The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-06-20

became light. There stood the light
house. How the enraged surf was dash
ing against its foundations; how the
storm of fanaticism WAS hurling around,
eager to deluge it and put it out, and to
throw the American race back against
the waves of the foamiag sea of igno-
rance. All is dark; there is the light
shining brightly, mighty, and calling
mankind to put into this safe harbor
where light and reason. love and truth
are offering shelter and security to the
doubling mind, the excited and unap-
peased heart
We should suppose, that by this time,
after the lapse of SO many centuries, Ju-
daism were known to the world around
us, and its doctrines perfectly under
stood. But far from it. Judaism is en-
tirely misunderstood and misrepresented
| by the Gentle world. 1t is considered
religion, long ago outdone by the
! younger ones; it is treated as q num-
my. the ashes OF which will, one Of these
days, crumble to pieces, either to be
burned into oblivion, or to be terminated
! by new spirit, enlAnating from the
modern churches and their various sys-
TENS of theology.
All that the Christian world knows O.:
Judaism, consists in what their priests
and ministers are teaching them. And
this scanty knowledge of the teachers is
limited by the readings of the New Tes-
lament, is confined within the history of
the qualification and the doctrines ensu-
| ing therefrom, and the result Is gloomy
enough Thank divine Providence,
that we have law Of the State, superior
to the law of the church; thank the
| spirit Of the age, which teaches love and
mutual forbearance, where theology
teaches hatred and begets fanaticism !;
thank modern civilization, which incul
Gates religious liberty, where the code
of priesthood teaches eternal damnation
or salvation merely within its own
creed. Without this progress, which
the human race has made in spite of
theological overbearing, Judaism would
be decreed to day as an anomaly in earth
and heaven, and stricken from the roll
Of religions entitled to the acknowledge
mepts of the human race.
|. No, my friends, Judaism is no Egyp
tian mummy; Judaism is no old decrepit
thing. dragged along by its followers out
of mere stiffncckedness, obstinacy and
intellectual blindness; no, Judaism is
the religion of light and progress, the
only one that is fully able to adapt itself
completely to the most progressive
ideas of our age. Judaism is the retig-
ion devoted to the principle of continu-
ous reform, answering all the demands
of the inquisitive mind, complying 10 all
the principles of justice, valid here
and hereafter: Judaism is the religion
that cheerfully recognizes the rights and
titles of the State. and there is none
running more parallel with the sublime
teachings of the American Constitution,
than even this much ignored and much
condemned Judaism.
Is there any religion more in harmony
with common sense and reason than Ju
daism, when it teaches and proclaims
as its supreme doctrine: There is a
God. one. indivisibly one, spiritual,
eternal, most holy ami most perfect"
Is there any religion more in concert
with the demands of justice than Juda-
ism, when it teaches, there is no saliva
ton by supernatural wonder; every man
will be treated according to his own
moral merits, and the good ones Of all
denominations will participate in the
blessings and joys of future life. Is
there any religion more in accordance
with the holy sentiments of true love
than Judaism, when it proclaims as its
supreme doctrine, "Love thy fellow man
as thyself," no matter whether he be
Jew, Catholic. Protestant, Mohametan or
Pagan; when it teaches that religion
does not consist in mere prayer and OBJ
servance Of ceremonies, but in deeds of
love and charity, justice and benevo-
lence?
Oh, they do not know that, the outsid
ers, or they do not like to know it i; and
hence it becomes our imperative duty to
step forth from the confinement in which
Judaism was held, and to proclaim its
principles to all the world, in order that
the unprejudiccd, the liberal minded,
the sectional ones, become instructed
and enabled to judge for themselves.
This duty becomes the more impera-
tive the more we see in our DAYS, and in
, this country, spirit awakening, set in
opposition to the liberal principles Of
our Constitution and the fundamental
rules of our Government. When, twen-
ty-two years ago, I came to this country,
Al L. Al, 4 l.. -