The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-06
From The Southern (va.) argus.
Illiberality.

We clip the following from the Asmonean, a
religious journal of the Jewish faith, which forci
bly, shows the folly and illiberaty of an uyly
habit prevalent IN almost every community:
In looking over the proceedings of our law
courts and police department, we frequently find
eases published, that such person, a .Jeu, was
charged with larceny or false pretences. We
should like to know what the religion of the
parties has to do with the crime! If such dis
reputable distinctions are made to cast stiuma
on the religion of the chosen people, we can
only say in reply to such low and iliberal de-
nunciations, that taking the Jewish population
Of this city, and comparing it with the record of
crime, where five per cent can be set down MS
Jewish, the remaining ninety-fve are christians,
or persons calling themselves christians for out
Of the ninety-five christian criminals, there are
not one hnlf who are acquainted with the fact
that Jesus OF Nazareth was himself Jew, and
said in reference to the imperfections of our ma
ture, and the universally of crime. "Let him
who il guiltless throw the first stone" But we
repeat, that In this country, where mans re.
ligious faith concerns himself alone, and where
religion is in no manner mixed up with the gov.
eminent or the laws, and where all alike are free
what right has any person to attach the religion
Of man, to the record of crime
Aow wouio IL Ieau III tllls country oil free and
liberal institutions, to find in the papers tina! A
catholic, protestant, c presbyterian, ID a
musseltnan, + an infdel, &c. were examined at
the police, charged with various crimes and vet
there would be as much justice in this re- ipious
display announcing that c d. Jep, was arrested
charged with crime !? II .je,c has the same inirm-
tiles of nature as christian he is as prone to
commit error-if you please crime, as Ills chris
tian brother why should the religion of one be
displayed, and the other kept dark?
But let US look to the records of crime in this
country in seventy-siy years. When has a Jew
been hanged for murder. how many have been
committed for high crimes and msdemeanors
Let us 60 through our State prisons and ascer.
tain how many of the seven or eight hundred
convicts in each, are Jews! The Jews are not
murderers, are not highwaymen, arc not burg
lars, are not forgers, nor are they traitors, why
then attempt to stigmntise their religion when
one of them is charged with petty offence
Most Of these crimes are committed by per.
sons who will tell you, if you choose to believe
them, that they are christians. We must bear
in mind, that many Jewish emigrants are from
countries which has always oppressed the Jews,
which have always stigmatized them-and those
very Jews find theft oppresors Away Semigrants
in this country, and they bring with Them their
old prejudices and animosities, and expect to soc
them carried into effect here as abroad The
Jews should by proper resentments of such in
suits, teach iIliberal christians to understand
that here the Jews are their equals, and they
will permit no such insnlts. Now and then. we
see Jewish itizen arrested for false pretences
and his name and religion displayed in the pa
pers, and five examine into his case, we shall
find that his crime consisted in endeayorinp TO
make his credit and capital little more sub
stantial than they really were; he was guilty of
lying, not an offence punishable by law, but one
Practiscd alike, We presume, in such matters by
christians as we'll NJ Jews.