Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-08-10
THE MASSACRE IN SYRIA.

Ne DGJtV0t SoatNof -
London Daily News, writing July ],
gives sorBe thrilhng details respecting the
massscres, from which We copy the fol-
lowing;--
"More than 5000 widows who, until
this Druse campaign, were happy wives
and mothers, have lost their husbands,
fathers, brothers, and al male relatives,
even to the male infant at the breast, and
1000 children are now orphans. More
over, fifty millions sterling would not pay !
for the towns, villages, hamlets, and silk
factories destroyed throughout the noun
tain--all the property of the Christians.
There is besides fearfully long list Of
converts, churches and nunneries belong
ing to the same people, all OF which have
been plundered and then destroyed by
the Druses. In short, what commenced
as civil war between the two sects can
no longer be called by that name. For
the last twenty days it has been nothing
less than a wholesale massacre Of Chris
sians by the Druses, and a wanton de-
struction by the latter of all property be-
longing to the former.
One poor woman-I knew both her
husband and herself well at Deir-el-Ka-
mar, where they were wealthy people
told me that when the Druses attacked
the town the second time, Il should men
ton that it had surrendered and all the
inhabitants had given up their arms some
"a days previously to the Druses, and
had been promised protection by their
sheiks) her husband was hacked to pie
ees before her eyes with their large
knives by the Drnses, who then declared
they must kill all male children in the
house. The mother tried to hide her two
sons, the one fifteen, the other nine years
old. The Druses, however, found them
out. She begged and prayed for their
lives, and endeavored to cover them in a
corner with her person; but the Druses
hacked ct the lads over her shoulder, and
gashed them until they both dropped
down apparently lifeless. The Drusei
then made of, and the woman, thinkin!
her two boys dead, remained in a sort 0
stupor for two hours, so far as she car
calculate. At last she was reused b,
hearing the eldest lad call her in fain
voice, trying to assure her that he was no
yet dead. On this she felt the body 0
the youngest boy, and found his hear
heating. She got some water, and afte
giving it to both her ehildren-so far a
she could get them to drink it--starte
into town to see whether she could pre-
cure assistance to get herself and he
boys away. She got as far as the seralit
or government house, but there she foun
that some 500 Christians, who had take
refuge, were being cut to pieces by tn
Druses, who had been invited to ente
the precincts Of the buildings by the Tui
kish soldiers Of the garrison, these latte
helping in tue buichery, and being so {,
worse than the Druses that they abuse
in the most infamous manner all the W
men. Seeing no help could be obtaint
here, the poor woman turned TO fly, whit
she came across an old Druse who b
formerly been farm servant Of her hu
band.
After a good deal Of ertreaty on b
part the man consented TO protect her a
her children down to the sea coast, abe
four hours journey, on condition of
eeiving an order on her brother, we
thy man at Beyrout, for ten thousand
Astres. To this she agreed, and they
turned together 10 her house. She
not been absent more than an hour,
she found her two children cut into .
ces, joint by joint, limb and trunk sew
ed TO use her words) as butchers
up sheep -heads, legs, arms, and bod
being backed up into shapeless mass
bloody flesh and reeking bones.
Some other poor women then JON
her, and together they made their v
to a mulberry plantation outside the to-
where they passed the night. At
break they were discovered by party
Druses, who, after stripping them to
they had no money on their persons,
taking away what little they possess
told them they might 60 where they iii
-Four Of the poor creatures had bah
all under a year old. OF these inf
two were girls and two boys; the forr
they did not touch, but the latter t
said might grow up to be men and b
arms against the Druses. They th,
fore took the poor little creatures,
before their mothers eyes, tore them
the middle and limb by limb exac
10 use the poor woman's own express