Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-09-10
The Jews in the Swiss Treaty.

we puollsh to-day the proceedings OF
a meeting of our citizens of the Jewish
faith, in which they denounce the recent
treaty of the United States with Switzer-
land, and urge our congressional delegation
to secure rejection or alteration Of it. As
public meetings for the discussion of the
provisions Of treaties with foreign coun-
tries, are rather uncommon occurrences, it
may be well to notice briefly the cause of
this political phenomenon. In some of
the Cantons of Switzerland there are still
in existence certain very stringent and un-
just laws against the Jews, handed down
from the days when it was considered a
good deed to plunder Jew, and merry
sport to roast him till he gave up as
much of his fabulous wealth as his
torturers wanted The cruelty TO the Jews
in the "days of chivalry," which Sir Wal
ter Scott has described so forcibly in 'Iv-
anhoe," was prevalent all over Europe
1t was not merely in England that Front
de Beufs were allowed to "grill'' an Is
raelite if it so pleased them France, Ger
many and Switzerland were alike intoler-
ant of the peaceful, gainful but "accursed''
race. The laws that regulated the rela-
tions of the Christians with the Jewish
classes were senseless and barbarious,
where there were laws at all, but generally
there was no law but the whim of their
Christian neighbors. In most of the
countries of the world these laws have been
abrogated either formally or by growing
intelligence, and the Jew has been allowed
to rise to the dignity Of human being
But some disgraceful remnants of them
still exist--Even England, so enlightened
and SO humane in her policy. will not al
low jew to sit in Parliament, though
she will allow him to fll pearly all other
Offices The House of Lords but recently
refused to abolish the act which required
a member of Parliament to swear "as he
was a christain," though the House had
passed the abrogation by two to one
With such condition of feeling existing
in England, it is not surprising that por-
tions of Switzerland should retain their
traditional adherence of the sons of Abra-
ham, Some of the Cantons have a law
prohibiting a jew from sleeping within
their limits, and compelling him, at what
ever distance from the boundary, to pass il
before he can sleep at all. Others impose
other penalties. The jew is made an out
cast by them, protected by no law, and
not allowed to protect himself Such laws
deserve the condemnation of the whole civ
ilized world. Yet the United States Gov
ernment implicitly approves them. II
makes treaty with Switzerland stipha-
ting that they shall apply to our own cit
izens. 1t recognized a difference between
the Christian and the Jew, and while ii
secures full privileges for the first, it allows
the other to be subjected to all the outra-
ges that these laws can inf1ict. An Amer
lean citizen, if he be not Jew, can live
and work as he will in the Cantons. But
if he be Jew, he wont even be allowed to
sleep there. The Jews very naturally OBJ
ject to this one-sided arrangement. In
this country we recognize no distinction oi
race, (except niggers. A Jew is Just as
much citizen as any body else, and Just
as much entitled to the care of the Gov
ernment. 1t he goes to Switzerland he has
right to be treated as all other Americans
are treated, and that is the duty of our
government to secure him that right. In
not doing so the government has acted un-
justly, and the treaty, SO far as it permits
the Cantons, or the Federal Government,
of Switzerland, to treat one citizen of this
country better or worse than another, is
unjust, and ought to be amended or reject
ed. We go with the Jews on this ques-
ton the whole length of their resolutions.
Ind. Jour. hre