The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-20

and rapidly growing section of our population
are engaged in the celebration Of an important
religious festival which is at least as old as
the days of Moses. On Wednesday last at
shutdown commenced the year 1929, according
to Jewish calculation. The festive New Year
season lasts for ten days, and is supposed to
be devoted to fasting, charity and prayer.
With the old orthodox Jews the two first days
of this season are specially sacred. With the
new school Jews the first day only is specially
singled out from the ten. The remaining
days with Jews of both the old and new
schools are days of penance and atonement.
We know no reason why we should not express
the wish that when the penitential season is
ended our Jewish fellow citizens, one and ALL
may have good reason to conclude that their
names are written in the Book of Life.
The return of this Jewish festival compels
attention to a subject which does not receive
from us that amount of attention to which
from its intrinsic Importance it is so justly
entitled. To say that the history of
the Jewish people is one of the most
peculiar on record would be true; but it would
not be an adequate expression of the truth,
for the history of the Jewish people is virtu-
ally the history Of the human family. How
much of the history of the world would be
worth remembering away from its connection
with that people? The call of Abraham and
the patriarchal history that followed, the bond
age in Egypt, the delverance and the subse-
quent wilderness wanderings, the conquest,
occupation and strange history of the kingdom
the disruption of the State which David and
Solomon had so laboriously built up, the de-
cline and fall, the appearance of Him who
claimed to be the long promised and long
looked for Messiah, the crucifixiOn and the
miraculous events which Immediately fol-
lowed, the destruction of Jerusalem by the sol
diers of Titus and the consequent and final
dispersion-how largely these things enter into
all that we know or care to know about the
history of the past. 1t is the highest claim
which can be set forth on behalf of Christian
ity that it is the complement of Judaism.
However much Christians may differ from
Jews, or Jews from Christians, in doctrine and
in sympathy, this much at least must be ad
mitted-that each has an equal right to claim
an Inheritance in the precious memorials Of
the same glorious past. The history of an
cient Israel is theirs; but it is ours scarcely
less than it is theirs. To Jewish sources
must be traced whatever there is of value in our
moral and religious opinions. If we are not
Jews by blood we are all of us to large ex-
tent Jews in intellect and feeling. On one oc-
casion the present Prime Minister of England
said -''One-half of Europe worships Jew
the other half worships Jewess." The say
ing was not the less true that it was daring and
impious.
| II is impossible for us, even II we would, to
| be wholly Indifferent to the condition and pros
poets of the Jewish people. Time was when
it was the supposed duty of every Christian to
trample them under foot There was no species
of indignity to which they were not subjected
There was no coarse or ingenious cruelty
which they were not compelled to undergo.
The history Of their wanderngs in all lands
for the last eighteen hundred years is history
of suffering and sorrow which finds no parallel
in the history of any other people. Anything
was good enough for Jew. With what
measure he meted it ont to the founder of
Christianity with that measure every Christian
deemed it his duty to mete it out to him. But
the Jew was not to be destroyed. In spite OF
apparent neglect the Lord seemed to be with
| them, as He was with their fathers of old. In
all lands they grew and multiplied and wher-
ever they were found they were found
/ 10 ho thA TAI.
and Of intelligence. Times are now
greatly changed. The Jews are outcast
and despised no longer. The days OF
their expiaton and sorrow seem to be ended
The sun of prosperity again shines upon them.
In all the great civilized nations of modern
times they are the objects of royal, imperial,
or,s what is better still, national favor.
Wherever opportunity is given the intellectual
character Of the race reveals itself In all
departments of human enterprise and ambi-
ton they compete successfully with their
Gentle neighbors. In literature. in the fine
arts, In politics, in finance, they carry off the
highest prizes. BY their rapid accumulation
of the wealth of the world they threaten to
become the kings and princes of the future.
While, however, 1t is not to be denied tina,
the condition of the Jew has been ameliorated
In all the civilized nations of modern times il
must still be claimed on behalf of these United
States that the sons and daughters of Abraham
find their true home here. In no other
country in the world are they so fully admitted
to the rights Of citizenship. In this country
only do they feel that they are citizens
Disqualified neither by race nor religion,
every Office in the republic is open to their
ambition, and there is no reason why de-
scendant of David should not yet sit in pride