Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-03-09
Space W. ] N N. m. l yr.
Christians III Persia.

1t is moi gtGcIauy krJWl to the Christian
public that in MOhamu etaG Persia. aud psrtio
u'arly 10 the n0rtIeLs:, ,hsre is large body of
Christian people who even boast of a contou
Gus history WhiIb goes back, ss some thil < to
the days CT the Apostles. Tue Persian Chlis-
tisrs themselves. who are cii, fl Nestorisns j.,
and who have sometimes bucu spoken of as
"WaldenSuo of Asia, trace their ur,sin 10 the
iaGors oi the hp,s,l3 st. Ih0mss. Although at
one zine they %cla spread ever the greater
part OF Persia and bad .hu honor of being secog
nzad ss belODSiDg to the Dallonsl Church, they
have btc1me gleatIy reduced 10 Dunl berS, and
ale gathered togeth, Tor TIE most part in Tho
northeast. bGlUg uCS numerous 10 aud around
Uiumiyah.
The Kurdish invasion Of the last named
place, w:.ich, 1t viii be remembered. tvok
place Ia November OF last year, has brought
world Of fresh trouble 10 these poor aud long af-
fctet peops. But trr the pres rca of the Brit
l,h C0Usu, whose het dqu srturo is rabyetz but
wlo hlpyened ct the tlme TO bs 10 Ufuu. yah
it night have been Infinitely worse tnau it
proved TO be W th the Christian population of the
to4u ard neis hborhovd. As it w.s it was bad
enough. The British Consul. MIR. abbott, had
ar Interview with the Kutd sh chief aud, us
the r2salt OF his iutc! !ssl0u, tie American
missionaries who are sta oued lhcfe aud the
HISTORIAN leaders were admitted iuto the pre-
s!rce OF the chief, rho promised hat, whatever
elsa might be done, the lives OF tho Chris ian
people at least, would 10 spared. But twenty
hre Nes!otian villages We're cousisn ned TO the
hsnes. aid their cattle, erain atd muca other
removable properly were carried IF OF destroy
cd. Worse, hcwcvtr, was TO toiIow. The
Ilunph Of the ku;t WAS b!iGi; but they had
10 the houc OF vciyry betn cue almost beyond
examGls TO The Mohsmmeiaa Persians. The
meD 10 large numbers they p1t 10 dea;h, and
The womec aud girls were suit .c;od to the most
brutal rreatment. SiCc, tnc Persiaps re-
covered Utumiya1 aod repclled tho Ku!ds
they have been showing the reverse of kiu6Iy
feelings coward tue Chris iaa population,
The comparatively gentle treatment which the
y hestorlsns nni tbr missionaries received at the
hal u: Of the kuId3 They attributed TO treachery
anO ,ecret hlllnncr, The Persian soldiers and
the MUhamncdans Cf The city h.ve therefore,
with d. iii culty been restrained from wruskn.
their vengeance on the American aid English
L Is-,unarleo and on the Hestorians generally.
At the late OF The latest news the Oh hrissns wero
IN state u the greatest aiaTm. To their frlnds
IN England they write: Urge the good gov
eminent OF Engisud to think of our sad stste"
1t would be ditfic alt by any amount of word
painting to present. more forciby the unhappy
condition OF these poor people than las been
done by the mere simple recital of facts. On
tee one nand they are at the mercy Of the Mo-
hammedan Petslsns and or the ether hand
they are o. the melcy OF MChammedan Turks.
And Whist makes lnoir situation all the more
desperate is tha: tho Persian authorities sus psct
and hate them, while the Turk sh authorities
have not the pt Wer even IT they have the will
10 mold the kurds in suhjecliou.