The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-18
President Grant Club.
CHIcAao. AUGUST 1O. 1868.


Hon. John @. bore, President Grant Club:
DEAR SIR-In acknowledging re-
ceipt of your communication inviting
me to address a Republican mass
meeting on the 18th inst, In reference
to the relation of the Israelites to
General Grant and the Republican
party, permit me to say that while |
am happy of the opportunity thus af-
forded me to place my co-religionists
properly before the people. | prefer to
do so in letter, because / have not
made any political speeches for some
time, and have neither time nor in
clination to enter into the areI a.
Our Jewish fellow citizens are
brought consciously forward in this
Presidential campaign, owing to a
military order issued at one time by
General Grant, known as Order No.
II. This order was issued against
Jews as a class, and in this way re-
peated wrong frequently committed
against my race by the nonJewish
world. .e
General Grant committed funda
mental error in the remedy he select
ed for the purpose of dealing with
some offenders against his military
regulations, who were supposed to be
of the Jewish faith. IN
There does exist most unjust pre-
judice toward Jews as a class, against
which | solemnly protest. General
Grant may or may not have shared
this prejudice.
The true Israelite has no prejudice
against any race. His faith in one
God, having been strengthened by
history of forty centuries, leads him
t. regard all men as brothers, and his
highest happiness Is to be engaged In
the interest of God and humanity
There is q meaning in these words,
and very many Israelites in this city
feel this, and In politics are Republic
can. The issues of the war are fully
appreciated by them, and it will be
useless to expect assistance fron them
IN Impeding the progress of history.
The whole tendency of strictly J ew-
ish efforts tends to progress aud liber-
alisTn, and we cannot lend our aid to
inaietOn others wrongs which we have
suffered ourselves, and hence know
them 10 be wrongs. u
Had the nomination Of Presiden-
tial candidate be left to Republican
Jews. Gen. Grant would certainly not
have been their choice. But. now
that Gen. Grant is the nominee of the
party. it is paying a poor compliment
TO Jewish intellect and Jewish patri.
otism to suppose that we can sink all
beneath the weight Of persona! vim
dictive revenge or even of holy indig-
nation. Gen. Grant. knows by this
time that Jews must not be judged
as class" not any more so than
Christians; that among Jews there
are good men and bad men, as there
are good men and bad men among
Furthermore I believe that the
order, referred tC was issued in the
midst of complicated military resp0n-
sibilities, its sweeping effects not hay-.
ing been fully considered. and that
General, Grant regrets that the order
WIS ever issued. - sbHuov IatBgDa sns
Indeed, | know that a letter from
General Grant, expressing these SEN
timents, has for some time been In
the hands of a prominent co-rehgiop-
ist at Washington City, and that Gen.
efal Grant objects to the publication
thereof at this time on the ground.
that it might be construed as a bid
for votes on his party - 3
Very respectfully, i9 ;sa2i
|sist la HENRY GREENBAUBI. =