The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-08


fne Jews, that Arabs came Up from Ne-
men, by way % Mesopotarlia ana A}errsa.
and mingled with them, and Ehas ten cen
t0rles later. n SIS. the Mardi, a wzrllks
Persian tribe. were also added 10 them.
AL these elements we're frmly fused ard
blended together when n le-s the famous
Eaktu2, a FaELul5te CAliph OF Egvpt. pro-
claimed himself the representative %
God and strove 70 make himself 1arclE
leader and the founder ~ new RELIGIOUS
and social system They rspudlated hiIa.
and also his couteSSoTs one rArasi YeI
they az last took upon themselves the lat
ter name a1d accepted has disciple. the
Persian mystic Hauxe, as their spiritual
head. They SIN retain the name Of Oar
AT, but Venerate HaulEe as their prophet.
In the seventeenth century their leader
was the famous EniT Fakredain, who
long wagea n0t unsuccessful war
against the porte. Therceforwara their
history was a stormy one OF war after
war. Finally. az the middle OF the pres
ent century, the pruses and the Maron-
ties took 10 hutchering each other with
50 appalling Terocity that the powers OF
Europe had 70 interfere An expedition
OF @,e9 men was sent thither IN 800. but
IL could not catch the Druses. who fled
into the desert OF the Hauran- But a spe-
cial system OF government was devised
ard established over the Lebanon district.
with a Christian for governor. il was as
governor or prince OF the Lebanon that
the late Rustem pasha did most adInira-
bic service for ten years.
Now, as 10 the religion OF the Druses.
Its creeds are drawn from the Pentateueh,
the Gospels and the Koran, with some ad-
mixture OF Buddhism and sun legends Its
seven cardinal rules of faith and practice
are truthfulness, but only toward fellow
pruses; mutual protection and resistance
10 attacks from outside, remuneration OF
all other creeds, separation from all other
relgionists, recognition OF the unity OF
God. resignation 10 Ills viii and obedience
10 His commands. They believe God has
revealed Himself in human form ten
times. and has made sixty-nine minor
manifestations. They believe that the
number OF human souls never varies: all
that now exist have always existed and
always Will exist. Metempsychosis is.
therefore, a part Of their philosophy.
When a man dies his soul enters into a
new human body, TO lead a better or a
worse life. according TO the tendency or
the former one. They never offer prayer.
deeming IL mere meddling with the will
and work of God The end OF the world
VIII be preceded by an armageddon, in
which they viii play a leading part.
1t may be added that they are brave.
handsome and Industrious people. Prim-
arg education, at least, Is universal. They
never taste strong drink or use tobacco.
Chastity is well-night universal Poly
gamy is unknown. Divorces are few,
though easily obtained, for all man has
to do is to tell his wife three times that
she had better go back TO her mother,
and she goes. They live chiefly on high
hillsides. and with vast toll they have
CARRIED up thither an abundance OF rich
soil from the valleys. so that their ter
raced gardens yield rich harvests OF
grapes and olives. They also have great
mulberry orchards, and so produce much
silk, and their silk factories at Shlnlan.
5000 feet above the sea, employ 5000
hands. Deir-el-Kamar, Bakhlin and Kun
await, In the Hauran, are their chief
towns.
The Jews.
There are, OF course, many Jews IN both
European and Asiatic Turkey, and they
get along with the Mohammedans far bet
ter than the Christians do. In Constan-
tinople, Adrianople, Salonica, smyrna,
Aleppo and Damascus they have large
and prosperous colonies. In Jerusalem and
other parts OF Palestine they are num-
erous, but much less prosperous than
elsewhere. The hope of a triumphant
temporal restoration OF the Jewish king
dom is still largely cherished by them,
perhaps more among the poorer Jews OF
Palestine than among their richer and
more intelligent brethren elsewhere. They
play no part. however. in the politico-re-
lfgfous agitation that now convulseS the
empire.
Work of the Missionaries.
There has been considerable discussion
and more speculation OF late as to just
what sort OF work the American mission
aries are doing among the Armenian peo-
pie. and also as to what instructions
those going TO different parts Of the Turk
ish empire as missionaries receive from
their UNCONVENTIONAL boards in this coun-
try regarding the methods Of prosecuting
their work The American board and the
board OF missions of the Presbyterian
church are the only two American socie-
ties having missionaries at or near the
scenes Of the Armenian troubles. Inc
fact that all the religious sects in the
Turkish empire, with the exception or the
NTohammedans, are nominal Christians.
has rendered the task OF missionaries Pc
culiarly difficult. The question that con-
fronts the mission workers Is: SnaH We
work within the lines and boundaries or
the old Armenian church, or shall we es-
tablish new evangelical churches and
strive TO make true Protestants out or
our converts? The two societies having
possession OF the field have reached con-
clusions which differ somewhat upon this
vital point.
The American board OF the Congrega-
tional church instructs its missionaries
protestantize the native Christians, nor
10 attempt to build up sectarianlsm.
Their purpose is 10 carry to these people
the simple truths OF Christianity, the
teachings which are regarded as essentlaI
to the well-being OF an enhghtehei ma
ton and whatever is highest and best IN
American civilization, apart from her po-
lItlcal institutions.
The PRESBYTERIAN board in the early his
tory OF It's work IN Armenia attempted 20
work entirely within the lines or the oid
church. but they declare that they have
found old creeds and Journalism so prevail
ont that II has been practically Impossible
to infl1se life and vitality into the old AT
rnenian churches There seemed 10 oe only
one Of two courses to pursue; either Tor
the missionaries to abandon their feid, or
"a Proteetantfze their converts ana 20
ahout the work OF establishing evangeicaI
churches The Presbyterian board chose
the latter course.
Two Policies That Converge.
From one point Of view the separate
t,olicfes Of the two societies seem 10 n
volve a distinction almost without N'I-
ference for the converts OF both q these
,cristjas have established q large num-
1.sr ~ evangelical churches. in charge OF
which are many converted native pastors.
reofb 8c0o-t1trat ious are entirely Eoh-scc-
tartan in their teachings. The one TTsin-
al object OF the missionaries is 10 lft ND
q nation and 10 create among them native
leaders Who shall direct the people and IN
whose intelligence and ability the people
will have confidence
-frha missionaries have never ne@dlfi
,xith politics on the foreign ne'd- i hey
have fett that f. is none Of their biSiu0 50
"a interfere with The affairs or the dfk-
ssh government, 10 matter "hat IN -Ist W
+hef~ rersoral views and CONVICTIONS re-
-.r~vRs saft