THE SPANISH AND THE ARMENIAN ATROCITIES.
[TO THE EDITOR 07 THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—Your defence of the conduct pursued by the United States in regard to the Cuban horrors deserves the thanks of all civilised States. But have you considered, or will you allow us to consider, what a terrible indictment against the conduct of the British Government that defence con- stitutes P For were there not far stronger reasons for the direct and forcible intervention by Great Britain to prevent the Armenian and Constantinople massacres, in consequence of our Treaty obligations, and of our having deprived the Christians in those countries of the protection of Russia, than even those which you truly assert justify the inter- vention of the United States on behalf of the miserable and murdered Cubans P Moreover, the guilt of the Turkish Sultan and his advisers was far greater than that of the Spanish Government and General Weyler, if, as you merci- fully, and possibly rightly, suggest, the latter did not intend " that the • Pacificosi should starve; " for the Turkish rulers distinctly and deliberately ordered the slaughter in cold blood of the unhappy people whose only crime in the eyes of those rulers was their Christian faith. And that was a crime in the Ayes of the Turks which their very religion requires them to punish with death if their victims will not escape martyrdom by embracing Islamism, and which, therefore, we know a genuine servant of the Prophet is always under strong temptation to punish by massacre when a suitable occasion offers. Let us hope and pray the Spectator will never let the memory of these facts die in the hearts of Englishmen,. even though their rulers fail in their duty alike to their countrymen and the oppressed nationalities of the East.— I am, Sir, &c.,
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