New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-08-11
NUMBER 1876.
The hsas4aeres in syria.

concerned.
Zaheh was taken by strategem, planned. II ia I
said, by an Ebgshman aho, having married ma. |
tive wife, has been living for several yearAin Mount
Lebanon. Surrounded by fifteen thousand men of |
the DrQses, GyPsies, ,MetGualies and BedDun Arabs
thc ten thousand fighting men OF Iaiteh were
thrown h03s dH combat, and defeated, or rather
driven out of their stronghold to the mountains of
Kcsrouan. The attacking party divided them
selves and attacked different points at the came
tiIue-leaying one place only unmenaced. While
the Christians of the town were lighting Vallantly
at tie various points Of danger, d letter was re-
ceived, purportiDg to come from noted Christian
chief, promising to come to their relief with band
Of two thousand men, at a certain hour. This gave
new life and energy f the Christians within. At
the the appointed time thousand men, fully armed,
wee Seen approaching from the direction which
promised them aid, and vhch zssay. perceived the
Christian standard floating over the advancing
army, they renewed the conflict and rushed upon
the foe. Alas, for the poor Christians so erueffy
betrayed. The letter was forgery, the Christian
standard stolen one, and the two thousand armed
men entered the only exposed part of the town as
friends but proved to be their deadest foes, who
set fire to the houses and attacked the hesieged
the rear. The remaining Christians formed square
around their women and children end fought their
way out, gradually retreating, and thus evacuated
the town, leaving it to be sacked, plundered and
burnt.
The Druses, not satisfied with this triumph, and
determined to eYterminate the Christians, then
rushed upon Del Ell Komr, which had previously
surrendered and given up arms, throwing itself
upon the protection of the Turkish Governor and
garrison Here, in one day, these fiends brutally
chopped in pieces every male inhabitant with
hatehets, axes swords, knives, and every other
available weapon. More than fifteen hundred men
and boys thus perished under theeye OF tile Gov
ernor Turk, and aided by the Turkish soldiers IN
the helIsh work. The remainder of the six thou
sand inhabitants are wanderers and fugitiVes, cut
| down wherever they arc found, without mercy.
Two thousand women and children, m9Ry of whom
| were wounded, have been brought to Beirut by
Er,tFizh chi pgn
| the sea coast, and by Americans, who, aided by
| guards from the u. S. Consulate, brought many OF
the doomed and she perishing upon their own horses
| to Beirut. During this war English and Americans
have been treated by ali parties wth great respect,
| and all Protestants who placed themselves under
| the protection Of the Druses have been saved for
the sake Of the missionaries to whose congregations
| they belonged Our missionaries have thus been
i able to relieve the distressed unharmed, and to
+ rescue scores whose lives they have preserved by
going to the scene of action under the protection
| of the American Consulate, being accompanied by
| a january, or consular guard, with his silver
headed staff of office. Some of the wounded have
been brought to the seashore by one OF the Brusc
chiefs, who allowed his men to- do the work Of
i slaughter, and then tried to save his own head IN
the day of reckoning by his attention to the
wounded and his absence from the scene OF mas
saere.
of wild confusion and excitement. An attack was
hourly expected from the Druses from without,
/ while tile Mosems were threatening the lives OF
the Christians within the town. Many Franks tied
to the shipping in the harbor, and thousands OF the
natives closed their shops and rushed to the kes-
4 rouan the only remaining district OF Mt Lebanon
yet uninvaded by the Druses.
No confidence was felt in the gov oyernment, tht
troops could not be trusted, and the death OF {
Moslem by the hand OF a Christian had Wrough
the Moslem population into the greatest fury IN
military Paslla went himself through the streets
urging the armed multitudes to disband and dis
. arm, but all to no purpose. Moslem boys wen
about armed with hatchets and clubs, and othe
weapons. And Moslem women cried out IN publ
places for the blood of the Christians.
Il In the afternoon the armed populace gathere
in front of the Governor-G Generals palace, and dc
nantled tile immediate execution Of the Christian
accused of the murder. The excitement at thl
time was terrific. Franks and Consuls even wer .e
not safe in the streets. An officer OF the Britis
lne-of- battle ship Exmouth, now lying in the har
Dor, was nsuted and menaced by Moslem VIII
presented pistol at his head; two other English
| men saw pistols snapped at their breasts, and tn
= French Consul General was greatly endangered
as he entered the palace Mosom sprang forWart
and struck at him with q sabre. No blood wa
drawn: the man was struck down by ms associates
and no further notice was taken of the matter-th
French Consul wishing no doubt to bide his time.
The British commander, however, was not .
peacably inclined, and issued orders on the follow
U ing day, that every officer should go on shof
n armed with revolvers and shoot down the fir
Moslem who should offer any indignity whateve
and communicated the same to the Pasha.
The local authorities, in the absence Of the Co
ernor. General were greatly perpleNed. The actin
Governor General ordered the trial of the accused
q he was found guilty in few hours and sentence
to death under tremendous outside pressure
! They did not dare to execute him, the Governor
General being absent, but the cries oil the mob II
y creased to such m extent that general massacr
ID was feared. The acting Goyernor-General was
. despair. To save the town he must execute u
~ Christian; to execute the Christian under such
~ | mob pressure would endanger his own head.
III General Kmety or Ismail Pasha, as he is calf
lie In the Turkish service, Christian and Protes
as ant, did much to restore confidence. The consul
:, body sent for him to ascertain what means he II
TX for preserving the public peace. He was in t
Or mountain; when he returned he was sent for aga
s. He was then with the acting Governor, reviewi
~ the evidence of the case of the accused Christia
DIT having been sent for To share in the responsible
c. of his death. The evidence having been complete
s- the acting eiovernor-General, accompanied by
es mail Pasha, proceeded at once to the British &C
4, sulate general, where the leading 0onsus We
u assembled. They wished for advice, they knt
not what to. do. They declared that the murder
I'D had been arrested, tried and found guilty by
n legal tribunal, and that he had been justly co
a. demned to death.
~ Questions were asked as to the right of a CT
'ts ernor to execute d criminal. They oontended Il
is he had that right in great emergencies, hut that
at approval of the sentence was necessary TO
al validity. They therefore wished to await
- arrival hut dared not, inasmuch as the popula
o, threatened the town that nihgt if the head of
ee accused was not given them. After some delib
alton, the consular body, without expressing a
oDintou to the guilt OF the accused, or the
:. eess:ty for his immediate execution, requested I
ms acting Governor to exercise the functions of
he office Of Governer.General while occupying IL
position.
This was enough. The acting Monshier or ca
nm ernor.tseneral rushed from the room to the paa,
and in less than an hour crier was sent through
city CRYING that the murderer should be eAecui
IF, ! at onee. In another h0Gr tile head Of the unf
cd t,tnate victim rolled upon the ground, while sho
NV Of rejoicing filed the air aud the Moslems return
er. to their homes.
sh Bat there was no sleep that night for Christia
on Frank or Syrian. plsloon of scsdiers was
~ toned at the house ef every Consul for the 2
OF lection of the Frank residents. That night
'et house Of the American Consul was filled, and
Us US mails were prepared ami agreed dpon between
l1h feet and Consuls. One blue light would indie
M danger; second, . desire for boats in whicl
:. take refuge; and third. the necessity for
" landing Of troops for the projection OF the Fra
~ " The long night wore away and Sunday NOR
~. dawned upon Is, Witnessing no unusual sight
~ nv a crowd OF M9slems standing around she behsa
m ,nr Christian, sniSting upon ana otherwise maltFea
~ ~ his remains.
rpe The old alen Of the town had succeeded in
lan Moslem eGuncils, and through their representa-
adv was deemed ineSpedient to attack the Christi
noe The victim was taken from the prison to the
tha sauaro, and WAS there made TO kneel having
Oc hands tod behind. An opportunity was then on
. az fer tae relatives OF the deceased to eompf6
lut tbpy rip1 81 Tullgh tho