Through the machinations of the Turks, whose policy is always to "divide and rule," the Maronites were continually fighting against the Druses.

In 1860 Turkish troops joined with the Druses and fell upon the Maronites with wholesale massacres that spread as far south as Damascus, where ten thousand Christians were killed in two days.
[ILLUSTRATION: THE CHRISTIAN TOWN OF ZAHLEH IN THE LEBANON] The European powers were moved at last.

Fifty warships were sent to Beirut, and ten thousand French troops were landed in the Lebanon, to create order.

Under the pressure of the European powers the Sublime Porte was forced to grant an autonomy for the province of the Lebanon.
The French, English, German, Russian, Austrian, and, a year later, the Italian, Governments were signing the guaranty of this autonomy.
Since then the Lebanon has had peace.

The Governor of the province must always be a Christian, but the General Council of the Lebanon includes representatives of all the different races and religions of the population.