The Armenian Crisis in Turkey: The Massacre of 1894, Its Antecedents and Significance, With a Consideration of Some of the Factors Which Enter Into the Solution of This Phase of the Eastern Question — John Shaqi
The Armenian Crisis in Turkey: The Massacre of 1894, Its Antecedents and Significance, With a Consideration of Some of the Factors Which Enter Into the Solution of This Phase of the Eastern QuestionGreene, Frederick Davis
History
The Armenian Crisis in Turkey: The Massacre of 1894, Its Antecedents and Significance, With a Consideration of Some of the Factors Which Enter Into the Solution of This Phase of the Eastern Question
Greene, Frederick Davis
Armenian massacres, 1894-1896; Armenian question
Rather it should be remembered that Sassoun is the outcome of a
governmental system. There have been hundreds of Sassouns all over the
country all through the last ten years, as you know. The laxity of
Europe has afforded opportunity for the merciless working of this system
in all its vigor. It is born of religious and race hatred, and has in
mind the crushing of Christianity and Christians.
It is not the Kourdish robbers, or famine, or cholera that have to
answer for the present state of the country. It is rather the robbery,
and famine, and worse than cholera entailed on the country by the
workings of this system. It is not alone the blood of five thousand men,
women, children, and babies, that rises in a fearful wail to heaven,
calling for just vengeance, but also the fearful suffering, the desolate
homes, the wanton cruelty of tax collectors and petty officials, and the
violated honor of scores and scores.
The Turk is on trial. Let not Sassoun alone go in evidence, but remember
that the same wail rises from all over the country.
[Evidence of an eye-witness, whose occupation saved him. Very few
succeeded in escaping to tell the tale.]
I saw an eye-witness to some of the Sassoun destruction. He passed
through three villages. They were all in ruins, and mutilated bodies
told the horrible tale. For four or five days he was in one village.
During the day parties of the scattered inhabitants would come in and
throw themselves upon the mercy of the officer in command. About two
hours after sundown each evening these prisoners of that day were
marched out of camp to a neighboring valley, and the air was rent with
their pitiful cries. He saw nothing more of them. He estimates that five
hundred men disappeared in that way while he was there.
Between two hundred and three hundred women and children were brought
into camp. They also disappeared, how he did not know. He was an
Armenian muleteer pressed for the transport of the military. He was sent
out of the district to Moosh. He and his companion are the only
eye-witnesses we have seen.
Another refugee from a village on the border tells the story of how his
mother, after terrible hardships, escaped to a monastery where this
young man was a servant. She told of the merciless slaughter of all the
rest of the household, and destruction of the village. She with her
young child succeeded in reaching the monastery, where after a few days
she died of her wounds.
The country waits breathlessly the result of the investigation. May the
Lord of nations stretch forth His almighty arm to save!
No. 15.
B..., Jan. 25, 1895.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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