New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-02-05
srsrazop spAIDrNG,s ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

for his subject The Thousand Years Struggle be-
tween the Crescent and the Cross Notwithstand.
ing the severity Of the weather. quite large audi
enoe assembled, and listened with marked attention
and delight to the remarks of the eloquent and
learned gentleman.
Never, (aid the lecturer, in substance) was there
in the annals Of the worlds history, struggle Of
such DURATION SO terrible in its character and raught
with the dearest interests Of mankind the thousand
years. struggle between Mohamme and Christi
anity.
On the side of the Crescent was everything which
could be arrayed against civilization and humanity
on the side Of the Gross everything dear to those III
terests the fate Of the civilized world hung upon
the issue. $S5 $#34
After this brief introduction, the speaker stated
that he would commence with the first section Of his
lecture the rise of 8ohanmed, man Of no learning
and indeed few quirements Of any sort, but pos
sessed Of considerable natural talent slrewdness and
sagacity. He married a rich widow, and thereby
obtained some advantages which aided him in the
first steps in his future schemes He at this time
began To experience those fits frances in which he
saw those wonderful visions which drew about him
numerous followers
The speaker then related few of the astonishingly
wonderful visions Of the great Prophet amusing the
audience in no small degree thereby.
After some reYerses Of fortune Mohanlmed was ex-
PEELED from Mecca and fled to Modena. His machi-
nations, however soon succeeded in bringing about
him an army Of followers and he returned to Mecca
III triumph. The dea now entered his mind of form
ILL d new creed, and the Koran was written. The
fa1laticism of the hcrdes that gathered about his
standard soon broke loose like torrent and spread
4desolation over the Kingdoms round about. With
the Koran in one hand and the scimetar in the other
the Prophet goes forth conquerng and to conquer
During the entire epoch under consideration the
Crescent prevailed, until Constantinople was held by
its followers and their banners had been carried into
the heart Of France.
u But ct length dissensions among themselves began
the work which finally ended in the downfall of this
colossal power. The cruelties practised upon pous
Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land had planted a
feeling of deep-seated and just hatred throughout
Christendom against the Infdel, which was reused
into fury by the eloquence and enthusiasm Of Peter
the Hermit. The learned lecturer then proceeded to
draw concise and glowing picture Of the great events
and chiValric deeds which marked the period of the
Crusades and which resulted in the capture Of Paes
tine from the grasp Of Mohammedanism. But, not
withsanding the deeds Of yalor performed by CGnr de
Leon and other heroes Of the crusading forces the
kingdom Of Jerusalem was not destined to remain in
the hands Of the Christian warriors. But far more
important result than the possession Of Palestine had
been attained by the Crusaders the spirit and enthu
siasrn Of Mohammedanisfn was checked its prestige
gone and the disciple Of anatcism was proved to be
no match for the soldier Of God.
The Speaker proceeded to state that at the close of
each Of the epochs he had noted might be remarked
nf HHnho ADAM
Of the Crescent, and then sudden rekindIng. The
conquests Of Baazet preserved Constantinople for
certain period, but at length it fell before Mohanmed
and the Crescent waved over the city Of Constan
tine, and again fell the last barrier between the Inf
del and the cities ofEnrope Mohamnled Ii lost no
time in following in the steps of his predecessor, and
began to push his conquests. But the ancient enthu
sasm Of the defenders of the Cross had suffered no
and there followed series of bloody bat
Ties and seges duly recorded in the history of those
times. The obstinaey and valor of the combatants |
led to no decisive results until the occurrence of two
distinct events which tended more directly towards
breaking the power Of Mohammedanis than anything
that had gone before.
For period Of nearly 500 years the Moslem had
held dominion over the fairest portion of Span and
the Christian groaned under his crushing oppression.
at length prevailed and the hated disciples of No
manned were driven from Granada their last hold
upon Europe.
Upon the Mediterranean the power of the Turk
had become apparently omnpotent. His corsairs
swept the sea, levying tribute upon every Christian
vessel and making captives for slavery from every
Christian port In vain the Pope appealed to Chris
tendon to forget domestic broils, and make common
Of discord successfully; the work of dssenton was
complete. But a few small States furnished their
forces, and the fleets of the Inde were met and
INITIATED of Lepanto while the battles ragged on the
sea- the Holy Pont poured out his soul in prayer for
the success Of the Christian arms. That prayer was
answered $50 ships of the turkish feet were taken
or destroyed and about $4,000 men killed and taken
while large number Of Christian captves lib
Grated. Never in the annals of naval warfare had
such complete victory been recorded.
So late as 1858 the Turk perceiving the condition
to which Europe had become reduced by intestine
disorders and dissentions had again issued from his
stronghold, and, with fire and sword, penetrated into
the heart Of Austria and sat down before the walls of
Vienna. Leopold and the royal family fled in terror
at the approach of the barbarian hordes The Pope
called in vain upon the states of Europe to unite
against Tile COMMON enemy. IQeTe was DuG one
brave and gallant heart that responded to the call
| the chivalrous, highsouled hero, John Sobeski.
When, by fatigue and famine the garrison of Vienna
had been reduced to almost utter helpessness and
despair and the Turk awaited with careless certainty
the surrender Of the city his brave followers suddenly
appeared to the astonished besiegers and fell upon
| them with fury which scattered them as chaff be-
| fore the tempest The proud invaders, flushed with
triumph, became panic-strichen fugtves and did not
cease their flight until they found refuge within the
| walls of Corstantinople. .#G. 5
This was the finishing blow to the power Of Mo
hammedanism in Europe. 1t closed the struggle of {
thousand years between the Crescent and the Gross
If, said the lecturer, in conclusion, we enjoy all tn
| blessings derivable from civilization, free govern
ments and the various attributes and effects of Chris
tianity, we owe it to the strong arms and darins
hearts that met and stayed the tide of barbarism AM
fanaticism which threatened to deluge the civilze
world. Honor to the brave men, but for whose deed
1 of valor we might even now be bowed beneath tn
| yoke Of Mohammedanism.
Il
! The Coin SNAp.-Prof. E. Merriam, of Brooklyn
N. T. has, for any time during the last two or thre
years, served as meteorological and thermometrics
chronicle to the citizens of New York, Brooklyn an
Williamsburg, informing them concerning the exa'
statistics of the heated periodn and the particuls
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