The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-21
THE DAMASCUS MASSACRES

LETTER FROM ADD -EL-KADER.
A letter from Marseilles of the Sd inst announce,
the arrival there by the mail steamboat Mersey of
the Pere Esteve, superior of the missionaries in
Syria. lie has come to France to give account
to the French Government of the massacres and
plunder which have taken place in the Lebanon
He states that at Damascus alone more than 5000
CHRISTIANS have been put to death. The number of
STrin S,Srms TO- Mahomedan fanaticism throughout
SYRIA amounts tn from Is 900 to l6 600
A letter from Abd-el Kader himself pives us tho
most authentic account yet received of the massa
cres at Damascus. The Emr writes to tL,. mana-
gers OF the silk works at Krey:
DAMASCUS, 9th Zilhege 1870 (JuIy lSl
"Dear and honored friends:-I greatly desire To
see you, and pray Allah to preserve you. have
received your honored letter, dated july 49, in.
curing what happened to the Christians at Damas.
Gus. In answer, you are informed that on Monday
July =, at about in the afternoon the war broke q
out, in consequence of punishment inflicted nnon
a. few Mussulmans who had insuted the Christians.
These Mussulmans, in state of frenzy rushed,
armed to the teeth, to the Christian quarter, and
Degan T TSiayng burning and pillaging at the same
time The Turkish soldiers came to assist them
under the pretence of putting end to the dstur-
oance, but making common cause with the rioters
ana killing, robbing, and plundering with them
a lew old Mussulmans made efforts to stop the bns
ness but the Turkish officers had no wish for peace
and, on the contrary, bounded on their soldiers
against the unfortunate Christians, the soldiers
being aided by hordes of punderers belonging to
every sect. Seeing matters were so desperate 7
lost no time in taking under nv protection these
unfortunate Christians. sailed forth, taking nv
Algrines with me, and were able to save the
lives OF men, women and children, and bring them
home with u.s.
This state of things lasted Monday and Tuesday.
during which the rioters did not cease to kill burn
and immediate the Christians, without the Governor
a1ordlng them any help. | sent for NJ. Lanusse
the French Consul, and other Frenchmen, to pro-
tect them from the fury of the mob. On the We'd
nesday, under the pretence of two Mussulmans hay-
ing been found murdered, which was not the case
the war recommended. Yet Damascus has Gov
ernor; but it is the same thing if it had not one
For me, deplore the disaster which has befallen
the Christians. The places where their housps
stood cannot be recognized; all their dwellings, are
reduced to ashes. The number killed is not vat
known, but 1t is estimated at $780, All the Enro-
peans ana CHRISTIANS have collected are in safety
III my house. provide them with all they want
and pray Allah to save the unfortunate Christians
from those fanatics
"ABD-EL-KADER-BEN MAHI-EpDIN.n
Inc Hon,teur says:
Inc Emperor, wishing to give Add elk ader a
token of the sentiments which his noble eonduct Of
damascus has inspired, has conferred on him the
urand Gross OF the Legion of Honor.
NATIONAL GYMNAsTIcAL CONVENTIONAL circu.
lar mas oeen issued from Chicago, announcing that
a grand American Gymnastic Tournament will be
Ielu I IN that city during the week, commencing
IN, 1861, and inviting all gymnasts of the
United States and Canada TO be present on the oc,
casion. One thousand dollars in gold will he dis
triDuted IN prizes as follows 5000 ''to tine best gen.
rai gymnast; Sloo to the strongest man; $500 to
the best combination of three or more mon IN
grouping, posturing, &C.; SlOO to the fastest run
ner OF one mile on the circular track; and $50 each
10 the oest performers respectively on the horizon
!al par on the suspended rings the parallel, on
with the fois. 'O'''' "no
: SPiRlrGAL PIc-NIo.-On Thursday last the Spi-
rltualists of New York and vicinity held nj nc.p;c
at Fort Lee. There were about six hundred per
sons present, only one hundred being of the mascn
line gender Confusion, wrangling, ETHEREAL fights
a., ana metaphysical opaqueness were the order of
tne occasion. reporter of the New York CONNER
c,at Advertiser said that the best Communications
"The Cottage by the Sea-" "'' S"'s