The national Republican., 1867-07-31
RELIGIOUS TOLERATION.

IN an Mucle on aualrs IN tennessee,
one OF our morning cotemporaries makes
use Of opprobious language which, in its
application to an entire people, is certainly
unmerited and undeserved. 1t is this
"Jew Benjamin" and again d is "Good
jew Benjamin doctrine" &c.
We allude to this too common habit
which our people have Of speaking Of this
large class Of our citizens, not for the
purpose ofappearing to be captious towards
our neighbor, or to provoke controversy;
but because we would say something in
defence Of religious federation.
There is no propriety in calling man q
jew unless you mean to be understood as
referring to his religious views.
The Jews Of to-day have no distinct
nationality. They are scattered through
out all nations, and the designation of Jew
has reference simply to their religion-a
matter as sacred to them as our form Of
religious belief is to us. While the Jews
as people have kept themselves distinct,
yet they belong to all nations, and have
the national characteristics Of all. Born
in America, they are Americans; in Ger.
many, they are Germans; in France, they
are Frenchmen, &C.; and they therefore
understand, when you speak Of them in O
contemptuous manner, you have reference
to their religion. So they understand it,
and so the world understands Il. We are
accustomed in this country to tolerate all
religious sects, and we should not, in our
public journals, speak reproachfully of any
sect as such.
We know that the world for long ages
prosecuted the Jews, and they then be-
lieved it their Christian duty to do it. We
have, thank God, outgrown this spirit, and
especially the practice Of prosecuting the
Jews; let us then get rid Of the very forms
orspeech by which we were in the habit Of
conveying our reproaches and our con-
tempt towards this people.
The Jew ais man and a brother"
and he is also fellow-citizen. Lett us treat
him as such. Time was when throughout
Christendom the Jew was hunted and per
secuted everywhere, and all believed that
they were doing Gods service by so doing
SHAKESPEARE puts some telling words into
the mouth Of Shylock in his play, the Mer.
chant of Venice, which but too truthfully
describe the state of things once existing
in Europe.
Speaking of the conduct Of Antonio
towards him, Shylock says:
"He hath disgraced me, and hindered
me Of half million; laughed at my losses
Knocked at my gains, scorned my nation
thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends,
heated my enemies; and what's his reason
am Jew. Hath not Jew eyesf hath
not a jew hands, organs, dimensions,
senses, affections, passions fled with the
same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the
same means, warmed and cooled by the
same winter and summer, as Christian
is? Ify you prick us, do we not bleed? il
you tickle us, do we not laugh IL you
poison us, do we not die and IL you
wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we
are like you in the rest, we will resemble
you in that"
The Jews in this country are an indus.
trious, thrifty, well-to-do and well-behaved
people, and they should no more on &C.
count Of their religion, be held up to ridi.
culc than should Methodists, Baptists,
Episcopalians, or the adherents OF any
other sect.