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
The existence of a marked desire for progress by all classes is now
clear, and that this is largely due to foreign missionaries is admitted
by all[72]—gratefully by the Armenians and Christians generally, but
often with chagrin by the Turks, who find themselves being rapidly left
behind in the forward march which they have been too stupid or too proud
to fall in with. It is, however, very gratifying to see that the
Mohammedan leaders in both Church and State are at length becoming aware
of the marked intellectual awakening and substantial progress that
education has quietly brought about among the Christian races. Robert
College on the Bosphorus stands at the head of the many well equipped
American institutions in Turkey which have largely contributed to these
results.
We gladly recognize the wisdom and energy of His Majesty the present
Sultan, in trying to establish Moslem schools throughout his empire,
some of which are already quite large, creditable, and popular with the
Turks. It cannot be doubted that these schools will lead ultimately to
an awakening and a desire for reform and progress among Moslems which
will make them no less restive under present conditions than are the
non-Moslems to-day, and thus hasten the necessary reforms. While most
hearty praise is due His Majesty for fostering and even forcing
education among his Moslem subjects, it is greatly to be regretted that
there is another side to this policy as carried out by his agents,
namely, an equal zeal in curtailing and even closing, as far as
possible, Christian schools.
The hostility of the Sublime Porte has been growing, just in proportion
as the excellent results of American institutions, already enumerated,
have appeared. Does the Turkish Government desire that its hostility be
considered the most convincing proof of the success of disinterested
efforts to benefit its subjects of all classes? And does it propose to
continue to cripple and suppress such efforts? If so, it is not the two
hundred and fifty American missionaries in her borders who will suffer,
but the many schools and churches which they have planted and the many
thousands of peaceable and hitherto loyal subjects, who have been taught
in them to serve God as well as honor the king.
APPENDIX A.
A BIT OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY IN TURKEY.
THE CASE.
(Foreign Relations of the United States, 1884, pp. 538–539.[73])
(Inclosure in No. 317.)
_Mr. Wallace to Aarifi Pasha._
Note Verbale.
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
_Constantinople, January 24, 1884_.
The legation of the United States of America has the honor to invite the
attention of his highness, the minister of foreign affairs, to the
matters following:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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