Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-07-14
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ne eastern Correspondent OF the Boston
Traveller under date Of Beirut, Syria, June 9th,
1860, writes that Syria is now the scene Of one
Of the most sanguinary conflicts ever enacted in
the land which has ever been the battle Geld Of
the old world--and Mount Lebanon is now one
vast funeral pile. Letters from Syria published
in the CoDgregatiouaist state that the long
threatened war has commenced, and confirm the
the Travellers account of the terrible condition
tract as follows: .......
Druses and Christians, numbering hun.
dreds of thousands, are now engaged in
wholesale murder, arson and pillage, in
hich Gendish work they are aided by Turks,
Mosem Arabs, and the people known as
the Metawalies.
From my window last week l counted
from twenty to thirty burning villages upon
the mountain few miles from Beirut, from
whence the fash of musketry may easily be
seen and the volleys heard one after an
other in rapid succession, as they echo
through the valleys. The dying aud the
dead are brought daily into the town in
large numbers, and the widows and orphans
may be seen in great crowds weeping and
wailng about the streets.
The barbarity of this war is truly shock.
ing. Men, woman, and children are over
taken while fleeing for refuge and without
arms, and ruthlessly slaughtered while pray.
ing for quater.
The Christians have thus far suffered
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 courageous, are assisted by the Turks,
Moslems and Metawalies, and up to this
time have proved successful
This bloody war which was waged on both
sides as war of determination, has its
origin in religious and political causes
The Christians and Druses hate each other
with a deadly hatred on account of the diff
ference in their religions faith-and the
Christians hate the Druses with special
hatred because the Druses are in great
many of the mountain christian districts
feudal chiefs and rulers over the Christian
or Msronte and Greek Catholic villages.
The more immediate cause of the war may
be traced to the bloody feuds existing be.
tween Druse and Christian tribes. Last
summer at Bait Marri quarrel arose
which threatened to precipitate war in
which the Maronite Christians were victori
ous, having repulsed the Druses killed forty
or more while their own loss was less than
one third OF that number. Although peace
was then declared, the DruSes have since
assassnated every Christian who came il
their way, with an evident determination tc
make the number of the Maronite loss equa
to that of the Druses. This aroused the
Christians and so exasperated them that
they made an attack upon several DruSe
villages. A first they were successful bu
relying upon numbers they neglected to ap
point leaders or to form any plan for the
campaign, consequently, the Druses rallied
under their warrior chiefs and burned every
Maronite and Christian village within theiI
reach The provincial authorizes pronOunc
ed the invading party-the ChristiaDs-tt
be rebels, and the Governor General pro
ceeded with all his available force ostht
mountains, and brought his cannon to bea>
upon the Christians checking them at every
turn, while the Druses, aided by the sol
diery, carried on their work of pillage anC
murder in shameful manner.
Denounced as traitors and rebels, the
homes having been burned, their crops des
troyed, and in some cases their famile
butcherd, the christians are rallying for tho
forlorn hope for they feel that the Druses
thus aided will endevor to exterminatC
them. This however, will not be an easy
matter, as the Maronite Greeks and Greel
Catholics numbering about two hundred
fifty thousand, and if, as they hope anC
daily expect, the European powers vii
come to their aid, they may not only b,
saved, but greatly improve their condition
by being placed under the rule OF European
prince who may be placed over the govern
ment of Syria.
| The American missionaries in Noun
Lebanon have been greatly exposed, but a
yet have suffered only for the want Of pro
visions.
Upon the breaking out Of the war, Mr.
Counsal johnson sent guards for their pro
lection, and in some cases provisions. Som
OF the families of the Mission have com
down to Beirut under an escort furnished
! DJ tue OOuIodIt anu OtbOlo uIO Noi'J '@ApNS'
ed. No danger personal to the American
in Mount Lebanon is apprehended, as the.
are we'll known and well protected, but thei
work is stopped by the war, their house
become asylums for the wounded and th
fearful in fact they are crowded out b
the people who seek their protection fo
whenever the American flag is seen wavini
on the housetop, the people flock in grea
numbers.
The humanity shown by the American
in Beirut to the wounded, the home esS an
starving refugees from the mountains wi
long be remembered by the natives of tn
country.
The American Mission premises are crowt
ed day and night by women and ciIdre
crying for bread which they receive wit
comfort and consolation from the America
missionaries
1t has been estimated at the British Cor
sulate that about sixty villages have bee
burned. 1t is believed that the Europes
powers will now interfere in behalf of th
Christians of Syria, and relieve them froI
the Turkish yoke. r..
A letter to the Traveller dated Beiru
June 7th, gives the following additional pa
ticulars