CONTROVERSY 
 
 BK'I'WEKN THK 
 
 Missionaries of the American Boarc 
 
 ANT) THE 
 
 EVANGELICAL I^RMENIAN CHURCHES 
 
 N TURKEY, 
 
 New York : 
 
 Issued by i'iie Armenian Young Men's Christian Assdciation 
 
 1882. 
 
TO THE FRIENDS 
 
 — OF THE — 
 
 AMERICAN BOARD 
 
 There are, and for many years have been, serious difficulties 
 in the mission field of the American Board among the Armenians 
 in Turkey. For a long time, it was not considered judicious to 
 make these difficulties a subject of public discussion. But as the 
 years rolled on, the evil became more and more critical and the By- 
 thinia Union of the Armenian Churches at last thought best to give 
 out the matter to the public in a printed pamphlet, extracts from 
 which, have been recently published in this country. Some of the 
 points of controversy between the Missionaries and the Evangelical 
 Armenian Churches, will be found in this pamphlet. 
 
 There are two main causes for these difficulties, as will be seen. 
 
 In 1846, the Armenian Hierarchy called upon the Evangelical 
 party to desist following the missionaries, and those who remained 
 insubordinate were cut off from the communion of the church. This 
 led to a panic and petty persecutions against the excommunicated. 
 
 During this panic, the missionaries hastily organized these ex- 
 communicated men into separate communities, (a grave mistake) 
 with the idea that this would save the men from persecution. 
 
 The separation did not stop the persecution. It created many 
 and great wants, such as Churches, Schools of various grades. Hos- 
 pitals, Cemeteries and Bureaus of quasi-nationality with chiefs over 
 them — as a medium of communication with the Turkish Govern- 
 ment. (In Turkey every Religious Denomination is considered as 
 a distinct nation and must have a sort of civil organization for it- 
 self.) 
 
 These wants had to and could only be supplied by the mission- 
 aries, because in the first place, the Evangelicals were very few in 
 numbers and were, as a general thing, in very moderate pecuniary 
 circumstances, and further, by reason of the persecutions and in the 
 process of transition, nine-tenths of them lost almost all their means 
 of livelihood and became dependent on charity. 
 
 It will be seen by Dr. Hamlin's letter, in the pamphlet, that 
 the missionaries not only did not supply these wants, but when the 
 people in Constantinople, after doing ail they could themselves to 
 
provide a church and school, applied for assistance abroad, they 
 most unaccountably set themselves against the project. The con- 
 sequence was, as Dr. Hamlin shows, the Evangelicals in many parts 
 of Turkey have become hopeless and homeless "vagabonds" 
 
 A second cause, leading to difficulties, is the Caste and Race 
 prejudice in the policy of the American Board. 
 
 The Armenians, as a race, are well known in many parts of 
 Europe as well as America. As Merchants, Professional men, and 
 men of affairs in general, they mingle in ' all circles of social life 
 and have dealings with all classes of people. They are respected 
 and treated as gentlemen, and on eqnal terms, everywhere. No 
 one, mistrusts their honesty, ability and general worth, because they 
 belong to another race. The American Board labored between 40 
 and 50. years and spent millions of money in the prosecution of 
 their work among this people. But how does it look upon them? 
 Does it treat them as equals? No! In their view, those who be- 
 long to the Armenian Evangehcal churches are merely their con- 
 verts. Their Pastors and Teachers are simply hired helpers! 
 
 They have no right to sit with the missionaries, to deliberate 
 upon the work of Christ, in their midst. They are natives, and the 
 American Board must not employ the natives as missionaries to 
 their own people; and in cases where these helpers, who understand 
 best the needs of their own people, differ with the missionaries as 
 to the course to be pursued in the work, they must be turned out, 
 and it-may be, left to starve! In this Race prejudice of the Amer- 
 ican Board, instances like the following occur: — viz. 
 
 An Armenian young man comes to this country for an educa- 
 tion. While in College here he developes a superior talent and 
 graduates with the highest honors. As an earnest christian and 
 an educated gentlemen, he makes many friends. By the advice of 
 these friends, he offers himself to the American Board to be sent 
 out as a missionary to his people, but is rejected on the ground of 
 his being an Armeni-an by race, and is advised to go to Turkey and 
 work under their missionaries there. It so happens, that a class- 
 mate of this Armenian, an American by birth, but unfortunately 
 somewhat defective in mind and of inferior capabilities, also offers 
 himself at the same time, to the American Board, as a missionary 
 to Turkey, and is accepted, and thus, the Armenian is advised and 
 must work under his half-witted class-mate or not at all. 
 
 The above is merely a brief and imperfect summary of some of 
 the points at issue between the American Board and the Evangeli- 
 cal Armenians. 
 
 • It is hoped that the Christian churches interested in the Amer- 
 ican Board and its work will look into the matter and find some 
 remedy for the existing evils. 
 
EXTRACTS 
 
 FROI^ THE l^INUTES OF THE FOURTEENTff ^NNUAL MEETING 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BYTHINIA UNION. 
 
 HELD AT CONSTANTINOPLE, MAY 12-25, 1881. 
 
 A". B.— Tke BVTHINIA UNION embraces the Evangelical Armenian Churc/ies of tlic I'nmince of 
 Bythinia in Western Asia Minor, ajtd of Roomelia in European Turkey : this field is also occupied 
 J'y the A merican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, mhose A merican agents are at Con- 
 ■stantinoplc and Broosa, hnt arc not ecclesiastically connected with the above mentioned native clmrches. 
 
 Session 5 — May 14. 
 
 I. Dr. Kavaljian, Delegate of the Church of Adabazar, read a letter 
 from that church to the meeting. 
 
 This letter contains a clear statement of our material, intellectual and 
 moral condition, which it shows to be retrograde and highly dangerous. 
 Our material state is far from satisfactory ; our educational means being 
 extremely limited, our children grow up in ignorance ; our church-es do 
 not advance in spirituality or grow in grace, and the letter strongly urges 
 this Evangelical Union to use every means to remove this evil. 
 
 Another letter was also read from Adabazar, written by Mr. Krikor 
 Kavaljiaifev This venerable man moved the hearts of all present, as he 
 pictured with feeling words the hopes we entertained in former days, and 
 the zea! that burned in the hearts of the brethren. The gospel people 
 were to have been a mirror of spiritual and holy living ■; their Christian 
 graces were to have opened the eyes of their enemies ; we were to have 
 been the model community of all Turkey. What has become of all this 
 beautiful dream ? he asked. How can we raise again this fallen people ? 
 for they are now the most miserable of all. He therefore earnestly exhorts 
 the meeting to strive by every means to put a stop to such a state of 
 things. 
 
 Mr. John Minassian remarked at length upon the subject brought for- 
 ward in these letters. He confirmed their statements, and asked : " Why 
 are these things so ? Why does not the .state of our community improve ? 
 I will point out the knot of the trouble. Here it is : the society which has 
 undertaken to assist us has for its sole aim the immediate salvation of souls. 
 
2 
 
 whereas this object, though our own, too, is not so exclusively. We wish; 
 the regeneration not only of our hearts but our intellects as well. We 
 pray, ' Thy kingdom come,' and desire to escape out of the thick, deadly 
 night of ignorance. We wish to cultivate our minds, educate our children,, 
 and while they become children of the Most High, to liberate them from 
 the iron yoke of extreme poverty. We desire to be a well-to-do commu- 
 nity, that we may do greater and still greater things for the glory of God. 
 If the reverend missionaries could think like us upon this subject, the dif- 
 ficulty would speedily be overcome, and our community would vastly im- 
 prove." 
 
 Many other?, spoke in the same sense. 
 
 2. It was proposed that a special committee be appointed to prepare a. 
 statement of the present condition of our community, in which shall be in- 
 cluded the material, educational and moral aspects of the subject, and after 
 obtaining the approbation of this Union, a deputation should present it, in- 
 the name of this Union, to the annual meeting of the American Mission,, 
 and fully explain and advocate its positions. 
 
 This was unanimously adopted, and the following committee was chosen 
 by ballot : Rev. Simon Utujian, Rev. Alexander Jejizian, Mr. J. Minassian 
 and Dr. B. Mateosian. 
 
 Mr. John Minassian called the attention of the meeting to several import- 
 ant documents and communications received from America, respecting the 
 rights of the Evangelical Armenian Community of Turkey in the matter of 
 the ordination of Rev. N. Abdalian, and the discussions that arose there- 
 upon. Both in the newspapers and in private correspondence ; also respect- 
 ing the proposal made to Dr. Hamlin to return to Constantinople, and 
 the correspondence thereon between Dr. Clark, Secretary of the American 
 Board, and Mr. S. M. Minasian. He also moved that a special committee' 
 be appointed to carefully examine these documents and letters, and to re- 
 port to this meeting the results of their examination. This proposition was. 
 unanimously -adopted, and the following persons were appointed on this 
 committee : Rev. Simon Utujian, Rev. Alexander Jejizian, Dr. Baronig 
 Matteosian and Dr. S. Kavaljian. 
 
 Session 6 — May 15. 
 
 The committee to whom were referred for examination the documents, 
 and correspondence from America, submitted to the meeting by Mr. John 
 Minassian, presented the following report : . 
 
 Mr. John Minassian has put into our hands a large package, containing 
 letters, newspaper slips and other documents, which we have carefully 
 examined, and now lay before you the substance of their contents. 
 
 I. Our attention was drawn first to a. discussion in connection with the 
 ordination of an Armenian young man, the Rev. Nahabed Abdalian, whom, 
 after his theological and medical education was completed, an Ecclesiasti- 
 
cal Council, sitting in Hartford, Conn., judged proper to ordain as a laborer 
 in the gospel. 
 
 (A). Rev. Mr. Herrick, the Turkish-speaking missionary, who was then in 
 America, set himself against this ordination, and endeavored to prevent it 
 by protesting against it in the name of the native Evangelical Unions of 
 Turkey, and by pronouncing the doings of the Council unlawful. But the 
 Council refused to listen to him, and proceeded with the ordination. 
 
 (B.) This attempt having failed, Rev. Mr. Barrows, one of the missiona- 
 ries, throws himself forward from the East, and charges the Council with 
 having done something very wrong and very hurtful. He vehemently pro- 
 tests against it, and in order to prevent its ' being^ recognized, publicly and 
 in print pronounces all of us Orientals deceitful and false. 
 
 (C.) Mr. John Minassian, indignant at this slanderous attack of Rev. Mr. 
 Barrows, lays before all the brotherhood of the Evangelical Armenians the 
 whole matter in a printed but not published appeal. 
 
 (D.) Dr. Davies, Moderator of the Ordaining Council, in a powerful and 
 logical manner justifies the doings of said Council,' and condemns the 
 course pursued by Rev. Messrs. Herrick and Barrows. He, moreover, 
 says in one of his letters that the American churches are bound to listen to 
 the complaints of the native churches of Turkey, and pass judgment on 
 the same, and that the Board and their missionaries are the mere agents of 
 the American churches. 
 
 (E.) Dr. Hamlin speaks with much severity of Mr. Barrows' letter, and 
 deems him deserving of censure. 
 
 II. A desire has often been expressed by many of our brethren that Rev. 
 Dr. Hamhn might return to Constantinople and labor among and with us. 
 Consultations and correspondence upon this subject have taken place be- 
 tween Dr. Clark, Mr. Minasian and Dr. Hamlin, in which we notice the 
 following important points : 
 
 (A.) Dr. Hamlin writes a long letter to Mr. Bradford, member of the 
 Prudential- Committee of the American Board, in which he gives him a 
 brief but correct picture of the work of the gospel in Turkey, or, to speak 
 more correctly, among the Armenians, which will be found in the appendix. 
 Dr. Clark, speaking of this letter, says : " I had no such idea of the matter ; 
 it is a new view of the facts in the case ;" and he invites Dr. Hamlin to re- 
 turn at once to Constantinople and correct matters in accordance with 
 these views. 
 
 (B.) These three persons reach the point in the matter that Dr. Hamlin 
 consents to make the experiment of calling a council at Constantinople, to 
 be composed of equal numbers of missionaries and natives, to whom shall 
 be committed all matters affecting the Evangelical Armenian churches. 
 
 (C.) The Prudential Committee . of the American Board seem to have 
 substantially consented to Dr. Hamlin's return to Constantiiio]>le. 
 
4 
 
 '(D.) But there is every appearance that very strong opposition to this 
 movement arose at Constantinople, vs^hence one of the missionaries writes 
 that the idea of Dr. Hamlin's return to Constantinople is " the fruit of a 
 cowardly mind." 
 
 (E.) The Constantinople native brethren appoint Mr. S. M. Minasian 
 their representative in America in all matters affecting this subject. 
 
 (F.) A collection is attempted to be made for building a church and 
 school-house in Pera, but wholly fails of success. 
 
 (G.) A letter from Mr. Dwight to Dr. Clark highly praises the Pera 
 church, mentioning several members by name. 
 
 III. There are also a number of letters and documents respecting Mr. 
 Filian, a young man who went to America with the desire of entering a 
 theological institution, and succeeded in doing so, in spite of many obstacles, 
 but the missionaries in Turkey would not let him alone. A letter from one 
 of them was sent after him, slanderously representing him as a bad man 
 and a thief. The directors of the school were in doubt ; the missionary, 
 said they, calls him a bad man and a thief, but we .see no sign of evil in him. 
 He is a well-behaved, sensible and proper young man, animated by right 
 sentiments. Still they were obliged to dismiss him on account of the 
 charges brought against him. Further inquiries were made. A correspond- 
 ence took place, and excellent testimonials came from every quarter. The 
 pastor and missionary at Cesarea declared him to be a good man ; but he 
 was not readmitted into the seminary on account of that false testimony, 
 that " he is a bad man and a thief." 
 
 These are the points which the special committee have discovered in the 
 papers submitted to them for examination, and to which they desire to call 
 the attention of this meeting. 
 
 Session 8 — May 17. 
 The report presented to the meeting at the preceding session by a special 
 committee upon certam papers sent from America was again brought for- 
 ward, and a good deal of consultation took place upon particular points. 
 When the mind of the members became sufficiently evident, it was proposed 
 that the committee who presented the report should receive an addition of 
 two members, and that the committee thus enlarged should be instructed 
 to draw up a set of resolutions expressive of the sentiments of the meeting 
 upon the subject. This proposition was unanimously adopted, and the 
 Rev. Avedis Constantian and Mr. J. Minassian were added to the com- 
 mittee. 
 
 Session 12 — May 19. 
 HI. The committee who were charged with the duty of examining cer- 
 tain papers from America, and of reporting resolutions respecting their 
 contents, having finished their work, begged leave to submit the following 
 expression of our sentiment upon the subject : 
 
5 
 
 t. Mr. Herrick had no right to protest in the name of our union against 
 the ordination of Rev. N. Abdalian. We say our union, for we have given 
 him no such authority, nor have we made him our representative. But 
 with regard to the other unions we know not whether they have authorized 
 him or not, though we do not believe they have ; therefore, as far as it con- 
 cerns this body, we say Mr. Herrick has not done right. • 
 
 2. It is the opinion of your committee that the Hartford council had 
 a right to ordain the Rev. Mr. Abdalian, just as it has a right to 
 ordain an American as an evangelist or- missionary. There are, in 
 Turkey, scores of church officers who were ordained in America. Who 
 has ever protested against their ordination? Is it because Mr. Abdalian 
 has Armenian blood flowing through his veins that this violent attack is 
 made upon him and upon the council that ordained him ? 
 
 3. We learn, from these documents, that eminent men, holding high posi- 
 tions in the churches of America, condemn the course of .such missionaries 
 as do not sympathize with the -churches they have themselves assisted in 
 gathering ; we have long complained of them, but in vain. 
 
 4. Mr. John Minassian did right in protesting against Mr. Barrows' letters 
 on Mr. Abdalian's ordination, which were published in American news- 
 papers. Mr. Barrows, the Constantinople missionary, represents Mr. Ab- 
 dalian as a doubtful and suspicious character, yet specifies nothing against 
 him. Nor is he satisfied even with this. He includes other Armenian 
 youths in the same condemnation, and represents them all as having gone 
 to America for purposes of gain, and as being unprincipled and faithless. 
 Yet we know nearly all of these persons to be good and useful men. He 
 also asserts in this connection that all Orientals are naturally deceitful, 
 which places us all under the same condemnation. It seems to your com- 
 mittee that Rev. Mr. Barrows, by these two published, slanderous lettersi 
 casts great reproach upon our community and churches, and attacks our 
 honor and good name ; and if he does not publicly withdraw or satisfactorily 
 explain this charge, the wound he has inflicted upon our feelings will not 
 be easily healed ; for he who uttered these words is not a man of no 
 account, he is a delegated office-holder, and speaks in the name of a respec- 
 table body of men. 
 
 And besides all this, this offense is aggravated by the fact that it. is not 
 the first time that we are thus slandered before the Christian world in 
 newspaper articles by those who on some occasions are profuse in their 
 praises. 
 
 5. Rev. Mr. Barrows, in his two published letters above mentioned, again 
 transgresses by calling the Armenian nation " Pagans." Your committee 
 calls your attention to this inexcusable mistake, and with pain declares that 
 a nation which has borne the Christian name for centuries deserves not to 
 bear so opprobious an epithet. It is possible that Mr. Barrows used it 
 
6 
 
 thoughtlessly, but he should have been more guarded in the use of lan- 
 guage. 
 
 6. In all these documents a fact stands prominent, and your committee 
 desire you to pay careful attention to it. Here, in this one field, there are 
 two distinct bodies, viz., the foreign mission and the native church, which 
 have the same object in view and labor for the same end ; yet between 
 these two bodies there is no distinct relationship or understanding ; they 
 stand apart and unconnected with each other in every respect. The mission 
 is wholly independent in all its doings ; and though the churches are deeply 
 affected by them, yet they cannot in any way or degree interfere with the 
 labors of the mission, or say this will do or that will do ; meantime they, 
 themselves, are interfered with and prevented from doing what they deem 
 Ihighly important. Your committee believe that this one fact is the cause 
 'Of all the diiEculties which have occurred between the two bodies, and by 
 which the work has been greatly marred ; and we believe that as long as 
 (this matter remains as now, there will be no lack of disagreement and 
 
 . division. The American board, or the prudential committee, should well 
 understand this ; there should be, between these two bodies, a perfect 
 
 ■ equality of influence respecting every item of business, and in all things 
 which refer to the Armenian community our churches ought to make their 
 voice heard and to deposit their votes. 
 
 7. It appears from these papers that the condition and sufferings of our 
 churches are neither known nor understood in America; the churches 
 which help this work by their contributions know not our state ; even the 
 secretary, who has the control of this business, does not know our condition 
 
 -.as he ought ; how much less therefore is it understood by the churches who 
 sustain the work ? Yet it is evident that they desire to be informed of 
 ■our trials and sufferings, and they make known their readiness to obtain 
 information upon the subject. A permanent committee should therefore 
 •be -.appointed to supply this information in the name of the churches. 
 
 3, There is still another point in these documents which has been a sub- 
 ject of inquiry and conversation. It is the attempt to prevent our young 
 men going to America for purposes of study. We are persuaded that it is 
 . the first need and duty of our community to secure the thorough education 
 of our children ; we need men able to contend against ignorance and in- 
 fidelily ; men capable of preparing theological works and able to understand 
 the Scriptures in their original tongues. We need instructors capable of 
 teaching the higher grades of knowledge, and to bring forward our children 
 and make men of them ; we need good writers to prepare books for our 
 people and to train our posterity ; and we need men fitted to occupy every 
 office and position in church and state. How shall these be obtained ? We 
 do not see why an attempt should be made to prevent this movement by 
 preventing our young men from going to America. It is really but a 
 choice of lands, for they will go to England, Scotland or Germany, if they 
 
7 
 
 cannot go to America, as many have already done ; yet many of us still 
 prefer the latter in spite of all that has happened. 
 
 Your committee deem it suitable to offer the following proposition to 
 your honorable body : That an address be prepared in the name of all our 
 Evangelical Unions and be published in Europe and America ; let this ad- 
 dress express first of all the thanks and gratitude of our entire community 
 to the benevolent Christians of those countries who have kindly aided in 
 ■educating and instructing many of our youth in America, England, Scotland 
 ■and Germany, as has been done in Turkey by the honorable missionaries. 
 Almost all these young men now occupy positions of usefulness and 
 honor in our community and church. 
 
 Moreover, let the address request the friends of the Gospel in the whole 
 Christian world, in the name of our entire Armenian Evangelical 
 •community, to continue this brotherly work in behalf of our, as yet, 
 feeble churches ; for the life of our weak community is in it. Let 
 us entreat the benevolent Christians of Europe and America to open 
 the doors of their numerous educational establishments to our youth who 
 are thirsting for knowledge, and to take them under their care whenever 
 they present themselves with proper testimonials, signed and sealed by the 
 regular officers of our Evangelical Unions. (See Appendix.) 
 
 9. It occurred to several of us that Dr. Hamlin, one of our fathers in the 
 faith, might be induced to return to Turkey and resume his labors with and 
 •among us. The suggestion was adopted by many, and it everywhere 
 •created hope. At the very same time. Dr. Clark and Mr. S. M. Minasian were 
 •corresponding in America on the same subject, and were greatly delighted 
 with the prospect it opened. At one time it seemed pretty much decided 
 upon, and they were, engaged upon the details of the plan. But this hopeful 
 plan was destined to come to nought through the opposition of certain 
 parties, and so Dr, Clark's zealous endeavors began to slacken, and finally 
 ■died away altogether. Your committee consider this a great loss. They 
 •do not hesitate to say that the return of this honored father would, with 
 the Divine blessing, have been productive of untold good ; and should it 
 yet be brought about, so that he might labor among us, we and our churches 
 would greatly rejoice. 
 
 10. Finally, your committee set a great value upon these papers and 
 documents. Their contents are very precious ; they believe that hereafter 
 they will constitute an important part of our history. We propose, therefore, 
 that they be translated, and that both an English and an Armenian copy be 
 neatly bound into a volume and be preserved among the archives of this 
 Evangelical Union. 
 
 When the report of the special committee had been read it was laid upon 
 the table, and' each point being taken up, one by one, and fully discussed, 
 the meeting voted unanimously to adopt the entire report. 
 
8 
 
 Session 15 — May 21. 
 The delegation chosen at a former Session to prepare a statement and 
 petition to be presented to the annual meeting of the American Mission, 
 offered the following : 
 
 " The Bythinia Union having carefully considered the internal and ex- 
 . ternal (spiritual and material) condition of the churches and congregations 
 under their care, are fully convinced that it will not do to let things con- 
 tinue in their present state ; there is the most urgent need of applying the 
 most effectual means to improve theix condition. ' The ' Union' has there- 
 fore unanimously decided to call thereunto the attention of the Western 
 branch of the American Board's Mission at its annual meeting, in the form 
 of a petition, and request them to make a thorough examination of their 
 . views ; and whatever conclusion they may reach, to put it down distinctly 
 in writing and communicate it to the delegation appointed for the purpose, 
 which consists of Rev. Simon Utujian, Rev. Alexander Jejizian, Mr. John 
 Minassian, and Dr. B. Matteosian. These brethren are authorized fully to 
 discuss this subject with you, and to give you any information you may 
 desire in order to explain the views of the 'Union;' and should it be 
 necessary, or should you deem it expedient, that an appeal be made to the 
 Prudential Committee in Boston, they may there discuss the matter with 
 your co-operation. 
 
 " We have, honored brethren, carefully compared the former and the 
 present state of things, and see clearly on what road we are traveling. We 
 are convinced that in order to save these feeble churches from utter de- 
 struction and the Lord's work from ruin there is but one effectual means 
 left us — the missionaries and the native churches must work harmoniously 
 together. 
 
 " There must be a distinct practical agreement between the church and the 
 mission, whose details shall be marked by well defined and carefully ex- 
 ecuted rules. 
 
 " A very important relation exists between you and us ; we occupy the 
 same field, and have the same objects in view ; we fight for a common 
 faith, though no ecclesiastical bond unites us, and we both labor to build 
 again the temple of the Lord which is his church. So great an under- 
 taking can be accomplished only by our hearty union and co-operation. 
 We therefore request your assembly that an arrangement, by mutual con- 
 sent, be made, whereby all the departments of the Armenian branch of your 
 mission, both material, educational, literary, and evangelistic, shall be equally \ 
 with yourselves under the control of representatives of the native churches. 
 
 I' There has now long existed between you and us a constantly increasing 
 disagreement respecting the very principle and foundation of successful 
 co-operation ; our union has not been able to discover any other remedy 
 
9 
 
 therefor but the one above named, and there are many signs that even 
 this will soon prove inadequate. We have strong reasons for saying that 
 matters have now reached the last point of endurance. 
 
 f 
 
 " These are the views which the delegation has been directed to express 
 to the assembly of the missionaries of this subject." 
 
 The delegation having laid this paper upon the table, it was made the 
 subject of deliberation for a considerable time, after which it was unani- 
 mously adopted, and a copy was given to the delegation to be presented by 
 them to the assembly of the missionaries. 
 
 Afternoon — Session i6. 
 The delegation returned from the assembly and gave an account to the 
 meeting of their interview and its result. The assembly received the 
 delegation with distinction and honor, and after a brief expression of good 
 wishes, the moderator, in the name of the assembly, informed them that 
 they were ready to hear them. The delegation then presented their written 
 statement and petition to the moderator, who passed it to the Rev. Mr- 
 Green, who read it in Armenian, translating it, as he proceeded, into. 
 English. 
 
 The following is a copy of the petition : 
 
 " The Bythinia Union requests this, assembly that hereafter all busi- 
 ness, whether it refer to material, literary, educational or evangelistic 
 labors, within our borders, which relates to the Armenian department of 
 missionary work, be put exclusively in the hands of a mixed committee, to 
 consist of an, equal number of natives and missionaries, the natives having 
 an equal voice and enjoying the same authority with the missionaries." 
 
 A good many questions were asked by members of the missionary assem- 
 bly, with a view to throw light upon the subject ; and some desired to 
 know in what manner the general principle advanced was intended to be 
 carried out, and what were the rules intended to be established. But the 
 delegation at once declared that they were not prepared to enter upon such 
 an inquiry ; the subject had not )'et reached that point. " We must first," 
 said they, " agree as to the general principle, after which we can go into 
 details." They added that there was no difficulty about the latter. " You 
 have already," said they, "all the rules applicable to business meetings ; it 
 is not the purpose of the natives to alter or destroy any of these rules; they 
 desire to work with you kindly and harmoniously, but with an equal voice 
 with yourselves in everything. When we have agreed upon this point it 
 will be easy, by mutual concessions, to come to an understanding respecting 
 the details, the difficulty lies only in the admission of the principle; There 
 is no difficulty whatever about details, we think." .After some general 
 remarks made on both sides, the missionaries were left to consider the sub- 
 ject by themselves, and afterwards to give us their reply.. 
 
The meeting was satisfied with the narrative of the delegation and voted 
 them thanks, and the time being now exhausted the session was closed with 
 prayer and the singing of a hymn. 
 
 AvEDis G. K. AsADORiAN, Secretary, 
 
 Note by the Translator. — The native evangelical churches of the 
 Armenian race have, during nearly thirty years, presented similar petitions 
 to the missionaries of the A. B. C. F. M. on the same subject, and have 
 uniformly received the same, to them, unsatisfactory replies. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 FROM LANGDON S. WARD, ESQ., TREASURER OF THE 
 AMERICAN BOARD. 
 
 Congregational House, Boston, Nov. 20, 1879. 
 6'. M. Mi?tasian, Esq., Tarrytown, N. Y.: 
 
 My Dear Brother : I have had a good many thoughts about the un- 
 satisfactory state of things at Constantinople, and, especially of late, have 
 been considering what I could propose and secure that would promote the 
 
 peace and prosperity of the Churches there But I have 
 
 another plan connected with it. You and 1 and almost everybody love 
 and honor good Dr. Hamlin. I have long felt that it was a mistake that 
 he was not at work in Constantinople. Now, could not the Pera Church 
 invite him to preach for them, say once each Sabbath, and pay him say 
 f 1,000 a year. If they could and would, I would like to ask the Com- 
 mittee to request him to go back, and, in connection with its aid to the 
 church building, get him to sitperintcnd the erection of the edifice and to 
 devote his time to the promotion of the Gospel work in the city and the 
 whole country — that is, what time he may have aside from his duties to 
 the Pera Church. Might there not be an associate pastor with him, or 
 rsome arrangement of that sort ? The advantages, as they seem to me, are 
 these : Dr. Hamlin could be located in the field and work for which his 
 life hitherto has prepared him. He is an acceptable preacher to and a 
 tried friend of the Armenian Churches. He is loved and honored by the 
 Board and the Churches in this country. He would harmonize and unite 
 and build up every good work in Turkey. The Committee could more 
 readily be led {I think) to give for the Pera building, if he was to see to its 
 ■erection and then to preach in it. 
 
 Now it seems to me desirable that something should at once be done, so 
 as to hasten the erection of the Pera Church and the progress of the king- 
 dom of Christ and of peace in that city. 
 
 How do these suggestions strike you ? 
 
 Kindly consider and advise me soon. 
 
 What do you think of trying to get Dr. Hamlin to hold some such rela- 
 tion to the Church, and to be partially supported by it, perhaps bearing 
 the name of Pastor of it, or simply preaching in connection with the Ar- 
 
12 
 
 menign Pastor ? I think a way of peace and harmony may be found, and 
 I am feeling after it. Kindly help me and oblige, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 Langdon S. Ward. 
 
 FROM MR. S. M. MINASIAN. 
 
 Tarrytown, N. Y., Nov. 21, 1879. 
 My Dear Mr. Ward: Apropos of your kind favor of yesterday's date, 
 I enclose you Dr. Hamlin's two letters, which please return to me after 
 perusal. You will doubtless think that opinions singularly coincide. As 
 to Dr. Hamlin's returning to his work in Turkey, if some good arrange- 
 ment could be made, so his family will be provided for in the future, I 
 think his going back would be an admirable plan. I will write to you 
 again after having time to consider your propositions more fully. 
 
 S. M. MiNASIAN. 
 
 Tarrytown, N. Y., Nov. 28, 1879. 
 My Dear Mr. Ward: I sent you a note on Nov. 21st, as an acknowl- 
 edgement of your kind favor of the 20th inst., and inclosed two letters 
 from Dr. Hamlin to me. Since then I have been thinking a great deal 
 about the matters proposed in your letter, to see if a way could be found 
 to help the establishment of peace and prosperity in Constantinople and 
 its neighborhood, in connection with the Evangelical work there. The 
 Church in Pera certainly should be built, and Dr. Hamlin must return to 
 his work in Turkey, but those things are only parts of a larger effort that 
 should be made, if we design to find an effectual remedy for an evil which ' 
 has had a long standing. We have heard a great deal for the past two or 
 three years in connection with the political affairs in Turkey, of schemes of 
 reform, autonomy and Government by commission, etc. I think some of 
 those schemes might do very well to try in the management of the mission 
 work in Constantinople. I would try the mixed commission scheme. That 
 is, let a committee be formed composed of missionaries and Armenian 
 brethren, and the entire work be committed to them. I intend to come to 
 Boston the first part of next week to have an interview on these matters 
 with you. I wish something could be done to build up the cause which 
 we all have near to heart. Yours sincerely, S. M. Minasi'an. 
 
 Tarrytown, N. Y., Feb. 4, 1880. 
 Dear Mr. Ward; I learn by Dr. Clark's letters that the plan suggested 
 in your letter to me as to the arrangement about building the Church in 
 Pera, is adopted by the Prud. Committee. Dr. Clark did not men- 
 tion anything in regard to the scheme of co-operation. Still I hope that 
 idea is not altogether laid aside. In my view that plan of bringing the 
 missionaries and the pastors and delegates together, and to let them work 
 hand in hand with one voice, one mind and one heart, will be worth more 
 
13 
 
 than many churches. The Turkey of the future will be a very different 
 thing from the Turkey of the past. Now is the time to lay the foundation, 
 and prepare strong, able men to do the mighty work of the coming fifty 
 years. One of the results I expect from the co-operation of the native 
 pastors with the missionaries, on eqiial terms, on equal voice and vote, will 
 be to prepare the Armenian brethren for the practical work. I want the 
 people to do their own work, and let them be prepared for it. 
 
 Yours truly, S. M. Minasian. 
 
 FROM 1)K. HAiMIJN. 
 
 Bangor, January 3, 1880. 
 
 J. K. Bradfoi'd, Esq.,: 
 
 My ])ear Sir: I commence this paper with the apprehension that it 
 will be a very long one, and I pray you do not lay it aside as too long to be 
 read. It treats of a subject of more importance than any other you haye 
 now in hand, including Africa; for I cannot resist the impression that we 
 4ire in danger of losing the works of forty years. The reasons of this im- 
 |)ression will appear as we advance. 
 
 The record of forty years cannot easily be condensed, and if 1 should 
 write it in full, it would be a' book " Among the .Jirmenians," larger than 
 that " Among the Turks," partly of the .same material. But without this 
 history you could not understand the case ; worse than that you must of 
 necessity misunderstand, which is worse than ^'dgiwsticism." I shall only 
 touch upon some of the chief points which may help us to understand the 
 ])resent crisis. 
 
 The Pera Church was formed in the summer of 1846, and consisted of 
 about forty members who had been anathematised and expelled from the 
 old Armenian Church. They cho.se, with great unanimity, one of their 
 , number, Mr. Api-soghom, as their pastor. He had studied with me a few 
 months only, but had been for some time an earnest student of the Bible 
 and had a decided gift of teaching. Dr. Dwight preached the .ordination 
 sermon, and I gave the charge to the pastor. It was an occasion full of 
 hope and joy to us. Dr. Goodell felt " that all the pillars of hell were 
 shaken by it." Where did we then meet for worship? A large hall in Dr. 
 Dwight 's house had been almo.st doubled by taking down a partitiori, ex- 
 cepting supports, seats for .seventy or eighty persons provided. About two 
 hundred were present at the ordination and the deepest solemnity per- 
 vaded the compact mass. We all felt the necessity of a church building. 
 The church itself had more than doubled within the first year of its organ- 
 ization, and we had correspondence with the Board on the necessity of 
 church buildings. A site was purchased, but we never had funds sufficient 
 for building it. Dr. Anderson, whose wisdom no one questioned, did not 
 .sympathize with the missionaries with regard to church buildings. His 
 
14 
 
 idea was that the living church should have its dead brick and mortar when! 
 able to provide for itself. I wrote a letter pointing out the policy and 
 growth of the Papal Mission in Constantinople and vicinity among the 
 Armenians. The Armeno-Catholics already had two noble church edifices- 
 and I think they now have four, in Ortakeney, Pera, Galata, and Constanti- 
 nople. They had more schools then and school buildings than we have 
 now, and they are now at our rate of progress, centimes ahead of us in pro- 
 viding for the people these central homes, the church and the school-house. 
 Dr. Anderson gave a courteous, but cold and cutting reply, intimating that 
 we were forsaking the Gospel to ape the Jesuits. In his Andover Lectures 
 he refers to this correspondence with approbation. See " Foreign Mis- 
 sions," Cong. Pub. Soc, 1874, page 292. I saw it was useless to agitate 
 any longer the subject of buildings for church or school, and for one I 
 wholly abandoned it. The old house chapel had finally to be given up 
 and then we obtained leave to occupy the Dutch chapel for our afternoon 
 service. When at length that was given up, the church found a refuge for 
 an afternoon service in the German chapel, where it now is by sufferance.. 
 For many years disheartened, discouraged, discontented, it has lived like a. 
 New England tramp, hiding its head at night where it can, not like a New 
 England church with its boasted meeting-house and school-house side by- 
 side. Its glorious morning was soon overcast with clouds, its progress, so- 
 hopeful and inspiring, stayed ; and I question whether it has more members 
 now than in 1848. There have been additions and losses. I should be 
 glad to know that the gains and natural increase balance the losses. Two 
 events may be mentioned, among many others, as specimens of those oc- 
 currences which have been continually disturbing harmony and introducing- 
 discouragements and sourness. The first was the American Board's change- 
 of base on the matter of education. The Board abolished Bebek Seminary 
 and the female seminary, which had been most signally blessed in the con- 
 version of its students, and in the presence of half a dozen Catholic colleges 
 and as many female seminaries, reduced all education to a miserable com- 
 mon school basis in the vernacular, such as country towns in New England 
 had sixty and seventy years ago; with this single exception that, there was 
 but a limited supply of such trained and sharp teachers as New England 
 then had. This measure at first astounded the native brethren. It was 
 not believed. When it became demonstratively true, anger was mixed with 
 disappointment. I was personally acquainted with some who in conse- 
 quence went over to the Armeno-Catholics, giving as a reason that the 
 Catholics had never practised any such enormous deception as to pretend 
 to be the friends of education and then become its real enemies. .The 
 choice was a hard one, but among the Catholics their children could be 
 educated in the two or three languages that were more important to them 
 than their vernacular, which was nowhere the language of commerce, trade, 
 industry, the market-place or public meeting. It is true, the firm, consist- 
 
15 
 
 ent, persevering opposition of the native element compelled Marsovan and 
 even Harpoot, after years of useless, and injurious resistance, to abandon, 
 " vernacular education " as the highest to which man may aspire. Mr., 
 Wheeler's conversion is one of the remarkable events of Missionary labor. It 
 seems to be genuine and thorough, but it costs too much. This long contest 
 over education, although the native brethren have won the field in principle 
 has left a root of bitterness, which has not been eradicated to this day. It is stil. 
 believed by many that the mission is hostile to education, and the present 
 change is hypocritical 1 Another most unhappy event which has had sad 
 consequences, was the attempt and failure of the Pera Church to erect its. 
 long desired church edifice. A site had been purchased, the missionary 
 church building fund, result of Crimean War bread, contributing a thous- 
 and dollars and Mr. Minasian a thousand, which was afterwards increased. 
 The pastor was sent to England to solicit funds. The English promised 
 to do as much for him as the Americans would do, and he came over here,, 
 was at the semi-centennial (i860) in Boston, and I translated his address tO' 
 the vast congregation from the platform. He was coldly received by Dr. 
 Anderson, but he had made a good impression and he felt very much en- 
 couraged. Just at this juncture there came a brief letter from one of the 
 Missionaries who had opposed the scheme of the church, saying that the 
 money for the church edifice was more than provided for by a national 
 penny contribution in all the churches of Prussia, as ordered by the king! ! 
 
 This seenied'incredible, the pastor did not credit it, but the letter of the 
 missionary was unimpeachable testimony, and the pastor had to go home, 
 with a little more than his expenses to find it all a mistake, and not one 
 penny from Prussia. I do not remember how the mistake occurred. 
 
 The missionary was honest, but hasty and never stopped to consider 
 how extremely improbable the thing was in itself. He waited for no in- 
 quiries and no confirmation, and what was worse, he did not seem to con- 
 cern himself at all about the results. All this filled the hearts of the whole 
 church with overwhelming sorrow and bitter indignation. It was just one 
 of those things that Satan rejoices in. It was a blight upon all good feel- 
 ing between the church and' the missionaries. I will mention but one 
 topic more as explanatory of the want of harmony and sympathy. That is 
 the sending of young men abroad for their education. The vernacular 
 standard greatly increased the desire of young men to escape from it, and 
 of the churches to have them escape. There was only one thing wanting 
 to intensify this desire, and that was the opposition of the missionaries. 
 This was given in full measure, and the necessary result followed — that is 
 a determination to go. This would be the result everywhere. The Abda- 
 lian case illustrates the whole course of things. He has been pursued and 
 persecuted with a relentless spirit by men who had no more right to inter- 
 fere with his affairs than they have with mine. In the conflict which has 
 ensued, the native brethren complain that some of the missionaries never 
 
i6 
 
 treat them as gentlemen; they know better than we do what belongs to gen- 
 tlemanly intercourse, and they are sensitive when the missionaries disregard 
 toward them the rules not only of Oriental politeness, but of Occidental 
 as well. If Mr. Barrows had condescended to treat Mr. John Min- 
 asian as a gentleman and had answered his note in a kind, frank, Christian 
 way, that letter would never have come to the Herald of Hartford. An 
 Armenian gentleman, a true Christian gentleman, came to me one day and 
 said he had written two notes to one of the missionaries, a reverend man 
 of long service, and that he had answered neither. 1 replied " He prob- 
 ably received neither." But he replied that the carrier was a trusty per- 
 son and had delivered them both. Incredulous, I went to the brother my- 
 self. He acknowledged that he had received them both, but he didn't 
 think it worth while to ansiver them !! That went through all the commu- 
 nity and was commented upon as boorish, uncivilized and al)()ve all unchris- 
 tian. Many similar things have happened, trifles if you please, but it may 
 be doubted whether their resulting influence is altogether trifling. A 
 ^recent event has occurred at Constantinople which places our position as a 
 mission in a painful light. To me it appears so, perhaps it will not to you. 
 Since the doctrine of infallibility was imposed upon the Roman Catholic 
 Church, there has been a serious division among the Armeno-Catholics. 
 An influential and powerful portion of that body, after years of discussion 
 and a greater study of the Scriptures than was ever before known among 
 them, has abandoned Popery and gone back to the old Gregorian Church , 
 Three thousand have been gladly received with public speech-making on ' 
 both sides and clear declarations of freedom of conscience. Many excel- 
 lent evangelical sentiments were uttered on both sides. Now the marvel- 
 ous thing about this wonderful movement is that not one in leaving popery 
 turned to protestantism. Here has been discussion and study of the bible 
 for many years in a body of Armenians from whom formerly came some of 
 our best converts. But now in this great movement, the like of which has 
 not occurred in this century in Constantinople, the Evangelical Protestants 
 have no part but to look on in stupid wonder. So far as appears, the mis- 
 sionaries also have held themselves aloof from it. I think I can best ex- 
 plain the whole thing to you by a supposition. If it will not fit in all par- 
 ticulars, it will be sufficiently exact for my purpose. 1 wish jow to sup- 
 pose that Boston, instead of being as it is, were composed of a population 
 entirely and absolutely without public schools. There are Unitarians, 
 Universalists, Catholics, Tunkers, Hardshell Baptists and Mormons. But 
 each sect has its own churches, school-houses and schools, and is exclusive 
 and bitter toward other sects. Now you yourself belong to a new sect 
 called Orthodox, the smallest and most insignificant of all the sects in Bos- 
 ton. But you know you have the truth and are comforted. You have no 
 church edifice, and, being poor and persecuted, you cannot build one. You 
 hire some place to worship in, or you beg from some of the other sects the 
 
17 
 
 use of a church at such hours as will not incommode them. If people ask you 
 about it, you reply: " Oh, we are going to build sometime," and you con- 
 tinue to make that same answer for forty years. With your schools you 
 do the same, or even worse. Often you can hire no house for a school, 
 and your children are in the streets among the Mormons, or get into 
 Universalist or Tunker schools, and are abused and cursed. Now there is 
 all the time another sect called the Uniates, because united to the true 
 Church of Rome. They are numerous, rich, powerful, have noble churches 
 and school buildings; but they speak your language, read your books, have 
 many points of sympathy with you. They have become dissatisfied with 
 Rome because the Pope claims infallibility, which belongs only to God. 
 They hold to the supremacy of the Bible, and are going to renounce 
 Rome. You now invite them to join you. But they at once reply: " We 
 like many things about you, very much, but you are vagabonds! You 
 have neither church nor school after forty years. ■ You have no central 
 home. You live by begging. Whether it is your fault or your leader's, is 
 nothing to us. In religion you are Gipsies, only you do not own even a 
 black tent." I think after receiving such a reply you would have little 
 courage to invite the Uniates to join you. And when you should hear that 
 they are carrying off with them some of your own staunch friends, and are 
 inviting you all to come with them, assuring you that you shall have 
 freedom of conscience and be incorporated into a powerful body with 
 churches, schools, colleges, high-schools and female seminaries, would you 
 not feel that your little discouraged community is in danger? And most 
 assuredly you would no longer wonder that not one of the Uniates should 
 join you. Now, my dear Mr. Bradford, if you have been able at all to 
 enter into this supposition in imagination, you have, after all, but a feeble 
 idea of the disadvantages under which the Protestant Armenians labor. 
 
 They have made many and vain efforts to get out of this unhappy con- 
 dition, and have made many mistakes. " Vernacular Education " undoubt- 
 edly set them to sending young men abroad. As Missionaries we always 
 opposed this; but, perhaps, our modes were not always wise. We should 
 have limited our opposition to simple advice and refusal to give aid in money, 
 and then let them take their own course. Then experiments in all cases 
 have not been successful, and the reason is plain enough. They have sent 
 immature, uneducated men. About half-a-dozen, perhaps more, have suc- 
 ceeded as physicians. I fear they are not all friendly to the Missionaries. 
 
 The Pastor became an infidel, like Savage, before he came to this 
 
 country, and should be counted out. Those who have come without any 
 previous knowledge of English have rushed into studies they could not 
 understand, and have become confused and addle-brained. But every one 
 who has started with a good foundation of English and of character, has 
 done well. I recall at this moment five such cases: i. Alexan Bezjian, 
 now professor in Aintab College. 2. Alexander Djijizian, pastor at 
 
i8 
 
 Adabazar, who spent one or two years in Edinburgh. He is a noble and 
 strong man, in judgment, power of argument, in true insight, in theological 
 training, and as a preacher— the superior of many a Missionary. 3. The 
 late Broosa pastor, now head of the High School, who studied at Basle. 
 No one will dare to impugn his character and ability. 4. Pastor Kerope, 
 like the others, a Bebek Seminary student. He went to England, and Mr. 
 Farnsworth, instead of opposing him, had the grace to aid him. He made 
 a good impression in England and obtained aid to build a church, and Mr, 
 Farnsworth pronounced it the best church that has been erected in Turkey 
 among the Protestants. 5. Pastor Thomas, of Diabekir. I do not know 
 of a man who speaks the Armenian language who is his equal for a plat- 
 form speech. He carries his audience with him. He is clear and logical. 
 He lifts up his audience to higher planes of principle, thought and feeling. 
 I never had a student more easy to be led, more difficult to be driven. 
 Mr. Wheeler undertook to drive him. All his campaigns against him 
 failed, inflicting, however, deep and rankling wounds in the evangelistic 
 work. He is still an excellent and powerful preacher of the Gospel, and 
 should have beeri a most efficient coadjutor. Now all experience proves 
 that a well educated man of well balanced mind and character may derive 
 advantage that will be permanent and valuable by one or two years' study 
 in England or America. Instead of uniform opposition let there be intel- 
 ligent advice, and all these evils will disappear. So long as there is 
 nothing but opposition the evil will increase. Two will come instead of 
 one. Mr. Barrows, or some other one, will vilify them through the press, 
 the whole community will be on fire, and so the pit will be digged. It 
 cannot go very much farther. Already the idea is afloat of going back to 
 the old church, with liberty of worship. I am not sure the Church would 
 not grant this, and then both church building and school building would 
 be provided. There would be a remnant that would not go, but it would 
 be a disastrous thing. It might lead the Turkish Government to' revoke 
 the charter, which would gratify Russia immensely, and for a time our mis- 
 sions would be seriously embarrassed, until one of those "overturnings " 
 should come that shall sweep away the old despotisms. Whether that 
 should be first in Russia or Turkey, who can predict ? 
 
 Now, if I have made it plain why and how it is that there has intervened 
 a great separation between the native body and the missionary body, I 
 have at least taken the first step towards the solution of the question. Dis- 
 trust and dislike, to use the softest terms, now reign. There must be 
 union, sympathy, harmony, or the work of the Lord will not prosper. I 
 have nothing to propose. The movement must come, in part at least, from 
 the missionaries. A few more onslaughts, like that of Mr. Barrows, claim- 
 ing to be on the part of the missionaries, and approved by their silence, 
 and the chasm will become a " great gulf fixed." I should require Mr! 
 Barrows to apologize for his ungentlemanly and unchristian course. I 
 
should build a chuTch and school-house, not one without the other, and, 
 after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, let the people feel that they 
 have reached the promised land. 
 
 When I think over the long list memory holds, of those who have died 
 without the sight, I am comforted by the cheerful faith and trust in God 
 which enabled them to see from afar the struggle ended, and the people 
 joyful in their homes. How much will it cost ? This is a question of 
 slight importance, and I only speak of it to maintain that it is compara- 
 tively of slight importance. Money is of no value except to accomplish 
 some valuable end. The value is in the end accomplished. If you think 
 the end is a good one, and better than any other now claiming aid, then 
 use for it what is necessary, whether it be twenty or thirty thousand dol- 
 lars. I have written this long letter as one sympathizing with the native 
 body, and with a part of the missionary body. I say frankly, I have no 
 sympathy with the other part. 
 
 Their course must end in disaster and ruin, and it is not far from it 
 now. 
 
 May wisdom from above be given you to do that which the case de- 
 mands. Very sincerely yours, Cyrus Hamlin. 
 
 MR. BRADFORD TO DR. HAMLIN. 
 
 Boston, Jan. 28, 1880. 
 My Dear Sir : The letter yon were kind enough to write me, has been 
 read, I presume, by every member of the Committee ; I know most of 
 them have seen it, although it was not read to the Committee as I intend- 
 ed. It is our earnest hope that the action of the Committee will meet the 
 approval of the Church at Pera and will be one means of producing that 
 harmony that should exist in Western Turkey. Your letter deepens the 
 impression in my own mind, that some special action should be taken in 
 regard to that mission. How far changes should be made, as to the former 
 or present poHcy of the Prudential Committee. How far as to Church 
 building ; how far as to building for schools ; what change, when and 
 where, as to vernacular education ; and as to other matters pertaining to 
 our work in Turkey, I am not wise enough to determine. One thing, how- 
 ever, is clear to my mind, namely : is time for earnest consideration as to 
 all these questions. We have expended a large amount of money in West- 
 ern Turkey and are still appropriating largely. The results do not appear 
 to have been all that could reasonably have been expected in that mission, 
 and the prospect, as we look forward, is not as clearly promising large spir- 
 itual results ; therefore, it appears wise to me that a deputation from the 
 Prudential Committee should visit the mission, and that as soon as it can 
 be done, we should obtain all the information by correspondence, and by a 
 personal observation and inquiries in Turkey ; and then decide upon a plan 
 
20 
 
 of action for the future. I thank you again most heartily for your letter 
 which has given me and others such food for thought. 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 J. RuPELL Bradford, 
 
 Member of Prudential Committee, 
 
 tROM REV. N. G. CLARK, D.D., SECRETARY OF AMERICAN BOARD. 
 
 Boston, Jan. 6, 1880. 
 
 Dear Dr. Hamlin : Your favor with enclosure to Mr. Bradford was 
 received this morning. The argument is an overwhelming one to my 
 mind, and I hope will be conclusive. It would seem that prompt action 
 last spring might possibly have turned the thoughts of many who have gone 
 back from Rome to the old Church, rather than to our Protestant fold. That 
 time has gone by. I have felt grieved over the action last summer, and 
 not at all clear what the results may be now. Your letter explains what I 
 never could understand as to the progress of the work in Constantinople. 
 
 Dr. Goodell's "Forty years in Turkey " awakened in me, as I once re- 
 marked to you, a great desire to know what gave the set-back to the work 
 that seemed, at one time, so promising. This paper of yours is of histor- 
 ical value as throwing light on that problem. I ought, perhaps, to say that, 
 from two or three sources, I have heard doubt expressed, and by those 
 who have some opportunities of knowing, as to the desirableness of your 
 return, lest you should fail of that hearty welcome and cordial support from 
 the missionaries, which are needful to your success. Some of the mission- 
 aries with whom you now sympathize would doubtless welcome you. 
 Whether that sentiment would be the prevailing one is a matter of some 
 doubt. If by your help we can accomplish the great object of securing the 
 Church and the school buildings needed, you will have done enough for 
 one generation at least. Yet I could wish you to have part in gathering 
 the harvest which, I feel, would be sure to come ; but of that farther on 
 by and by. Sincerely yours, N. G. Clark. 
 
 from MR. S. M. MINASIAN TO DR. HAMLIN. 
 
 Your points are strong and made admirably. No wonder that Dr. Clark 
 calls " the argument an overwhelming one." So will doubtless say every 
 impartial reader of the paper. I see you left one point out — that is, the course 
 pursued toward the Armenian pastors and preachers. We certainly ought 
 to have had in these forty years at least forty strong leaders of the people. 
 No one could say that we had not materials enough to make leaders of, 
 if the right course were pursued in this matter. Mr. Wheeler thought he 
 had made a discovery of a latent principle in mission work — that is, self- 
 support ; and all the others blindly followed him. They made a hobby of 
 
21 
 
 the idea of self-support, crushing to death our pastors with it ; and the 
 effect of their harsh treatment kept all men of good heart and talent from 
 ever entering the ministry. 
 
 Not a single young man from Constantinople.entered the ministry since 
 the Bebek Seminary was shut up. Is not that a significant fact ? Think of 
 it! As to some of the missionaries not welcoming your return to Constan- 
 tinople, I should not trouble myself at all on that score. Your influence 
 in Constantinople is far greater than the combined influence of those who 
 may dislike your return ; besides, your return, under the proposed arrange- 
 ment, will be as a demonstration on the part of the American Board and 
 its supporters here, that the former policy of the mission is changed and 
 the missionaries who supp'ort it must change also with it. 
 
 S. M. MiNASIAN.. 
 
 NOTES ON THE PERA CHURCH EDIFICE QUESTION BY 
 REV. H. O. DWIGHT, MISSIONARY IN 
 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 As to the General Question of Churches in Constantinople. — There is 
 no sufficient church accommodation in the city. There is nothing 
 in the way of a church to attract the attention and to arouse curi- 
 osity as to the Evangelical teaching. Even constituents of the board, see- 
 ing no churches, are sometimes led to go away in sorrow because there is 
 no work in Constantinople. There is a great floating population in Con- 
 stantinople composed of men temporarily in the city on business. This 
 part of the population will be won by what will strike the eye long before 
 they can be reached by the random shots of the colporters or city mission- 
 aries. It has often happened that among this class of the population are 
 men who were interested in the Bible in their homes in the interior, 
 but who fall out of the way of instruction because they find no church 
 building in Constantinople, and are too bashful to enter uninvited a 
 chapel in a private house. Two or three good church edifices would 
 do much to relieve the mission work in Constantinople from this disad- 
 vantage, besides giving the congregation room to grow. This space for 
 growth none of the congregations now possess. The knowledge of the 
 Bible has been extensively published in Constantinople, and the mission- 
 aries constantly pray for the outpouring of the Spirit which shall give life 
 to all the sown seed. But if there was to be a revival, there is no place 
 where revival meetings could be held. There is no place of worship in 
 Constantinople which can accommodate the half of the Protestants residing 
 in the city. The fact that the Mission has been slow to build churches in 
 the city has been ascribed by many of the common people to a sort of sel- 
 
22 
 
 fishness which furnishes means for Bible Houses and homes in which the 
 missionaries themselves are to be made comfortable for work, but >vhich 
 does not furnish means for the church buildings which concern only the 
 people. 
 
 The Pera Church has been occupied for twenty years with various 
 plans for securing a church building. They have attributed their 
 failures to missionary opposition, and this fact has had not a little part in 
 the soreness towards missionaries, observed among the members of this 
 church in times past. The church without knowing that we were consider- 
 ing the question of a church building for Pera, has made what is to them a 
 very great effort. That part of the sum of ^1,500, proposed as contribu- 
 tion of the church, which represents cash subscriptions is not so very small 
 a sum when compared with the financial ability of the donors. The church 
 has made this great effort under the influence of a sort of revival of interest 
 which has set in this year. Under the same influence the ordinary contri- 
 butions for expenses have doubled in this church this year. The church 
 makes this effort as a supreme effort. It is in a crisis of its history. If the 
 Board can see its way clear to build the Pera Church edifice in such a way 
 as to give these people the right to feel that it is their church, they will be 
 encouraged and strengthened. Byt if the church is refused them, there is 
 reason to fear that the church members will scatter off to other parts of the 
 city. The time is a critical one in regard to the relations of the church to 
 the . mission. If the mission can help the church to an edifice the bonds 
 will be cemented by the kindness shown in such an act. But if the mission 
 rejects the request of the church, it repels the confidence of the members. 
 The great objection made to the grant has been want of confidence in the 
 church. This fact is doubtless known to the church, and its effect must be 
 extremely unhappy, if refusal to build the Pera church, on the basis sug- 
 gested, confirms in their minds what is only a rumor so far. The leading 
 men of the Protestant community are members of the Pera , Church. It is 
 therefore of the greatest importance that the Mission avoid needlessly re- 
 pelling them. But so much has this desire of possessing a church-home 
 laid hold upon them, that they will be repelled, and all the Protestants of 
 Constantinople will be aggrieved if the Mission does not accept the offered 
 aid towards the work, and build the church edifice as for the Pera Church, 
 to be its home. The Pera Church is not heretical. It is not careless of 
 Christian life and observance, according to the testimony of Dr. Wood and 
 Mr. Hitchcock, who have been more than any others intimate with the 
 church members. There are less than forty, possibly less than thirty mem- 
 bers in the church, but among them are an unusually large proportion of in- 
 telligent men, leaders in any community. 
 
 The two Minasians, representatives of S. M. Minasian, are known and 
 respected among natives and foreigners for integrity and morals without a 
 spot. 
 
23 
 
 Dr. Matteosian served with honor in our army in 1863-4, and he, with 
 Dr. Giragosian, are growing men whose already large influence is constant- 
 ly increasing. Boyajian is respected within and without the Protestant 
 community. He is a man whom Pashas trust, because he is pure and 
 honest ; and a man to whom our treasurer would entrust the care of money, 
 if need be, quite as readily as he would to any missionary. 
 
 Mirikelam is a man of good standing, and has won himself a fair position 
 as a dry goods merchant. 
 
 Tomarian is a miller employed by the Turks because he is honest. He 
 is known and respected for iiis high character among both natives and for- 
 eigners. 
 
 John Artin is another miller who is respected by all who know him. 
 Apraham, the electrotypist at the Bible House, is a solid man, growing 
 every year, and full of promise for the future. 
 
 Zacharia is a man of intelligence and sterling piety. 
 
 Garabedian is a graduate of Robert College, and has tried to be a leader 
 among them. 
 
 These men are all men whom one would trust individually. Why not 
 trust them collectively ? It has been urged against the proposition of the 
 Pera Church that, they are not worthy of confidence as Christians.' This 
 charge was made by a brother who, on his own confession, has not been in 
 one of their houses or held any relation, except accidental business rela- 
 tions, with any members of Pera Church for ten years past. The charge is 
 brought against the men whom I have named, men who have won their 
 present influence chiefly through the exemplification of Christ's teachings 
 in life. No one can breathe a suspicion of unchristian conduct against any 
 of them. They are staunch defenders of Evangelical doctrine. The charge 
 against them is that they sometimes disagree with the missionaries in opin- 
 ion, and that, when they are berated for being out of harmony with the 
 missionaries, they resent it and charge the missionaries with being out of 
 harmony with them. The Pera Church is not hostile to us or our work^ 
 and those who are more intimate with the members of the church are most 
 thoroughly assured that, it is wisei^t as a Mission policy to join the Pera 
 Church on the ground of their selection, and to construct for them a church 
 building, and to work with them in it when completed. 
 
 I hope that the matter of building a church in Pera will be carried 
 through at once. 
 
 FROM REV. DR. ALDEN TO REV. H. C. HAYDN, D. D. 
 
 Missionary Rooms, Boston, Oct. 23, 1880. 
 The Armenians alluded to have not come to this country at the wish of 
 the Missionaries or of the American Board, but quite otherwise, through 
 solicitations of Mr. Minasian and others. (iV(?/^.— They come in their own 
 
24 
 
 native desire to improve their condition and to escape a domineering Pro- 
 slavery mission — policy which tries to keep them in their semi-civilized 
 condition.) It is a sore injury to our work abroad that they come.. One 
 of the most serious of our difficulties threatens now from this source. I do. 
 not think any aid can be expected or ought to be given through the Amer- 
 ican Education Society. Theological Seminaries must judge for them- 
 selves on such a question. But the wise way in the end will be to have it 
 clearly understood that persons coming to this country must provide for 
 themselves, or their personal friends must provide for them. They have 
 no claim on general benevolence, certainly not upon our Missionaries or 
 their friends, or upon our Board. There is a crowd waiting to hear how 
 these first adventurers fare, ready to come over^« masse, if Christian people 
 are foolish enough to encourage them. Our Missionaries are often obliged 
 to give them testimonials, they feel, in order not to break with them 
 entirely; but they do not approve of their course. {Note. — Smile at these 
 men's faces, but strike them from their back. Does Dr. Alden allow this 
 kind of diplomacy in mission work?) There are wealthy Armenians in this 
 country and abroad who can help them if they choose, who are, some of 
 them, accountable for getting them over here. E. K. Alden. 
 
 Dr. Alden must have had the Chinese or Jewish refugees in mind in 
 writing that "a crowd was ready to come over en masse" as it would 
 seem to those who know and understand the case, a ridiculous misrepre- 
 sentation to state that " a crowd " of the Evangelical Armenians would 
 " come over en masse " to study theology in this country. The whole 
 number of the Armenians who came over for that purpose — within the past 
 forty years — does not exceed twelve. The whole design of this letter 
 seems to be to awaken prejudice against the young men and deprive them 
 of all Christian sympathy and aid in obtaining an education, and this, too, 
 without the least regard whether what it states is true or the reverse of it. 
 The Evangelical Churches in Turkey do not recommend that all their 
 young men should go to the United States for study. What they desire is 
 that some of their mature, select men, who show special talent and adapta- 
 tion for study, should go to the United States to obtain a more thorough 
 education and prepare themselves for advanced positions in connection 
 with their work. These young churches feel that the work of evangeliz- 
 ing their people belongs to themselves, and they can do it better than 
 foreign missionaries, and they wish to be prepared for it. Who dares to 
 say that this is not a laudable aim? And if, with this view, these churches 
 prefer for some of their young men an education obtained in the United 
 States, with its surrounding free air and the exhilarating Christian 
 influences, to that obtained in the dark regions of Turkey, why should a 
 Missionary or a Missionary Society oppose them on the plea that they have 
 their own schools in Turkey, and that young men should be contented with 
 the education to be obtained at home ? The course pursued in this matter 
 
25 
 
 by the American Board is both narrow and unwise. It is in antagonism 
 with the advanced Christian sentiment of the age and of the churches of 
 America which support the Board, and its effect is shown in repelling the 
 native Evangelical Churches of Turkey and causing them to loose their 
 confidence in the American Board and seek friends elsewhere, notwith- 
 standing the Board's desire to have exclusive control of the entire Armen- 
 ian field. 
 
 FROM MR. S. M. MINASIAN TO DR. CLARK, SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN 
 
 BOARD. 
 
 My reference to the harsh course pursued by the Missionaries toward 
 the native pastors, I think, deserves serious consideration. Missionaries, 
 of course, have had the best intentions, but some of them, at least, have 
 had a mistaken idea in this matter. More than forty years ago, when I was 
 a mere boy, the Committee of Public Instruction of the Turkish Govern- 
 ment visited all the schools of Constantinople and selected from the 
 advanced classes promising young men, and sent them to Europe to be 
 educated. All these young men in time became prominent leaders in 
 Turkey. Truly the children of this world have been wiser in their genera- 
 tion than the children of light. Sincerely yours, ' S. M. Minasian. 
 
 ANOTHER VOICE FROM TURKEY ON MR. ABDALIAN'S OR- 
 DINATION. 
 
 [From The Religious Herald, Hartford, Conn.] 
 
 A PAINFUL FACT. 
 
 Evangelical Armenian Brethren : The Boston Congregationalist of 
 July 15, publishes a letter from Rev. Mr. Barrows, one of the Constanti- 
 nople missionaries, addressed to the Hartford Religious Herald. 
 
 The writer strongly protests against the ordination of the Rev. Nahabed 
 Abdalian, which, as many of you know, took place in Hartford, and was 
 announced in the Avedaper of May 27. He then throws out dark insinua- 
 tions against him and endeavors to prevent the ordination of another 
 young preacher, whom he does not name, by suggesting suspicions as to 
 his character. The style of this communication, its high and peremptory 
 tone, its wanton attack upon two harmless, young Evangelical Arm^enians, 
 and the effect likely to be produced by all this, remind me that there is no 
 tribunal before which we may arraign this offender. I therefore feel it my 
 duty to lay the case before you, and to appeal to the public opinion of our 
 own little community and of its friends. 
 
26 
 
 It would seem from Mr. Barrows' language that he speaks in the name 
 of all the missionaries of the Board in Turkey. If this be the case, it is no 
 wonder that the Lord's work is languishing throughout Turkey, a fact of 
 which they themselves often complain. I could write much upon this sub- 
 ject, but have neither the talent nor the time. I will therefore confine my- 
 self to one or two points. 
 
 The writer of the letter asserts, that when American Christians aid Evan- 
 gelical Armenian youth who go to their country, they merely waste their 
 money, and that whatever is done, should be done through the missionaries 
 alone. To this I answer: What are the fruits of the millions of dollars 
 spent here by the hand of the missionaries since their first arrival ? They 
 will reply that a Protestant community has come into existence, churches 
 have been gathered, and schools organized. Such a reply may satisfy 
 those who are far away, and have no positive information respecting the 
 real condition of things. But who is there among us who does not believe 
 that those wasted treasures might have accomplished far more ? But when- 
 ever inquiry is made upon these points, in Europe or in America, the mis- 
 sionaries throw all the blame upon the native Protestants, saying that their 
 worldly-mindedness has prevented them from deriving profit from the 
 great and valuable aid so generously conferred upon them. 
 
 Poor Evangelical community ! You have never had a chance to defend 
 your own good name against their charges ; and you never will have it, if 
 the missionaries, animated by Mr. Barrows' spirit, succeed in keeping every 
 door closed against your young men, so that, giving them only a meagre 
 education, they can never become the leaders of their people, and free 
 them from foreign control ! The few well educated men our community 
 now possesses, were chiefly trained by the benevolent and well-deserving 
 Dr. Hamlin, in spite of the opposition of several of the missionaries. When 
 these shall gradually fall, our Protestant community will be weaker than 
 any other in Turkey. It is sad to think that all these excellent men, owing 
 to the hard times, the misfortunes of our country and the course pursued 
 toward them by the missionaries, are in so precarious a position, that they 
 cannot stretch a hand to protect and defend the just rights of their people. 
 And so this task now devolves upon me. I should shrink from it, were I 
 not encouraged to know that my words will find a full response among my 
 brethren, who all deplore our sad condition. I now lay before you the 
 letter above described : 
 
 " The missionaries of the American Board in Turkey have read with 
 painful interest the accounts of the ordination, by an ecclesiastical council 
 convened at Hartford, of a young man of the name of Nahabed Abdalian. 
 They wish — as in fidelity to the cause of the Master whom they serve, they 
 believe it to be their duty — to protest agamst such action. It is claimed far 
 this young man that he is about to support himself in Turkey by the prac- 
 tice of medicine, while he preaches the gospel to his countrymen. Now, if 
 
27 
 
 it is not impossible for one to do this, it is, to say tlie least, impracticable. 
 Some missionaries have come here and attempted to do both of these 
 things, but they have soon- given up the one or the other. And no one 
 knows that this is impracticable better than the large number of young men 
 who have gone from this land to America to study theology and medicine. 
 Not one of them has returned to Turkey to preach the gospel. 
 
 " The missionaries here feel that the ordaining of Mr. Abdalian was a very 
 grave mistake. They feel that this work, if done, at all, should have been 
 done here. They would have this young man come back and show to those 
 who have known him best, that, because of a change of heart and life, the 
 ordaining of him to the Christian ministry had become a consistent thing 
 to do. 
 
 " But what is to be the end of this sort of thing ? There is to-day in this 
 city one more young preacher, who is trying to find means for getting off 
 to America, that he may study medicine. He is a young man of good 
 abilities and pleasing address ; he can tell as good a story as any of his 
 predecessors. But would it not at least be a matter of Christian courtesy, 
 if the kind friends in America, who will listen to the story of his devotion and 
 will see his flowing tears, should, before giving him their money and their 
 sympathies, first ask those who have known him respecting his record ?" 
 
 " The inbred deceptiveness of the Oriental character is something most 
 extraordinary. Every body piractices it, and it becomes an important part 
 of their stock in trade. He who is the sharpest at deception and can make 
 the most by it, is the best fellow. And the only stock in trade which some 
 who have gone to America have had left, seems to have been of this de 
 scription; and unhappily they have found no trouble in investing their 
 capital. J. O. Barrows." 
 
 Constantinople. 
 
 The readers of the foregoing communication will not fail to feel surprise 
 that the strong should thus attack the weak, and a minister of the gospel 
 of love and peace should cast reproaches upon two harmless youths of good 
 repute, digging a pit for the one, building up a wall in the way of the other, 
 and speaking of both in such terms that his readers must naturally suspect 
 them guilty of immorality or even of crime. Would that Mr. Barrows 
 could' be persuaded to speak out and tell us all he knows; the reader 
 would then have some distinct information instead of a vague suspicion ; 
 but then it would not accomplish the purpose intended ! 
 
 Is there among the religious people of the United States any one simple 
 enough to be affected by this letter ? Should there be such, it would sur- 
 prise and pain me; I do not believe it. Those who know Mr. Abdalian 
 will exclaim " What audacity ! Mr. Abdalian lived so many years among 
 us, we have known him well, have examined him, and found him worthy of 
 ordination; how then does Mr. Barrows venture to say, that "he needs a 
 change of heart and of life," and that' " his ordination was a very grave 
 
28 
 
 mistake ? " And those who are not acquainted with him will ask, " Does 
 our law condemn a men, except it first hear him ? " 
 
 Mr. Barrows gives us to understand that if ■ Mr. Abdalian must be or- 
 dained it belongs to them to do it. We humbly ask: Why? by whom, 
 when and where was this right given them ? How long will they meddle 
 with our affairs ? How long will they, by indirect means prevent our en- 
 joying the sympathy of other Christians, or hinder benevolent Christians 
 from stretching to us a helping hand, by slanderously warning them not to 
 do it ? 
 
 Mr. Barrows states that "a large number of young men have gone to 
 America to study theology and medicine, of whom not one has returned 
 home to preach the gospel." We should like to know who they are and 
 when they went; what are the names of these youths who have gone to 
 America and have there studied theology and medicine, and when they 
 returned home did not preach the gospel ? A few indeed have done so; 
 but should these exceptional cases make us condemn the whole ? Have 
 there not been missionaries too who have failed to fulfil their vows and 
 have even been convicted of wrong doing ? 
 
 Moreover, if the matter should be investigated, it would be found that 
 the course pursued by the missionaries has been the direct or indirect 
 cause of the withdrawal of these few youths; just as Mr. Barrows' recent 
 attack may become the cause of discouragement to these two, which, may 
 God forbid. It is a fact that the ministers of the Evangelical Armenians 
 have met but little or no encouragement at the hands of the missionaries, 
 in the fulfilment of their duties; the latter have rather taken pains to hu- 
 miliate them, as though that were best for the cause. And after all the 
 pains they take to acquire an education, that will make them useful to their 
 people, they find that even this is a reproach in the eyes of the foreign 
 teachers. 
 
 Mr. Barrows further says that Mr. Abdalian " should have shown a 
 change of heart and life to those who have known him best." Strange de- 
 mand ! Should one go to America and there be converted, can he not be 
 received into the church, unless he first return to Turkey and prove his con- 
 version to his old acquaintances ? or is this a rule made for Armenians alone? 
 or does it apply only to candidates for the ministry ? Did those who or- 
 dained Mr. Abdalian do so without knowing him ? Mr. Barrows attacks 
 not Mr. Abdalian alone, but those also who ordained him, by claiming that 
 they are less trustworthy in their examination than himself; but his evident 
 purpose is to shake public confidence in Mr. Abdalian's character, and thus 
 to prevent any future manifestation of friendliness to Armenian youth. Ah! 
 if the Lord, whom Mr. Barrows says he serves by writing such a letter, if 
 the Lord were present in the flesh when he penned it, would he not have 
 said to him, " You know not what spirit you are of ? " For he casts insinu- 
 ations upon the good name of a man of whom a former teacher said that 
 
29 
 
 " he had studied several years with him and had never discovered a fault 
 in him." A faithful minister of the gospel, an intimate acquaintance, calls 
 him "a choice and zealous minister." American Christians, too, having 
 found him worthy, have ordained him; and friends whom he visited in 
 Scotland, write to us that he is "a superior young man." But Mr. Barrows 
 knows better than they all; he declares that on account of his character, 
 his ordination was a "very great mistake." 
 
 We now come to the last part of the letter, to the nameless but slandered 
 young man, whom Mr. Barrows hopes that kinds friends in America will 
 not help. After first asking himself, does it accord with Christian polite- 
 ness, that he should thus speak, and yet represent him as a suspicious and 
 deceitful character, without naming him too, and that he should advise 
 men not to aid him, we inquire. Who is this young preacher? [Note. — We 
 suppose him to be Mr. Haretune Filian, already in the United States, 
 enjoying the sympathy of Christian friends, and their aid. He proposes 
 to study theology alone. What can be Mr. Barrows' objection to that, un- 
 less it be what has been said elsewhere, the fear that our "native pastors 
 will know too much ? "] What is his name, and what know you about him? 
 How will the readers of your letter be able to recognize him ? Some 
 other good youth may be in America at the same time and be taken for 
 him, and suffer unjustly in consequence. Why does not Mr. Barrows 
 name him and his fault, or is his crime that of many who have only been 
 guilty of an honest disapproval of the missionary policy ? If this be so, it is 
 no wonder that he is proscribed, seeing the same has happened to many 
 who have dared to express their opinion on the subject, some of whom 
 have been dismissed; others have been hunted down and persecuted, like 
 this young man; others again are struggling against an overwhelming 
 money influence, while a few have been forced by circumstances to submit 
 and hand in a written confession of wrong 1 
 
 Finally, Mr. Barrows asks what will be the end of all this business ? I 
 also ask : Whereunto do they mean to push their mistaken policy ? How 
 long will they prevent our having any fraternal relations with the rest of 
 the Christian world ? How long will they misrepresent us and cast suspi- 
 cions upon our Christian character in the sight of all men ? 
 
 Did not our people welcome the missionaries as soon as they came to 
 Constantinople ? Did they not receive them as angels of peace ? Did we 
 not suffer persecutions and trials and the loss of all things that we might 
 follow them ? Was it not fit then that they should be true to us, forget 
 our imperfections, forgive our occasional faults, and cease not to seek our 
 improvement ? We were the means of their acquiring renown in Europe 
 and America, for had the Armenians rejected them and their preaching, as 
 was done by the other communities in Turkey, they themselves would 
 never have been heard of ; and should they not strive to elevate and im- 
 prove the Evangelical Armenians, by every means in their power, and 
 
3° 
 
 encourage them to form intimate relations with their brethren in Europe 
 and America, instead of using every means, direct and indirect, to keep 
 them away ? The Lord knows with what motive they seek to monopolize this 
 field and to keep its laborers wholly under their power ! 
 
 One word also to the Rev. missionaries, and I have done. Most of what 
 I have written will no doubt give you pain ; you may, therefore, deem me 
 your enemy, yet I can truly say, that I have not intended to grieve you. 
 The foregoing are my honest thoughts on the demands of the good cause ; 
 and I am persuaded that many of our people hold to the same opinions. 
 No one honors you more than I do, or better appreciates your talents, 
 wisdom, or piety. Set aside any of my expressions which may be distaste- 
 ful to you, and heartily co-operate with me in doing good. I humbly beg 
 you, listen to the advice of our most discreet men, honor the opinions of 
 our ministers, and allow us to have an equal share with you in all plans 
 which affect the Lord's work ; don't hinder, but encourage those pious 
 young men who fervently desire to obtain a higher education that they 
 may the better serve the Lord and his church ; cultivate the talents and 
 seek to improve the condition of our ministers. These things are impera- 
 tively demanded by the times. The longer you put off the matter and 
 persist in carrying out your habitual policy the worse will become the state 
 of the good cause. Since you desire to offer the Lord a faithful service, 
 the first thing to do is to change your policy. Change, change your policy ! 
 
 John Minassian. 
 
 Constantinople, August 28, 1879. 
 
 FROM REV. T. E. DAVIES. 
 
 Unionville, Conn., Nov. 10, 1879. 
 
 ^S. M. Minasian, Esq.: 
 
 My Dear Sir : There is evidently an old quarrel between the native 
 Churches and our missionaries in that field. But the Congregational 
 Churches of America know nothing of the cause or existence of the quar- 
 rel. And perhaps it is as well they should not. And yet they have a right 
 to know it, and all the facts in the case. This needless assault upon Dr. 
 Abdalian and the Hartford Council will inevitably aggravate that quarrel, 
 and render the healing process more difficult. The tone of your last letter, 
 and the tone of your friend's article, taken in connection with a printed his- 
 tory of the trouble between our missionaries and the Churches in Turkey, 
 make it clear to my mind that the grievances of your churches ought to be 
 fairly heard, and that by our Churches, whose daughters, in a sense, they 
 are. 
 
 The American Board is simply the agent of the Churches, and if our 
 agent is at fault we ought to know it. If the Churches which we have 
 planted in Asia Minor suffer wrong, justice demands that their wrongs 
 should be redressed. Yours truly, T. E. DAViEa 
 
31 
 
 FROM PASTOR KEROPE. 
 
 I am exceedingly pained to see the ungenerous conduct of the mission- 
 aries in regard to our young men. They always try to keep back our peo- 
 ple, and putting themselves forward, dare to publish insinuating stories 
 about us, such as Mr. Barrows does in his letters lately published in 
 America. I presented this matter to the brethren at the last annual meet- 
 ing of our Union, wherein there were present three missionaries, and showed 
 them with what patience and firmness our young men, who go to Europe 
 or America to obtain a higher education, are enduring every and all sort of 
 want and trials, and how meekly they are bearing with all the unfriendly 
 attacks and the insinuations of the missionaries,and how useful such young 
 men are to their country, and how they ought to be praised. Our mission- 
 aries, who always are ready to proclaim themselves to the world as our 
 friends, not only do not show any sympathy or friendliness themselves 
 toward our young men, but show them ill-will, and try in every way to 
 bring them into public disfavor; thus dissuading those who felt inclined, 
 from rendering any assistance. It was unanimously resolved at our meet- 
 ing to send a letter to America to thank publicly those Christian friends 
 who have shown their sympathy toward our young men, and to tell them 
 that their kind acts are producing good results. 
 
 Our missionary friends, present at our meeting, appeared as though they 
 felt ashamed for the conduct of their associates, who were the immediate 
 workers in the matter, though we could not read their hearts. 
 
 Kerope Yakobian. 
 
 Cesar ea, Tier key, Dec. 9, 1879. 
 
 In another letter, refering to the subject. Pastor Kerope says : " It is not 
 right for the missionaries to put obstacles in the path of our young men'. 
 We did not mention in our Union meeting any particular missionary. It 
 seems, however, they took the action of the meeting on this point as being 
 against them. We have nothing against the missionaries. We love and 
 honor them; but we feel it our most sacred duty to watch over our rights, 
 interests and freedom. When missionaries wish to preach, our Churches, 
 our houses and our hearts are open to them. If they wish to teach, our 
 schools are open, and they will be gladly received. But when we see them, 
 notwithstanding this our liberal treatment of them, attempting to show us as 
 suspicious characters, and try to shut the world before us, and prevent our 
 forming any relationship with the Christians in other lands, we cannot help 
 feeling pained." March 12, iZZo. 
 
32 
 
 A LETTER OF THANKS 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN TURKEY TO CHRISTIAN 
 
 FRIENDS. 
 
 It is the decision of the Central Union to write a letter of thanks to the 
 Christian friends both in Europe and America. 
 
 The Union feels that it is its duty to write and malce it Ijnown, that of 
 the young men who- have been to Europe or America for a higher educa- 
 tion, either for the Christian ministry or for medicine, have returned to be 
 useful in their own land. Indeed there have been exceptions to this, and 
 we are sorry for them, but speaking in general the majority of them have 
 been of great use to their country. We express our deep gratitude to those 
 in Europe and America, who have lent a helping hand to those who have 
 knocked at their door for admittance. We thank you that when our young 
 men came to you in narrowed circumstances, poor, and in need of instruc- 
 tion, placing themselves between hope and fear, between life and death, you, 
 kind sirs, instead of sending them back, opened your temples of learning for 
 them, gave them a fair training, and they, learning of you the true dignity 
 of character, came back to be leaders of their people. They are to-day 
 doing a work the value of which can be fairly estimated by those who are 
 eye witnesses. 
 
 Allow us to mention a few of the persons educated under your care : Of 
 those who have become pastors, we have Pastor Kerope, educated in Scot- 
 land, a man of great influence and usefulness. The loving pastor of a 
 large, intelligent church. We wish we had many like him. Pastor Alex- 
 ander Djijisian, a man of great self-denial, the faithful pastor at Adapazar, 
 also educated in Scotland. Pastor Tomas Boyajian, no matter what others 
 say, has been the father of one of the largest churches in Turkey, and of 
 the good influence he exerts, no one doubts. Pastor Abuhayatin, educated 
 in^Germany, is the earnest working pastor of one of our growing churches 
 at Ourfa. Then we have others : Pastor Khazaros of Broosa, Pastor Mel- 
 kon Hohannesian, educated in Oberlin, Dr. Abdalian, educated at Hart- 
 ford Seminary, etc. Let me also mention the name of Pastor Simon Ut- 
 ijian, the beloved editor of that most needed paper, the Tidag. Alas! that 
 circumstances have urged him to withdraw from the noble work of publish- 
 ing a native paper, one of the things most needed by the natives. 
 
 And then we have the names of those who have become physicians : Drs. 
 Minasian, K. Sewny, Matteosian, Vartanian, Kavaljian, Giragosian, Kulud- 
 jian, Bro. Isgian, etc. Besides we have Bro. Besjian, a capital man, edu- 
 cated in America. Mr. Crikor Bagdasrian, the founder of the Broosa 
 Orphanage, educated in Germany. It is not my design to speak of them 
 all, but let it be known that these few who have been educated abroad have 
 not brought any dishonor to the cause of Christ. But on the contrary, 
 they are to-day the leading men of the nation, a native power created ! 
 
Ihey have brought fo us' from Europe and America, weight of character,, 
 noble ideas and aspirations, which will work like leaven in moulding the 
 character of so many under their influence. 
 
 The Protestant community to-day is not composed wholly of the ignor- 
 ant and uneducatea ; nay, we thank God and thank you. We have a few 
 pastors worthy of their calling not " blind leaders of the blind." We have 
 doctors and professors and teachers, and men of trade who have had their 
 education in Europe or America, and are now the forerunners of the 
 nation. Good friends, believe us, your work is not lost. Your besevo- 
 lence is doing by the grace of God, a most useful work. Kindly and for- 
 givingly receive our thanks. Remember that we are yet to be an educated 
 people. We have many shortcmoings, but these few pastors you have edu- 
 cated are just the men our Churches want. Many and many thanks for 
 favors done to them all. 
 
 Written with the request and on behalf of the Central Union of the 
 Evangelical Churches in Turkey. Mangasar M. Mangasarian. 
 
 Marsovan, Ttirkey, March 15, 1880. 
 
 The following account of Mr. Filian's ordination is from the Chicago 
 papers : 
 
 Brother Filian is a native of Antioch, Syria. He has been studying 
 three years in the theological seminaries of this country, spending a year 
 in Union, Oberlin and Chicago seminaries. He is a very eloquent speaker 
 and simple-hearted and earnest in his piety. He united on the Sabbath 
 with the Wheaton church, and will, God willing, be ordained by a council 
 of pastors and churches, met by' its invitation, on Wednesday of next week. 
 The following churches and ministers have been invited : The Baptist, 
 Wesleyan and Free Methodist churches of Wheaton ; the Congregational 
 churches of Turner Junction, Geneva, Blue Island, Marsailles, Pecatonical 
 Tonica, and Bartlett ; the Independent church at Streator, the Wesleyan 
 church of Marengo, and Rev. D. P. Baker of the Free Methodist, Chicago. 
 Brother Filian intends returning soon to his native land, Armenia, where 
 he has already preached some two or three years, there to engage in es- 
 tablishing independent native churches of Christ. His purposes are de- 
 serving of Christian sympathy and support. He has supported himself in 
 this country by lecturing and preaching, everywhere arousing in the people 
 the holy enthusiam which he himself feels. He will respond to calls for 
 work of this kind until his return to Asia. 
 
 THE ordination at WHEATON. 
 
 In persuance of a letter missive, a council of ordination assembled at 
 Wheaton College chapel. May 31, at 2 o'clock, p. m., to ordain to the work 
 of the ministry G. H. Filian, a native of Antioch, Syria. 
 
 After devotional exercises, conducted by Rev. D. P. Baker, of Chicago, 
 
34 
 
 Rev. H. H. Monroe, of Bartlett, was chosen moderator. C. W. Hiatt and 
 W. L. Ferris were chosen scribes. 
 
 The following delegates were in attendance : Prof. L. N. Stratton, Rev. 
 Stuart, Rev. Sprague, Rev. H. H. Monroe, Dr. E. C. Guild, C. W. Hiatt 
 J. N. Bedford, Rev. D. P. Baker, Rev. W. L. Ferris, Prof. C. A' 
 Blanchard. 
 
 Rev. D. P. Baker was selected to conduct the examination of Bro. Filian, 
 the candidate for ordination. 
 
 Letters recommending Bro. . Filian, from Rev. Yakobian, pastor at 
 Caesarea, Turkey, Prof. G. B. Wilcox and the Faculty of the Chicago 
 Theological Seminary; also from Dr. Fairchild, of Oberlin, O.; Dr. Hitch- 
 cock, of Union Seminary, N. Y. city, and Dr. Hamlin of Middlebury Col- 
 lege, Vt., were read before the council. 
 
 The council then proceeded to question the candidate on his Christian 
 experience and religious views. Bro. Filian having passed a satisfactory 
 examination on all fundamental points of Christian doctrine, the council 
 voted unanimously to proceed to his ordination. 
 
 A committee was appointed to prepare a programme for the evening. 
 The following report was adopted by the council : 
 
 Reading of Scripture, ..... Rev. W. L. Ferris. 
 
 Prayer, ....... Rev. Stewart. 
 
 Song, "Coronation." 
 Address, ...... Prof. L. N. Stratton. 
 
 Address, ...... Rev. D. P. Bal<er. 
 
 Song, ...... " Missionary Hymn." 
 
 Address, - - - - - - G. H. Filian. 
 
 /Vddress, ...... Prof. C. A. Blanchard. 
 
 Ordination Prayer, ..... Pres. J. Blanchard. 
 
 Charge to Candidate. .... Prof. L. N. Stratton. 
 
 Song, ....... " Blest be the Tie. " 
 
 Benediction, ..... Dr. J. B. Walker. 
 
 The evening services by the above programme were intensely interesting 
 and impressive throughout ; and a good congregation was in attendance. 
 
 Bro. Filian is a man of marked intelligence, having learned the English 
 language and graduated in theology in the short space of three years. He 
 will soon return to his native land to begin his evangelistic work, followed 
 by the prayers and benedictions of his many Christian brethren in America. 
 
 H. H. MuNROE, Moderator. 
 
 AN ANTIOCH ORDINATION. 
 
 Such was the setting apart of Bro. G. H. Filian for the work of preach- 
 ing the gospel in his native Armenia, at Wheaton, on Wednesday, May 
 31st. This brother was born and reared in Antioch of Syria, where Paul 
 and Barnabas, the first foreign missionaries, were set apart by the Holy 
 Ghost for the work among the Gentiles; where the disciples were first 
 tauntingly called by that name. Christians, which is now the symbol of 
 greatest dignity and honor; where Paul seemed always gladly to return to 
 
35 
 
 report to the brethren what great things the Holy Ghost had done by his 
 preaching; and where took place the first ordination service, the model 
 and inspiration of all true separation for the great work of the ministry 
 ever' since. The occasion was one of deepest interest, which all felt dur- 
 ing the opening season of prayer and the remarks of President Blanchard 
 after the council had been organized, when, reading from Acts 13: 1-4, he 
 spoke of the simplicity and power of this first ordination there recorded, 
 and of the obligation of the churches to follow this divine model. That 
 the Holy Spirit might be present in this meeting setting apart the young 
 brother, prayer and fasting had not been forgotten by the members of the 
 church. 
 
 The examination of Bro. Filian by Bro. D. P. Baker, of the Free 
 Methodist of this city, assisted by Profs. Stratton and Blanchard, was of 
 great interest. His experience in finding Christ; his conviction that he 
 must preach the gospel; that he must engage in this holy work himself and 
 not delegate the work to another; his views of the Scriptures, of the Sab- 
 bath, of practical Christian reform questions which agitate American 
 churches, but are seldom or never heard of in Asia Minor; his belief in the 
 power of Christ to cleanse from all sin — on these and other points his 
 views were given with much clearness and great felicity of illustration. 
 Members of the council expressed their satisfaction with the examination, 
 their joy in being permitted to share in such an occasion and the difficulty 
 of understanding why any one should stand in the way or try to prevent 
 this brother from entering upon the good work to which the Lord had evi- 
 dently called him. The opposition of the missionaries and officers of the 
 American Board of Missions to Bro. Filian, and other Armenians in this 
 country, is a topic upon which tliere is too much to say at this time. 
 
 In the evening. Dr. J. B. Walker presided at the request of pastor Mon- 
 roe. A good audience was present, and all seemed to join heartily in the 
 spirit of the meeting. Denominational lines and distinctions were lost in 
 the presence of the great work of the hour, and the pervading presence of 
 the Holy Spirit was manifest in the remarks of different brethren, but 
 especially when, at the ordaining prayer, all the ordained brethren in the 
 congregation, preachers and elders of the College church, coming forward, 
 united in setting apart the brother for his work. It was a season of 
 refreshing from on high such as is seldom enjoyed, and which no partici- 
 pant can forget. 
 
 Bro. Filian will labor in preaching and lecturing as he has opportunity 
 until his return to Asia, which will be as soon as means are provided. 
 During the three years he has been in this country he has, while studying, 
 supported himself in this manner. 
 
 AN INTERESTING EVENT. 
 
 Eighteen centuries ago Paul and Barnabas were ordained in the city of 
 • Antioch to go forth as ministers of the gospel to the regions beyond, May 
 
36 
 
 31, in the college chapel at Wheaton, III, G. H. Filian, a native of 
 Antioch, was ordained to the gospel ministry to go forth to his native land 
 and city as the bearer of the good news of salvation. 
 
 The circumstances of the occasion were peculiar. Bro. Filian was the 
 child of Christian parents, has a brother in the ministry, has a good edu- 
 cation in his mother tongue, a rich experience of saving grace in his soul ; 
 had preached three years before coming to this country, where he has now 
 been several years, attending school at various places, including a year at 
 Oberlin, Ohio, and graduating finally at the Congregational Seminary at 
 Chicago, after a two years' course. His natural talent is good, his acquired 
 ability superior, his standing high, as shown by numerous testimonials. 
 Yet, strange as it may seem, after graduating with Christian honor from 
 th eir theological school, the Congregationalists refused to ordain the man. 
 The only excuse assigned was that the American Board did not deem 'it 
 advisable to ordain the natives of Syria to the ministry, but to employ them 
 as helpers, under the control of the missionaries. It was deemed' that the 
 course of the American Board was detrimental to the cause of Christ, and 
 pursued for the purpose of retaining a sort of monopoly over the mission 
 work, as already the strongest and most efficient churches are now under 
 the pastoral care of native preachers. 
 
 Bro. Filian feeling the call to the gospel upon him, and not feeling 
 called to act simply as a helper, but rather to go forth freely to build up 
 the cause of God as the Lord might direct, and knowing that the sanction 
 of the church in America would strengthen his hands, did not wish to 
 return home without ordination. Others, also, in this country and Turkey, 
 who were cognizant of the animus of the American Board, desired earnestly 
 his ordination. 
 
 Brother Filian having transferred his membership from Oberlin to the 
 First Church of Christ, of Wheaton, and that church having learned of his 
 convictions, gifts and graces, voted to convene a council to consider his 
 case, and take such action as it might deem proper. Letters of invitation 
 were issued to the Wesleyan, Baptist and Free Methodist churches, of 
 Wheaton, to Wesleyan and Congregational churches elsewhere, and to 
 several individuals, among whom was the editor of the Free Methodist. 
 The council convened, the examination of the candidate was satisfactory, 
 and the vote unanimous that he be ordained an elder in the church of God 
 by the imposition of hands, it being clearly evident that the Holy Spirit 
 had called him unto the same. 
 
 At 8 p. M. the college chapel was well filled with an attentive audience. 
 Dr. Walker, author of the " Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation," reverend 
 with age, presided. The exercises consisted of reading of the Scriptures, 
 singing, prayer, and brief addresses by Brothers L. N. Stratton, D. P. Baker, 
 C. A. Blanchard, the candidate, G. H. Filian, and President Blanchard, 
 who also offered the ordination prayer, and^ with [whom ten ministers and . 
 
37 
 
 deacons joined in the laying on of hands. The charge to the candidate 
 was delivered by Brother Stratton, and the benediction pronounced by Dr. 
 Walker. Altogether it was an interesting event, the memory of which will 
 be cherished, and the influence of which will be felt in the city where the 
 saints were first called Christians. In this connection we gratefully record 
 the kindly care received in the homes of Professors C. A. Blanchard, O. 
 F. Lumry, at whose " feet " we recited the Latin and Greek, and .L. N. 
 Stratton, who last year resigned the editorship of the American Wesleyan 
 to take charge of the theological department of Wheaton College. 
 
 FROM MR. FILIAN. 
 
 Detroit, Mich., July s, 1882. 
 
 The American Board shuts the door everywhere to those young men 
 who come from Turkey to study in this country. 
 
 In my first letter from this place I wrote that I would lecture in the 
 First Congregational Church; so I did. The pastor, Dr. Eddy, showed 
 great sympathy to me when he first saw me, and promised to do his best. 
 But when Sunday came I found him cold, and Sunday evening he did not 
 introduce me to his people. Having promised me before, and not to take 
 back his word, he gave me his church in the evening to speak to his people. 
 One of his deacons introduced me to the people. After I spoke they took 
 up a collection of $12.50, though it is a rich church. 
 
 Monday morning I went to see Dr. Eddy to ask him if he could intro- 
 duce me to some other pastors round about Detroit. He said that he 
 could do nothing for me, and that the Secretaries of the American Board 
 are against any young men who come to this country from Turkey. He added, 
 that the young men have no right to come to this country for education, and 
 have no right to go to churches to ask to lecture and to be helped; that the 
 Secretaries of the American Board are holy men and have good judgment, 
 and the missionaries of the Board have good judgment, and the young men 
 of Turkey must obey them. Finally he did not introduce me to other 
 pastors, and I am even afraid that he will put obstacles before me. Now 
 this is a fact, that wherever I go they show me great sympathy at first, but 
 as soon as the Secretaries write to them they hate me. 
 
 Among Congregationalists it is so. Among other denominations they 
 say that since I am graduated among Congregationalists, and the Ameri- 
 can Board has the Turkish field, I must go to the Congregationalists. ' I 
 have a hard time, but God will direct me. G. H. Filian. 
 
 FROM REV. G. KAPRIELIAN, FOR MANY YEARS A PASTOR IN CONSTANTINOPLE 
 NOW STUDYING IN NEW YORK. 
 
 The Evangelical work in Turkey is really in a very pitiable condition. 
 The position of the Protestants of the country being so low and humilating 
 they cannot exert any influence over the people around or draw any into 
 
38 
 
 their communion. Education is making great progress among the Armen- 
 ians of the Ancient Church, but the children of our community are left in 
 ignorance, because we have not suitable schools ourselves, and the mission- 
 ary schools are only for those who can pay. 
 
 Poverty is continuing to increase in the country, and our Evangelical 
 communities being few in number, and generally poor, are not able to sup- 
 port their ministers, consequently the ministry in general is in a wandering 
 or discouraged state, and we do not know what this state of things will lead 
 to. This hopeless condition of the ministry is repelling our young men 
 from ever entering into it. It is painful to say that missionaries by putting 
 into faithful practice the Wheeler system of missionary policy have quenched 
 the love and the energy of these young churches. Education in general is 
 making great progress here, but with it infidelity is also spreading. I feel 
 that, both for the present and the future, the country needs well educated 
 ministers', and I have an earnest desire myself to come to America to study, 
 with a view of fitting myself better for my work. I wish to say in this con- 
 nection that the ministers of our Union also desire that I should go to 
 America for such an object, and they have all along for many years past 
 been encouraging me in it. 
 
 Constantinople. G. Kaprielian. 
 
 A gentleman who knows the Rev. Mr. Kaprielian, writes thus about 
 him : 
 
 Pastor Kaprielian is a superior man ; he has been for many years the 
 right hand of the missionaries, and it will be a great misfortune for the 
 
 mission to lose him It will be a great benefit for a man of his 
 
 stamp and position to spend 2-3 years in England and America, not exactly 
 in schools all the time, but among Christian men, acquainting himself with the 
 institutions and usages of Christian work in these countries. The American 
 Board should feel proud to show to its friends such a man as he is. . . . 
 It is an entirely hopeless effort to try to shut up the gates of this free 
 country against these struggling Christian young men who are bent to raise 
 themselves up by every laudable means. Let these evangelical Armenians 
 have a fair chance in this matter. They understand their own interests 
 better. Give them advice, but do not put any obstacles in their way. 
 
 FROM THE REV. M. M. MANGASSARIAN, A WELL KNOWN PASTOR IN TUR- 
 KEY, NOW STUDYING IN PRINCETON SEMINARY. 
 
 We are trying to increase the native power in the field, organize churches 
 and institutions belonging to us and thus promoting the cause of the truth. 
 And this certainly not, by injuring the work of the missionaries or quarrel- 
 ing with them. Nay ! but by taking the work into our hands. It is our 
 work, our right, our field. We have our own short-comings, but the peo- 
 ple are getting to see more than ever before, that the policy of the Amer- 
 
39 
 
 ican Board is, in some respects, beyond any question, most pernicious in 
 its fesults and influence. 
 
 Tliere is a Greek student liere, a graduate of Robert College, where we 
 knew each other. Also a graduate of this seminary, and now having taken 
 the Fellowship, he is having his Post-Graduate course. The professors 
 speak very highly of him. A member of the faculty of Princeton seminary 
 spoke to me about his fitness to be a missionary to Greece, and about the 
 refusal of the American Board to send him, because he is not horn in Amer- 
 ica ! This, he said, is unchrisiian, yea, unwise too. They send an Ameri- 
 can and support him in Turkey for a long time before he is of any use, 
 and refuse to send one who will be useful from the moment he is on the 
 ground. I have spoken to pastors and friends, and they are all unanimous 
 in the opinion that the American Board is not doing right. My prayer is, 
 that the Lord may guide and guard me and make me useful to -my peo- 
 ple- M. M. Mangassarian. 
 
 Princetown, N. J. 
 
 A veteran Armenian pastor writes: We tried to create union and good 
 feeling, and to labor together with the missionaries in the good work. We 
 made, and are ready to make, many concessions; but cannot sacrifice 
 principles. The call is upon us from God to evangelize our country and 
 nation, and we cannot place ourselves in the position of hirelings and labor 
 in that position as the missionaries wish us to. It is a pity that the wise 
 and experienced men at the head of the work do not grasp the real state of 
 the work here — then I am sure a remedy would have been found. Why 
 this needless waste of money ? The work should either be brought into a 
 more hopeful state or abandoned altogether. 
 
 A VOICE FROM ARMENIA. 
 
 Among the graduates from, the medical school of Boston University, a 
 few years ago, was a young Armenian gentleman, who attained an enviable 
 reputation among his classmates as a linguist. S. C. Kavalgian, M. D. 
 now of Adapazar, Turkey, is still remembered by his professors and fellow- 
 students as a young man of probity, ability and worth. He is apparently a 
 warm-hearted Methodist, and at the same . time an Armenian of the 
 Armenians, notwithstanding his American education. Some facts which 
 he gives are worthy of particular consideration at present. We quote two or 
 three paragraphs from the letter, all of which shows a command of the English 
 language rarely attained by a foreigner in a brief term of study on our shores: 
 
 "While writing this letter, your issue of Feb, 15 came to me, in which 
 Dr. Elahad a paragraph on Caste and Christianity. The doctor has hit the 
 nail at the right point. The caste spirit in the Anglo-Saxon race is felt all 
 over the world wherever it has either political or religious relations with 
 other nations. The British have many more subjects of other nationalities 
 
46 
 
 than the Russians, but while the former has scarcely one that has reached 
 any, specially prominent position either in political ojr military service, the 
 latter have many of them. Three of the most famous generals of the Rus- 
 sian army in Asia in the late war with Turkey were Armenians. Our own 
 Cypriots, who were lately subjected to the British, are now complaining 
 very much against the disgust and contempt in which the English hold 
 them. We Armenians notice this caste spirit in our American missionaries 
 in this country, and we feel it very keenly indeed. It is true what the doc- 
 tor says about intermarriage between the missionary and his convert. Our 
 old members relate a painful story of forced separation between an Armen- 
 ian gentleman and an American missionary lady who were attached to each 
 other sincerely. The lady was sent back to America alrhost by force, and 
 the affair was over. This is an old sore, but there are recent cases that we 
 could quote from personal knowledge, if we deemed it needful to speak on 
 this topic. Of course we cannot demand that an American missioriary shall 
 marry the first convert he makes, nor can we urge the missionary to do like 
 the Turkish Imam, who is free to get married wherever he goes and to 
 have as many wives as he wants; but there are other questions, and still 
 more serious ones, to be taken into consideration. 
 
 " I do not know of any missionary that has, or will have, his child bap- 
 tized by any of our native pastors, but they go many miles to find an Amer- 
 ican to baptize their children. From among the many scores of mission- 
 aries that we have among us, I know of only one lady who is a member of 
 one of our churches. Our missionaries never enter into fellowship with the 
 churches that they organize. We have a young American missionary some- 
 where not very near to. Adapazar. He is a Yankee. Some of the mission- 
 aries do not believe that this gentleman will ever be of much use in this 
 country unless he changes his career. He once lashed his Armenian Prot- 
 estant servant with a horse-whip for a trifling offence. In our late Annual 
 Conference, that took place at the same time with the annual meeting of 
 the mission, while at lunch with missionaries and natives all together, this 
 gentleman did not deign even to recognize one of us. I heard two of our 
 venerable pastors — men that will do honor to any Christian society in the 
 world — say to each other, ' And this young nian will sit in conclave with 
 other missionaries to prescribe the ways and project the means that you 
 and I and all of us natives are obliged to work in, without our having a 
 voice in that council, with all our experience and knowledge of the work.' 
 This made a very painful impression on my mind. The doctor is true again 
 when he says: ' Possibly our missionaries may have to make the yet greater 
 sacrifice of caste feeling to living with instead of their converts.' I 
 
 only add they must do so if a better success is desired. 
 
 " But this sounds very much like accusing the brethren. God forbid! I 
 only brought forth some facts suggested by the doctor's letter. We have 
 many respectable exceptions. S. C. Kavalgian."