CHAPTER XXV.
THE ARMENIANS.
1855-1860.
There are times when the movements of armies are evidently made subservient, in divine Providence, to the progress of the Gospel; and the history of missions to the Oriental Churches would be imperfect without some notice of the Crimean war of 1854 and 1855.
The historian of that war has shown, that it originated in the desire of Nicholas, Czar of Russia, to secure certain rights in the "holy places" at Jerusalem (in which he was opposed by the Roman Catholic government of France), and to obtain a formal recognition of himself as protector of the millions in Turkey professing the Greek religion.[1] But for the seasonable return to Constantinople of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe in 1853, there is reason to fear, that the extraordinary persistence of the Czar might have been successful, and that the protectorate would have been used to destroy the evangelical missions.[2] [1] See volume first of Kinglake's _Invasion of the Crimea_.

He describes very minutely how the English nation was drawn into the war; but it is not necessary to go into that subject here.

The nation was doubtless much influenced by its desire to uphold the Turkish government in order to keep open its communication with India.
[2] Some idea of the spirit in which such a protectorate might have been exercised, may be obtained from two out of a number of kindred articles of the Russian Penal Law: "Article 206.

Whoever is found guilty of having induced others to secede from the Greek Orthodox Confession, and to join another Christian Church, will be condemned to the loss of the rights of his social position, to transportation to Tobolsk or Tomsk (Siberia), or to the punishment of the lash, and one or two years of imprisonment in the house of correction.
"Article 207.

Whoever endeavors, by preaching or writing, to seduce members of the Orthodox Church to join any other Christian community, will be punished the first time, with the loss of some of his special rights, and imprisonment for one or two years in a house of correction; the second time, with imprisonment in a fortress from four to six years; the third time, with the loss of all his personal and social civil rights and status, and transportation for life to Tobolsk or Tomsk (Siberia), with imprisonment of one or two years." -- _New York Observer_ for August, 1871.
The author was in the interior of Asia Minor a short time while the Crimean war was in progress, and heard of reports among the people,--circulated, as was believed, by Russian agents,--that if Nicholas were victorious, he would secure the withdrawal from Turkey of Protestant missionaries.