Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-09-14
The Syrian Massacre.

The Times contains long letter from
its Beyrout Aug. 8 correspondent, re-
specting the massacres in Syria. Some
of the details are interesting, although
not much news is communicated. We
make the following extracts from it:
"On Saturday afternoon, about six
o'clock, the first caravan of Christians
who had escaped from the massacres in
Damascus arrived in Beyrout; and a
more heartrending sight-one which
made men weep like women, filling them
at the same time with an almost irresista-
bic craving for revenge-was probably
never beheld. They had left Damascus
on Thursday at noon-a column COM
posed chiefly of women and children,
and variously estimated at from 1000 to
3400 souls, for the Turkish authorities
had provided cattle for the conveyance
of 1900 persons, but many travelled on
foot or on beasts of burden of their own
or friends. Parehed with thirst, not
half fed, unwashed, with clothes I'M
changed for nearly a month, choked with
dust, and covered with flies, they fed
hither, under heavens glowing like brass,
from the city which, if it be the most
ancient, will henceforth be the most in
famous i'll the world They were widows
and orphans whose husbands, fathers and
brethren had all been slain before their
eyes with every indignity and cruelty the
most barbarious fanaticism could devise,
and whose most comedy maidens had
been sold to crafty the brutal lust of
filthy Arabs. Nearly all were afflicted
with opthalmia five women had died
on the journey, and one was taken in Ia
Dor. Babes might be seen striving to
suck food from breasts that were dried
up. Young children were so dirty, so
disfgured by sores, on which flies settled
continually, as to be loathsome to look
upon. Old men and women tottored un.
der doorways and sank down exhausted
needless of the crowd that pressed upon
them, looking like so many bundles oil
dirty rags, and incapable of reaching out
their hands to take the water for which
they were famished, or of crawling tc
the shelter provided for them by the
authorities at Beyront in three khans."
From the statements of the fugi
tives, it would appear that they number
in the Castle of Damascus upwards o
10000 persons whose relatives had beer
foully murdered, or whose lives wer,
n threatened. Elsewhere in the city
Christians were sheltered"
: :" Early last month the few Englisl
and American residents here formed them
selves into an Anglo American Com
Il mittee for the relief of the destitutioI
created by the religious war, and RICH
nobly have they done their work, spar
J, ing neither their time nor personal labor
= nor purses in the discharge Of their self
, imposed duties. If the sources of thei
charity are limited, If they confne thei
appeals chiefly to those whose mJthe
tongue is English, the application of thi
=" charity is most Catholic and in tn
= broadest and most liberal spirit. The
.e have already collected from local sui
= scribers 49,4S7 piastres and spent %, 50
piastres, out of which 400 piastre.
were handed over to the Sisters of Char
ity, and the remainder expended in tn
$ purchase of clothing, and in the dali
70 supply of food, Operations were con
=, menced on the 18th of July After tn
first four days the number of person
fed was about 700, but on the 9th ,
III last month it rose to upwards of 100
he and the day before yesterday lists of al
n plications were received for the dali
:. supply Of food to 324S individuals. j
u the course of the afternoon two member
of the American mission of Syria. Ii
Rev. W. nj. Thompson and the Re
or j. i. Ford, distributed assistance
IN nearly 1000 people. 1t would be almo
ail iupOtlhSiiCc " SPSdh III terms
u praise of gentlemen so well known an
h. appreciated in Eastern Christendom .
are these members Of the American mi
" sion; but what may not be so well know
ne is the arduous nature of the labor the
in have voluntarily undertaken, from ii
= simple desire to do good, and in the illu
~ tratiOn of the doctrines they teach. The
Is, are the hands and eyes and ears of ii
N. executive committee, investigating ii
! applications and distributing succor,
~ the course of which they perform I
:. amount of physical labor which, takir
re the trying character of the climate in
consideration, would be too much for
he London drayman, and drive a fort de
re knN- To desnair9