The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-01-02

Turkish soil, will be likely to require the pres
ence OF representative of the United States
clothed with fuller powers than our consul
at Jerusalem. The suggestion in the closing
paragraph OF the letter below, that the consul
ate at Beirut be made consulate general,
deserves the immediate consideration of the
State Department at Washington. The letter
Is dated Nov. %, 1866:
The arrival of colony of Americans in the
Holy Land Is an event, which although of no
political weight or bearing intrinsieally, is yet
awakening attention throughout the East
1t is certain that the Turk ,sh officials in SYRIA
are beginning to think the yankee Nation
is becoming universal" quite rapidly enough.
During the past few months the American
flag was graveiy insulted in Cyprus. Forth
with two United States vessels OF war appear
ed in Cyprus. The Cretan rebels sent petit
ton TO the President OF the United States.
United States vessels of war were soon at an
Choir in the Cretan harbors. In August last
an American colony of singular religionsts
landed at Jatfa, the seaport OF Jerusalem In
the bark Nellie Capin. They numbered 1876
souls on landing and brought their wooden
houses with them. Not long after the United
States men of war Ticenderoga and Canaan
daigua, successfully cast anchor in the port OF
Jatfa, as if they had been brought there on
purpose TO look after American interests
The coincidence in the three cases was GER
tainly remarkable, ifa coincidence, and il
not, it indicates that our diplomatic and naval
officers in the East are on the alert to see
that the American flag is respected
With regard to the Cretan rebellion I have
nothing to write. The Atlantic telegraph
and your Constantinople correspondent can
give you much later news than you could
hope for through Syrian channel. As an
episode, however, to this diplomatic history,
let us look in upon the new colonists at Jaila
mir. Adams--or President Adams, as he STYLES
himself-is the prime mover and prompter oil
tnis Yankee emigration from Down East in
Maine to Down East in Palestine. He organ
lied the colony from members of peculiar
religious sect, called the Church of the Mes
siah," who hold, among other points OF faith,
that they are of the tribe of Ephraim, and
that, as the curse is now taken of from Pales-
tine, the set time has come for the Lost Ten
Tribes to return to their land A similar
sect In England claim that the whole Anglo
Saxon race are Jews OF the Lost Ten Tribes.
Whether President Adams will allow the
whole An2lo-Saxon race in the Ephraimte
fold or not cannot ascertain, but it is more
probable that he confines it to that portion OF
the race who belong to this sect. In
recent sermon he stated that the present
colony OF l56 are only the vanguard OF a
mighty hast who are soon coming up to pos
sess the land. What he means by the course
being taken of" the land OF Palestine it is not
easy to decide. There are still thorns and
thistles and weeds growing ON every side
Men still have to get their bread by the sweat
OF their brows, unless they eat it by the sweat
OF others brows, as for example the lshmael-
itic brethren, whose chivalrous instincts often
lead them TO make midnight cavalry raids op
their neighbors thrashing-fcors, and thus eat
bread without either sowing or reaping. The
curse OF sickness and death Is not yet remov-
ed, tor nine persons of this same colony have
already died within three months OF their
landing, and others are now in the hospital oi
Mr.. Metzler, at Jaiia, undergoing treatment
1t is also said that dissatisfaction is arising
among some OF the colonists who lind there Is
fully as much "eurse,' and perhaps more of
"cursing' in this Holy Land than they left be-
hind in the land OF the Maine Law. A con-
siderable part OF the men are artisans, work.
ing men, who came to JafIa with the expec-
tAtlon ot tinding the land flowing with fnuk
and honey" ana it is quite shock to their
simple faith to find milk only to be bought at
two piastres per ope, and honey ha;d to get al
my, Or OF religious taith, or because they could
not get an educated physician to Join the
Colony, the tact is the same, that they COM
mitted the great error OF coming 10 a strange
climate much warmer than Their own, at the
beginning OF the rainy season, with infrm
oiu men, delicate women and nCtie children,
without proper medical attendants. The
mas been loss already, as | am
cIedlbly informed, OF nine out OF I5I tone
child having been BON the day alter the,
.anded). This is an enormous percentage, when
IL is remembered that the most unhealthy
season at Jaifa is during the summer months.
The C5lony is rich in once bearers, having
me President and two Bishops. They CONT
IDENTIFY believe that they are fulfilling prophecy
III thus vanguard occupation OF the sacred soii,
and that they are about to reconstruct the dis
pointed territory OF Palestine, and restore its
pEistine glory. They say they have not come
10 convert the MoSlems, or Arabs, OF Greeks,
or Maronites. They are a close religious cor
poration, quite unconcerned as 10 what be-
comes OF the poor GentiIes who happen To
own and occupy almost every acre OF the
Ephraimitic inheritance.
fortunately for them the Turkish authori-
ties have thus tar put no obstacles in their
way. Through the kind interference of the
English and American Consu:s in Jerusalem.
the Turkish Pasha saw it 10 be for his own
personal interest to do these unoHending col
onists every favor in his power. Accordingly,
when they landed all Jafia arose to meet
them. All their goods and chattels, lumber
and furniture were allowed to be landed free
of duty, and facilities were furnished them
ior getting settled in their new homes They
had secured land before their arrival, through
tie American Vice Consul in .Jafia. VINO
bought it in the name OF subject of the Su.-
tan, as Is the cust ON in Turkey, foreigners
not being allowed to hold property here in
their own name. The purchaser afterwards
signs paper in tn. American Consulate. thai
he made the purchase not for himself but for
A or b, and giving up all claim, ight OF title
10 the same. In this way the coionies have
secured land near the city OF Jatia, and are
getting settled in their wooden houses, which,
l fear, they will find wholly unfit for pi iotcc.
ton against the blazing sun of an Eastern
summer. Ihere are rumors already that
some OF the colonists are getting disgusted.
and wish to return home, but the Nellie Chap
IN, who brought them, has gone, and they are
in for serious attempt TO make their eyperi
ment successful The colony had ample funds
at the beginning, but they have invested SO
largely in land that their resources NAV begin
to fail before the next crops come In. They
are said to be provided with improved agri-
cultural implements, and the colonial enter.
prise may prove useful to agricultural science
in the East, provided that the colonists take
land as they find it, curse or no curse. and de-
vote their energies to developing the apricul
tural capacity of the SOIL
The advent ct this colony gives additional
importance to the American consulates in
Jerusalem and Beirut. Hitherto the Ameri-
can Consul at Jerusalem has been but a mere
tigure-head to the American travelling par
ties who are visiting the Holy City. Now the
Consul has one oil the most responsible and
difficult posts in the Turkish Empire. All the
political and legal questions which must in
evitably rise in connection with this COLONY
must come before him, and his post will be no
sinecure as heretofore. Another most impor-
tant question connected with the Jerusalem
Consulate is the Beirut Consulate Beirut is
the political and commercial capital of SYRIA.
The Consuls OF the European powers resid-
ing here are Consuls General, and the Con-
suls in the interior cities are subordinate to
them. The advantage Of this system is in
ealculable. The Consuls in the interior are
not, when important business arises, Obliged
10 wait Tor an answer from Constantinople be-
fore acting, but consult the ConsulGeLeral at
Beirut at once and proceed to act. Our ex-
cel.ent Consul in Jerusalem viii find himself
environed with difficulties in connection with
this Jafia colony, owing to the great distance
from Constantinople. In ordinary times he
must wait a month for an answer from Mr..
Morris, our Minister at the Porte, before
he can do anything. The remedy is simple.
Let the Consulate at Beirut be made Con-
sulate- General, and the Consul General here
can settle the greater part of the civil cases
of the Jafiaites without the need of a refer
ence to Constantinople. This is one OF the
many reasons which make it almost an i'm
peratlve necessity that the State Department
at washington should take up the case Of the