Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-08-15
Tho Massacre in Sicily.

TIE Cttg Of DdmaScus-iS great Anhqut1
tie late Massacre Of Christians Hcre--tchO
are tie DruSes?
The news from Syria continues to be of
the most appalling character. The late
advices report that from 1000 to 5000
Christians have been slam, and Is villages
laid waste with fire AMI sword. The mas
sacre at Damascus-where five hundred
Christians, including the Dutch consul,
were massacred, and the American consul
wounded-gives renewed interest 70 TIE
history OF that ancient city. The Philadel.
phia Bulletin supplies some particulars,
which we subjoin:
] Damascus was an important place at
least us early as the time of Abraham, SO
that it is not less than four thousa i'd
years old. Etym ologists dispute about
the meaning of the name. 1t was the
ancient capital of Syria, and was thus the
quintessence of the quick kwitted race it
represented. 1t is called by some the
most ancient city in the world. This is,
no doubt, eastern exaggeration, but the
fact that every thing said by the oriental
lists about the famous capital is exaggera.
ted, only shows how strongly its real at,
fractions had taken effect upon their viv,
id imagination. A celebrated epistle of
an ancient writer calls it "the great and
sacred city of Dana Gus surprising every
city both in the beauty Of its temples and
the magnitude of its shrines, as well as
the timeliness OF its seasons, the limpid-
ness OF its fountains, the volume Of its wa
tiers, and the richness of its soil" Its
people call it "a pearl surrounded by em>
eralds." 'Of all the cities Of the East, it
Is perhaps the most oriental"
The descriptions Of Buckingham are
not considered entirely reliable. But
there has seldom anything been written
with human pen more beautiful than his
picture of the plain of Damascus. He
compares it to an English seat in the
country, surrounded by an immense park.
The visitor inquiries for the family, and
finds that they have been for year in
Italy. Meanwhile the place has been most
delightfully."- unkept. Its rich cultivation
is everywhere partially grown up; the
trees untrimmed and dipping their branch
es in their sparkling rivulets the roses
grown almost into trees and covered with
Innumerable blossoms. Everywhere is
seen rich verdure, luxuriant growth with
but such touch of wildness as to give
the finishing grace to the landscape
Such, he says, is Damascus in the bloom
of the year.
Damascus was conquered by David, who
made it tributary. After being held by
solomon it revolted, and afterwards was
at the head of thirty ,and-two kings. 1t
was subsequently taken by Assyrla and
Persia. After the battle of Issus, 1t fell
into the hands of Alexander the Great,
and Pompey annexed it to the Roman
Empire. After being celebrated for its
wealth and splender under the Great En-.
perors, it was conquered by the Saracens,
and became for a time the capital Of the
Mohammedan world The sceptre of Is.
lam passed over to Bagdad, but Damas>
Gus is still famous in the history of Sa-
ladin.
1t was besieged by the Crusaders in the
twelfth century, but they failed to take
it. Lster still, it was captured, with cir
cumstances of great bai barity, by Tamer-
lane, and finally fell into the hands of the
Turks under Selim |. 1t possesses, too,
q high moral interest, for on that beauti-
full plain il was that st. Paul ''became
obedient 10 the heavenly vision" ..... !
81 Among the points of interest connected
with this famous city are the Damascus
blades, so malleable that they might be
bent 10 right angle without losing their
elasticity SO keen that they could sever