Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-06-27
<Rellgious 4epartment,
NEOS EPISCOPOS, Editor.
THE JEWISH RACE NO. 2.

sonal appearance. Any one who is at all IA
miliar with these people, land who is not y
must have observed certain lineaments which
strongly mark aud distinguish them from
their gentle brethren. The rule of excep-
tions will Of course apply to them as well as
others. Climate, food, habits and various
things which more or less affect all races of
of people, have some influence in varying
their physical appearance; but the mark is
there, to be known and read of all men.
Whether you find them among the SHOWS of
the frigid zones, or under the burning heat
of the tropics. Whether in the old or new
world, enjoying the blessings of freedom, or
ground to the dust by unrighteous oppres.
sion. whether congregated in the great marts
of trade, their chosen residences, or scatter.
ed far apart in rural simplicity, as to appear
ance they are still the same peculiar peo-
pie, readily known from the people among
whom they soiourn. Following up the same
general rule, we remark that they never in
termarry, and in no way become amalgama.
ted with those around them. A feeling of
superiority, occasioned by their once exalt.
ed position, of legal cleanness in respect to
other races, is interviewer into the frame
work of their social and religious being.
This has been exhibited in all their history.
When they were few in number, and it might
have been highly to their interest to ally
themselves with the Shechmites, Genesis,
.34 chap.,) they rejected such overtures with
scornand violence. a state ofslavery for four
hundred years in Egypt, produced no change
lin this respect In the height and glory Of
.Solomons dominion it WAS the same thing.
The weary years Of Babylonishcaptivity, in
:the decline Of their power and exaltation, had
mo effect upon them. When strangers ruled
over them at the time of Messiah's advent,
their. pride. and ;obstinac J, aad contempt for,
their conquerors was every way manifest.
When the abomiuation that maketh DESC
:late," the Roman army, invested the eccle.
siastical city, with determination strong as
death, they suffered it to be stormed and
,plundered, but never surrendered; and instead
,of remaining there and becoming absorbed
by the stronger race, they abandon ed the
scenes around which clustered every thing
THAT was dear and holy to them, and now,
latter eighteen centuries Of wandering among
the tribes of earth, we find them still dis
itinct and peculiar people. Is not this amaz-
ing! Why, where are the mighty nations
that in their turn, ruled the nations of earth!
Without going into very remote antiquity,
where are the Romans that conquered and
dispersed these peope9 Where are the
Greeks, renowned in war, in science, in lit.
,erature9 Where the Norman marauders,
that invaded and subdued the inhabitants of
,merrie Englandl What have become ofthe
.chvalrous hosts Of CASTLE and Arragon.
Where are the Red Men, who roamed in
llawless freedom over our own hills and
.plainsa IcnABoD is written Of them all.
Gone from the face of the earth, or swallow
Led up in the great human sea which rolls its
waves over the globe, or sunk into political
dotage. But the tribes of Isreal, broken
though they be, are still in fresh and living
,vigor, with the blood of the patriarchs still
'throbbing in their veins; living, moving,
enduring monument Of the Bibles truth.
Another striking feature in the character
of the Jews is, their tact for pecuniary bust.
ness, and the nature of their property.
Now here again is matter in which much
injustice has been done this people. Be.
cause the Jew with all his disadvantages al.
ways manages to make out an honest living
and in many instances, is able to accumu.
late vast treasures, it is too often attributed
10 low cunning and dishonest practices. The
Jew, indeed, is shrewd and managing in his
trading operations, though we do not know
that this may be ascribed to his national idi-
osynracy aside from the circumstances which
control him. They are remarkably clear.
headed, and apt in business, aud any one Of
this description, who has to live by his wits,
will exhibit the same money.making talents.
We don't know but the valley Of the Con.
necticut can produce cases of money.making
and business managing talents that will riva!
those from the valley of the Jordan. But in
neither case would we attribute this propen'
sity to couveteousness or dishonesty: 1t is
not low or mean cunning which produces
the results which we see, bnt natural talent
sharpened aud directed by peculiar circum-
stances, and hence we find such striking
resemblance in this particular between Nor.
dicai and Jonathan.
There is also another point of resemblance
between the sons of Jacob and the sons of
the Puritans, which we notice en- passant,
but resemblance which originates in caus.
es vastly different; that is their wandering
propensities. The one wanders under a
curse, unwilling exiles from their home, the