New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-05
CHRISTIAN And NW.

Here is o report from some Jealous Chris
tians in Great Britain who have been urging
the engines of their faith and money against
that stiff-necked people the Jews. The result
is the probable conversion in the last year
of thirteen, at the expense of the entire time
of two missionaries for each. The cost in
money of the Christians thus gained
amounted to little over $4,000 apiece for
tho first year alone. Of course the enthusi-
astic Society is ready to affirm that ga human
"soul Is cheaply bought were the whole world
"the price, but practical men are apt to look
at the matter in more economic light. "A
soul is soul after all, and why should $4,000
be spent on one obstinate enlightened Jew,
who for thousands of years has had every
chance of salvation, when half the amount
would bring a dozen street Arabs and gutter
thieves into the ways where Gods peace lies
open to them I If the making Of Christians
out of Gods creatures be the main object,
there is no reason why man should not go
to work with as much common sense to guide
him as in any everyday matter. II he wants
q fire, why should he walk over the wood
that lies all about him and try to burn cold
non?
Besides, while it is matter of dispute whether
our Hebrew brethren are really in peril of
their salvation, it certainly cannot be asserted
that they are perishing for lack of knowledge.
Rabbi Felsenthal summed up the Jewish opin-
ion of their own condition and that of Chris
tians in q recent sermon at Chicago, which
we commend to the attention of the prosely
ting society. The Rabbi, with the best possible
spirit and temper, rallies the Christian world
in the attitude half Of horror and half of
pity, which it persists in maintaining toward
| the son of Abraham, and assures us that we
| are largely his debtors, owing to him our re-
ligOn, our ideas Of morality and humanity
whatever, in short, separates us from Pagan
nations. SO far from the scattered condition
of the Israelites being fulfllment of Gods
curse upon them, as We have therefore, COM
placently taught our children, the good
Rabbi informs us that the Wandering Jew is
sent from land to land as a beneficent mes
| senger. In short to him belongs the honor
of having been the harbingcr and exponent
of the highest civilization, religion, progress,
and brotherly feeling in all ages. This claim
may surprise many of our readers; but if
they will consider moment they will remem-
Der that they have heard it made by Quakers,
Romanists, FreemasOns, and oil the Protest
ant sects down to the most intinitesimal re-
PROCESSION from the Hard-Shcll Baptists, and
will feel inclined to yield the Rabbi the right
of way good humoredly with the rest. When
II people only strive with us for the van in
records of high civilization and piety, they
may safely, we think, be left to take care of
themselves.
The gist of the matter lies in the lamentablc
truth that the most fervent zeal of Christians
and the bulk of their missionary funds are
devoted to PROSECUTING unproselytable Jews
and far Off heather, while the great mass of
vice and corruption seethes and ferments I'M
touched at home, up to their very back doors
and sewers. There is certain glamour of
romance about "One of Gods peculiar people,
or the IIindoO among his palms and elephants,
or even the half-naked African, which boys
in the jails or clothed Freedmen lack. In
that fact lies the only solution we can find to
A