The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-11


the Gentiles they seek now the temporal
and eternal peace Of the Hebrew people So
cicties are established in England and Ger
many TO difliIsc among them the light Of the
Gospel; and the increasing accessinns to the
parent institution in London, attest the public
estimation ofits principles and services.
Encouraged by these proofs OF |. bcitered
condition and Of the sympathy Of the Gentiles,
who so lately despised them, the children of
israel have become far more open TO Chris
nan intercourse and reciprocal inquiry. Both
from themselves and their converted brethren
we learn much Of their doings, much OF their
hopes and fears, that few years ago would
have remained in secret One of them, who
lately, in the true spirit Of Nj oses, went ion,-
ney into Poland, unto his brethren, and Look
ed on their burdens,' informs that several
thousand Jews Of that country and Of Russia
have recently bound themselves by an oath,
that rs soon as the way is open for them 10 20
up 10 Jerusalem, they will Immediately 90
'thither, and there spend their time in fasting
and praying unto the Lord, until he shall send
the Messiah. - Although it
was,' he continues, comparatively short
time since | had intercourse with my broth
rem according to the flesh found mighty
change in their minds and feelings in regard 10 Z
the nearness Of their dcliverance. Some assign
ed one reason and some another for thu opinion
they entertained; but all agreed in thinking that
the time is at hand, Large bodies, moreover,
have acted on this impulse; we state, on the
authority of another gentleman, himself
Jewish Christian, that the number Of Jews IN
Palestine has been multiplied twenty-fold;
that though within the last forty years, scarce
ly two thousand of that people were TO be
found there, they amount now to upwards OF
forty thousand and we can confirm his state
ment from other sources, that they are in
creasing in multitude by large annual addi-
tons. A very recent English traveller en-
countered many Jews on their road to Jeru.
salem, who invariably replied to his inquiries,
that they were going thi,her to die in the land
OF their fathers. For many wears past this
desire had prevailed among the Hebrews (;
old Sandys has recorded il in his account OF
Paiestine-5ut it has been reserved for the
present day to see the wish 50 amply gaatified.
variety Of motives stimulates the desire !;
the devout seek TO be Inferred in The soil that
they love the superstitious, to avoid the dis
agreeable alternative Of being rolled under the
earths surface until they arrive in that land on
the great morning of the resurrection. = But
whatever be the motives Of a people now
blinded by ignorance, who does not see, in fact,
dark simtnde Of the faith which animated
the death beds of the patriarchs ; Of Jacob
and Of Joseph, who, when he died, made
mention of the departing Of the children Of Is
rael, and gave commandment concerning his
bones z In all parts Of the earth this extra
ordinary people, whose name and sutferngs
are in everv nation under Heaven, think and
feel as one man on the great issue of their re-
storation-the utmost east and the utmost
west, the north and the south, both small and
large congregations, those who have frequent
intercourse with their brethren, and those
who have none, entertain alike the same
hopes and fears DR.. Wolf heard these SEN
timents from their lips in the remotest coun-
tries Of Asia; and Buchanan asserts that
wherever he vert among the Jews Of India,
he f,uli m.norias Of their expil,io from
Judea, and of their belief Of a return thther.
At Jerusalem they purchase, rs il were, one
day in the year OF thcir Musselmnn ruler;
and being assembled in the valley of Jehosha-
phat, bcwa the overthrow of their city and
temple, and pray for revival OF its glory.
Though they have seen the Temple twice,
and the city six times destroyed, their conf
dence is not abated nor their faith gone for
1900 years the belief has sustained them, With
out a king, prophet, or priest, through IN
suit, poverty, torture, aud death and now, in
the ninetcenth century, in the midst Of the
march Of intellect, and what is better in the
far greater diffusion OF the written word OF God
both among Jews and Christians, we hear from
all an harmonious assent TO the prayer that
concludes every Hebrew festival, the year
that approaches, Oh bring us to jerusalem
This belief has not been begotten and sustain
ed by rabbinical bigotry; for although frac-
ton Of the reformed Jews have excluded from
their liturgy every petition for restoration, ard
even for the coming Of the Messiah, yet il pre-
walls more strongly, il possible, among the
converts to Christianity. We have now be-
fore us letter from Hebrew proselyte, da-
ted but few weeks ago at Jerusalem, which
the writer was visiting for the first time his
heart overtlows with patriotism, and the re-
membrance of his ancestry he beheld the
land Of his fathers, to be hereafter his theirs
not by unholy war. nor by stratagem or treach-
cry, but as tie gilt of Him who is yet to be
the glory Of his people Israeli
1t is only within the last few years that the
Jews, as body, have been known beyond The
circle of curious and abirase readers. heir
pursuits and capacities. il was supposed, were
limited to s.ockjobbine, money lending. and
orange stalls but few believed Them 10 lie
people of vigorous intellect, Of unrivalled dill.
gence in study, with long list Of ancient and
modern writers, whose works-though often
times mixed with matter, much Of which is
useless, and much pernicious, ard calculated
far more to sharpen than TO enrich the under
standing-bespeak most singular perseverance
and ability. The emancipation Of genius, Mhich
began under Moses Mendelsohn about the
year 1854, brought them unlocked for fame ON
the stage Of prblane literature-the German,