“You know my friends, into what a sad state our land and people had fallen, morally, socially and intellectually.  We had no schools, no books, no means of instruction, when God in His Providence awakened the zeal of good men far across two seas in distant America, of which many of us had never heard, to leave home and friends and country to spend their lives among us, yes even among such as I am.  In the name of my countrymen in Syria, I would this day thank these men, and those who sent them.  They have given us the Arabic Bible, numerous good books, founded schools and seminaries, and trained our children and youth.  But for the American Missionaries the Word of God would have well nigh died out of the Arabic language.  But now through the labors of the lamented Eli Smith and Dr. Van Dyck, they have given us a translation so pure, so exact, so clear and so classical as to be acceptable to all classes and all sects.  But for their labors, education would still be where it was centuries ago, and our children would still have continued to grow up like wild beasts.  Is there any one among us so bigoted, so ungrateful, as not to appreciate these benevolent labors; so blind as not to see their fruits?  True, other European Missionaries have come here from France and Italy, and we will not deny their good intentions.  But what have they brought us?  And what have they taught?  A little French.  They tell us how far Lyons is from Paris, and where Napoleon first lived, and then they forbid the Word of God, and scatter broadcast the writings of the accursed infidel Voltaire.  But these Americans have come thousands of miles, from a land than which there is no happier on earth, to dwell among such as we are, yes, I repeat it, such as I am, to translate God’s word, to give us schools and good books, and a goodly example, and I thank them for it.  I thank them and all who are laboring for us.  I would thank Mr. Mikhaiel Araman, the Principal of this Female Seminary, who is a son of our land, and Miss Rufka Gregory, the Preceptress, who is a daughter of our own people, for the wonderful progress we have witnessed during these three days among the daughters of our own city and country, in the best kind of knowledge.  Allah grant prosperity to this Seminary, and all its teachers and pupils, peace and happiness to all here present to-day and long life to our Sultan Abdul Aziz.”

As my object in giving these extracts from Arab writers and orators of the present day, is to give some idea of the change going on in Syrian public sentiment with regard to education, the dignity of woman, and the abolition of superstitious social usages, I cannot do better than to translate from the official journal of Daud Pasha, late governor of Mt.  Lebanon, an article on the customs of the Lebanon population.  This paper was styled “Le Liban,” and printed both in Arabic and French in July, 1867.  It gives us a glimpse of the civilizing and Christianizing influences which are at work in Syria.