, 1860-08-14
THE HIASSACREs IN SYRIA.
letter from the American Consul 10
Dr. Wayland.

from ths Pruv:dcnce sna1, Aur1st 81
The following letter will be read with painful
interest. TWAS communicated to tbs Monthly
Concert for Missions on Monday evening, The
Rev. ". Dougias md Dr.. +. II. Snow were ap-
pointed Committee to cooperate with any
other Committee that uay be appointed here or
elsewhere to derize me1ns for the relief Of these
ruferers, Certainly they will not appeal ia
vain to tie synpaties Of Christian commuut.
II. Mr. johnson is the American consul at
Beyrout.
pz1.ou7. sy1ia, June =. 1sto.
You hare doubtless heard Of The horrible
uassacres ,bat have just been perpetrated upon
Drukcr, aided in Home cascs by tho Turkish
soldiers.
4 few facts may give Ton an adequate idea OF
tho present state Of things IL Syria
The American Missionaries have estimated
the ioss snstained by the Christians at 10. 500.
,tan,s Of the Christian towns Of Deir Il Komr
and Hasbeya were brutaliy slaughtered in cold
blood, nfter full surrender had been made
Thirty or forty conTcuts had been pluudered
and burned, and the monks wero put to death,
some Of whom were French. Nearly one hun.
dred villages hare been burned, aud the crops
of the peasantry destroyed.
Many churches have also been burned, among
&hen the American Mission Chapel at uasbeya
and the school houses Ut DER il Komr-
Theso facts are enough to atrike the civilized
world with horror, but there is yet something to
be told.
|, is believed that not less than &C, 900 Chris
1iArs are now homeless and Starving, and hare
no otter hope for subsistence than the charity
Of the Christian world.
hinre than {, 900 sugitives hxTs been support
ed by the Consuls. missionaries, merchants and
converts Of Beyrou'; but this is only a tenn
| porary arrangement, Something must be done
! for the starving, homeless thousands who are
| now hiding in caveA aud other aec1et places
| until peace shall b declared.
Beyrout is no longer plsca Of safety for
| Christians. MosIem fsnaticlsm Is nnw fully
aroused. and the Turkish Government has
found it necessary to station platoon Of sol.
diers in esery Consura house for their protec
tiou. Thousands Of the Christian refugees, aud
arge numbers Of the native residents, have fed
the country. Indeed, the land is full Of misery
and deepest woe.
American missionaries. aided by the Gnardl
from the American Consulate, have brought
away many poor, beaieged and persecuted CHS
1ians, whose lives hare been thus preserved
mud the English vessels OF war have picked Ut
about 8, 900 1ugitives, many wounded w0men
and children, who hsd escaped to the sea coast
and there is still wolk for them.
What can be done in these United States fo1
these famishinK widows uud orpbanA2 l viii
! eay netting now Of vengeance, for the Europea1
Powers will no doubt exact justice for this grea
crime but humanity calla upon me not only Il
distribute bread 70 1be crowds around MI
houss, but to prcseut th cir cause to my coun
9rymen. and TO arouse their hympashies in be
half Of this persecused people.
The King Of Greece has sent gum Of money
for their present relief, and efforts nre beiut
made else whtre to collect money for that Object
America sent food to ireland aud Greece. unt
will mt something be done for tie Christisnsi il
Syria?
You will doubtless STE full accounts Of hi
bloody struggle in the European papers.
send you leaf fscM en- old Samaritan cop,
Of the Peotateuch. think you will find it to b
from Deuteronomy xiii: 5. There are about 4
male survivors Of this singnlnr people at Ma
btous, the ancient Shechea, where obtaine
the inclosed. The High Priest is a yenerabl
old man, very courteous and agreeable. Thi
Leaf is thought to be rerv old, and may be wo1
thy Of n place in Jcur cabinet