Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-09
Damascus the Great Fanatical Gen.
ter Of Syria--ChristiSns in
Danger at All Times.
Every Frank Considered Spy-Dan-
ger Of a Repetition Of the Mas.
sacre Of 1860.
Americas Position Her flag not Respect
ed-The March OF Tho Mohamnhe-
dams Aggravated.

Syria becomes FESTIVE. During the late
war with Russia the porte felt Obliged to
send troops 20 BeyrOut, and the officials
were charged to be unusually watchful.
Just at present there seems to be some.
thing Of the same fear on the part
of . the government Although
about thirty thousand soldiers
have left Syria for the scene of the trou-
bles in the Balkans and Macedonia, a
quantity Of arms have been transferred
TO important centers IN Syria and all the
gGrrisons and barracks have been in
creased 10 efficiency The Moslems have
been for the past few months showing a
fiercer spirit than usual They exhibit
great suspicion of everything foreign and
imagine every Frank TO be an intriguer.
An amusing instance of this has lately
occurred here in the Syrian capital Capt.
Burns of the English army In India was
granted a furlough and permission to
visit England. He undertook tue journey
via Bagdad, HUNS and Damascus. Ar
irving at Bagdad he excited the alarm Of
the officials, who Immediately imagined
that he was come to spy out the land. As
soon as he started on his inland Journey, a
full description Of him and Of his supposed
mission was sent to Damascus, with the
Injunction that he should be carefully
watched. A spy was accordingly deputed
10 wait his arrival and to dog his foot
steps In due course of time he appeared
at Damascus and during every moment
of his stay he was followed by this
official In citizens clothing He
naturally visited the house of a
missionary friend, who was accord
ingly looked upon with suspicion. This
missionary, Mr.. Conner, went with the
captain to the market to sell horse.
They were both proclaimed to be spies
who were attempting to find out the
weak points OF Syria for the benefit OF
the English government.
Damascus in fact with its 1901 600 in
habitants, mostly Mohammedans, is quite
as ianatical center as there Is In
Syria. Here occurred some Of the most
dIsgraceiul scenes in the massacre
OF $50. Christians are not safe at any
time a short time ago it was impossi-
Die to buy koran in the bazaars II il
were known that you were Christian.
10 IL not an uncommon thing now TO be
received with indignlties. Children
shout az the Christians in the
streets and even throw stones at them.
( Aged Moslems will angrily spit on the
ground and show,other signs OF disgust.
1 OF late there has been an increase In
their social outrages
! was talking the other day with one of
/ the missionaries who Went through the
massacre in 1860, asked him whether
II were possible that such thing could
happen again. He shook his head doubt
fully and said that time made
very little difference in such
mattersi we might expect as great q
calamity any day. The followers of
Islam grow more fierce as they lose their
power. The progress of Christianity only
aggraYates the wrath Of the Mohamme-
dams. It is only the watchfulness of the
foreign powers that keeps the Moslems
quiet. 1t Is not probable that there will
be a recurrence Of bloodshed in the Leba-
non district, but the danger in Damascus
| Is increasing.
! Within the last month the missionaries
have been driven out Of the district south
/ OF Damascus in the llawran aud east of
! the Jordan. Rev. Mr.. Conner, OF whom
( | have spoken, had established himself
| quietly about thirty hours south OF Da.
mascus. He opened school in his own
house and held religious services there
several times in the week. He made an
I NAkulslOh hONu W Us ENdlbs 4 ne MDHlGIlN
took advantage Of his absence TO enter
his house and shut up bis school. When
he returned he found himself locked out
OF his own residence. He was called
upon for his tlrman. When he showed
his English passport he was informed
that be could not travel in SYRIA without
a special permission from the porte. He
was ordered back to Damascus and in
formed that he must not leave the city.
He fell under still further suspicion by
welcoming Capt. Burns to his house, as
have already remarked. 10 seems almost
as though affairs were settling back in
To the methods of the ancient tyrannical
rule, when Christians were not allowed
to ride In the streets of Moslem CITY.
or TO possess horse at all speak now
OF such places as Damascus and lIums
and Klamath
All this is, however, but small part
OF the grand plan conceived and pro
mulgated at Constantinople The ofTi-
Gals in Syria say-"We can do nothing
about this except to obey orders; our
hands are tied; you must seek redress az
! Constantinoploi we can do nothing for
/ YOU" The fact Is, the government is
/ Just at present playing q very character
! lstic Turkish game. The object is 10 nut
| a stop to all Christian work in the Turk
ish empire, whether it be under
the auspices Of the Greek,
| Roman, American or Protestant
I churches. The design is to level
churches, schools, hospitals and orphan.
ages To do this double game is
played. Tho orders come from head
quarters with every appearance of cour-
tesy on theirface, Every church, school
or hospital must have special firman
from the sultan. But no schools. etc
nave such document; the officials then
say that the thing ~ do Is to apply for n
firman In the usual way and until
" comes the school, etc, must he
closed, The "usual wayn is to carr, the
application mp through several lower
offices, then to the wely or governor, aud
finally To the porto. But with the general
order from Constantinople which
was so fair In appearance, came tho
secret orders TO every Official an alopg
the tortuous road TO obstruct Inc
way as much as possible. The low.
est official was to make every possible.
objection and attempt to nip the project
In the bud. II he failed, the next higher
was 10 do his best. II, perehance' The
petition OF a tlrman got ass high as the
governor he must veto it, for 1t was unit
ed that y was as much az a mans head
was worth 10 allow the petition TO get as
far as Constantinople.
A strong protest against this procedure
has arisen all over the empire. The
Protestants, through the Evangelical al. |
lance, have appealed 10 the treat |
Protestant powers Of Germany and En- /
gland. II makes an American blush to
consider how little power the United
states has to see that her citizens are