The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-04-21
New Yo,x correspondence--No. s.


New YoRK. April IA, 1851.
A very interesting ceremony took place
on Friday evening last in the Brick Church
(Presbyterian) in this city. 1t was that
very same thing q Jews recantation OF the
Christ-denying faith Of his fathers.
The convert was a fine looking, intelli-
gent, middle-aged gentleman, and bis re-
sponses to the articles of confession Of faith
in Jesus Christ as the only Uegotton Son OF
God and Saviour OF men, were pronounced
in deep. decided tones. After the solemn act
of recantution Of Judaism he, together with
one other person knelt at the fount, and
Jew and Gentle, were baptized Gin the name
Of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost"
Wa know how seldom it is in these latter
days for Jews to renounce their creed. This
would be- less matter of wonder if Chris
tianity were as prosecuted and unpopular
now as il was in its, infancy. But the Jews
are peculiar people. "Salyation is Of the
Jews'-a quotation frequently in the mouth
of the venerable pastor who baptized the
convert last Friday. Their early history,
and their great men, Moses and the Prophets
are themes which he loves and reveres and
frequently .expatiates upon. He often al
ludes too, to their scattered and depressed
condition at the present, yet ne says, even
now they hold the purse strings OF the
world. N5E+
Other people are prone 10 fall in with the
religious customs and outward observances
of the mass around them, and like the Yam
kee representative in the State Legislature
"alwaYs 20 with the crowd;D but the Jews,
though scattered as it were by the four winds
of Heaven all over the earth, as never peo.
ole were scattered before, and as never peo-
pie shall be scattered again, have not lost a
whit OF their religious and national indiyid-
uality. tst io So. .at7a.q.s
"A colony in the :orrid zone, (placed there
the Lord only knowshow) may be b!ackened
bya tropical sun, but their features, their
customs, their exclusiveness, their religion
will be Jewish still.
In Russia, in craven and tyrannical Aus
tria, in France, in Great Britain, in Ameri-
ca. the Jews know no amalgamation and no
afiliation with !he other inhabitants. Pop
ular prediudice and acts of political disabil-
ity may bear hard apon them, but social hu-
initiation cannot make them forget their
sublime origin, or induce desire to obtain
favour by interchang.ng with their oppres-
sors, or bate one jot Of their contempt ttor
ihe Christians. The world over--on the
Boufse of Paris, on irGndon change, on the
Quay Of Holland, on the Rialto ateSs2lee, IN
lombard street and Catham Square-the
Jew Isl Jew still. Put him in a mill, and
grind him over and he would yet bea Jew
and nothing shorter. ef .
II there be any inelegance in the last SEN
tence, please attribute It 10 an interruption
from my drayman who is complaining
strongly against the law by which he was
taken from his work last week and made te
serve on jury.without compensation. He
admits, believe, that the juror is allowed
9 shilling for every verdict he renders. Thi!
70 done presume, to make them "hury uI
their cakes''--verdict should have said
and not oblige the Judge TO "to eat his nut
ton cold.n fateesS fe .f
The dayman thinks this precious hard
when ne can get Two and sixpence for.
smaller load on his cart, than such hasty de-
-1Cisions loads his conscience withal.s Besides
be could cart o dozen loads of merchs ndizl
while'a well paid lawyer is making a.singl
plea, In Boston, he thinks they have mucl
more bowels for laboring men, inastnuch q
the Jurors fees, there, range from one tw,
dollars per day. The same honest dTayman
however, bets high on the advantages whicl
the poorn1an's children in New Yorkenjo
T in. the natter Of education, The Bostol
public schools once bore the palm, he says
but the New York institutions have caugh
Tin and gone head, fol here The children no
only pet iirst rate tuitionf for nothing, evel
In the, hieher branches, but their schoo
books alg tblown in which IS not tie case il