and children -of a helpless nation. - -These are strong words, but they are true, and you will agree with me -that the meanest and humblest of God’s creatures has a right to speak -the truth, and that greatest is the right to speak the truth, when -it is spoken in the cause of murdered, outraged and misery-stricken -humanity. - -The yoke of Turkey rivetted on the necks of the Armenians by England in -1878, was rivetted again by Russia, and yet again rivetted by Germany. -The political interests and the commercial interests of Europe have -trampled us under foot; we have been sacrificed on the altar of the -political animosities of England and Russia, and given over, men, -women and children to butchery, slaughter, imprisonment, torture; -we have been crushed under the iron wheels of the Baghdad railway, a -greater Juggernauth for us, while the ex-Sultan received his payment -and “bartered a kingdom for the Kaiser’s friendship”; and yet again -we have been crushed when British diplomacy checkmated William of -Hohenzollern’s dream. - -The death warrant of our bleeding nation has found no place on the -table of the Hague Conference of Peace and Civilization since the -selfish interests of the European Powers would give it no abiding room. -President of a great and free Republic, let it be the work of your -mighty hands to lay it there. The Cabinets of Europe have turned a deaf -ear to the death shriek of our bleeding nation, let our despairing cry -be heard now in the Senate of the United States of America. - -It remains for the historian of the future to record the Armenian -Massacres as the foulest blot and the blackest stain on European -Civilization and European International Morality, but in addressing -you now I will turn down the pages of the hideous Past, and humbly lay -open the pages of the Present, on which is clearly written the deadly -peril in which our nation stands: the book is open, and who will may -read. For it is not the goodwill of the new régime that has to be -taken into calculation, as far as the Armenians are concerned, but the -powerfulness or the powerlessness of the new régime to make for their -protection. - -How can we forget Adana? A whole town and villages sacked and -desolated; fifty thousand of our men, women and children done to -horrible deaths, and the residue left to homelessness and starvation. -How can we forget that the arch-enemy of Christian and liberal Turk -still lives, dethroned but not executed, and that through fear of his -worshippers and his adherents the liberal Turks are compelled to pamper -and support the monster assassin of the world? When such difficulties -beset the path of the liberal Turks, the rulers, what security is there -for a subject people, alien in race and religion? - -President of a great and free Republic, we need a friend, we ask for -your mighty hands to be held out to us in succour, since the number of -our enemies are legion: even Nature has arrayed herself against us in -the inexorable conditions of the physical geography of our country. -Shall the President of a mighty Republic with noble traditions; shall -the christian men and women of the United States leave us to our -terrible fate? - -“To serve Armenia is to serve Civilization.” These words were spoken -by a great and revered statesman; the noble handiwork of his Creator -(William Ewart Gladstone), now gone to his honored rest. “Do not let -me be told that one nation has no authority over another” was his reply -to the Armenian deputation which waited on him in 1894. Let his reply -be your answer to us now, President of a mighty Republic; let it be -your answer written in golden letters across the banner of that great -civilization, of which you are the presiding head. - -The Republic of the United States of America has been compared to that -grain of mustard seed, which when planted in the earth budded forth and -grew into such dimensions that the birds of the air lodged under the -branches thereof. I pray that the shadow of those branches be extended -over my bleeding nation. - - - - -ABDUL HAMID, THE TRIUMPH OF CRIME. - - -A monster assassin! Has he been brought before the bar of his country, -tried and condemned to the penalty of death, such as in the days of his -power he meted out to hundreds of thousands of innocents? Has he been -cast into a loathsome prison, such as the many in which thousands of -his victims have rotted and died? Nay! not so! it is not so decreed in -Turkey. - -In Turkey, a camarilla of murderous and plundering pashas, and a -fanatical and marauding populace stand behind a Padishah who knew how -to furnish gratification for the murdering and marauding instincts of -his adherents. Nay! neither death nor imprisonment for the Padishah -whose sovereignty was the most auspicious for brigandage and murder. -Who dares to slay or imprison the demigod of rapine and despotism? Such -things cannot be done in Turkey. - -For crimes that were in comparison as light as air, those puerile -tyrants, Charles of England and Louis of France forfeited their heads. -Poor Charles and Louis! Your heads chopped off and your bodies trundled -away in a cart: no glorifying spiritualized titles of Zeid and Imam -read out in your bills of indictment; such glorifying spiritualized -titles are reserved for monster assassins in Turkey. - -In Turkey, a monster assassin whose list of murders rank him as premier -assassin of the world, who under heel of iron and fire annihilated -the rights and liberties of his subjects is pensioned off to live in -purple and fare sumptuously: housed in a luxurious palace, he sits on -carpeted divans, supported by silken and velvet pillows, with eleven -ministering houris, the youngest and fairest of his past entourage, -to solace the “dolce far niente” of his deposed Padishahdom. Ample -leisure, possible opportunities to hatch plots for the subversion of -law and order, and the revival of the reign of plunder and massacre. -But it is so allowed in Turkey. It is enough to be a Caliph and a -Padishah to be able to count victims, not by thousands, but by hundreds -of thousands, and remain immune from punishment for mountains of crime. - -What evil, what woe and desolation hast thou not wrought, spiritualized -Zeid and Imam, Caliph and Padishah? And yet thou art allowed to live! -Evil genius of thy people! thou hast worked out their moral degradation -to the lowest depths that a nation could fall; but limitless evil, -supremest woe, hast thou worked over the nation whose country thou -turned into a charnel house of slaughter, and over whom thy reign of -thirty-three years hung like a pestilence. Who can count the multitude -of thy crimes against them, who can measure the height and the depth of -the woe that thou laid over their lives. Hearths and homes pillaged and -desolated, harvest fields turned into rivers of blood, not thousands -upon thousands, but hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children -tortured with devilish ingenuities of torture, imprisoned in loathsome -dungeons, outraged, butchered, slaughtered, hunted like wild beasts, -left to homelessness and starvation. - -Enough blood to drown a leprous souled and gangrened souled Padishah -and his gangrened pack of followers! Enough crime to hang a Caliph! - -Out with thy Caliphate! even by the law of thy prophet, that fierce -son of the desert, the Caliph is ordained protector of the weak and -helpless; what didst thou with thy thirty-three years of Caliphal -power, except crush the weak and annihilate the helpless. - -The very earth has echoed with the dying cry of the least of them, -those “christian puppies” with little bodies piled up one upon another, -and little heads struck off together at one stroke; with the frenzied -shrieks of mothers who have seen with their own eyes the slaughter -of their children, with the anguished wail of women, with the death -groans of youth and old age. Aye! the very earth has echoed with the -dying gasp of that righteous man, the venerable sire of his people, the -renowned nonagenarian whom thou stealthily silenced on a bloody bed -into the sleep of death for trying to save his flock from thy hyena -jaws. - -An explosive bomb shattered the life of thy crowned opponent, (a -noble life consecrated to the welfare of his people) but no chance or -opportunity directed any explosive bomb to shatter thy cadaverous body. -No jeweled pistol or secret dagger like the many that have dripped -with the blood of thy victims in thy Yildiz Kiosk, found its way to -thy treacherous heart. No poisoned cup of coffee like the countless -cups brewed in thy palaces trickled down thy throat to end thy vampire -existence. - -Thou hast lived! Protected from the Nemesis of thy crimes by the -jealousies and rivalries of great powers which thou artfully played one -against another; by the combined forces of religion and plunder which -thou cunningly wielded into one. Even so thou livest! Peerless living -example in the civilized twentieth century of the Triumph of Crime. - - - - -L’AVENIR. - - -In the foregoing pages I have directed my humble efforts to sketch out -what the Powers of Europe have done in the past, and how their actions -have reflected on my unfortunate race. - -It is considered good policy now by a certain class of European writers -to ascribe all the horrors of the Armenian Massacres to Hamid the -despot, to represent him as a tyrant as unassailable and unconquerable -as he was implacable, in short as a sort of superhuman being who swept -everything before him to the consummation of his own despotic will. The -reason for this is not difficult to perceive. They would fain disavow -the part Europe has played in the tragedy, and to do this successfully -it becomes necessary also to present Turkey to the world now as a -paradise (from whence the tyrant once removed) peopled only by saints -and angels; so we have also many roseate colored word pictures of -Constitutional Turkey. - -The murders, deportations and imprisonments of the Turkish -revolutionaries, or more correctly reformers, were undoubtedly the sole -work of Abdul Hamid and his palace clique, but Abdul and his minions -could not have carried out that hellish work of wholesale extermination -of the Armenians without the perpetration and participation of the -Turkish people. It is true the massacres were originated and organized -in the Palace, the Palace clique stirred up religious fanaticism and -race hatred, but the co-operation of the people was necessary; and -the people co-operated in order to plunder and enrich themselves with -the worldly goods that the Armenians always knew how to acquire by -their own industry and toil; the appeal to their marauding and bestial -instincts met with a ready response. It was moreover easy work for a -race of brigands, especially as their numbers exceeded their victims by -about ten to one and who were practically unarmed. - -The first Armenian Massacres of Abdul Hamid were tentative; he began -by feeling the pulse of Europe; he found that the six Signatories to -the Treaty of Berlin accepted the situation, he was thus emboldened -to carry out that long and awful list of horrors that stands without -its parallel in history. Clearly it was in the power of Europe to have -prevented both the massacres and all the agonizing sufferings that came -in their train, but Europe took no preventive action. - -Let us ask the question, Who and what are these Turks, whom Europe for -her own sordid ends has petted and pampered and helped and supported? -and the answer comes with striking force to-day over the lapse of a -century, in the words of one of England’s greatest sons: “I have never -before heard that the Turkish Empire has been considered any part of -the balance of Powers in Europe. They despise and contemn all Christian -princes as infidels, and only wish to subdue and exterminate them and -their people. What have these worse than savages to do with the Powers -of Europe but to spread war, destruction, and pestilence among them? -The Ministers and the policy which shall give these people any weight -in Europe will deserve all the bans and curses of posterity.”[14] - -To-day the Powers of Europe are armed to the teeth. To-day they are -groaning under the burden of armaments which they are increasing -with breathless speed although the burden grows heavier. To-day all -Europe is trembling lest the hell-hounds of war be let loose. Has -any political student put his finger on the cause which began, the -beginning and the source of the evil, the Alpha of the Omega. I have -put my finger on it--the beginning and the source--The jealousies and -rivalries of European Politics in the Turkish Empire. According to an -Eastern proverb “The flies are always round the honey,” but sometimes -the flies stick in the honey. - -Politicians of the Governments of Europe have said in the pride of -their hearts “There is no God.” Particularly has this spirit of -cynicism and heartlessness governed the actions of Russian politicians -after the death of Alexander II. Since 1881, they have looked upon the -extermination of the Armenians just as the pathfinder in a forest would -look upon a dense forest growth, the clearing away of which would make -out a path for him and lead to running streams and harvest fields. In -the eyes of Russian politicians the unfortunate Armenians have been the -forest growth which has stood in the way of their advance to the South -and into Persia, and they have looked on with intense satisfaction at -the exterminating process of the Turk, which they have regarded as -the helping hand that clears away the difficulty confronting them. -But precisely whether Russia can grow strong by the pouring out of -Armenian blood, and whether her empire will be extended by their -hellish extermination remains to be solved by the future. One thing, -however, the history of the world points out, that iniquity ends, not -in strength, but in dissolution; and “The wages of sin is death.” - -Politicians of Europe have, in the pride of their hearts, arrogated -to themselves that power, which appertains to the Creator; they have -imagined that they hold the world in the hollows of their hands, and -the misery or happiness of millions of human beings has weighed as -nothing in their estimation, against the interests of what they have -designated “our sphere of influence,” but they have forgotten what they -need to be reminded that the Creator is mightier than the creature and -that the eternal law of heaven and earth changeth not for politicians. - - “And the First Morning of Creation wrote; - What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read.” - -“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are -the work of thy hands. - -“They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax -old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall -be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” - -When the heavens and earth shall perish, shall wax old as a garment -and be changed as a vesture; whence shall endure the power and -principalities, the empires and spheres of influence of him who is -called man? - -“As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he -flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the -place thereof shall know it no more.” - - - - -THE ORIGIN OF THE ARMENIANS--THE INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO -ARMENIA--DECLINE & GRAND REVIVAL. - - -“God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and -Canaan shall be his servant.” - -For the interpretation of this blessing of Noah’s to his eldest son, -and of how it may or may not have met with its fulfilment, I shall -leave to theologians to discuss, and only record it here as a quotation -from Genesis. Beyond the story of his connection with the flood, and -this blessing with which his father blessed him, and the genealogy -of his sons, we read nothing more in Genesis, of Japhet, this mighty -father of the Caucasian race. - -The genealogy in Genesis runs thus: - -“The sons of Japhet, Gomer and Magog and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, -and Meschech, and Tiras. - -“And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. - -“And the sons of Javan; Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodamin. - -“By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every -one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” - -Only the names of the three sons of Gomer, and the four sons of Javan -are given in Genesis, and by these we are told were the isles of the -Gentiles divided. So much for Genesis. - -Later history records that these Gentiles spread themselves over part -of that stretch of terra firma which now goes by the name of Europe, -developing their own families, and their own nations, and originating -their own tongues, and also they spread themselves over other parts of -the surface of the globe, populating where they could, ruling where -they could. - -But through the roll of centuries which lost themselves into the flight -of thousand years, one branch of the sons of Japhet kept themselves on -the land where Noah planted his vineyard, and round the base of that -mountain from whence his descendants began to spread and people the -earth. - -Tradition has woven a romance round the names of towns and villages -in Armenia. “No aighee” (Noah’s vineyard) is the name of a village -supposed to be the place where the patriarch planted his vine; and -“Nakhitchvan”[15] meaning (first descent) where Noah is supposed to -have descended from the ark; also “Mairand” meaning (mother is there) -where Noah’s wife is supposed to be buried; and “Erivan”[16] meaning -(that which can be seen) supposed to be the land in the distance which -could be seen when Noah descended from the ark. - -[Illustration: MINARET AT ERIVAN, ONE OF THE CITIES TRADITION ASCRIBES -TO BE FOUNDED BY NOAH.] - -Armenian history begins with Haik, the first chief or king of the -tribe: he was third in descent from Japhet, and fourth in descent from -Noah, and his genealogy is given thus: Haik the son of Togarmah, the -son of Gomer, the son of Japhet, the son of Noah. - -“They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and -horsemen and mules” is the designation given by Ezekiel, 27th chapter -14th verse of the merchants of Armenia trading with Tyrus. - -Haik revolting from Belus, the Nimrod of Genesis, the son of Cush and -grandson of Ham, retraced his footsteps from the plains of Shinar, -where he with others had tried to build the tower whose top should -reach into heaven, and with his followers and children settled himself -round the base of Ararat. - -Perhaps a nascent fire of patriotism was burning in Haik’s heart as -he retraced his steps to the land of his father’s or grandfather’s -childhood: perhaps owing to the circumstances under which he was -placed, he had not the alternative of another choice. - -We read in Armenian history that Belus sent the following message to -Haik: - -“Why didst thou go to that cold country? Were it not better for thee to -have moderated thy pride, and submissively dwelt on my territory in any -part thou wished.” - -To which Haik replied: - -“It is better to die bravely than to bow down in fear to that -presumptuous man who would be worshipped as a god.” - -Whatever causes may have influenced Haik, his choice of country was -geographically most unfortunate for the race he founded, and it may -truly be said that owing to its geographical conditions affording -facilities for the march of conquerors, to have been instrumental in -bringing about the overwhelming and unequalled adversities that through -weary centuries have followed like a grim fate the footsteps of his -descendants. - -No geographical position on the surface of the globe could have been -more unfortunate, hemmed round by larger territories, with no natural -defences or boundaries, and no outlet to the sea, except the lake of -the Caspian on the one side, and the lake of the Black Sea on the -other, that land on which Haik chose to found a country and a nation, -has been soaked with the blood and the tears of this branch of the sons -of Japhet. - -The animosity between Haik and Belus continued, and later, according to -Armenian historians, Belus was slain in battle by an arrow from the bow -of Haik. - -We read the following record of Belus in Genesis: “he began to be a -mighty one in the earth.” “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: -wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” - -In Armenian history, Haik is depicted as a man of powerful physique -and gigantic stature; no man of his time being able to bend his bow or -shoot his arrow. Moses of Chorene, the chief of Armenian historians, -quoting from the learned Syrian Mar Abbas, writes of him thus: - -“He was graceful and well built, curly haired, pleasing in appearance, -and strong armed, and it might be remembered that among the heroes of -his time he was the most remarkable of all.” - -However that may be, Armenian history awards to Haik the proud -distinction of having overcome and slain Belus, the mighty hunter -Nimrod. - -The people who retraced their steps from the plains of Shinar, and -settled round the base of Ararat called themselves “Hai” after their -chief, and they named their country “Haiyastan,” and these names still -continue to be used in the Armenian, or “Haiyérane” as the Armenians -call their own language. - -[Illustration: GREAT AND LITTLE ARARAT.] - -I will pass over the periods when the son and grandson of Haik ruled -over Armenia, and only mention that the mountain known to the world -as Ararat was called by the Hai “Masis” after their king Amasia and -great-grandson of Haik. To this day, Armenian peasants and others -dwelling round Ararat, call the mountain “Masis.” I remember in my -childhood having seen an Armenian periodical entitled “Masis,” which -showed that the name had been steadily kept up. - -I will again pass over the periods ruled by the successors of Amasia, -and relate the story of King Aram, who ended his brilliant reign in -B.C. 1796 after ruling over Armenia fifty-eight years. - -He was a great and powerful prince, and extended his dominions, and -grew to be so mighty in battle that the neighbouring nations called -his country Aramia and the people were called Aramians, such names as -Armenia or Armenians being no doubt later corruptions. - -The first victory of Aram was over Neuchar king of Media, whom he took -prisoner and put to death, and made a large part of the country of the -defeated prince tributary to his own. The second victory of Aram was -over Barsham king of Babylon, whom also he took prisoner and put to -death. The next victory was over the king of Cappadocia; the army of -the Cappadocians was pursued to the very shores of the Mediterranean, -and the whole of Cappadocia fell into the hands of Aram B.C. 1796. -Also Ninus king of Assyria, at one time an eager enemy, awed by the -victories of Aram, sought to cultivate his friendship. - -No doubt if the volumes and scripts of paper or parchment of the famous -Alexandrian library, which burned for six months as fuel in the four -thousand baths of the city, had escaped that most atrocious act of -vandalism, and been preserved instead, vast treasures of knowledge now -lost to us concerning the ancient kingdoms of Western Asia might be -known in our day; and also when the tide of Islam victory rolled over -the kingdom of Armenia, how much of the story and history of the people -was lost and destroyed along with the destruction of their independence -it would be difficult now to calculate or assert, but in taking up -link by link of whatever knowledge has been left to us, there seems -to be grounds for supposing that the “Aramæans” designated by foreign -writers as “a people of Semitic race, language and religion, coming -from Northern Arabia and settling in the region between the western -boundaries of Babylonia and the highlands of Western Asia” were no -other than the Hai who under their King Aram had spread their conquests -and their kingdom into Mesopotamia and even to the shores of the -Mediterranean. - -Herodotus also rather corroborates this conjecture when he includes -Northern Mesopotamia, together with the mountainous country of Ararat, -under the name of Armenia, and in writing of the Armenian boats that -brought merchandise to Babylon, he remarks that they were constructed -in Armenia, _in the parts above Assyria_. - -Archæological researches have laid the claim that the modern Armenians -are the descendants of the old Hittites; the modern Armenian being -supposed to be the survival of the ancient Hittite tongue, and it -is asserted almost everything that is known in the Hittite language -is Old Armenian in form: but who these Hittites were, or whence they -came neither historian nor archæologist have been able definitely to -ascertain. In the Armenian version of the Bible, we find the name -“Kethosi” used for the Hittite who were known to the Assyrians and -Egyptians as “Ketha,” but this can have no important bearing since the -Bible was translated into the Armenian language from the Greek in the -fifth century of the Christian era, and the Armenian scribe no doubt -simply translated what he found in the Greek. - -According, however, to all known history the Hittites were a warlike -and conquering race and ranked among the foremost of the nations of -Western Asia. The modern historian has come to the following conclusion -concerning them: “Their primitive home is thought to have been in that -part of Armenia where the Euphrates, the Halys, and Lycus approach -nearest to one another; and it is even asserted that the modern -Armenians are descendants of the old Hittites. From this point they -began their career of conquests, probably under the leadership of -some able and vigorous chief, whose ambition overleaped his native -boundaries. One conquest led to another. Their leaders acquired great -armies, and subdued many nations, until the Hittites became one of -the most powerful peoples of ancient times, and their kings were able -successfully to defy even Egypt, at that time the strongest nation on -the globe.” - -This description accords with Armenian history; the Hai being known -from time immemorial as a warlike race, and extending their territory -by conquests, until, as I have narrated, under the leadership of Aram -their kingdom spread from the mountains of Upper Armenia to the shores -of the Mediterranean and into northern Mesopotamia, which proves that -almost all of Asia Minor was conquered by them, and according also to -Armenian history the language of the Hai was introduced into Cappadocia -by King Aram.[17] - -Allowing, however, for the many obscurities of Armenian history, -confusion comes in, when historians or archæologists ascribe a -Mongolian ancestry to the Hittites, whereas Armenian history holds its -unquestionable ground firmly and decidedly on the Japhetian ancestry; -and the peculiar physiognomy of the Armenians; the oval contour of -face, the distinctive, prominent nose, large eye, and well marked arch -of eyebrow do not show any traces of Mongolian ancestry. It follows -therefore that if the Armenians are the descendants of the Hittites, -then the Hittites were not of Mongolian ancestry. If the Hittites were -the Hai, the name must have undergone corruption during the course of -centuries and it is reasonable to suppose that they shared the fate of -all conquerors, and after a period of power, were driven back from the -shores of the Mediterranean to their own native home. - -Aram was succeeded by his son Ara, a prince of such singular and -surpassing beauty that he was surnamed “Ara the Beautiful.” The -famous Semiramis, wife of Ninus king of Assyria, attracted by his -great personal beauty offered him her affections and her throne after -the death of her husband, but her proffers of love were scornfully -rejected by Ara, who according to the story related of his own love -was passionately attached to his queen Nuvard. The proud Semiramis, -scorned, enraged and mortified, declared war against Ara and entered -his country with her armies; a battle was fought in which Ara leading -his army was slain, although Semiramis had given special instructions -to her troops to be careful of his life and bring him to her a living -prisoner. - -The death of Ara was evidently a grief to Semiramis, for she -established his son Kardos on his father’s throne. She also built a -town and fortress on the shores of Lake Aghthamar, now called Van, -the battlefield on which the beautiful Ara pursued by her fatal love -lost his life. The town and fortress were named “Semiramakert” meaning -“built by Semiramis.” - -The name of the highest mountain in Armenia which the people of the -country called “Masis” came to be known as Ararat, it is supposed to -be derived from the Armenian words “Ara-i-jard” meaning “the defeat -of Ara” or “the undoing of Ara.” If this version is correct, the name -is likely to have been used in derision by the Assyrians. According -to another version the name of Ara was converted into Ararat, and the -country called after him. Thus we read in the account of the flood -given in Genesis: - -“And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the -month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” - -In the Armenian version of the bible, we read “on the twenty-seventh -day of the month,” but likewise as in English “upon the mountains of -Ararat.” This is not surprising since the designation “thaghavoroothune -Araratian” meaning “the kingdom of Ararat” is in use in the Armenian -language. - -I have alluded to the reigns of Aram and Ara to show how the Hai have -come to be called Armenians and how their country has come to be -named Armenia; also whence the name, Ararat; and as I purport here -only to treat of the origin of the Armenians, I shall now pass on to -the no less interesting period of their history: THE INTRODUCTION OF -CHRISTIANITY. - -When that great event bearing the message “on earth peace, goodwill -toward men” celebrated throughout the Christian world as the divine -birth, took place in the city of Bethlehem; Abgar the son of Arsham -reigned in Armenia. - -That country was now broken in strength, the severe blows dealt on the -one side by the Roman Empire, and the incessant warfare of the Persian -on the other, had greatly curtailed her former independence and power; -the talons of the Roman Eagles were already felt in her vitals, and the -king of Armenia subsisted under the favor of the Roman Emperor, whilst -it became necessary for him to cultivate the friendship of his powerful -neighbour, the king of Persia. - -Whilst in Persian territory, whither he had gone to settle the dispute -that had arisen on the death of the Persian monarch between his sons, -Abgar had contracted a severe disease, evidently leprosy. - -[Illustration: ABGAR KING OF ARMENIA. - -Converted to Christianity in A.D. 34. Baptised by the Apostle Thaddeus.] - -The wonderful cures and miracles of Christ were reported to him by the -representatives he had sent to the Roman General Marinus in Jerusalem. -These representatives had gone to refute the charges brought against -him by King Herod, and to propitiate the Roman Power; they came back to -tell what they had witnessed in Jerusalem, of the singular wisdom and -wondrous works of a marvellous man named Jesus, who was of Nazareth, -but whom his own followers persisted in calling the Son of God. - -The story relates that Abgar was deeply impressed by what he heard, -and expressed his own belief that man could not do such wondrous -works as were related of this Jesus the Nazarene. Thereupon the King -sent messengers to Jerusalem with a letter to Jesus. What a touch of -human nature is here displayed; the king is suffering from a loathsome -disease, the medical skill of his country and of neighbouring countries -has been exhausted, all in vain; the royal heart is stricken as well -as the royal body, for his disease is so loathsome, that although he -is king, his subjects would rather shun than approach him; he hears -of this wonderful man Jesus, his representatives have come back from -Jerusalem to tell him that “he cleanseth the lepers.” Hasten to him, -said the king, take unto him my greetings, carry my messages and my -letter and bring him unto me that I might honor him and if so be that -he may heal me. - -The messengers of Abgar were headed by Anany the Greek scribe of the -king and they are supposed to be present in the procession of Christ’s -entry into Jerusalem. The twentieth and twenty-first verses of the -Gospel of St. John are adduced by Armenian historians as corroborative -testimony: - -“And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at -the feast; - -“The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, -and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.” - -Anany and his companions are supposed to be the “certain Greeks” who -came to Philip asking to see Jesus. And here I have to explain that the -letters of the Armenian alphabet were invented by St. Mesrope in the -beginning of the fifth century of the christian era; previous to the -time of Mesrope there were no special Armenian letters, and as this -invention was hailed as a signal national boon we have to conclude that -there was no written Armenian language previous to the fifth century. -One thing however must be certain, that this letter carried by the -king’s Greek scribe, the leader of the messengers, must originally have -been written in Greek. This letter has already been translated from the -Armenian into English; the translation reads thus: - -“Abgar the son of Arsham, Prince of Armenia, sends to Thee, Saviour and -Benefactor, Jesus, who didst perform miracles in Jerusalem, greeting. - -“I have heard of Thee, and of the cures wrought by Thee without herbs -or medicines; for it is reported that Thou restoreth the blind and -maketh the lame walk, cleanseth the lepers, casteth out devils and -unclean spirits, and healeth those that are tormented of diseases of -long continuance, and that Thou also raiseth the dead:--hearing all -this of Thee I was fully persuaded that Thou art the very God come down -from heaven to do such miracles, or that Thou art the Son of God and -so performeth them; wherefore I write to Thee to entreat Thee to take -the trouble to come to me and cure my disease. Besides, I hear that the -Jews murmur against Thee and want to torture Thee. I have a small and -beautiful city--sufficient for us both.” - -The story goes on to relate that among the messengers was an artist by -the name of John who had been commissioned by the king to bring back a -portrait of Christ; the artist however failed in his efforts to portray -the divine features, whereupon Christ gave him a veil which he had laid -to his face and on which his features had become imprinted, to carry -back to his master. - -We are also told that the apostle Thomas was commanded by Christ to -write a reply to Abgar. The reply has also been translated into English -and the translation reads thus: - -“Blessed is he who believes in Me without seeing Me, for it is written -of Me that they that see Me shall not believe, and they that have not -seen Me shall believe and be saved. As concerning the request that I -should come to thee, it becomes Me to fulfil all things for which I was -sent, and when I have fulfilled those then I shall ascend to Him that -sent me; but after my Ascension I will send one of my disciples, who -shall cure thee of thy disease and give life to thee and to all those -that are with thee.” - -Two stories are given of the cure of Abgar. According to one version he -was healed on receiving the veil, according to the other, the apostle -Thaddeus on coming to Armenia laid his hands on the king and cured him. - -This story of the veil has been treated by certain scholars as a -legend, especially as the Roman church has also got a somewhat similar -story. We are of course not in a position to vouch for its truth -or incorrectness, but it seems to me if all the miracles of Christ -as related in the gospels are to be credited, this one also can be -regarded as one out of many. If according to the gospel story water -was turned into wine at the marriage feast in Cana, what is there -incredible about the imprint of the divine features on a veil; and -if the gospels assure us of the healing of many lepers there can be -nothing astonishing in the healing of the king of Armenia. - -I was however much interested when I came across the following passage -in the history of the “Spread of Islam”: - -“To the east they advanced to the banks and sources of the Euphrates -and Tigris; the long disputed barrier of Rome and Persia was forever -confounded; the walls of Edessa and Amida, of Dara and Nisibis, which -had resisted the arms and engines of Sapor or Nushirvan, were levelled -in the dust; and the holy city of Abgarus might vainly produce the -epistle or the image of Christ to an unbelieving conqueror.” - -“The long disputed barrier of Rome and Persia” which was “forever -confounded” was of course Armenia; and “the holy city of Abgarus” the -historian evidently had in his mind must have been Edessa, whither -Abgar had removed his seat of government. To Armenians, however, -Edessa has never been “the holy city,” if they had a holy city, they -would prefer to name Ani, the city of a thousand churches, or on -account of its peculiar associations Etchmiatzin the ecclesiastical -metropolis. - -It was in Anno Domini 34 that the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew -went to Armenia, where they were warmly welcomed and received with -great reverence and respect by the King, who accepted the christian -faith at once, himself and the royal household being baptised by the -apostle Thaddeus. - -Thaddeus and Bartholomew continued their preaching in Armenia, -converting and baptising the people; churches were raised up, bishops -consecrated, and the christian religion established in the country. - -It might have been a matter of wonder to us why Saint Paul did not -address an epistle to the Armenians as he addressed to other nations; -but I think the 20th verse of the 15th chapter of his epistle to the -Romans clearly explains the reason why there was not an epistle written -to the Armenians also: - -“Yea, so have I strived to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was -named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation.” - -Clearly then no epistle was written to the Armenians because Christ -was already named among them, and Paul did not wish to build upon the -foundation of Thaddeus and Bartholomew who had laid the foundation of -Christianity in Armenia at a time when Paul himself was persecuting -Christians. Thaddeus and Bartholomew left behind no epistles, and we -have only Armenian history for the record of the work they did in -Armenia. - -Abgar died soon after his baptism and conversion, and was succeeded -by his son Anany who tried to revive the old religion, which was -something similar to the worship of the Greeks and Romans. The people -of the country however had in large part accepted Christianity, and -the revival of the old religion was consequently met with disfavour, -but before their discontent had time to assume active tendencies Anany -met his death by an accident; the people thereupon immediately invited -Abgar’s nephew Sanatrook to occupy the throne, taking a pledge from -him that he would not interfere with their religion. The pledge was -readily given by Sanatrook, but once secure on the throne he proved a -cruel and merciless despot: the remaining sons of Abgar were killed, -and his daughters and widow Helena banished, but the crowning act of -the tyrant’s wickedness and infamy was the martyrdom of the apostles -Thaddeus and Bartholomew. Thus Christianity continued its struggles in -Armenia, persecuted and declining, but still enduring. - -About Anno Domini 260 the king reigning in Armenia by the name of -Terdat, persecuted Christianity. He had regained his throne through the -support of the Roman Army, and to celebrate his accession he offered -thanksgiving and sacrifice in the temple of the goddess Anahid, which -was no other than the goddess Diana of the Romans, but the fathers of -the Armenian church in their christian zeal have reversed the name of -the goddess, made a topsy-turvy of it, calling her Anahid, and so the -name has remained in the Armenian language to this day. - -This occasion of the king’s worship and thanksgiving in the temple of -Diana, marked the beginning of the persecution of Gregory, afterwards -known as Gregory the Illuminator and the patron saint of Armenia. The -childhood of Gregory had been shadowed by a parent’s guilt: his father -Anak having treacherously assassinated the then reigning king Khosrov -the Great, the whole family was exterminated, only two sons escaping -death, one of them, Gregory, was secretly removed by his nurse to -Caesaria, and kept in concealment, until in the course of years the -father’s crime having been forgotten, all danger for the life of the -son was supposed to have passed away. - -[Illustration: SOORB GREGORE LOOSAVORITCH. - -(St. Gregory the Illuminator) - -Patron Saint of Armenia. Revived Christianity in Armenia in A.D. 276.] - -Gregory’s christian faith however now became the cause of his -misfortunes; the king called upon Gregory to assist in the worship -in the temple of Diana, but he firmly refused and boldly avowed his -christianity, which so incensed the king that he ordered frightful -tortures to be inflicted upon him, but as the tortures had no effect -and Gregory remained firm to his faith, the king ordered him to be -thrown into a dry well. The story goes on to relate that Gregory lived -for fifteen years in this dry well, food and drink being conveyed to -him secretly by a woman, herself a christian. On this spot is built the -famous monastery of “Khorvirap” meaning “deep well.” - -A beautiful Roman maiden by the name of Rhipsimè fleeing from the -addresses of the Emperor Diocletian sought refuge in Armenia; she -was accompanied by a friend, a woman of maturer years of the name of -Caiana, and some other christian maidens, all fleeing from persecution -in Rome. - -Rhipsimè’s rare beauty had captivated the Roman emperor, and she had -sought to escape from his passion by flight, but a crueller fate -awaited her in Armenia, for king Terdat in his turn smitten by the -exquisite beauty of her face offered to make her his queen, and her -refusal to accept his throne and his love so exasperated the king that -he ordered her beautiful head to be cut off. Thus Rhipsimè with Caiana -and their young companions were cruelly martyred. Rhipsimè and Caiana -were later beatified as saints in the Armenian church. - -The king however did not escape the Nemesis of his diabolical crime, -the memory of the beautiful Rhipsimè haunted him; remorse took the -place of the ferocious anger that had doomed his hapless victim to -her cruel death and the king lost his reason. The king having become -incapacitated, Gregory was released from his underground prison by the -king’s sister Khosrovidookt, and as the malady of the king was mental, -remorse for his own crime having overturned his reason, it became -the peculiar office of Gregory to minister to the king, and by his -spiritual ministrations to effect the restoration of the royal mind. - -Terdat recovered his reason and as a broken-hearted penitent accepted -the religion of Gregory and the beautiful Rhipsimè. - -Gregory now freely preached Christianity in Armenia. It was a grand -Revival; the temples of Anahid were turned into the churches of -Christ, and the whole nation accepted Christianity, which became the -established religion in the country.[18] The name of Gregory has been -handed down to posterity as Soorb Gregore Loosavoritch (Saint Gregory -the Illuminator). “Illuminator” is the generally accepted English -translation of the Armenian term “Loosavoritch,” but it is true -nevertheless that neither the term “Illuminator” nor “Enlightener” -suitably conveys the definition of its meaning; sometimes modes -of expression are so difficult to translate from one language into -another, and it can be said that the term “Illuminator” is used for -want of a better word in English. The Armenians call their religion -“loois havat;” the word “loois” means “light” and “havat” means “faith” -or “religion,” but if I translated the two words as “enlightened faith” -or “enlightened religion” the translation would not suitably convey the -meaning of the original. - -[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL OF ETCHMIATZIN. - -(Only Begotten Descended). - -Seat of the Supreme Patriarch. The foundation stone was laid by St. -Gregory the Illuminator who built the Church in the third century of -the Christian era.] - -The cathedral of Etchmiatzin is identified with Gregory; its name -“Etchmiatzin” means in the Armenian language “the only begotten is -descended,” and the story attached to it is, that in a vision Christ -appeared to Gregory descended in light; Gregory built his church on -the spot where the vision had appeared to him, giving it the name of -“Etchmiatzin” (only begotten descended). The cathedral also gives its -name to the town Etchmiatzin, the ecclesiastical metropolis of Armenia. - -Since the time of Gregory, Christianity has been the national religion -of the Armenians, and they have clung to their christian faith through -unremitting persecutions and martyrdoms such as no other christian -people have been called upon to endure. - -The cathedral of Etchmiatzin built by Gregory still stands to-day; it -has constantly been repaired and rebuilt in some part or other, until -perhaps little of the original building may be left, but it still -claims to be the church built by the patron saint of Armenia. I shall -here quote a passage from “Historical Sketch of the Armenian Church,” -written by an Armenian priest: - -“Owing to political circumstances the Armenian Patriarchate had at -times to be transferred to metropolises and to other principal towns of -Armenia. In the year A.D. 452 it was removed to Dwin, in 993 to Ani, in -1114 to Rômklah, and in 1294 to Sis. The Kingdom of Cilicia becoming -extinct, and, we having no more a kingdom and no longer a capital town, -it was natural and proper to re-transfer the See to its own original -place, as the entire nation unanimously desired it. Accordingly, in the -year 1441, it was decided by an ecclesiastical meeting that the seat -of the Catholicus should return to Holy Etchmiatzin, where to this day -has been preserved the proper unbroken succession from our Apostles and -from our holy Father, St. Gregory the Illuminator.” - -I read the other day in one of the foreign papers published in Japan, -the following piece of news: - -“An Armenian Church pronounced by experts to date from the second -century of the Christian era, has been discovered in a fair state of -preservation in the neighbourhood of Bash-Aparnah.” - -Perhaps the excavations in Armenia which Professor Marr is now -conducting might lead to throwing more light on Armenian history. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] In a recent publication “Fifty Years in Constantinople,” the -author Dr. George Washburn, ex-President of Robert College, estimates -the number that were slaughtered in cold blood in the streets of the -city as 10,000. Dr. Washburn adds the following: “The massacre of the -Armenians came to an end on Friday, the day after the soldiers came -to the College; but the persecution of them which went on for months -was worse than the massacre. Their business was destroyed, they were -plundered and blackmailed without mercy, they were hunted like wild -beasts, they were imprisoned, tortured, killed, deported, fled the -country, until the Armenian population of the city was reduced by some -seventy-five thousand, mostly men, including those massacred.” - -[2] “Transcaucasia and Ararat: Twenty Years of the Armenian -Question.”--JAMES BRYCE. - -[3] “Our Responsibilities For Turkey.”--Argyll (note to 2nd printing). - -[4] In 1826 the Russian General Paskevitch defeated the Persians at -Elizabetopol and in the following year 1827 he seized the monastery of -Etchmiatzin (the seat of the Armenian Patriarch) and Erivan one of the -great towns of Armenia and gained for himself the title of Erivanski. -By these successes Russia advanced as far as the line of the Araxes and -wrested from Persia the provinces of Erivan and Nakhitchvan. The Treaty -of Peace was concluded between Russia and Persia at Turkmantchai on the -22nd of February 1828.--Note to 2nd printing. - -[5] Commenting on the effect on Abdul Hamid of the indignation aroused -in England over the massacres, Mr. James Bryce writes, “The indignation -expressed in England exasperated him; he passed from fear to fury, and -back again to fear; and went so far as to beg, and obtain, the friendly -offices of the Pope, who, through the Government of Spain, asked the -British Government not to press too hardly upon the Sultan with regard -to the Armenians.”--Note to 2nd printing. - -[6] “Transcaucasia and Ararat: Twenty Years of the Armenian -Question.”--James Bryce. Note to 2nd printing. - -[7] “Abdul Hamid Intime,” Georges Dorys. In the Preface by Pierre -Guillard to the same book, there occurs the following passage: -“Gladstone dénonça le Grand Assassin; M. Albert Vandal flétrit le -Sultan Rouge; M. Anatole France fit trembler dans l’antre de Yildiz le -Despote fou d’épouvante et d’autres le traitèrent de Bête Rouge et de -Sultan blême. - -“Cependant aucun de ces termes excessifs en apparence n’est encore -satisfaisant et n’exprime en toute son horreur le caractère d’un être à -face humaine, tel, disait récemment un haut exilé ottoman, qu’il n’en -existe point de semblable, qu’il n’en a jamais existé de pareil et -que selon toute probabilité, il n’en pourra dans l’avenir exister un -second. Les conquérants assyriens qui se vantent dans des inscriptions -lapidaires d’avoir exterminé les peuples rebelles et tendu de peaux -écorchées les murailles des villes prises, Néron, Caligula, Timour, -Gengiz Khan, les inquisiteurs catholiques et les tortionnaires chinois, -aucun tueur d’hommes n’égala Abdul-Hamid.”--Note to 2nd printing. - -[8] “Abdul Hamid Intime,” Georges Dorys.--Note to 2nd printing. - -[9] Nicholas C. Adossides [Youngest Son of Adossides Pasha] in the -“Cosmopolitan” for July, 1909, (“Abdul the Dethroned”) writes as -follows: - -“I remember the following incident which depicts the official Russian -attitude: One night, while dining at the Russian legation in Bern, -Switzerland, many Russian officials being present, the conversation -was directed to the ever-engrossing Eastern question. A diplomat from -St. Petersburg expressed his admiration of Abdul Hamid, praising -his extraordinary intelligence and diplomatic skill. ‘Besides,’ he -continued, ‘he is not so black as his enemies have painted him.’ - -“Not being able to restrain my indignation at this, I protested, saying -he was an arch assassin. ‘Not to speak of his innumerable cruelties and -many villainies,’ I said, ‘can you deny, Sir, that he instigated and -accomplished the annihilation of 360,000 Armenians?’ - -“The admirer of the Sultan smiled, but before he could answer me, the -military attaché of the legation, who was sitting next to me, exclaimed: - -“If you condemn the Sultan for that, you astonish me. The Armenians? -Bah! They ought to be exterminated _en masse_, and the Sultan did an -excellent piece of work when he got rid of them. I have no use for -them. Besides,’ he continued, ‘can’t you see that a free Armenia would -be a serious obstacle to Russian expansion and to our advance to the -south and into Persia? Abdul Hamid has proved himself a very valuable -ally of Russia. He is the best Ambassador at Constantinople that we’ve -ever had.”--Note to 2nd printing. - -[10] This statement is corroborated by Dr. George Washburn in his -account of the Constantinople Massacre: “But the Concert of Europe -did nothing. It accepted the situation. The Emperor of Germany -went further. He sent a special embassy to present to the Sultan a -portrait of his family as a token of his esteem.”--“Fifty Years in -Constantinople,” George Washburn. (Note to 2nd printing.) - -[11] Since these lines were written later accounts show that over -a hundred thousand have been precipitated into homelessness and -destitution, and this misery is growing greater every day.--Note to 2nd -printing. - -[12] “Transcaucasia and Ararat: Twenty Years of the Armenian Question,” -James Bryce.--Note to 2nd printing. - -[13] “The Strenuous Life: Expansion and Peace,” Theodore -Roosevelt.--Note to 2nd printing. - -[14] Edmund Burke--Speech in Parliament in opposition to Mr. Pitt, -1791.--Note to 2nd printing. - -[15] Nakhitchvan--Invaded and seized by the Persian Monarch Shah Abbas -in 1603. Taken from Persia by Russia in 1827. - -[16] Erivan--Invaded and seized by the Persian monarch Shah Abbas in -1603. Taken from Persia by Russia 1827. - -[17] The Hittites flourished in the sixteenth and fifteenth centuries -B.C. King Aram completed his conquest of Cappadocia in B.C. 1796. - -[18] The orthodox church of Armenia is the church founded by Gregory. -Since the loss of their independence, persecution has scattered and -dispersed the people, thousands fleeing from their native home sought -refuge in other countries and in some cases they or their descendants -have come under the influence of other churches; thus the Mukhitharian -monks of the monastery of St. Lazar in Venice have been drawn into -the Romish Church and their influence has been extended over a small -minority of laymen; also the influence of the American Missionaries in -Asiatic Turkey has drawn others into Protestantism, but the bulk of -the nation has remained Gregorians. It is well to remark here however -that the orthodox Church, although calling herself “The Holy Catholic -and Apostolic Church” has devoted her energies mainly to upholding the -essential principles of Christianity and has not concerned herself -much about dogmas. As for the modern Armenians of the Gregorian Church -their religious views are characterized by liberalism, they look to the -central figure of Christianity and regard dogmas as immaterial: their -jealousy of their church is only actuated by the passionate feeling of -preserving nationalism. They regard their church as the ark in which -nationalism may be preserved until the dawn of better days. - -[Illustration] - -明治四十三年五月廿二日印刷 - -明治四十三年五月廿五日發行 - -著作兼 - -發行者 - -印刷者 - -印刷所 - -神奈川縣横濱市山手町二百二十番地 - -ダイアナ・アガベッグ・アプカー - -神奈川縣横濱市山下町十番地 - -エス・エッチ・ソマートン - -神奈川縣横濱市山下町十番地 - -ジャパン・ガゼット新聞社 - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Betrayed Armenia, by Diana Agabeg Apcar - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BETRAYED ARMENIA *** - -***** This file should be named 53170-0.txt or 53170-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/1/7/53170/ - -Produced by Cindy Horton and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |