, 1860-07-19

Further accounts confirm the narTRtives Of
atrocities committed by the contending religi-
ous factions in Asia Niror. The Deyrout cor
respondence Of the London Aeus mentions
massacre Of over 800 Christians BIZ the Turks
in Sidon on June 1st. a Christian town called
Rashagis VAS assaulted June 5tb, md the Turks
refusing to protect the Christians, the latter
n<orfy 600 in num5er-were slaughtered, the
women being subjected to shocking indignities
Other similar scenes had occurred. The Turk
ish authorities, except ia ! few instances, made
no attempt to protect the Christians, while they
extended encouragement to the Druscs-the
latter being the tribe which is prominent in the
attacks on the Christians. OF the population
concerned in this terrible contest, the Philadel-
phia North american gives the following inter-
esting particulars:
The Maronites, Tor Christians Of the Leba-
noc), SO named after their first D shop, john
Marx, are heretics. They are Unitat,aus who
seeded from the Greek Church, and adopted
the doctrine Of the Unity Of God, in the seventh
by the Council Of Constansinople in the year
ESQ. This condemnation was removed when
ther, 1lS2, renounced the opinions Of Meaothe-
litee; they were then admitted within the pale
Of the Romish Church, but were induced to &C.
knowledge the supremacy Of the Pope only On
condition that their religious teoets and rights
should be allowed 10 remain uualtered. they
are, therefore, at the best, only doubtful mem
be-s Of the Romish Church; but neither their
number por their influence entities them to
much consideration in political point Of view.
The, are still nomlnally connected with Rome;
FOR tho Pope pays the expense Of their public
worship, and ma.ntains college at Rome tor
ff,a n3t1rntfof1 1f THAR rrfns$r Hu al Enu +ha
privilege Of CONFIRMING. but not Of nominating
their patriarch. The other Christians to be mel
with in Syria are OF various creeds, but princi
paily Greek and Armenian, the Latin Catholics
being more numerous ut Jerusalem.
The Uruses. though not the most numerous.
are the most warlike Of the tribes that inhabit
1he Lebanon. Occupying alt the southern por-
tioa and the western slope, they have upwards
Of forty large towns and villages, inhablttd ex-
clusively by themselves, and nearly Two hum
dred and tairty villages occupied by mixed
population Of Druses and Christians; whilst ia
anti Lebanon tley are possessed ,a2 Of nearly
eighty exclusively Druse villages. The nature
Of their couatry affords them every means of
security from invasion. They are industrious
aud enterpr sing, and hare brought their land
into high state Of cultivation. But they have
no religion nor moral precepts to guide them.
Such religion as they bare Is mystery unfath-
omahle even by themselves: known, or sup
Nothing certain has been asceftained rs to
the origin Of this singular people. Dy some it
has been cor lectured that they were originally
prosecuted set Of Mohammedaue, who, flying
from oppression about tie beginning Of the
eleventh century, took refuge among the noun
tains Of Lebanon; their modern tendency to
sympsthize With the Turks against the Christ
ians, on all occasions, corroborates this theory.
On the other hand, recent writer, Mr. George
Washington Chasseaud, a native Of ejrout,
and who is perfectly familiar with the country,
hhying devoted much time to The study Of its
states il IS hts opinion shat tbs Drltees nre the
descendants Of the ancient Uirites, who we're
not driven out OF Canaan By the Israelites, but
we're permitted to dwell in Lebanon. He says
there is no plausible reason Why they should
mt b. the descendants Of the uivites, whom
heing thorus in the side Of their nelghbors.-
Nolney deduced The Druses from the disciples
Of the mud Caliph uakem Blamksllah, who, iu
the year 996, pretended that be vas IN incarna.
tion ot the Deity.
These fanatics were driven By the true be-
levers into the Businesses Of Lebanon. where
theyFuccsssful1y resisted alike the attempts of
Caltch., Sultans, Crusaders and Mame!ukes 10
dislodge them, until tue gear 1850, when oultan
Amurui / II. suhdued Them, aud made them trib.
ntary. Their famous chief, Fakir-ei. din, gain
cd great influence ind power soon after that
erent, but he YVES eventually taken prisoner sud
straugIed by order of Amurath, at Constant.
nople, in the year 1881. After Fakir. Fl, din's
death the government Of the Qrlses was cou-
flied 10 vsssala OF the Porte, and they are now
governed by an etnir or prince elected bs them.
selres, but approved bg the Turkish govern
ment.
1he Druses practice neither circumcision,
praying nor fusting. Tbey drink wine, eat polk,
! ind allow marriages between brothers and sia-
tera They are therefore, clearly neither Ma.