Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-07-01
history Of the Holy shriass.

IN a foreign paper we find a history Of the holy
shrines the possession of which IS SAID TO De the
chief cause of dispute between Russia and Turkey.
From this account learn that the sanctuaries or
churches built the site of the great miracles OF
the Redemption were founded by ST Helena anu
her son. Constantine the Great: Ihey were oes-
troyed by the sovereign of Persia In Ola, reestap
lished bY the Emperor Heraclius, and some years
after were taken possession of, by the Kallf Omar
who permitted the faithful to have access to them
They were subsequently destroyed by Amurath, and
re- established by his mother Mary christian, IN
1909. About the middle of the fourteenth century
Robert King of Sicily, purchased from the Soldan
of Egypt the sanctuaries, and placed them under
the guardianship of the Franciscan monks. in the
beginning of the sixteenth century, the Holy Land
was conquered by Selm, and the treaty between his
successor and Francis |. placed under the protec-
ton of the crown of France the Holy places as well
as the monks who guarded them.
In 1857 serious collision took place between the
Greeks and Latins in consequence OF some creek
pilgrims having pillaged the Latin convent at jana
Complaints were made to the Divan, and after some
patient hearing Of the matter, the Latlns were ex-
pelled from the Church of the Tomb Of the Virgin
and that of Bethlehem and the holy Sepulchre and
other sanctuaries were placed under the guardian
ship of the Greek monks. From this time the La
tins gradually lost the prerogatves they had preVl
ously possessed. 49,,
new cause of dissension in 1908. The
Holy Sepulcbre partly consumed by fire The
Greeks claimed and obtained from the Porte the
right 10 reDullu the Gu pola Vi TUE IHuIC; anu nav
ing done 50, they claimed additional prerogatives ;
but their architect accused of having intention
ally destroyed the tomb of the kings of Jerusalem
that had been preserved in the church, and OF
having used the materials in the construction OF the
new cnpola. Since then disputes have been fire.
q rent between the Latins and the Greeks and even
the Armenians profted by their dissensons and the
cupdity of the Mussulmans, and purchased from
the Porte the enjoyment of privileges which inter
fered with both. To put an end to these troubles
an understanding was come to by Louis XVIII, who
acted on the ground of his being the hereditary
protector of the Catholics of the East and the
Emperor Alexander, who acted as & the sovereign
of the greater number of the followers of the Greek
church, to endeavor to obtain some arrangement
from the Porte, which: under the combined guaran-
tee of the three powers, might put an end to the
constant disputes between the Greeks and Latins,
might define the prerogatives and establish q COM
mon enjoyment Negotiations were opened, and
the two agents one in behalf Of the French gov
eminent, and other in behalf of the Russian gov
ernment sent to jerusalem to collect informa-
ton upon the subject They returned with infor-
nation which led to the hope of attaining salts
factory conclusion, when the negotiations were In
terrupted by the Greek revolution which broke out
in 1921. The struggle for independence which fol-
lowed and the agitation which survived even the
battle of Havarino prevented the governments from
resuming these negotiations.