Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-07-20
HIGHIY IMPORTANT FROM SYRIA.

HIGltI41 lMfONl AN / fINOM y NlA.
TrRmBLE CIVIL WAR-SIxrY VILLAGES
BURST, &c Beirut, Syria, June 6.-Syra
d now the scene of one of the most sangu-
mary conflicts ever enacted in this land, which
has ever been the battle field Of the old world
and Mount Lebanon is now one vast iu-
neral pile
Druses and Christians, numbering hundreds
of thousands, arc now engaged in wholesale
murder, arson and pillage, in which fendish
work they arc aided by Turks, Moslom 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 flash of musketry may easily be
seen, and the volleys heard one after another
in rapid succession, as they echo through the
valleys The dying and the dead are brought
daily into the town in large numbers, and the
widows and the orphans may be seen in great
crowds weeping and waling about the streets.
The barbarity of this war is truly shock
ing Men, women and children are overtaken
while fleeing for refuge, and without arms,
and ruthlessly slaughtered while praying for
quarter
The Christians have thus far suffered most
terribly. Their villages have been burned,
their crops destroyed and great numbers have
been brutality murdered while the Druses,
who are better warriors and far more courage
Gus are assisted by the Turks, Mosems and
Metawalies, and up to this time have proved
successful
This bloody war, which is waged on both
sides as war of determination, has its origin
in religious and political causes, The Chris
tians and Druses hate each other with a dead
~ hatred, on account of the difference in their
religious laith-and the Christians hate the
Druses with special hatred because the
Druses are, in great many of the mountain
Christian districts, feudal chiefs aud rulers
over the Christian or Maronite and Greek
Catholic villages.
The more immediate causes of the war may
be traced to the bloody feuds existing be-
tween Drusc and Christian tribes. Last sum
mer at Bait Mari quarrel arose, which
threatened TO precipitate war, in which the
Maronite Christians were victorious. having
repulscd the Druscs, killing forty or moro
while their own loss was less than e-third
of that number. Although peace was ther
declared the Druses have since assassinated
every Christian who came in their way, with
an evident determination to make the number
Of the Maronite loss equal to that of the
Druses. This aroused the Christians, and S,
eNasperated them that they made an attaci
upon several Druse villages.
At first they were successful, but relyinl
upon their numbers. they neglected to appoin
leaders or to form any plan for the campaign
consequently, the Druses rallied under thci
warrior chiefs and burned every Maronite an'
Greek Christian village within their reach
The provincial authorities pronounced tn
invading party--the Chrstans--to be rebels
and the Governor General proceeded with al
his available force to the mountains, AM
brought his cannon to bear upon the Chris
tlans' checking them at every turn while tn
Drusos, aided by the sodiery, carried on thei
work ofpillage and murder in manner shame
iul even to North American Indian.
Denounced as traitors and rebels, thei
homes having been burned, their crops dc
stroyed, and in some cases their famiic
butchered, the Christians are rallying for tn