The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-09

/ AAAh4A ~ NANhAAsASh AANAA tllu 1G9E III
that the sword i the solitary emblem and
instrument Of faith, Independence and
patriotism; that armies, not priests, make
convert; and that Bharpened steel Is the
true key TO heaven or hell" Upon that
fearful ensign are inserted The. words
which are supposed 70 have been written
At Mecca itselt-namely. "All who draw
1t THE sword) Will be rewarded with TEN.
poral advantages every drop shed Of
their blood, every peril and hardship en-.
dured by them, viii be registered on high
a. more meritorious than either fasting
or praying. 1tthey fall Ia battle, their
sins will DO at once blotted out, and they
will DO transported to Paradise, there to
revel In eternal pleasures In the arms Of
black'eyed hOuFis. But for the frat
heaven are reserved those Of the faithful
who die within sight OF the Green Flag
Of the Prophet" Then the terrible and
alltigni6cant words, the fearful War-cry
against God and man: "Then may no
man give or expect mercy"
Thia Ia the outburst Of barbarian with
which the world Il threatened in this year
Of grace 1877; and the reader cannot do
otherwise than mark the cunning nature
OF the portenious words intcribed on the
prophets banner. What would not most
men do, civilized or savage, for temper.
al advantuges% While 70 the Eastern
people fasting and praying are looked
upon as Of 80 meritorious q nature, that
to find something else which in the eyes
OF Allah, would DO deemed Of Rre4ler
value still, would be 4 desideratum which
none could fail 10 grasp by any means
Whutever, II 1t came within their reach.
But Mohammed'S wonderful knowledge
Of human nature, and more especially Of
Eastern human nature, l. shown in his
picture Of Paradise a. prepared for the
faithful who fall In battle; while his dec,
laration that the highest heaven in this
o.callGd Paradise will be reserved for
those who die within sight Of the Green
Flag, Is 4 masterpiece OF devilish policy
unequalled 10 the annals Of mankind.
Il scarcely needed tho fearful words
which follow to add emphasis to this
dreadful appeal to TIE passions Of SO.
mi.barbarons race. Another motto on
this sacred Gag Is not Observation-Disclosures
al the presen. time: 1.-THE gates Of Par
Sdise are under the shade Of swords"
aud this alone would, il the Gag were
unfurled in the holy mosque OF Constan.
tinople, give to the Turk a moral power
over his aubordinates the effect Of which
It would DO vain 10 calculate. Civilized
though he partially is, he still firmly be.
lieves in the old doctrine Of kiamsI or Ia.
tally, and in angels fighting on his be-
half; not less i'm plicitly than did his an
cestors at the btrle Of Beder, where this
formidable green standard was frat un-
iurled. "Therc,0 says the historian,
they elevated the standard, which Mo-
BANNED from his height in heaven
blessed"
Thus arose the great traditson Of this
sacred war emblem, which it 10 Turk
ian boast was never yet captured in battle,
though it was once in extreme peril 10
eight between hill and plain, when No
hammed himself had It snatched out Of
his hands. Ali, his kinsman, however,
thrust himself in front OF a hundred
spears, and won the victory with the i'm
maculatc dag flying over his hesd.
Its scarcely 10 be wondered at that a
race so superStitious "a the Turks should
attach an almost miraculous value 10
such a symbol OF their past history and
their present power. 1t Is aspell where
ever their race or religion flourishes, and
its invocation in the serious form now
menaced canno! DO regarded without anx-
iety. The days OF the military apostles
of Mohammed may be past, it Is true,
but the tradition survives; and the un-
Eurling Of this Gag might be the spark
which would set Ere to the latent enthus-
iasm Of the MohsmmedGn race and in-
volve the world in religious war. We
have referred 10 the great French banner,
the orihlmme; and it was that which led
the French Crusaders through the Holy
Land and headed the royal armies Of
France in tho campaigns OF the sixteenth
century, while il Rlao divided the Blue
from the White In the Burguudian civil
wars; but this Gag Of the Prophet 10 day
exercises magical influence over 120,-
100000 OF the human race scattered about
in Arabia, Syria, Asia Minor, Persia and
Egypt, over the Nile and the Gangea,
ard from Jerusalem to the Red Sea.
The desire Of Mohammed, however,
was, that while all pilgrims whose task
had been duly fulfilled should wear the
green turbau, no sovereign in his success
sion should unfurl the Green Flag Of the
Faith unless Islam were in imminent per-
il. The unfuring Of the banner would
be performed with great religious ceri.
mcny, and in the prssence OF the Com
mander OF the Faithful, who is himself
supposed to carry it at the bead Of his
army; while 4 fearful curse would be
called down upon the head OF every Mo-
hammedan who, capable Of bearing arms,
tailed TO rally round it.
The standard itself Ia not very hand.
some one, and Is surpassed both in value
and appearance by many OF the banners
which belong to the various benefit socis.
ties and other mutual associations Of men
in this country. 1t is Of green silk, with
large crescent on the top Of the staff,
from which Is suspended long plume Of
horse.hair (said to have been the tail Of
the Prophets iaToritc Arab steed), while
the broad folds Of the flag exhibit the
crescent and the quotations from the 70.
ran already mentioned.
The state color OF one OF our regi.
ments of the guards is much prettier
and more expensive standard than the
great banner Of ISLAM; but TO such small
things ia mans enthusiasm attached II
the latter were The veriest "rag" 10 ex.
istencs nothing could mar the beauty
which the prestige OF more than thous.
and years has given to it in the eyes Of
Mussulmau.
The Flag OF the Prophet ia kept in the
mosque Of 81. Sophia at Cons tantinople,
and Is in the custody Of the shelk.ul.Is.
lam, or Mohamnedan CHIEF. priest, where
all well.wiShera OF humanity may sin.
csrely trust 1t will ever remain.