The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-10
w AR IN = Ia.
Destruction Of the Christians-Safetyo OF the
American Missionaries.


American Missionaries.
The Boston Congregationaiis'p puoiishes let
ters from Mt Lebanon, Syria, giving an ac-
count of the civil war ana massacre OF Chris-
trians which is being waged there. The Chris
tians or Maronites number 50,0oi, the Druses
1iuugo. The writer is one of the teachers of a
female seminary there. The letter says
The long tn reateDed war has commenced.-
The first battle is now raging. Reit Miry
three hours from Beirut and four hours from
rs is the scene of action. The firing is dis
tinctly heard here. Our own village is well
nigh frantic. The men have flown 10 arms
The women are constantly flocking 10 Rev. ID.
Bliss house, where we and our school are also
temporarily stationed. Weeping, breathless
mothers are begging protection for their babes.
Excited, armed men are rushing in and out OF
the court People OF all ages and classes are
bringing every description of yaluables and
asking tor hidden corner in which TO STOW
them away. The panic Is increasing. The
black, threatening clouds are hvid with the
fires kindled in more than one village
About an hour after sunrise the Druses from
Aiteth started to make war on The villages In
the valley below us Down, down the noun
tains they rushed like so many Jaekais TO their
prev. singing their odious war songs and Hiring
guns, AS If all the world were having a gaia
day The Christians fled before them. We
watched the progress of the marauders, and
our blood ran cold as We saw village after VIII
lage pIuudsred and burned by the ruthless
maraaders-
By noon ten villages were on fire. The air
was filled with smoke, which entirely OBJ
scared the city and finally nearly all the pros
pect before us. Then we saw who was really
trusted. who was sought in time of distress,
The churches and priests were torsaken. but
from the surrounding towns the people fiocked
together and only asked to be admitted within
the missionaries gate, and they felt safe.
AS the day wanes the spoilers are returning.
One is driving thrifty pair of oxen before
him-his share of the booty. Another bends
80 o. sE hadd hsrl
tugs up the mountain with huge brass ket-
tle--and still they come. We are hourly ex-
pec'ing our ever vigiiant Consul, J. Augustus
Johnson. Esq, will send guard to take US to
the city.
The reports from Abeih and Oar ell Kamor
are thrilling alarming. Provisions have
failed. The roads 10 he wheat market are
bloekaded by the Drnsrs. In neither place
has there been any engagement, but private
dispatches say "the people will fight rather
than starve."
THURSDAY MoRNINa.-Reports are pouring
in from all directions. Everywhere in this
region the Christians are fleeing, the Druses
numbering, burning, stealing. In other quar-
ters the order is reversed. Turkish troops
sent up TO quell the disturbances have joined
the Druses. In one or two dis tricts the Chris
tIans are commanded by brave leaders but as
a rule there IL no order, no union OF action
among them. Mr.. Hurter Mr.. Jessup and
witeand the guard, arrived in Suk about noon.
As many of us rs could be provided with ami
mails came down 10 the city. The pupils took
turns riding and walking. A motley troop of
natives joined our company. Many of The
women wore two or thrse dresses, that being
the easiest way of carrying them.
More than one converted her outer frock In
TO "A bag, Ill which was slowed bread, shoes,
clothing, any thing that could be caught up in
the haste Of ofdeparture. We took it more lei
surely, and brought with us our trunks and
travelling bags. Little children, seven or
eight years old, joined the march, with many
OF larger gro with. Men shouldered their
muskets, their boys or their beds, and carried
their red pointed toed shoes III their hands
We could hardly repress our tears at the sight
of these people thus leaving house and home,
TO return perhaps never.
A correspondent. of the Boston Traveller
writing from Beirut under date of June
gives an account of the civil war raging near
that city. He says:
DruseS and Chris stians numbering UNI dreds
OF thousands, are now engaged in wholesale
murder, arson aud piliage, In which hendish
work they are aided by Turks, Moslem rabs
and the people known as the Metawalies.
From my window las week counted from
twenty tc thirty burning villages upon the
mountains a few miles from Beirut, from
whence the flash of musketry may easily
be seen, and the yolleys heard one at
ter another in rapid succession, as they
echo through the valleys. The dying and
the dead are brought daily in to the town
in large numbers, and the widows and the or
phans may be seen in great crowds weeping
and wailing about the streets. The barbarity
of this war is truly checking. Men, women
and children are oyertaken while fleeing for
refuge and without arms, aud ruthlessly
slaughtered while praying for quarter.
The Christi have thus TAR sut tfered most
terribly. Their villages have been burned
their crops destroyed, and great numbers have
been brutally murdered, while The Druses,
who are better warriors and far more couTa-
geous, are assisted by the Turks, Noslems and
Metawalies, and up 10 this time have proved
successful
This bloody war, which is waged on both
sides as a war of ex termination, has its origin
in religion and political causes. The Christ
iaus and Druses hate each other with a deadly
hatred on account of the difference in their re-
ligious taith-and The Christians hate the
Druses with a special hatred, because the
Drnses are, in great many of the mountain
Christian districts, feudal chiefs and rulers
over the Christ tians or Maronlte and Greek
Catholic villages.
The American missionaries in Mount Leba-
non have been greatly exposed, but as yet have
suffered only for want of provisions.
Upon the breaking out OF the war, Mr.. Con-
sui Johnson sent guards for their protection,
and in some cases provisions. Some of the
families of the Missions have come down to
Beirut under an escort furnished by the Con.
sui and others are daily expected. No dagger
personal TO the Americans i'll Mount Lebanon
Is apprehended rs they are well known and
we'll pro tected but their work is stopped by
the war. their houses become asylums for the
wounded and the fearful; in fact, they are
crowded out by the people who seek their pro-
lection; for wherever the American flag is
seen waving on the housetop, the people flock
in great numbers for admission.
The humanity shown by the Americans in
Beirut TO the wounded, the homeless and the
starving refugees from the mountains will
long be remembered by the natives of the
country.
The American Mission premises are crowd
ed day and night by women and children cry
ing Ior bread, which they receive with com.
fort and consolation from the American mis-
slonaries. Information is daily received of
fresh cases of the most horrible buIchery of
Nhrtu fl.x
Druses and Moslems were leagued to exter-
inmate them, root and branch.
inns morning we learn OF a large number of
peasantry having been induced to return TO
cold blood, and of the murder of five ecclesi-
astics OF the Latin Church, who were shot
down near the walls of Sidon
The success OF the Druses has undoub btedly
stirred up all the Meslem hostility TO Chris
tians, and general insurrection seems TO be
trembling in the balance. The presence of
Russian Irigate of thirty guns gives the feel
ing of security to the Frank population of
Beirut, and the expected arrival of French
fleet is generally hailed with delight
The absence of an American vessel of war is
deeply regretted at this time. The United
States steamer Iroq uois is somewhere in the
Mediterranean sea, but 1t is supposed she Is
detained at Sicily.
MARsEILLEs, June 20, Is60.-According to
advices received here from Syria, thirty six
villages had been burnt on Mount Lebanon
The Turkish Governor had sent some forces
TO Oar Ell kamor, in order to put a stop to the
attacks OF the D-uses on that locality. At
oaiol, however, the Turkish soldiers are said
TO nave supported the Druses, and to have
participated in the massac re Of the Christians
The French Consul at Saidi is reported TO
have entrenched himself within the encients of
the Khan, with all the Europeans A French
vessel was expected.
Fresh advices announced the commission NJ
murders and burnings by Bashi Bazouks
ALEXANDRIA, (yia Marseilles,) June II, go.