The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-08-17
The DruSe> and MarOnites.

The painful interest excited by the butch
cries in Syria will naturally give rise to de-
sire to know something more Of the parties
engaged in this ferocious internecine warfare.
These parties are the Druses and the Maron-
ties. Both the origin and the religion Of the
former are involved in considerable N, stery.
They derive their name from Mohammed Eb-
en- lsmael, surnamed FL Drusi, a follower Of
Hakeni, who is supposed to have founded the
sect in the eleventh. century. To this Hakem
they pay supreme homage, as an incarnation
of the Deity. They regard him as the Crea-
tor of all things, the only Lord Of all, and
the final Judge Of the earth. They practice
neither circumcision, praying nor fasting
They drink wine, eat pork, and allow marra-
ges between near relatives. They have many
singular rites, known only to the initiated
And this is about the sum of our knowledge
of their religion, which has nothing in COM
mon with that of either Mohammedans or
Jews. They are governed by an Emir or
Prince, chosen by themselves, but approved
by the Turkish government. They are an ex
Get dinghy brave and warike people, number
ing about one hundred thousand souls They
occupy forty large towns in the southern por-
ton and On the western slope of Lebanon
proper, and eighty villages in Anti Lebanon.
Besides this there are upwards Of two hun
dred villages occupied by mixed population
of Christians and Druses, and scattered thro'
the mountains
The Maronites are a sect of Christians
which had its origin among the Monothelites
who, having been condemned by the Council
of Constantinople in the seventh century.
found q refugein Lebanon. They took their
name from John Marc, their first Bishop. In
the twelfth century they renounced the opn-
ions of the Monothelites, and were received
into the Church of Rome, making it, howev-
( er, as a condition of acknowledging the su-
premacy of the Pope, that their religious te-
nets and rites should be respected. Their
Church Constitution resembles that of the
old Greek church. They are still nominally
connected with Rome, and the Pope pays the
expenses of their public worship. There is
also college at Rome for the education Of
their clergy. They number about one hun
dred and eighty thousand. They inhabit (or
did inhabit till now many villages scattered
throughout Lebanon, and have two hundred
converts for men and women. They are a
peaceful, and perhaps we might add, cow
ardly people.
Between the Druses and Maronites there
has always existed the most intense hostility.
This hostility has frequently broken out into
open warfare. which has ragged to greater
or less extent. and with varying fortunes
But never has a war arisen which has as
sumed such vast proportions as the present
one. 1t seems to be war of determination,
and accompanied by atrocities that make the
blood run cold. The advantage is altogeth-
er on the side of the Druses. They have
laid waste the whole country with fire and
sword, destroying every Christian village
they could fnG, and numbering indiscrimi-
nately even women and children.-PresbWe-
ridn.
C. The following dispatch, says the To-
ledo Blade, went through by telegraph a
month or two since: Charley and Julia met
at SIS yesterday quarreled and parted
forevcr-met again this morning, and parted
to meet no more-met again this evening
and were married"
@ A South Carolina Fourth Of July
toast Woman-To her virtues, we give our
love to her beauty, our admiration to her
hoops, We give-way.