The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-08-16
The Massacre of Christians i'm
SYRIA.
The New York Herald, of July GOT

The New York Herald, of July 29th,
says:
owe published yesterday the account
of the mas acre Of whole village by the
Druses, who put upwards Of two thousand
males to the sword, and sparing on y the
women and children, who, to the number
of eleven hundred, had taken refuge on
board two British ships of war, III which
they had been conveyed distance Of
twenty miles to Beyrout. Only about
thirty men escaped, who had fed to the
house of the American missionary, Mr..
Bird, who Was protected by the chief Of
the Drr as. The refugee say that the
Turkish soldiers, SO far from protecting
the Christians, helpedth Druses % butch
er them, and the Sultan troops were the
only men who offered insult or injury to
the women. it appears that these troops
first disarmed the Christians, and then
not only permitted them to be slaughter
ed, but aided in tbs pious work. The
sending Of body of new troops, there
fore, by the Turkish Government, to put
a step to the massacres, is more likely to
increase them. The correspondence of
the London Neocs says: 'The Turkish
troops i'd officials are far more dreaded
in Syria than the Druses themselves"
Besides the cold blooded murders which
may be counted by thousands, twenty
thousand Christians had been burned out
of house and home; and the latest intel-
ligence states that the British Gov a.
ment had received dispatches giving an
account of fearful massacre at Damas-
Gus, where five hundred Christians were
killed, among whom was the Dutch Con
sui, and the American Consul was wound
ed. The outbreak in this ancient city
was retarded b. the exertions of the ia
nous Algerian warrior, Abd-el-Kader,
who had been living there In retiremeRt.
From letter to the Boston 1royeler, it
appears that 9t Beyrout, where there ale
forty thousand Christians, they do not
know the moment they will be put to
death. The American and British con-
suls had invited their countrymen to take
refuge On board the ships of war in port.
and the American consul had further
called meeting of the Americans, at
which he warned them of their danger,
and advised them, on the first alarm to
proceed to the American printing Office,
a large strong building, we'll calculated
to protect them, aud which had teen pro-
for siege. The writer says that
the next mail will probably bring us an
account of Beyrout being blotted out !
French and British and Russian ships of
war are there, and they will, no doubt,
lombard the city and lay it in ashes If
the Christians shall be attacked !; but that
will be too late to save them. 1t had
been suggested to land a force there
seems to be want of unanimlty among
the consuls. Probably aay force that
could be landed would be totally made
quate for the protection of the Christians,
and would be uselessly sacrificed.
There is no doubt that the Turkish
Government sincerely desires to put a
stop to these massacres, well knowltg Its
owp danger from the combination of Eng
land, France, Russia, and Austria; for
this last power, we just learn, has also
despatched memo war to the Syrian coast.
But it it is out of the power of the Sultan
to do anything with those wild mountain.
Gus tribes, who combine chivalry and dar-
ing courage with their fanaticisn. To
add to the difficulty, the Ioslem popula-
tion are taking part with the Drnses, and
invoking their aid to extefminate the
,y,ricti.,nC The verv traonS of tho Go,