Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-04-05

Causes ofthePresent War in the EaS1
Among the Roman Catholics and
members Of the Greek Church there
has ever been a great, even a super
stitious regard for the Holy Land
and in particular for places deemed
specially holy, for example, the pla
ces of Christ's birth and tomb
Over each, as it is supposed, a church
is erected to commemorate the event
There are eight, so-called "Holy pla'
ces;" but the church where was the
stable at Bethlehem with silver
star hung, good Catholics and Greeks
think, over the precise spot of the
Saviour's birth; and the church built
by the Empress Helena ever the
supposed place Of his tomb, are con-
sidered peculiarly sacred. The Ro:
man Catholic and Greek churches
we're undivided until A. D. 862.-
Hence, up to that time, Greek and
Latin Christians together visited the
Holy Land, though the Western ma
tions even before that time had some
difficulty in making their pilgrimages
to those sacred places, for the Sara
Gems came into possession. of them
in 637, yet as the Greeks were SO
near by, and were yet powerful they
had privileges not accorded to the
Latins.
These difficulties increased more
and more, and the hardships endured
by Western pilgrims became intolera-
BILE; so much so, that in 1896 the
Crusades began on the part of the
Papal powers to obtain an open door
for their pilgrims to the Holy Land,
and to wrest Jerusalem from the In
| fidels.
AS is we'll known, the Latins took
Palestine, and held it eighty years;
yet the Crusades continued one hun.
dred and twenty years after.
After the Turks took Palestine
| from the Saracens, the Christian Pill
grims suffered yet more. Even the
Greeks, after the sall Of Constanti-
nople, in 1853, Jared badly at their
hands, but less so than the Occiden-
tails.
Francis l., in 1882, on the part Of
the Catholics, made a treaty with
the Sultan, securing to them certain
privileges. This was the commence.
ment of negotiations. After which,
France and Austria constantly In
sisted on She rights of the Roman
Catholics. The Greeks, however
having no powerful patron to plead
for them at the court of the Sultan,
we're entirely at the mercy of the
Turk, until some seventy or eighty
years ago, when Russia beganto to loom
up among the powers Of Europe.-
Treaties we're made at Rutschuk'
Kanairrgi, and Bucharest, concedlng
certain privileges to the Greek
Church, both in Russia and Turkey
In 1929 Russia made a more impor'
tant treaty with Turkey at Adrian
ople.
In the meantime, up to lS47, tht
churches at the Holy places, on ths
holidays, presented scenes of the
most horrible strife and violence
The Turkish Governments had to in
terfere and regulate matters. Some
times the Greeks and Latins wer'
/ required to take their turns, and g
in day abou. or on different parts Q
the same day. Yet Turkish guard
and scimeters could not prevent th'
most disgraceful collisions between
those who came to places deemed sa
cred, because once occupied by TIT
Prince of Peace. In the height o
this Christian strife, the silver-sta
that overbung the place Of the man
ger where Jesus laid was stolen. Th
Greeks blamed the Latins with tn
theft, and the Latins charged it Of
the Greeks. -.
/ In this state OF affairs, France, tn
never-failing friend of the Papacy
sent for this sole purpose an extra
ordinary ambassador to the Subllm
Porte, who succeeded in obtaining
. grant of special 4favors to all Roma
f Catholic pilgrims to the Holy Cit,
Russia learning this, sent an enyo,
} who ir turn obtained special priv
leges for the Greeks
France, dissatisfied with tn
treaty, Immediately dispatched y
Layalette, envoy extraordinary
f Turkey, with a ninety-gun ship
t menace the Porte in order to procul
terms yet more favorable TO- Cath'