Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-09-26

the hero would himself tear open his vest
uncover his breast and exclain. Shoot me
shoot me prefer 3eath to witnessing such
enornities 7 and the ruffians feel bac k abasb.
ed before the noble and undaun,e1 counte-
nance Of one whom even they reme nbered
was the far-famed champion of Islam. At
one time he threatened to lead on his 00O
Algerians against both the people and the
trooDs.
Whether the Abdel Kader rescued one
Christian, or groups of them. he immediately
forwarded them under guard, either to his
own house, or to the British consulate. or to
the castle In this age of testimonials. il
there man On earth who deserves 4 ,esti-
lnonlal more than he He has actually sent
the jewels of his family to Beyrout to be sold
in order to raise funds to support the hun.
dreds of poor Christians who are still in the
house. Upwards of ten thousand women
and girls at last were huddled together in the
castle, with nothing but the ground to lie
UPON. and M iss- f,t3lng with hunger. But alas
/ Why!siH the usst ness Of the night, tie oif-
GERS and soldiers fof the Turkish regiment sta.
toned In it fell upon them, and, singing out
girls at leisure, according to their taste and.
fancy, outraged and violated them. This
scene of violence and Inst was something an
palling. The gates of the castle were pur-
posely left open by the commanding Turkish
officer to enable the Musslemen to come in
and select the object of their vile desires
Under pretence of taking them away to take
care of them, and give them shelter, young
maidens were torn from their mothers arms
and hurried away: No tears or entreaties
availed; the Turkish soldiers forced them to
deliver themselves up to their ravagers and
despoilers. 1t has been asserted ON compe-
%ba< l.
gins left in Damascus. Scores have been Ia
ken away into the interior, where they are
being sold for mere trife, or handed over
from one ruffian to another.
The boys and lads who We're allowed 10
live have all been circumcised. Many old
men were first circumcised and then put to
death, being told tauntingly they were lucky
to die with the mark Of the faith. Finally a
diabo.ical attempt was made TO kill all the
Christians in the castle by issuing to the N
poisoned bread, and % died in consequence.
A few days after the massacre of Damascus
had been completed, the Mussulmen, living
in the valley of Caele Syria, or the district OF
the Bekaa and Balbec, rose on the Christian
population, and commenced the work OF
butchery. They were excited, and absolute
ly headed in the bloody work by the Turk
! ish irregular troops. Everywhere the same
|
ary exterminators of the Christians are
the Ottoman Turks; these bloodthirs;y Turks
whose empire England has been so anxiou,
to uphold, and in whose behalf she sent fortl
her noblest sons to perish on the desolatt
plains of the Crimea The universal cry o
the Christians is, Save Us fiom the Turks.
They say they will leave the land to man
and brave every species of hardship, rathe
| than sit down again under their treatcherou
and heartless rule.
In a few hours the fertile and luxurian
plains of Balbec were darkened by volume
of smoke ascending from its burning villages
, The Catholic bishop reports that twenty -thre
churches have been tot lily destroyed, tn
, crosses were broken into pieces, and throw
into the most disgusting places. Again til
, frightful Scene of Damascus as renewed
Women and girls were seized and violated
, the men shot down without mercy, or escaE
ing as well as they could in terror and disma
: to the mountain Sides either of the Lebano
or Antl-Lebanon While clambering up
t some place OF security as well as they coul'
bands of women and children, worn out an
) exhausted by fatigue, would at times sit dow
: for short repose but the cry, The Turk
the Turks would make them start 80 the
feet, and give them nomemtary strength I
push on, like the French in the retreat froI
Moscow, when the cry arose of The Ru
sians. Hundreds moro widows and orphan
are thus added to the terrible list cf sufferer
{ OF whom there must be more than 100 90
= souls now craving the mere bread Of life
, In Beyrout alone there are 1000 widow
and Ia, 900 orphans but the mountains al
fu ofthen. Twelve thousand of them al
expected to arrive shortly, under escort fror
y Damascus.