San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-06

NEW YORK, April Cdr. III. H.
Jessup, of the Presbyterian Mis-
sionary Board, who has been for
thirty-nine years missionary in
Syria, seemed very pleased with
the news from Washington of the
ordering to Beirut of the Ameri-
can warship at present on the
Mediterranean station. DR.. Jessup
is at present visiting DR.. J. S. Dem
mis-, the Presbyterian missionary
in this city. DIR. Jessupis in con-
slant communication with his
brother in Beirut, having received
news as late as March IL, and is
therefore in position to give a
trustworthy opinion as to the
rumors of a threatened uprising
against the Christians in Syria.
Notwithstanding the reports
to the contrary" DR.. Jessup said
this afternoon, "the latest news i
have from my brother in Beirut
gives me reason to believe that
these rumors of threatened mas
sacres that have appeared in many
of the papers Of late, are not as
serious as they have been repre-
sented. / have letter here from
my brother, dated March IL, in
which he declares that the reports
are, as / have said, of greatly ex-
agerated nature, particularly those
that have appeared in the English
papers; and that he apprehends no
disturbance. / consider the brief
interval since this letter was mail
ed, as showing this conclusively.
OF course, whenever Moslems and
Christians live together, as in all
the cities of Syria, there will al
ways be a slight feeling of anxiety.
This is natural, owing to the deep
and long seated hatred that exists
on the part the Moslems for the
Christians. In the cities and towns
along the sea coast, this feeling ex-
lists only in a slight degree. In adj
dition to Moslems and Christians
many Armenians live there and
the anxious feeling is more pro-
nouuced, particularly since the
late Armenian massacres. The
real cause of the late rumors arise
from the disturbance which have
been going on in the district of
Merj and Ayum, lying west Of Mt.
Hermon. For many months this
section has been the scene of q con-
tinuous warfare between the
Druzes aud the Christians. The
former are a war-like race, who
dwell principally in large vii
lage on the slope of the noun tain,
from whence they make continu-
al raids on the village, therea.
bouts, pillaging and commit.
ting all sorts OF outrages.
They refuse to pay their taxes and
a visit from the governor of the
province with troops proved fruit
less in collecting them. On one or
two occasions the Druze have
routed the regular Turkish troops,
who have been sent to quiet the
disturbances. After some time,
however, meeting was arranged
between the Sheiks of the DruZes,
the Christian bishop and the Turk.
ish governor and peace was estab-
lished. A copy of an Arabic news
paper published in Beirut under
the date OF March 4, which I have
received this week, contains an
official notice to the effect that
peace has beenIestablished between
the DruZes and the Christians.
Another cause for the alarm con-
corning the safety of the Christians
in Syria arose from an attack
made by a band of Mohammedans
in December last on two young
men, Greek Christians. The latter
were walking along street in
Beirut one evening, when a band
rushed out of mosque and assassi-
mated the two young men. The
offenders were promptly arrested
tried and sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary for a long term Of years
for the crime Of killing Chris
tian."
"About a month later a gang of
Italians, who are employed in
building the railroad to Damascus,
were set upon by Moslem mob
and were being roughly treated
when the wife of one of the Italians,
with little child in her arms,
rushed between her countrymen
and the Moslems thinking her
presence would pacify them, but
the Infatuated mob treated the
woman and child so severely as to
call the attention of the authorities
to the riot and the leaders of the
native mob were promptly pun
isbed."
"The Turkish authorities are
doing everything in their power TO
preserve peace in the empire. Since
the Armenian atrocities took place