Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-08-26
The CruSaieS.

friends and patrons, to furnish our readers
with brief dissertations upon some historical
subject. Yielding to their wishes, we shall
from time to time, select some topic from
the pages of the past which we think would
interest and instruct our readers.
Prominent upon the page of recorded
events, stands the chronicle of the Crusade
war, and flling spacious nook in historic
lore.
AT the beginning of the eleventh century.
pilgrims from England and GERMANY, con.
sisting mostly Of women and boys, departed
for the Holy Land. They had no object in
view, except to behold the sepucher of their
Saviour. few individuals, starting from
their own cheerful homes, as they Jour-
neyed along, their number was gradually
increased until more than seven thousand
were vending their slow and wearied stems
to the spot where once rested the Son oe
God. After meeting and surmount,np in
Vulnerable obstacles many suffering and
dying 10y the way side remnant of that
Christian band reached their journeys end.
we consider this The only Christian band haf
made crusade to The tomb Of Christ.
Upon reaching this long looked for and
long prayed-for holy ground, they were re-
fused admittance into the city. Gricved
and enraged at this unparalleled breach OF
Christian courtesy, they turned their steps
towards their homes, giving vent to their
rage with lond cries O, revenge. thu,
violating the very first precept taught by
that same Saviour, whose empty sepulcher
had drawn them to Jerusalem.
AT this time all Europe was conyulsed.
The people had no government, and there
fore no protection. Princes and Potentates
were waging war against each others
provinces, and blood and carnage were the
~atchwords If the people of the eleventh
century. During such unstable and turbu-
lent times few of the Pilgrims arrived from
ASIA, aud told their pitiful tale to eager and
listening ears. The greater portion of their
numbers had laid their bones upon Asia's
soil, dying martyrs for the cause of
Christ. The story of the returned sufferers
gave new turn to the warliKe spirits of
Europe, and ceasing the ravage of their own
soil, they joined together as with one mind
to resent the wrongs done their country
men, and to snatch the tomb of our Savior
from the hands of the infdel. Peter the
Hermit, an old man who had spent long
Life among the wild beasts of the forests.
then came forward and aroused the people
to action. 1t is estimated .that above six
million human beings, headed by this crazy
and undisciplined hermit, departed for Je-
rusalem. They consisted in part of licen-
tious proaigates and abandoned women,
who, without principles and without morals,
ravaged and laid waste the whole country
through which they passed. Sacking cities
and villages; ravishing innocent females and
cruelty putting them to death tortuilng old
and helpless men, and horribly massacreing
the infant offspring Of murdered mothers. |
1t was thought that the gates of hell were
unbarred, and the inmates of perdition
grown reckless and lnhuman by thousand
years. Imprisonment with the evil one, were
low overspreading the land, crying lor
for vengeance. But this mass Of putriS =
were destined to be overcome and var.e -,
ed. The Hungarians slaughtered IT,
OF them, in frequent skirmishes, Def -
reached Constantinople, and in 'ne
gress through Asia, they tell in pr
quest to the powo rful armies O. a, Son
After this bloody termina.
unrighteous crusade, an a. %
dred thousand armed war - &c -an
by kings and princes, ,robad :" .h 1
where the whole wor] 60, :. 'ue p'ao'
gregating. After te' rife and hloodr ;. ta
snrr.naa..a 81 the city of Jerusalem
~. ~ t of the vast army thai
tho,.oaa 49," this Crusade, only thirty
~ -, ed the gates of Jerusalem
,ne ureaaiU massacre caused the blood q,
nv ":a pollute the sacred streets OF
A new government was immedi.
~ .blished, and, it is said, the "king.
Jerusalem fourished.o But the
lers were not content with having
-, summated their lostenslble purpose in
lie formation of that mighty army; they
still continued to wage war upon nei ghbor-
ing provinces, thus proving conclusively
that the rending of the sepulchre of our
Saviour from infdcl hands was but a sec-
ondary object. 1t was the love of CONQUEST
which prompted that Crusade, and the world
| will yet acknowledge the fact.
In the year 1887, Saladin wrested the
kingdom of Jerusalem from the Christians.
treating them with marked respect and
kindness. Again other crusades caused a
surrender of the city into the hands of the
Christians. Crusade upon crusade follow
ed, each one whitening the fields of Asia
with the bones of CHI istians. We have not
time nor space to follow each crusade
through its bloody warfare.
We come now to the question, what good
mas ever been done by the Crusades He
whose life was living example of the yir-
tues OF peace, dying and entombed, caused
more blood to flow than would float the en-
tire novies Of the world This fact. la
mentable as it may seem, is nevertheless
true. His empty sepulchre has caused
Crnsades, comprising millions of human
beings, to rend the sacred streets of Jeru-
salem from the enemies of Christ, and Il he.s
oyeraowed her walls with human gore, and
II. Al