Mr. Terrell to Mr.
Olney.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, December 4,
1895. (Received Dec. 20.)
No. 704.]
Sir: I inclose herewith an extract from a
letter written by Rev. Mr. Lee, of Marash. His high character leaves no
room to doubt the truth of the facts stated. Patient acquiescence in
such enormities now would be fatal to future security. I have therefore
demanded, as you will see by my note to the Porte of this date, the
removal of the commandant at Marash and punishment of that officer and
the soldiers.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
704.]
Extract from letter of Rev. L. O. Lee, of Marash,
November 13.1
I have written you twice stating that we are safe, and also
acknowledging the prompt response of the United States legation and
the British embassy to our telegram.
Thus far at least 50 have been killed and perhaps 300 have been
wounded, some of them fatally. The affair is attributed to a quarrel
between a Mussulman and an Armenian, in which the Mussulman was
fatally injured. This was on the 24th of October. The next day,
after the man was buried, the attack began. According to a Turkish
official the outbreak would have occurred in any case, even had not
this fatal altercation precipitated it. The disorder commenced on
Friday, the 25th. Word came around that the plan had been to have it
on Sunday
[Page 1369]
when the
Armenian population would have been in the churches. We do not
certainly know this. But nothing could be more apparent than that it
was at least a permitted massacre. The worst occurred after the
moutessarif had sent a crier around three times to order the
Armenians to open their shops on pain of fine Those who obeyed had
their shops pillaged. This is only too significant. Not a Moslem has
been arrested for injuries to Christians. A few who aided the
Christians have been arrested. The order of the day now is gradually
to arrest Armenians who are prominent in influence or position. Two
days ago the pastor of the Third Protestant Church was imprisoned.
He is as innocent of any political crime as I am.
It is now clear that the people of Zeitoun have risen. They have
captured the fort overlooking their city of 15,000 inhabitants. The
prisoners they are treating well. Their leader is a Russian
Armenian. We do not certainly know what was the cause of their
rising. We learn on good authority that an order had come to the
Hunchagists there to go no further in anything since the reform
scheme had been accepted. There is pretty good evidence in a letter
from a Moslem in Zeitoun to a man in this city that the Moslems had
formed a plan to destroy the place. Thus they may have risen in
self-defense. On the other hand, they may have rebelled under
Hunchagist incitements in view of the untold oppression of the past
few months.
At present troops are moving in upon Zeitoun from its four mountain
approaches. The force is from 15,000 to 20,000. We hear that they
are ordered to utterly destroy the city and raze it to the ground.
This would mean a massacre outdoing Sassoun. In these days of
reform, is there no way to stay proceedings and have a commission
examine the case? The guilty should be punished, of course, but we
are agonized at the awful probabilities before the innocent
thousands in the city. Whatever is to be done for Zeitoun must be
done quickly, for no one can tell at what moment the attack may be
made. Naturally they are pressing on as fast as possible, so as to
finish before the snows come.
Can anything be done to protect our church building and parsonage at
Zeitoun? It cost a considerable sum of the Board’s money.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
704.]
Mr. Terrell to
Tevfik Pasha.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, December 4, 1895.
No. 101.]
Sir: I have positive information from a truthful source that the
American seminary and boarding house at Marash were recently
pillaged by soldiers and the seminary burned by Moslem rioters after
I had repeatedly demanded at the Porte efficient protection for all
Americans in the Ottoman Empire. I have also certain knowledge that
the American missionary in charge of those buildings applied for a
special guard two weeks before the burning and that no guard was
furnished until after killing by rioters in Marash had continued for
several hours. I am glad to know that a guard was protecting the
lives of American citizens at the date of my last information.
It is impossible to believe that His Imperial Majesty can approve
such neglect to protect Americans and their property after my
repeated demands before and since the recent disturbances in Asiatic
Turkey or
[Page 1370]
that he will
retain in his army or fail to punish the officers and soldiers who
neglected their duty to protect.
I now formally demand in the name of the United States of America the
immediate arrest of the officer who commanded the Imperial troops at
Marash, and that he be not only degraded from his rank, but punished
as the enormity of his offense deserves. I also demand that severe
punishment be inflicted on those soldiers who engaged in pillaging
American houses at Marash.
I beg to remind your excellency that I ask no investigation to
establish the willful misconduct of the officer in charge at Marash
and that of soldiers under his command, but demand their punishment.
Their guilt is well known, and if not known by your excellency can
be quickly ascertained.
I would be pleased to communicate to my Government at an early day
the action of the Ottoman Government with regard to the demand
herein made.
Receive, etc.,
