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Show THE Cl5IU, AT OETIISEMAE. DISCLSTINO C.PAI.IIFI.S l. '"CnKIS-TIANS" '"CnKIS-TIANS" IN IIOIA 1 1JVCES We have bit n nqucsted bj the Franciscan Gjardiaua of the Holy at-pulcbrt. to publbb a UelalleJ account ac-count of Uic scandalous occurreuco wliicli toolr placo at Oetlisemane during tbediys between Julj Istand Augusts) of tbUyear occurrenns illegal in their orijln,iIlrgai in their contlLUance and mest illegal In their conclusion. We villiugljr, ays a LonJon paper, bej iheauthoritatiTo account of these events before the public. The conduct con-duct of the Pasha of Jerusalem can-uotbe can-uotbe too severely condemned, cor can the behavior of the Franci'caa Guanlim", under the ttreaa of great difll cullies, be sufllciently praised. The end is Jet to come, with the de-u.Ionof de-u.Ionof thenlghect court of Constantinople. Con-stantinople. Hut n hether or not the efToitaof the French ambassadors a o successful, and n hether this very importai.t matter ia deciJtd for or against the Latins their title to a favorable fa-vorable decision remains unquestioned unques-tioned and absolute. The continual questions that arise between the rrauciscan t athers who guard -o many spots of consecrated interest in the Holy Land, and the Greeks who, desj ite the legal righla tiosstssed by the Fathers, have the keenest ambilion to win a share of the guardianship of the Holy Places, have come recently to a cr sj of a very grave and Important nature For some Ave weeks the Francl'cans have been compelled to keep a vigilant and personal nard over the ground between the sipulcbre of the BIesed Virgin and the u rot to of the Agnnj . The ground by the clearest legal rights Ulong to tlie Franciscan; but the Greeks desired to build on it and went about the fulfillment of their de-Iro in a verj d-termined man-n-r. It Iianned that during last July the Frand'cans n ere engaged in renewing re-newing tLo old wall which bounded tlie greater inrtion of the ground above the Grotto of the Agony. In Uila wall tht j made a door, thereby making complete connection with the w ho't srouud nowindlspulcBut he new wall was to the Greeks the Igral for pressing a new claim. gain4 it thc. began to run up ittle cottages with the evident ln-ention ln-ention of finallj lading claim to jiutual jicsciou of the w hole space into which the door built by the Franciscans led. What methods were taken are not clearly specified, iuttiie simple phrasLOfthnaccounls 'orwirded to us runs thus they were hindered. In the accomplish-neutuf accomplish-neutuf this the Franclscins were otnp elled to watcli night and day slde their possessions from July lb to Augutt 20. Wiien matters had reached thin point, a consultation as arranged between tlie French Vici-Consul and the Pasha, but no jlear determination was arrived at md tlie whole matter was put before Jio hightst authority at Constantinople. Constanti-nople. Then, says the account bo-ore bo-ore it", the Greeks made a presentation presenta-tion to tho Pasha of 20,000 francs, lth results that were soon apparent. ap-parent. , , At this point a curious conlradie-Jon conlradie-Jon arltts. idle tlie matter was pending before the court at Constan-auople, Constan-auople, the French ambassador rent t telegram to the vice-consul of Jerusalem with a notification that .he Grand Virier had issued formal rders that no change or new thing 'houid be introduced at Getbsemane intil the whole suit had been dis ussed and a decision hai been ir.n. But (the rirescnt from the Jreeks teems to have wrought po-eutly) po-eutly) tho Pasha declares that fie nd rectived a telegram from the Jrand Vizier permitting tlie Greeks o lii!d ou the disputed ground. Tho French vlce-cousul vcryreason-itily vcryreason-itily told the Pasha thst he would hrow eTcry opposition in his way jnUl a similar telegram was received himself roin the Grand i er fhis never came. But the Pasha, tronz in hU20,OM francs, oa Aug U, offered to tho Greeks -vejiinUI-ary assistance for their Ifuildlng Down came the Greeks with all the jorop and circumstance of masonry, ind down came the troops ateo. oul iown came the Franclacans as well, md offering ('tis not atated how) so .tout a resistance that the coinman ler of the troops bade the Greek monks retire. Then came excited comtnunlca Uons with Constantinople. Tcle-irrams Tcle-irrams ran too and fro: and the trench Consul received the tidings from his ambassador that the matter waF being energetically discussed by the go eminent. The deeds of the property were demanded of the Franciscans and were """'yd.1?: patched to Constantinople. While e papers were on thelrourns-y the GreekrVwbo seem to race. me forward to Inst that some decision should be given at once, even though a temparary one. On tolmoroingof Auju.tzo tl Con-sulcametotbebuperlor Con-sulcametotbebuperlor to Inform hlmUiat the Pasha had once more UtSnthe fixed determination to "n5 to the Greeks U.e assistance of the troops. At the same Umehe proposed Uisz, as It was uscTes tore-JlstTurther. tore-JlstTurther. until the final decision came, the Franciscan guards should "HSch a proposition the Superior refused to entertain; "for," said he. "iwTcculd only be'lnterpreted as a sign of surrender to tie disputed J&und, and It would therefore be ir that the religions i should be cutaway by force." -But," say. tCtnsil In alarm, "do you wtoh toseeycur friar murdered on the Sri?" -"So," replied the Superior, ?Sey shall cot resist violence, but SSlveprotest sJiall be made by SecMlty for their rempraL" There-uponthe There-uponthe Consul was for taking this SSnSuncement to th Pasha; but this IheSuptriorwculdbr no mean. Iriosr least it should .besald that Se rdWoii bad T.ktth.lr tlahtsTMesinwhUetP-aoiaatJ w Bd, yjn. Icier quoted abjve, iha made some demonstrations again-the again-the religious to frighten then, without result. Beelng that these demonstrations were of no effect, a body of Greek monks, accompanied by four bishops, went up to the pasha beseeching him to give more stringent orders to the troops. The French consul also went, and, despite de-spite the desire of the superior, he betrayed to tho pasha tho manner of conduct which the superior had dictated to his friars. Lite in the afternoon ths pasha, accompanied by tho Greek monks and tlie French consul, went down to Getbsemane, while In its vicinity were gathered a crowd of curious spectators of all nations. "More than 300 soldiers," says the Fran ciscau account with pathetic simplicity, sim-plicity, ''were prepared against about fortv unarmed Franciscan monks." For a time there was a dlltiulty how to act. The commander, com-mander, during tlie deliberations of the Pasha, ordered the soldiers to retire and await the signal of a trumpet. Tben the Pasha and the Consul tool; consultation together, and, finally the Franciscans were ordered to retire. In a body they refused. -The trumpet clanged and the soldiers coming a little nearer shouldered their rifles. Then the Franciscans gave way, but were only removed from the sjiot by force. When the friars had been dragged away, tw o rows of soldiers were drawn up as a defense of the Greeks, who set themselves hastily to build a wall of six metres, a task which they finished at 10 o'clock the same evening. The decision had not yet come from Constantinsple Zandon Tai Ut. ' |