Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 29.djvu/1046

 APPENDIX-CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS OF CONGRESS. 7 Anzmumu OUTRAGES. _YVhereas the supplementary treaty of Berlin of July thirteenth, ·Y=-¤¤¤ry 27»1¤96· eighteen hundred and seventy eight, between the Ottoman Empire and _§»T.§%— Great Britain, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Russia, contains the following provisions: " The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out without further delay the ameliorations and reforms demanded by local requirements in the provinces inhabited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the Circassians and Kurds. “ It will periodically make known the steps taken to this eifectto the Powers, and will superintend their application." _“ LXII. “ The Sublime Porte having expressed the wish to maintain the principle of religious liberty, to give it the widest scope, the contracting parties take note of this spontaneous declaration. “ In no part of the Ottoman Empire shall diiierence of religion be alleged against an individual as a ground for exclusion or incapacity as regards the discharge of civil and political rights, admission to the pubtlie servicehfungtions, and honors, and the exercise of the diiferent pro essions an in ustries. “ All persons shall be admitted, without distinction of religion, to give evidence before the tribunals, “ Liberty and the outward exercise of all forms of worship are assured to all, and no hindrance shall be offered either to the hierarchical organizaition ¢;_f the various eommunions or to their relations with their spiritua chie s. ‘ “ The right of official protection by the diplomatic and consular agents of the Powers in Turkey is recognized both as regards the abovementioned persons and their religious,-charitable, and other establishments in the holy places;" and, Whereas the intent and object of the above cited provisions of said treaty are to place the Christian subjects of the Porte under the protection of the other signatories thereto, and to secure to such Christian subjects full liberty of religious worship and belief, the equal benefit of the laws, and all the privilege and immunities belonging to any subjects of the Turkish Empire; and Whereas by said treaty the Christian Powers, parties thereto, having established, under the consent of Turkey, their right to accomplish and secure the above-recited objects; and Whereas the American people, in common with all Christian people everywhere, have beheld with horror the recent appalling outrages and massacres of which the Christian population of Turkey have been made the victims: Therefore, Resolved by the Senate of the United States (the House of Represents- Tg;ggt¥;__':}¤;¤,;>g;i_,__ tives cmwurring), That it is an imperative duty, in the interest of em. humanity, to express the earnest hope that the European concert brought about by the treaty referred to may speedily be given its just effect in such decisive measures as shall stay the hand of fanaticism and lawless violence, and as shall secure to the unoifending Christians of the Turkish Empire all the rights belonging to them both as men and Christians and as beneficiaries of the explicit provisions of the treat above recited. Regolved, That the President be requested to communicate these Re¤¤1¤_ei¤::l go Em resolutions Ito thel Itiovemments of Great Britain, Germany, Austria, §§,'§§§,‘},’“Q,,°,§‘,,,,,,,‘f,,,,,‘,§j France, Ita y, an ussia. Resolved further, That the Senate of the United States, the House of 0¢l];·¤_glr~:0_:,¤Lc:;g; Representatives concurring, will support the President in the most Sm,,, lE,",,,idm_ sriir 1.-v01. 29--65
 * LXI.