Portukalian, who was based in Marseille, kept in touch with the leaders and published a journal of political and social enlightenment, Armenia (1885-1923).
The party's aim soon became winning the right of Armenians to rule over themselves through revolutionary armed struggle and thus liberate Armenia from the Ottoman Empire.
Its concept of revolution was distinctly limited in comparison with that of succeeding organisations; it viewed terrorism, agitation and militant demonstrations with disfavor, preferring instead to deploy Armenians trained in the use of arms as guerrillas against the Ottoman Empire.
The party's main misconception was that enemies of the Ottoman Empire would intervene and rescue the Armenian people throughout the period 1885–1918.
With the turn of the century, Armenakans established cells outside Van, in other towns in the province, as well as in Trabzon and Istanbul.