Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-08-11

Jealous God, should allow the enemy thus to
harrass and destroy his people. These accounts
have so fur as we have read them, given nearly
the same view Of the troubles. The following,
whether candid or not, we are unable to say is
from the London Times correspondent, in his
letter from Constantinople, dated July |, en-
closes the following from Beyrout ;
June 30, 1860.
"I should like TO give you true state.
ment of what has passed, bit | almost
finch from telling the truth The so-cslled
Christians are so pOlpably in the wrong
that any one calling himself Christian,
and having any respect for the name, must
feel humiliated in making statements that,
if they do not justify, must at all events
paate the conduct of the Druses.
Last year there was q Druse and Chris. |
tian quarrel at a village called Beys Mary. |
That quarrel was settled by a compact be- |
tween the Christian Emirs aud the Druse |
chiefs to maintain peace, the Druses pay. |
ing thirty thousand piasters as indemnity |
for Christian property destroyed. How
ever, as the Christians found, to their sur
prise, that they had killed more Druses than
were slain Of themselves, it appears that it
either entered or was put into their heads
that matters were now altered, and, as the
Christians were by far the most numerous,
they could now overpower the DruSes. Be
that as it may, it is now positive that
society was formed, Of whichit is said that
the Roman Catholic Bishop, Tobia, and
the Emir Kais Shehab were presidents for
the very Christian purpose of extermna'
ting the DruSes of Lebanon An execu-
tive committee was organized composed OF
native merchants aud bankers Of Beyrout.
The duty of this committee was to furnish
arms, ammunition and money to the Chris
tian population, which they did chiefly
through the priests of the villages, gratis,
on tho sole condition Of fighting the Dfu.
ses. II is asserted that upwards Of four.
teen Thousand muskets and proportionate
quantity Of ammunition we're in this way
delivered to the peasAntry.
'Assoon as the Christian leaders thought
things ready they began to assemble their
men, and it was evident that mischief to
the Druses was intended. The Druse chiefs
began to look about them, but being really
adverse to fight, being altogether unpre-
} pared they did every thing in their power
to prevent it, or at least to delay it. They
wrote to the Christian Emir, pointing out
the evil that would ensue to both parties by
the loss of the silk harvest (the most impor-
tant Of the country, aud asserting their will
ingness to settle all differences amic ably {;
but the Chritisans would listen to nothing /;
they were determiued; and the only steps
taken by the Turkish authorities to prevent
bloodshed and disorder was to march a
handful of men from Beyrout to the foot of
the mountains near the new Damascus road,
where they encamped.
1t appears that it was arranged by the
Christians that the FIRST Druse places 10 be
attacked were Shweyfat Aitat. On their
way to these places the Christians had to
march past the Turkish camp previously al
luded to, and they positively did so with
in fifty PAGES Of the regular troops, without
a single effort being made 10 arrest them
The Christians pushed on to Hadat and
Babda, where they were to be joined
by the Emri Kais Shehab and some
others. In the mean time the Druses, are
naturally bold and high-spirted, and ac-
customed to look on the Christians as no
match for them in fight, did not wait TO be
attacked, bat made simultaneous run from
Aleh. The Christians made bat poor
show 0f fight the Druses carried all before
them, aud destroyed by fire Hadat and Bad
da. Thus the war began, and afterwards
the whole Mittu was one continued scene, of
battle and burning, until the Druses were
victorious at all points, with the exception of
Zahelh aud DER. ell Kamar.
Il In the mao ntir,a IA. u,;ld I,y,Io-,
of the Haouran were rushing TO the assist.
ance of their brethren on the Lebanon, and
having no doubt, been informed OF the
avowed purpose of the Christians to ex.
terminate the Druses, these HaouraneSe
committed the most deplorable excess on
the Christian population they met-Viz, at
Hasbepnh, and Rasbeyah. At Hasbepah,
| believe, at FIRST they cut down Druse and
Christian indiscriminatcly, and although
there were Turkish soldiers there also they
made no effort to stop the havoc.
From these places the Haouranese con-
tinued their march towards the plain of
Beekah, sweeping, as it were, oil the places
in their route inhabited by Christians, until
they came opposite to Kub Elias, when
part of them encamped, while the rest con-
! 'ihuSN shSll nui Gu luIlHeT east, anu eHcatQD-
ed opposite ZAhleh, on the south side of the
plain.
The Zahleh people had taken possession
OF Kub Elias. but after skirmish or two
with the Druses under Arnads they retired
to ZahIeh, which they fortified by erecting
breastworks, and sailed out occasionally to
to annoy the Druses In Zahleh were as.
sembled nearly all the best fighting men Of
the Christians, and they, no doubt, thought
themselves very secure, for they committed
The most revolving atrocities on two Druse
women (mother and daughter) who had
been left in charge Of Christian by Druse,
who was his partner in agriculture. To the
honor of the Christians be it said, that he
poor fellow, did oil in his power to keep his
co,religionists from their detestable conduct,
Offering his ali as bribe, and supplicating
them on his knees, but all TO no purpose.
The attack on Zshleh was made by the
HAonraDese from the plain, supported by
the Lebanon Druses uHdsr the Arnads, and
they were kept at bay for a good while by
the Lahlemen when few hundred (about
three hundred) DruseS from the Ghurb made
rush iromS the heights above, got through
the DfeRGlMOrtc - \