The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1860-07-19
Correspondence Of the Boston Traveller
Highly Important from Syria

Correspondence of the Boston TravellerJ
Highly Important from Syria
4 Terrible CicH War-Sirteen Vaages Burnt
-Wh0teSaie Butchery Of Men, Women, and
ChiLdren-THe American Missionaries Safe
Turkish Completely SC. &c.
Beirut Syria June 1860,
Syria is now the scene one oft he most
sanguinary conflicts ever enacted in
this land, which has ever been tn e
battle field ofthe old world, ard Mount
Lebanon is now one vast funeral pile.
Druses and Christians, numbering
hundreds of thousands, are now enga-
ged in wholesale murder, arson and
pilage, in which fendish work they are
aided by Turks, Moslems, Arabs and
the people at the Matawaleis.
From my window last week | count
ed from twenty to thirty burning vii.
lagos upon the mountains a few miles
from Beirut, from whence the flash Of
musketry may easily be seen, and the
volleys heard one after another in rap
id 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 wailing about the streets.
The barbarity of this war is truly
shocking Men, women and children
are overtaken while fleeing for refuge
and without arms, and ruthlessly
slaughtered while praying for quar-
ter.
The Christians have thus far suffer-
ed most terribly. Their villages have
been turned, their crops destroyed,
the great numbers have been brutally
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.
The bloody war which is waged on
both sides as a war of determination,
has its origion in religious and political
causes. The Christians and Druses
hate each other with a deadly hatred
on account of the difference in thor
religious falkland the Christians hate
the Druses with a special hatred be-
cause the Druses are in great many
Of the mountain Christian districts feu-
dial chiefs and rulers over the Christ,
ians or Maronite and Greek Catholic
villages. The more immediate causes
of the war may be traced to the bloody
feuds excited between Druse and
Christian tribes, Last summer at Bait
MARI quarrel arose which threatned to
precipitate war in which the Mar onite
Christians were victorious, having re-
pulsed the Druses, killing forty or more
while their own loss was less than one
third of that number. Although peace
was then declared, the Druses have
since assassinated every Christian who
came in their way, with an evident de-
termination to make the number of the
MarOnites loss equal to that Of Druses.
This aroused the Christians, and so
exasperatel them that they made an
attack on several Druse villages. AT
first they were successful, but relying
upon their numbers, they neglected to
appoint leaders or to form any plan
for the campaign; consequently the
Druses rail- ed under their warrior chiefs
and burned every Maronite and Greek
Christian village within their reach.
The Provincial authorities pronounced
the invading party the Christians
to be rebels, and the Governor Gener>
al proceeded with all available force
to the mountains, and brought his can
non to bear upon the Christians, check
ing them at every turn, while the Dru-
ses, aided by the soldiery, carried on
their work of pilllage and murder in a
manner shameful even to a North Am.
erican Indian.
Denounced as traitors and rebels.
their homes having been burned, their
crops DESTROYED, and in some cases
families butchered, me Christians are
rallying for the forlorn hope; but they
feel that the Druses, thus aided, will
endeavor to exterminate them. This.
however, will not be an easy matter.
as the Maronite Greeks and Greek
Catholics number about two hundred
and fifty thousand, and if, as they hope
and daily expect, the European powers
will come to their aid, they NAV not
only besaved, but greatly improve their
condition, by being placed under the
rule Of European prince who may be
placed over the government of Syr-
! ia.
The American Missionaries in Mount
Lebanon have been greatly exposed.
but as yet have suffered only for the
want of provisions.
Upon the breaking out of the war
Mr.. Consul johnson seut guards for
their protection, and in some cases
provisions. Some of the families of the
mission have come down to Beirut mn.
der an escort furnished by the Consul
and others are daily expected. NJ
personal dangers to the Americans in
Mount Lebanon is apprehended, as
they are well known and well protect
ed. but their work is stopped by tn,
war, their houses become asylums foi
wounded aud the fearful; in fact they