Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-17
LETTER FROM REV. HENRY a. IEssUr.


LETTER FROM REV. HENRY Il. JEssUr.
BEmur, July, rs, I,6o
Ny DEAR SIR: Il seems thal Syria's cup
Of woe is not yet full We had thought and
hoped that the cruel massacre at Sidon. Has
beiya, and Dier el Kemar were enough; that
! Druse terocity and Moslem ianaticism and
Turkish misrule would rest after such bloody
scenes, butt seems our hopes were all 70 be
4 disappointed. Damascus itself has been
swept with the bosom OF destruction, and
scenes Of horror have been there enacted
which will amaze ami Gil with Indignation
the whole civilized world. For weeks the
christian population OF Damascus have been
In great terror, and in almost hourly expec-
tation Of a Moslem insurrection. On Mon
day, July ;, at about 3 p NJ, the long ex-
pected and dreaded hour arrived. The wild
Moslems Of the Medan, surburb Of the city,
together with Koords, Druses and Arabs,
burst upon the Christian quarter plundering,
butchering, and burning, not opposed, but
aided by the Turkish soldiers, who could have
suppressed in half an hour the insurrection,
had they been ordered so 20 do. At the
latest accounts, all the foreign consulates in
the city had been burned, excepting only the
British and Prussian. All the churches and
converts were plundered and burned. The
Dutch consular agent was killed The
American vice consul, DIR. NJ Meshaka, of
whom you have often heard and who is one
Of the ablest and most prominent Protest
ants in Syria, was wounded in the head and
arm, under what circumstances we have not
learned. Four thousand of the Christians
have taken refuge in the castle, and multi
tudes were in the houses of the English con-
sui and the Prussian consul, as well as in the
house of Abd-el-Kader, the famous Algerine
prince, while friendly Moslems had given
refuge to a large number in their houses
The latest letters thus far received from the
English consul and Others are up to Tuesday
noon, when the work of plumber, burning,
and murder was still going on, without ces-
sation, the PaSha doing absolutely nothing,
and the prospect being that the entire
Christian quarter of the city would be de-
stroyed Mr.. Robson, the Irish Presbyterian
missionary, was still in his own houSe, in the
Moslem quarter, unable TO leave it for the
house of the English consul, owing to the
fightful scenes being enacted in the streets.
He was able TO send a letter to the English
consul on Monday afternoon, in which he
speaks Of expecting soon to fall victim 10
the violence Of the murderous mob. The
number of the slain, of course, could not be
known at the time of our last news, as no
one could venture into the streets without en-
dangering his life We have no proof that
any Frank has been injured, asyct and it is
to be hoped that the lives of the missionary
brethren there will be saved, even in such
wild tempestof Moslem passion and fanatic
ism. Where or when this fiendish work is
to be arrested, no man can teI. We are ex-
ceedingly anxious with regard to our breth-
ren in the vicinity of Aleppo, as the news of
the rising in Damascus may produce a gen
eral ebullition of Mahommedan fanaticism
throughout the empire What adds most Sc
riOusly to the complications of the subject is
the fact that there is general expectation of
a French invasion of Syria this summer. Not
only the Moslem population, the Turk
ish officials also seem 10 be acting with a
kind of desperation, as if they thought that
their time is short, and they must do their
work of plunder and bloodshed quickly if
they do it at all The whole country is dis
tracted. East Of Tyre the villages are all be
ing plundered and burned. In Sidon itself
there is great alarm. Our missionaries arealI
in Beirut excepting Mr.. Calhoun, who still
fndsit safe in Abeih, and Messrs Lyons and
Wilson, who are in Tripoli In the direc-
ton of Damascus, there is not a christian
village left east Of B'Hamdun. There can
be no more missionary work done in Syria,
outside Of Beirut, and perhaps Abeih. and
Pos7i9lY 4ElPelA until there is a government
worthy Of the mime. Now there - literal
anarchy, and although there areseveral thou
sands of Turkish soldiers in Beirut, their
presence is very far from being an assurance
Of peace and protection to the people. In
case of a French invasion, we should, no
doubt, be obliged to make our escape, for the
time being, to Cyprus, Or Malta, or some
other place of safety. At present, we feel
comparatively secure, as we could take re-
fuge on the vessels of war in the harbor-
Yet after all, our only security is in the
Lord, who is tour refuge and strength
am ever yours, IN Christ,
HENRY HARRIS JEssUP.
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