Uras writes:


Sempat Kaprielian gives the following very interesting account of the revolutionists and terrorist activity: (S. Kaprielian, Armenian Crisis and Rebirth, Boston, p.94-157; in Armenian)

"A wealthy Armenian living in Europe gave the following extremely cutting reply to some revolutionary Armenians who asked him for money:' I have no desire to see my money make me the executioner of my own country!' Djamharian, a wealthy Armenian killed by the Dashnaktsutiun terrorists in Moscow was no doubt of the same opinion. Djamharian met the expenses of an Armenian orphanage from his own pocket, and he probably had no wish to see an increase in the number of orphans. Balyozian was murdered in Izmir for the same reason. And we have an even more recent example in Bahalian, a Russian Armenian who refused to give the money demanded in threatening notes sent by the revolutionary committee and was strangled in the street in the city of Novrosisk on 10 November. A long history could be written full of such crimes and atrocities carried out in the name of the Dashnaktsutiun.

Anyone who protested against such acts would be denounced by his own friends and sometimes even sentenced to death. Such cruelty and ferocity became a characteristic feature of the Armenian revolutionaries. When, after the Kumkapi incident, the Caucasian Armenians rebelled, the Dashnaktsutiun took advantage of this to obtain large sums of money. Settling down in the border area between Tabriz and Turkey, they drank to freedom in copious draughts of wine and champagne and
indulged in riotous behaviour that made them a burden to the Armenian villages in which they had taken up residence. One of the revolutionaries, who had set out to Tiflis to report on their disgraceful behaviour, was joined by two of his companions who. after nightfall, suddenly attacked and killed him. Tohmalaian Vartabet, a man with the courage of his convictions and who had the heroism of spirit to protest against such atrocities, met with a similar fate. He was enticed out into the outskirts of a small Armenian country town and there cut to pieces. Gergesian, a member of Dashnaktsutiun and the first to bathe the Armenian revolutionary flag in his sacred blood, was murdered in Erzurum. But such thoughtless acts of violence aroused a wave ofprotests- The Armenians themselves deplored these crimes and atrocities, of which they were deeply ashamed. The revolutionaries, however, had the effrontery to declare that they themselves were the only true sons of the Armenian nation, and that it was in them alone that the national spirit was enshrined.

Let us carry this criticism farther: Though the Dashnaktsutian engaged in ever more outrageous and insensate acts of violence than the Hunchaks, both committees were foolish enough to insist on a revolution for which they themselves ought to have seen that the conditions were far from ripe. It was this irrational obstinacy that was to lead to the following catastrophic results:

1. They beat the drum of revolution to attract into the coffers of the revolutionary parties the money the Armenian workers have earned by the sweat of their brow, but with every beat of the drum they intensify the careful scrutiny of Armenian affairs by the Turkish government.

2. The egoism of the revolutionaries leads them to believe that they are the most devoted to the cause, the most self-sacrificing of all Armenia's sons.

3. Rivalry between the committes gives rise to mutual hatred and jealousy, leading to brothers taking up arms against brothers.

4. The forcible measures adopted by the Armenian revolutionaries towards the people, their extortion of money from the rich to give to the poor have reduced the nation to a state of moral and material ruin and despair.

5. The clandestine killing of rivals that forms such a characteristic feature of the Machiavellian policy pursued by the Armenian revolutionaries has branded all Armenians as murderers and brought dishonour on the Armenian name.

6. By attracting the attention of Armenian youth in foreign countries to fictive and fanciful goals they have reduced them to utter misery and ruin.

They prevent the use of the revolutionary forces in important work such as national revival, turning them away from such ends and making it impossible for them to perform any useful purpose.

These men extort financial contributions from the poor peasants, selling to the Armenians of Sasun and Mus[h] the arms with which they themselves were provided, and even forcing these wretched souls to sell their household goods, their herds and their flocks in order to purchase these weapons. If only they had eyes to see, they would realize the futility and noxiousness of their behaviour towards a people who have grown weary and disgusted under the blows of a cruel and tyrannical power, not of war and conflict but of life itself. But, if I am to remain impartial, I must confess that it is not only you who are to blame. All of us are to blame. We were all foolish enough to believe that Europe was to be the saviour of Armenia and that the crown of the independence we had lost was to be restored to us from the West.

This fallacy lies at the foundation of our whole national policy. We came to regard Europe as our Messiah, and we waited day after day for the Saviours to arrive for the salvation of Armenia.