, 1854-10-07
Palestine MOrtgaged to the
ROthschilds.

ROthschildS.
1t is said, abroad, that Palestine has
been mortgaged to the Rothschilds, as Sc
curity for a loan advanced to the Sultan
The rumor further asserts that among the
possibilities Of the future, is the erection
of Palestine on the conclusion of peace,
into Jewish kingdom, under the dynasty
of the Rothschilds. That serious terrific
rial alterations will grow out of the pend
ing war is incontestible; and this sugges,
tiOn regarding Palestine, however visiona.
ry it may seem, is, therefore, not quite alb
surd
That Palestine should fall into the pos
session of some other people than the
Turks is desirable on many accounts. Stu
ated as it is at distance from the central
government, and liable continually to the
exactions from Pachas, or the indifference
Of Governors, it offers no sufficient induce
ments for capital to settle there, or indus
try to remain. 1t is, consequently, in q
condition of progressive decay. Agricul-
ture is neglected, trade finds little to sup
port it, and ignorance, superstition and
NlCG ONNl ElOm AuC
furthest shores Of Nazareth to the south
ern waters of the Dead Sea, a curse seems
to hang over the country, blighting it like
a pestilence or fight Of Egyptian locusts
There was time, however, when Pales-
tine was the most aourishing region, per-
haps, on the face Of the globe. Its vallies
were filed with the low Of cattle-its ter
raced hill-sides glowed with golden crops,
tho vine dotted the landscape with purple
grapes, and an almost continuous line Of
villages crowned the activities in sight Of
each other, from the desert of Idumea, on
the south, to Mount Libanus on the north
There is reason to believe that, at the be-
ginning of the Christian era, the whole
land was like vast suburb The four gos-
pels are full of illusions which warrant
this conclusion. But now desolatiOn broods
over the entire prospect. The footprints
of successive invaders have deeply dented
the surface of the country. The round bat
tlement towers of the Crusaders rise amid
the ruin of old Roman works, while mod
ern Turkish fortresses lift themselves above
the blackened walls of Roman castles. The
axe and fire have gone over this once fair
region in repeated surges Of blood and
conhagratiou. Centuries of war and OPP
preston have exhausted the spirit Of the
people-have destroyed the old improve
ments, have turned what was once con
tinuous garden and vineyard into a COM
parative desert. No man can remember
what Palestine once was, and recall what
il is at present, without wishing that equal
laws and liberal institutions might restore
it to its former splendor
The creation of Jewish kingdom pro-
misses the speediest method Of arriving at
this. There are millions Of Hebrews scat
tered over Europe, who would avail them
selves of such restoration, to return to
the land of their fathers Poland and Rus
sia, especially swarm with them. The op-
preston under which they suffer wherever
the Gar holds sway, would be an addi-
tional inducement for them to emigrate to
Palestine. A Jew in Russia cannot wear
a beard as he wishes, cannot appear in GER
tain garments, cannot import even the He
brew Scriptures, cannot enjoy the common
rights Of q citizen. When we consider the
adventurous character Of the race, and re-
call the great Jewish exodus which is now
going on, we cannot see any difficulty in
the way Of Jewish emigration, such as
would re-populate Palestine in very few
years.
There are difficulties in the way, howev-
er, and serious ones. A small kingdom,
like Palestine proper would be, would hard
ly sustain itself against its mighty neigh
bors. But it, as appearances begin to in
dicate, the present war will end in the re-
construction Of Turkey, and if that recon-
struction should be based on q federal un.
len, under the Sultan, of various independ-
ent provinces, then we see no reason why
a Hebrew principality might not take its
place in such a union, side by side with a
Servian, Russian, or an Albanian one
Philadelphia Ledger.