New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-16
SYRIA.
WESTERN ASIA SHOWING SIGNS OF LrFE-PRoaREss
OF BRIRUT-POUPLAR EDUCATIoN-THE PREss-A
MICRO pRopRssoR--THB ARABIC LANGUAGE.
g,or, Oars u. Cor

FROM Our Special Correspondent
BEIRUT Syria Aug le 1866.
In this age of " Western" ideas, Western tenden-
ces and Western progress when the human like youth
migrating Westward from his fathers home looks upon every
thing Eastern essentially e5e decayed and dying 1t well
| to let tho world know that the East still lives
Western Asia Aas asleep for ages but waking again
It may because is Western but 1t is showing signs Of
life The cradle Of the and the birthplace OF religions may
yet good IL Dr. Cumming will only adjust his sritl'
mctc so as postpone the final eonsummston little longer
This would be called progress even in lands
further West Damascus Aeppo and Jerusalem are growing
but slightly growing their Commerce
education the seaport Of Ancient Phenica are showing
signs than pristine ygo This little strip OF coast
with harbors held the commerce OF the
world In its grasp Now thirteen lines OF European steamers
ara in constant communication with Beirut and eegraphc
wires connect with and Calcutta In the reign of
Jusnan tho law school OF Beirut had WORLDWIDE celebrity
To-day largest and imposing edices in Beirut
and one Greek OF four institutions two
under American auspices English and one PraSsian VI
school Of high order y boarders who paid during the
past wear dollars for their board and
tuition Though the teachers all natives no American
need feel ashamed Of this most honrshng School wnene %
mHbo internal discipline The other Is the Syrian Protestant
College with whose many Of readers are familiar
and 10 whose endowment not OF them have contributed
may OF what college In such narrow, con.
acd land Syria which Is but mere geographical point
IL may Be replied geographical point be the cen.
is the center Of the Arabic speaking More than hun
millions speak this language from the borders China on
Atlantic the They think speak and write In
Arabic They be civilized educated and ChrtanSed II
no book INSPIRED unless il be in the Sacred Arabic West
crn this Of humanity and give life,
they must first put Arabic and be puro Arabic
correct and classical The land where the language purest
must be made the base Of operations That land syria
this central point between Cairo Bagdad Aleppo
and Damascus the modern Arabic foei are native scholars
Here was attins that American Christianity should cOnSen:
ate us energies IN preparing IN classic Arabic Iasaion q
Cornelius Van Dyck aboed for 10 aided by missionaries
throughout the East and producing the result one OF the
most TRANSACTIONS made from the original Hebrew
and reek Scripture translation admired and accepted by
Mohammeans themselves who look upon 1t sacred book
long lost and but recently restored TO the world
Now TINT this book is finished and printed and when an
Adams Steam Press printing annually millions Of pages OF
ty in this city 70 which youth from all Arabic speaking nation
ates shall be invited study in their tongue tho art,
and sciences aud re which once foushed The East and
which given back by the West with added luser and
II TO demonstrate the necessity and value OF such an inu
ton Syria this OF the world learned Professor
from College thousands of miles toward the sunsettng
has recently arrived here to study the Arabic language us
arrival produced profound sensation Young Syria taken
aback. Old Syria respectable and conservative wiped nus
come thousands OF miles to study the Arabic This was strange
Ue learned Professor. This was interesting lie was
refined modest and attractive In conversation This de-
lghtfui spoke English language without nge Of
foreign accent and spoke public with great eoquenoe ms
Lebanon raven and in his passport written Of unnixed
African blood" This astounding Net that Syria had
whole East Black and women black boys and girls ser
wants cooks grooms soldiers porters boanen slaves Just
cheek and forehead Mosem families and slaves in
Christian Greek and Pap families But Negro Professor
refined educated learned eloquent had never been seen
before and he she observed OF all observers There are
among the Moslems black who study law and theology
and have in Damascus negro captain company
OF white Turkish soldiers and there Is almost no prejudice
here against color but the Arabic word for black man Is
Abb" which means sIase and Young syria had to be
Add but Khowad or Moatn, as no Is no more slave
than the rest OF us.
When the first surprise and the Professor had
quietly settled down the study of Arabic found that he
Prof T. W Byden Of Liberia College. But what does he
want of the Arabici This IL his The Mosem tribes
OF interior Africa from Nubia and Soudan suging west
ward with their language and religion and OVERLOOKING the
borders OF the Lbean Republic Traders come among the
Liberia for the conquest OF those inland tribes Of Africa met
with the obstacle Of difficult foreign language and that
language the Arabic Prof that other things being
favorable he could travel from Liberia TO Cairo direct with no
language but the Arabic and that those millions Of Interior
Africa through that belt OF tho great Continent look the
Arabic language the dyiney inspired tongue, and that
books sacred but those in Arabic common black porter
In the gave him. before he left Liberia In May few
sheets Of Arabic manuscript OF his own writing The writing
Is in the old Arabic character in Syria centuries ago
and the language though evidently written by one not familiar
with grammar is still in the main correct and consists chiefly
Of Moslem formulas q praise TO God ard prayer.
Prof Bydens mission Syria for tho purpose OF Studying
the principles Of the Arabic for brief period and then making
In the Beirut College learn the Arabic and aferws
10 Liberia TO labor among the interior tribes Surely here Is
Africa calling 10 Western Asia fer help and avenue Is
opened pouring light into the darkness Of that mysterious
continent The Arabic Scriptures are ready Arabic printing
presses doing their work Arabic University founded
II this seat Of influence and pupils will come In from the
shores Of the Atlantic from the banks Of the Nile the Jordan
and the Euphaes and go forth again 70 carry light and bless
ing In their path know not whether Prof Byden has at his
disposal the for carrying out his scheme Tor sending
these young Syria but not there are surely liberal
phanthops enough In America TO put the enterprise beyond
all danger Of failure.
must reserve for future letter be said about the
present political state Of affairs
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