The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-24
NO. 800.
~ uoyTHLY LONDON CORRESPONDENCE.
No IV-Concluded.
TIE CAUCASUS AND ARMENIA.
, ,,,;nuatiOn of the Series entitled Slavery in
10 ''''' Russia

Ia e''''" Russia
LONDON, August, 1854.
..b.r curious race, residing in Armenia,
A1o'lcS szidis. They believe in the same God
are w otbnr Armenians, regard Jesus as the
s. 'aI Cad. and venerate Mary; nevertheless,
Non :. ship the Devil. They are monothe-
tae5 W IGNORANT of the Trinity, know nothing
i'i' , az golv Spirit, and deny the divinity Of
Of 'n' They believe that Satan was the first
Jesus - and most exalted of the archangels
,''t r. 'estseming himself equal to God, he was
ply no.: ~ from the divine presence; neverthe-
au'I :, will be again received into favor. On
g, - .,in day in each year they sacrifice to
81 81 III thirty sheep; at Easter, they sacrifice
' = ooa sheep to Christ, for, they say, he is
aI .;GJ whereas Satan is not so easily pro-
n IT. When the period of Satan's punish
TlulN Ios exnired. and he is restored to his
n'a' vb;ch il the world we inhabit tho
L17i b. believe that he will reward them, as
G'-,- -, reoplcs who have never spoken i'll of
:a' Jay il,i9g his exile from divine favor The
1 -lsvii worshippers," however, are not con-
iI - Armenia. They exist in Siam, and
lac. l.''. rs,.rd Satan az virgin in disgrace,
l S, ,aAy be some day restored to power. They
v, IN him from prudence, lest he should pun
" .ban when rcinstatcd in his grandeur.
. .~Tb,rs INDUCED in traditions, may add
" + p,rsian origin, which arc popular in
". va The beautiful Shireen was beloved
- IN -;yh.7 Persian monarch, Khosref Pur-
y In. she had given her heart to Ferhad.
4.,tb r Shireen was falsely announced to
t r. who. in his grief, precipitated himself
a ,cora.ain, near Erzeroum. The tulip
...l Is oyi,in to the blood of Ferhad, which
~. .rr.nklod on the rocks when he sought n
'..ctarv death. This story resembles that of
; ors9oDc. which sprung from the blood of
al. vhle Venus was weeping for his loss
Z. -, o.lar tradition, the same Khosref Pur-
-. 1. the hero. When MOhammed, the
-. Of Allah, was yet unknown, he offered
!. y --;,sa hjs protection If he would embrace
-, ~, This offer was conveyed in letter,
,b'.t t5s indignant and unbsiieving Khosreff
,s-.y into the Euphrates, on the banks of
s,:.5 riyr he was encamped. Up to that
a.. -, G,ge-s Of Paradise had bloomed in
-, ,r.g barren region but at the increduli-
- ,rl se9rn Of KhosreR, Nature, startled and
i.,s,,I vithered the Flora of the whole dis
80 and tho bounding and exulting river
.l-aBk into its bed; ever since, the land about
u h.. b,ca barren.
iannot inclined to quit this part Of the sub
-. without abiding TO Abgarus, king Of
,sssa ani sovereign Of large portion OF Ar
ma who secording to Eusebius bishop Of
area and the early historian of the Church,
r,,.a letter to Jesus Christ, requesting him
= ,s9li. to Lis court, and cure him Of disease
IL raieh be was sorely afflicted. The letter
Yi-hed by Eusebius was coucheo in the fol
j,.ia, terms: "Abgarus, king Of Odessa, to
>as the Good Saviour, who appeareth IN Je-
~, en-. greeting have been informed con-
--a.ng thea aud thy cures, which are perform
i without the use Of medicines or herbs. For
+ ;;rer0rted that thou dost cause tho blind to
,e the lame 10 walk that thou oOst cleanse
he leaers, and dost cast out unclean spirits
nd devils. and d0st restore to health those who
l.ye been long diseased and, also, that thou
l..t rsiss the dead All which when | heard,
VS. persuaded of one Of these two things
IN that thou art God himself, descended
ror heaven. or that thou art the son Of God.
IN this account, therefore, have written unto
ihs,. earnestly desiring that thou wouldst
t.,-Jle Myself to take Il journey hither, and
that thou wilt also cure me Of the disease under
suif4, For hear that the Jews hold
ih.c in do7isiJn, and intend to do thee harm.
Il. c;.y Is indeed small, but it is sufficient to
:utan Us both
EusehGs lived 10 the fourth century. Moses
dChorJae, who lived ia the following century,
Is repeated this letter, only varying from 1t
ia tie commencement, he writing it thus
iJgAr the son Of Archam." According to
n.-cs, an answer was written by tho apostle,
S. Thomas in these words: Happy art thou,
AtEarus lorasmuch as thou hast believed In
~. sa1m thou hast not roon. For is i'd writ
t-n G. nccrn:ng nc, that those who have seen
me nave no: believed in me, that those who
haze ~; seen mo might believe and live. AS
O. trLt part Of lhY eyistle which relates to my
's!.fs nee ! must inform thee that | must
ina. ..st cal' 4 my mission In this land, and,
-e' that, ta received up again unto Him that
,1a- a-e, lat after my ascension | will send
aae q my disciples who will cure thy disease,
AMI use lie unto thee and all that are with
thee However, though these letters are fre.
4lcnily mentioned by the early historians OF
ia1 thmch, they arc now considered forgeries
% IS e4.i that Jesus sant handkerchief to Alb
cigG5. which HE had pressed against his face,
When it received the impress Of His features
trhce II was called Ierum Icon,n the true
mage and the female saint in the ROrnish
oi,entar Sl'.cta Veronica, is the patroness vi
L!-aners, oycr whose shops her picture is sus-
nied IN p2pal countries.
We Nus; uCw quit the fabulous, The tradi-
-'-at all the apocry phal, and speak of the
.i'sn. Inhabitants of the Caucasus. The
.. 3. Russian antiquarian, GuldenstseJt, has
l'.a1l taem into cla.sos as Gcorgianz, Abba
''5 u'Setn;ans Tehcrkesses, and Kist, and
,'-' asses agG:n into tribes. Another diyi-
'.''' rs Oeen made into Circassians, LaFehians.
.-l--a'anF, h'sti, Georsians and Tatacs.
ac inhabitants of the Western Caucasus,
1A,-l extends from Tic Kouban to Mingyclia.
l1- eliminates in Georgia aIe popularity called
.Slci E q CiTcass.ans, but their nationally
-.'1eelyc hamo Is Atteghei, which signifies a
;1viie living between two seas,n the strict
-f'7a,on being from Ate, defie, and GueR
80. s14. Some trace the Attcghei tribes TO the
''-Lianian Iatars, others to . colony or ran
....fiAs hrabs. Ii is now ascartainodv sovo
~ spencer, who resided in the Cauoas1s
Iat the Polouslan5 and the Koumcniars were
~ -;nis more than subjects of Ciroassian princes
'"''c n. names alone have been recorded in his,
~. Their territOry-Kabiri, CKabardab ac.
ding 20 singularly curious nanuscrint ~ :
. = IN the imperial library at ViennaE;oined
~ ~ c'GHhyFy OF the koumanians, over whom. in
:, probability, the Kabardian princes exercised
. .''ninai sovereignty. Mr.. Spencer SUPPORT
~, US 'lcw by quoting from Ruysbrook. a monk
r.. |-!eIGd over the vast sterpes Of Western
i,- In the nineteenth century. That trav.
:, ,-C; Gays The whole plain was. previously
= ;ne lrTuPnon Of the Mongol Tatars, inhab,
- y me houmanians, who called themselves
. r-it'hat tatars, and we're descended from :
: I ~ Sniei OF that name, tracing their origin
p,r ,;l I. Piano Carpini, who was sent b,
~, !, Innocent R " tCTartary previously to the
"sl' OF Ruysbrook, corroborates this statement
- 'iIag That the Koumani and Poloutsi wer,
sC people, and of common Tatar origin
~. .'a"l, I'd e't, POuloutsi er deserto egreSsi'
-. nyLAntlnes always denominated the in
s- -''.- ~ OF the Western Caucasus "Zychi
s.,3 'Le Greok term for Circassians, and de
Pm ,,oo 'neir settlement as having extended from
'f. t'lqaa the ancient Pythus, along the shore
- piack Sea, to the mouth of the Kouban
'~"S ne precise Territory thew now inhabit.