The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-26
THE SCANDAL AT oETHsEMANE
Greek Aggressions Resisted by the
French Guardians.
Erorn The TnnHon TnhIef

|
From The London Tablet.
| [Wehave been requested by the Franciscan
guardians of the holy sepulchre to publish
a detailef account Of the scandalous occurr
ences which took place at Gethsemaue dur
ing the days between July 10 and Aug. 20 OF
this year-occurrences illegal III tbeil
origin, illegal in their continuance, anC
most illegal in their conclusion. We
willingly commenting on it elsewhere
! place the following authoritative account
of these events before the public. Tue
conduct OF the pashe Of Jerusalem cernot
be TO severely condemned, nor can the be-
havlor OF the franciscan guardians. under
the stress OF great difficulties, be sufficiently
praised. The end is yet to come, with the
| decision of the highest court of Constant IL
nople. But whether or not the efforts of
the French ambassador are successful, AID
whether this very important matter Is de-
| cided for or against the Latins, their title
| to favorable decision remains unques-
| toned and absolute.
The continual questio IS that arise between
| the Fraaciscans fathers who guard so many
| spots OF consecrated interest in the holy
land, and the Greeks who, despite the legal
rights possessed by the fathers, have the
| keenest ambition TO win share of the
| guardianship OF the holy places, have come
| recently to crisis Of q very grave and i'm
portant nature. For some five weeks the
FranciscanS have been compelled to keep a
vigilant and personal ward over the ground
between the sepulcher of the blessed virgin
and the grotto OF the agony. The ground
by the clearest legal rights belonged to the
Franciscans, but the Greeks desired TO build
| on lt and went about the fulfilment of their
desire Ill very determined manner
1t happened that during last July the
Franciscans were engaged in renewing the
old wall which bounded the greater por ton
of the ground above the grotto of the
agony. In this wall they made door,
thereby making complete connection with
the whole ground now in dispute But the
new wall was TO the Greeks the signal for
pressing new claim. Against il they
began to run up little cottages, with the
evident intention of finally laying claim to
mutual possession Of the whole space into
which the door built by the Franciscans led
hat methods were taken are not clearly
specified, but the simple phrase of the &C.
counts forwarded to us runs thus-they era
blndered. In the accomplishment OF this the
Franciscans were compelled to watch night
and day beside their possessions from July
10 to Aug. 70. Wnen matters had reached
this point, consultation was arranged be-
tween the French vice consul and the pasba
but no clear determination was arrived at
AID the wdo.e mat er was put before the
highest authority at Constantiuople. Then.
says the account before US, the Greeks
made presentation to the pasha of 20. 600
francs, with results that were soon appar-
ent
At this point a curious contradiction
arises. While the matter was peniing be-
fore the court at Conssantinople, the French
ambassador sent telegram to the vice
consul of Jerusalem with notification that
the grand vizier had issued formal orders
that no change or new thing shout |
be introduced at Gethsemaue uatil the
whole suit had been discussed and a
decision had been given. But tthe present
| from the Greeks seems to have wrought DO
tently) the pasha declared that he had re-
| ceived telegram from the grand vizier
| permitting the Greeks 60 build on the dis
puted ground. The French vice consul
very reasonably told the pasta that he
would throw every opposition in his way
until similar telegram was received BY
| himself from the grand vizer. This never
came. But the pasha, strong in his 20 900
francs, on Aug. II, offered to the Greeks
even military assiS ance for their building.
Down came the Greeks with all the pomp
and clrcum,tance of mss nry, and down
came the troops also. But down came the
| Franciscans and offered Cts not stated howl
| so stout resistance that the commander OF
the troops bads the Greek monks retire.
Then came excited communications with
Constaltinople. kilograms ran to and fro
| and the French consul received the tlding.
from his ambassador that the matter was
being energeticallv discussed with the gov
erument. The deeds of property were
demanded Of the Franciscans, and were
hastily despatched TO Constantinople. While
the papers we're on their journey the
| Greeks, who seem to be hasty race, came
forward 10 insist that some decision should
be given at once, even though temper ary
one. On the morning of Aug. 20 tue consul
came to the superior to inform him that the
| pasta had once more taken the fixed deter.
min ton to lend to the Greeks the assist.
ance Of the troops. At the same time he
proposed that, as it was useless to resist fur.
Uher, until the final decision came, the
Franciscan guards should retire
Such proposition the superior refused tc
entertain; "for, p" said he. ''this could only
be interpreted as a sign of surrender to tht
disputed ground. and it would therefore be
better that the religious should b. put away
by force" But" says the consul in alarm
| do you wish to see your friars murdered
on the spotp NO." replied the superior
they shall not resist violence, but a mas
sive protest shall be made by a sty fol-
their removal" Thereupon the consul wa
but this the superior would by no means
allow, lest it should be said that the relig-
ious had yielded their rights. Meanwhile
the soldiers aud the Greeks had arrived a
Gethsemane, and, says the chronicle
quoted above, "they made some demon
| strations against the religious +,
| frighten them, but without result" Seeinc
that these demonstrations were of no effect
a body OF Greek monks, accompanied b,
four bishops, went up to the pasha, be-
seeching him to give more stringent order,
to the troops. The French consul also went
and. despite the desire Of the superior. b,
betrayed to the pasta the manner of Goa
duct which the superior had die ed to hi
friars. Late in the afternoon the pasha
| accompanied by the Greek monks and tn,
| French consul, went down to Gethsemaue
while in its vicinity were gathered a Grove
| of curious spectators of all nations
more than 800 soldiers" says the
Franciscan account, with pathetic sim
plicity, were prepared against forty
unarmed Franciscan monks" For &
time there was a difficulty how to act
The commander, during the delbera
tons Of the pasha, ordered the soldiers t.
retire and await the signal of Il trumpet
Then the pasta and the consul took C lnsul
tation together, and, finally the franciscan!
were hidden 10 retire. In a body they re-
fused The trumpet clapged, and the sol
diers coming little nearer shouldered theil
rifles. Then the Franciscans gave away
but were only removed from the spot b,
/ r