The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-14 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

WAHABEES.

The modern sect of Wahabees was founded near
a century ago, by an Arab of the name of Shaikh
Mahomed, the son of Abdool Wahab, whose name

they have taken. Shaikk Mahomed connected him-

self, in the attempt to reform the religion of the
country, with Ebn Saoud, the Prince of Dereah,
the capital of the province of Nujuddee. Through
the efforts of the Saint, and the aid of the temporal

power of Ebn Saoud, and his son and successor
Abanol Azeez, the religion of the Wahabees is now
established all over the peninsula of Arabia. The
tenets of this sect are peculiar, and merit notice.—
They profess that there is one God, and Mahomed

is his prophet; but, as the Supreme Being neither
has, nor can have, any participator in his power,
they say, that to profess that either Mahomed, the
Imaums, or any Saints, can have any superintend-
•ance over the affairs of men, or render them any aid
hereafter, is blasphemy. They deem Mahomedans,
who deviate in any way from the plain literal mean-
ing of the Koran, infidels ; and maintain, that, to
make war upon all such is the imperious duty of
every Wahabee. It is one of their tenets, that all
titles meant to show respect and honour to men are

odious to God, who alone is worthy of high name;
and they assert, that, in conformity to what is re-
vealed in the Koran, true Mahomedans should wage
continual war against unbelievers, till they are con-
verted, or agree to pay the tribute imposed on in-
fidels ; and that, in the latter ease, they should be
compelled to wear the coarsest garments, not to be
allowed to ride on horses, nor to live in splendid
dwellings. They maintain, that the taxes (including
aukaat and khums) levied by Mahound, are alone
lawful ; that swearing by Muhomed or Ali, or any
person, should be prohibited; since an oath is cal-
ling a witness to our secret thoughts, which no one
can know but God. They deem it a species of ido-
latry to erect magnificent tombs, but to kiss relics,
&c. is idolatry itself; and, therefore, they affirm,
that it is an action acceptable to God to destroy the
tombs of Mahomedan saints in Arabia and Persia,
and to appropriate their vich ornaments to worldly
purposes, for which they were designed. They say
that it is wicked to mourn fur the dead; for, if
they were good Mahomedans, their souls are in
Paradise, at which their friends should rejoice.
The Wahabees reject the whole of the traditions,
limiting their belief to the Koran, which was, they
say, sent from Heaven to Mahomed, who was an
excellent man, and much beloved of God. They
continue to preserve the usages of circumcision,
ablution, &c. which they found establised ; but
consider there more as matters of practice and usage
than of faith. The leading principle of this sect
is their right to destroy and plunder all who difTer
from them ; and those Mahomedans who do not
adept their creed are represented as far less entitled
to mercy than either Jews or Christians. Their
proven was so great about ten years ago, as to
excite considerable alarm in the Turkish Govern-
ment. Among other places, they plundered the rich
tombs of Ali and his KIM, at Nujuff and Kerbelah.
Their inroads are always dreadful, for they spare
none who do not conform to their opinionu; but
they have lately met with some severe checks, and
appear to be declining.

Extract from Cobbett's American _ Journal.

"There is one thing in the Americanb, which, though
its proper place was farther back, I have reserved,
or rather kept back, to the last moment. It has
presented itself several times ; but I have turned
from the thought, as men Jo from thinking of any
mortal disease that is at work in their frames. It is
not covetousness ; it is not niggardliness; it is not

insincerity ; it is not enviousness ; it is not cowar-
dice : above all things—it is drinking. Aye, and
that too, amongst but too many men, who, one would
think, would loath it. You cm go into hardly any
man's house, without being asked to think wine or
spirits, even in the morning. To see this beastly
vice in young men is shocking. At one of the
taverns at Ilarrisburgh there Isere several tine young
men—well dressed, well educated, polite, end every
thing Lut sober. What a squalid, drooping, sickly
set they looked in the morning I Even little boys
at, or under, twelve years of age, go into store',
and tip oil' their drams. However, I must not be
understood as meaning that this titling is universal
amongst gentlemen ; and, God be thanked, the
wo►ucu of any figure in life do by no means give
into this practice, but abhor it as much as well-bred
women in England, who, in general, no more think
of drinking strong liquors, than they do of drinking
poison."

Last Friday some villains broke i nto the premises of
'Altsbrs Bunting and Francis, tu Norssiche silt(' 31.04:
thoceout some tramanis of