THE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA.

Published: July 21, 1860

Correspondence of the London Times.

ALEXANDRIA, Monday, June 25, 1860.

The French mail steamer from Syria, which arrived here yesterday, has brought us full and recent particulars of the savage internecine warfare raging between the Druses and Maronite Christians of Mount Lebanon. We had previously heard that the dissensions between the two rival tribes had at the latter end of last month broken out into actual hostilities; villages had been attacked and burnt down, and in many the silk crop of cocoons, the principal source of subsistence of the inhabitants, had been utterly destroyed, but the loss of life was not great. A few days later more startling and alarming intelligence began to arrive. The advantages in the struggle lay almost entirely on the side of the Druses, who were becoming more and more maddened into a state of savage fury with the sight of the blood that had begun to flow, and the Turks, it was added, were more or less openly favoring their cause.

Yesterday the French mail steamer from Syria arrived with further intelligence of a recent date, which further confirms the report previously received. The following private letter from Beyrout, dated the 20th inst., contains the more authentic particulars of the news that has spread at Alexandria:

During the past fortnight affairs in the Lebanon have assumed a far more serious character. Hasbeeyeh and Rasheeyeh, two large and flourishing villages in the neighborhood of Mount Hermon, have been taken, sacked, and destroyed by the Druses in the presence of Turkish garrisons at both places. The Turks, it is said, made no attempt to protect the villages, but, on the contrary, gave active assistance to the enemy. Upon the places being captured, a large number of the Christian inhabitants, men, women and children, took refuge is the Serai, or garrison. The officer in command of the Turkish troops insisted upon the men giving up their arms. They did so, and the weapons were sent off to Damascus. He then entered into a parley with the leaders of the Druses, which ended in the gates of the Serai being thrown open. The Druses entered the place, and a frightful and indiscriminate massacre of the unarmed and defenceless Christians ensued, the Turkish troops passively looking on. A few of the Christians contrived to escape, and have taken refuge in Beyrout. The stories they relate of the cruelties inflicted by the Druses are most heart-rending.

In several other places the Druses induced the Christrians to lay down their arms, on the assurance that they would not be molested, a promise immediately followed by their being murdered in their defenceless state, and their houses sacked and burnt. It is calculated that during the last three weeks more than 60 villages have been destroyed. The loss of life has been very great. The Pasha of Damascus has declared that he cannot guarantee the peace of that city for a week.

The Druses of Lebanon and of the Haman, assisted by Bedouins, have been besieging Zehlah, the largest and most flourishing town in Lebanon, containing a population of more than 10,000 inhabitants; but up to the present they have been unable to take it. The day before yesterday they were defeated by the Christians with great loss -- in fact, they have been driven from Zahleh three or four times, but it is feared that the place will not be able to hold out much longer, for want of ammunition. Should Zehleh fall it will be the destruction of the Christian interest in Lebanon. At Sidon great atrocities have been committed against the Christians, and great numbers of them murdered. In short, the whole of Syria, from Aleppo to Gaza, is in a state of the greatest commotion and alarm. The Turkish authorities look on quietly while the work of destruction goes forward, and when called upon by the European Consuls to interfere and put a stop to the war they make promises, but do nothing. They finally declare that they have not sufficient force. If so, it is high time that the European Powers should interfere to rescue one of the finest and most flourishing provinces of the Empire from the misrule under which it has so long suffered, and from the utter destruction now impending over it.

The only safe place at present remaining in Syria is Beyrout. Two British vessels of war are lying off the town, a steamer of 11 guns, and a gun-boat; also a Russian frigate, and three French ships -- a frigate, a brig and a steamer.

P.S. -- JUNE 21. -- News arrived this morning, which I believe to be too true, that the Druses took Zahleh on the 18th inst., and that they are destroying it by fire. Both Christians and Druses have suffered heavy loss. The women and children were sent out of the town a day or two before it was captured. The fall of Zahleh is a severe blow to the Christians."