Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-16
THE FOMY OF OPPRESSION.
From Tho Alton Democrats

| to the South is based on an idea as old
as original sin, which has been tested by
every nation that ever existed, and,
without single exception, failed-no
matter when or by whom tried.
1t is that brave and intelligent peo.
| pie who have for real or fancied wrongs
appealed TO the decision of the sword
and been defeated, can be made to love
their conquerors by deliberate and sys-
tematic oppression. The strong arm of
power may crush such a people, destroy
their national existence and convert
them into race Of outcasts without
| country or home; but they will survive
all this and live to finally triumph over
those who forget that principles Of right
and eternal justice are as immutable and
immortal as the Throne of God.
No better exemplification of this his
torical truth can be found than that
presented by the children of Abraham.
| Here is race which, as christians be-
lieye, committed the unpardonable sin
by rejecting and crucifying the Redeem
er Of mankind; and for this were
stripped of nationality, driven from the
land where for thousands of years they
had lived and aourished, branded with
the mark Of Cain and sent forth bearing
the weight of heaven svengeance--given
over, as it were, to the scorn, the insult,
the outrage of the whole earth.
The Hebrews have been the Pariahs
of the human family, and for cen.
turtles it was esteemed, not only
right, but q Christian privilege and
duty, to hunt them like savage beasts
from city to city, from country to coun-
try, leaving them no protector but death,
no refuge but the grave. Catholics, Pro-
testants, Mahommetans and hesthens,-
if they could unite in nothing else,
joined hands and hearts in persecnting
the The s5;ce. &C 81 .h:s h!iT !:y h.
tired and spiritual coercion was their re-
ligious reconstruction TO force them
to believe the same creed and trust for
salvation to the same means which the
majority of christendom believed and
trusted. As sample of the means used
to accomplish this end, we give the fol-
lowing provisions Of Bayonne bill
passed and enforced in England during
the reign of Edward /;
!. No jew shall come TO or depart
from England without license, on pain
of death.
2. No Jew shall walk or ride without
yellow badge upon his or her outward or
upper garments, on pain of death.
3. No Jew shall condemn Jesus Christ
nor blaspheme His Divinity, on pain of
being burned.
A. No Jew shall stir out of his house
or lodge on Good Friday.
8. No jew shall strike Christian, on
pain of having his right arm cut of.
6. No Jew shall kill a Christian, on
pain that he be hanged alive on gibbet
and be fed daily on bread and water
until he dies
I. If any jew shall cheat Christian
and escape, all the rest of the Jews shall
make satisfaction to the Christian SO
cheated
8. All the synagogues Of the Jews
shall be suppressed, and if any of their
Rabbis or Jewish Priests shall teach or
preach against the Christian religion
hereafter in England, all such teachers
and preachers shall be burnt
9. No jew on pain Of hanging, shall
transport any bullion or coin beyond the
seas, nor defaee or melt down any Chris
tian coin. ~
TO- The Kings Judges shall not hear
the testimony Of a Jew against Chris
tiap. ll ..
IL. No Jew shall be sworn upon the !
Evangelists. ...- .e,.
IL. The jews shall have four judges, |
two thereof Christians and the others |
Java. who shall try and determine all !
causes between Jews and Christians
= l3. An the children Of the Jews, as
soon as born, the rector or vicar OF the |
parish shall take from them, put such to |
nurses, and breed them up in the Chris
tian religion, for which the jews must /
pay all the charges
a. In the excheqner appointed for
the Jews, there shall be half Christians
and half Jews = and both shall have
equslpOver and different locks and keys
ia The Jews shan account for An the
money they lay cut and for the profits,
and return before the judicieries over
the jews as seon as they shall be re-
is. II any jew shall be converted to
the Christian faith, all his usurious ac-
quisitions are 70 be converted TO pious \
and chartable uses, but all his goods,
estate and moEables shall be his own,
asd not the Kings, as formerly aecus-
toned.
Al. The Iews shall 40 10 hear Christian
doctrine once week. snd - many Eug.
Hsh Jews as turn Christians shall be as
fee of Rneland as q they were born Of
Christian parentA ]