The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-05
The New Crusade Against Turkey
Win are the 0ruses1


England and the debates in Parliament, as we'll
az from the preparations for intervention in
Turkey which are being made by France,
Great Britain, Russia and the other Christian
Powers, it is highly probable that the land OF
Islam will soon become the scene Of a new cru
sade The massacre by the Druses Ofthe Maronte
Christians is the cause of this new movement
against the sick man." But 1t will be found
on inquiry that the Druses are as much sinned
against as SHINING, and that they were not the
aggressors in this war of religion. Twenty
years ago, in the struggle between Mehemet Ali
and the Sultan, the Maronites espoused the side
Of Mehemet Ali, and the Druses the side of the
Turkish Emperor. The Maronites were ordered
to levy troops from among the Druses. But
the latter refused, and the Maronites then
the fret time in their history, became
a religious war. 1t has been renewed at inter
walls since, and the enmity then created has
never died away. Beyrout, whose Christian
inhabitants are now so filed with terror, was
destroyed in is40 by the Anglo-Austrian feet be-
cause Meheuiet ALI who then swayed that coun-
try, would not accede to the propositions of the
Sultan and the four allied Powers. All Chris
tendon seems now to be thirsting for the blood
of the Druses and the Turks, to whom they are
tributary, and would uncbaritably send them
all to the bottomless pit, with their sins and
their errors On their heads.
1t is O curious fact in the history of the
Druses, that two centuries ago they awakened
the sympathies of all Christendom as warmly
as they now excite its indignation and wrath
At that time the intelligence reached Western
Europe that bold and gallant race in the
mountains Of Syria was maintaining desperate
struggle against the overwhelming forces Of
the Ottoman Empire. 1t was known that they
did not belong to the followers of Mohammed,
whence it was enormously concluded that they
must be Christians. The origin of the name
Druses became subject Of investigation, and
afforded ample scope for conjecture. AT length
an ingenious .etymologist suggested that they
had descended from the followers of the
Count de Dreux, who was supposed to have
settled in Palestine during the first Crusade.
Fakhreddin, the able chief of these sturdy noun
taineers, taking advantage of this deusion, la
bored hard to propagate it, in the hope of gain
ing assistance from Europe. He visited Italy.
and represented himself as allied by descent
man origin of the Druses was instantly received
throughout Europe as an established fact 1t
is even introduced into the graphic description
of this interesting people given in Bishop He
ber's poem of "Palestine:"-
Fierce hardy proud ia conscious freedom bold,
Those stormy seats the warrior Druses hold;
From Norman blood their lofty line they trace,
Their lion courage proves their generous race.
They only they, while all around them kneel
In sulen homage to the Thracian steel,
Teach their pale despot's waning moon to fear
The patriot terrors of the mountain spear.
II was soon proved that the theory Of their
Norman origin was fable, and that they were
a remnant Of the widespread Ismaelians. They
call themselves Unitarians, asserting that they
alone rightly understand the doctrine of the
Divine Unity. The chief difference between
them and the other Ismaelian sects is the au-
thority they attribute to their prophet AL Ha
KEN, for, though they believe in the Koran,
they are SO far from reverencing Mohammed
that they never pronounce his name without
cursing bis memory They are divided into the
initiated and profane, and all the ceremonies of
their religion are studiously enveloped in mys.
terry. Their Hel,ods, or lodges, are isolated,
usually built on the tops Of hills, and none but
the initiated are admitted to them. All writers
complain Of the difficulty of getting accurate
information about them, and their Turkish
aud rulers are just as ignorant on the
subject as the Christian travellers, for the
Druses outwardly conform to the established
religion of the country where they may happen
to be, while they practice their own peculiar
rites only in their secret meetings.
They are thorough democrats in their social
habits and domestic government The relations
between the chiefs and the people are Of very
republican character. Their chief Emir would
not deem 1t degradation to admit the meanest
peasant TO his table. Hence their intercourse
Is marked by those traits Of rustic simplicity
which recall the memory Of the patriarchal
ages. The Druse government Is, therefore, a
species of aristocratic federal republic. One of
the chiefs enjoys nominal supremacy, and has
the privilege of assessing the tribute paid to the
Turks on the different chiefs of districts in pro-
portion to their wealth.
Compared with these wild warriors the Marc
mite Christians are feeble, pusillanimous race.
The present deadly strife has been fomented
between them by the agents Of other Powers,
in order to give them an opportunity to step in
and divide the possessions Of the dying man
who cannot keep bis subjects in order
TnE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS IN THIS STATE
On the 9Th Of August will be held two demo-
cratic State Conventions at Syracuse-both,
strange to say, not only in favor Of the same
party, but the same candidate for the Presi-
dency. They are both for Breckenridge, but
he a stranre nerxersinn- characterisfin of the