Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-12-18
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The Roumanian Jews-.The 0oloniss-
ton Scheme.

Ab hnnOunccu III tuc HcTdtu Oi tho
I'd, letter has boon received at the
General Land Office, IN Washington,
10 tho effect that movement Is on
foot, the object of which 10 to settle
colony Of Roumanian and Continental
Jews IN the United States. II appears
that company has been organized 10
encourage and superintend the exodus.
The company is in possession of u
paid-up capital Of one million fiyo
hundred thousand dollars. II is in.
tended to settle in this country some
oight thousand families, numbering in
all not fewer than forty thousand per.
sons, The question, us presented to
the Land Ohice, is whether the United
States government will extend to the
company a title 10 u tract of land
say two hundred and ffty thousand
acres--it being the intention of tho
company to form u distinct and sepa.
rate settlement, composed entirely Of
tho sons and daughters of Israel The
answer given by the Acting Commis-
sioner is that there is no law provid-
ing for such disposal of the public
lands.
The whole question thus opened up
is of large scope and of deep and gen.
eral interest. Tho condition of the
lsraeliies in Eastern Europe has long
been u scandal to the civilized nations.
Latterly the treatment 10 which they
have been subjected in the Danubian
Principalitics has recalled the mem
ory Of the Dark Ages, when they were
looked upon as the enemies at once of
God and man, and when Christian
governments, so called, considered it
first their privilege to rob them and
then their duty TO torture and destroy
them. We can conceive of no moro
narrowing record of human suffering
than would be q history Of the perse-
cution OF the Jews. In SPAN, in the
days of Ferdinand and Isabella the
Catholics, decree was issued expel-
ling from Spanish territory every Jew
who refused TO deny his faith and de-
clare himself Christian and this
harsh decree was vigorously executed.
1t was then that the Inquistion was
established in Spain and it is stated
on good authority that eight hundred
thousand Jews were sent homeless
and penniless into other lands. The
same merciless policy was pursued by
the Emperor Charles the Fifth, who
was Emperor of Germany and master
of large sections Of Italy as we'll as
King of Spain. Flee whittier he
might, the poor Jew could find Mother
home nor friend. The position of tho
son OF Abraham was not ono whit
more comfortable in France; and
every reader OF history remembers
how in England the hidden treasures
of the providcnt but prosecuted race
were discovered by the cruel process
of plucking out thoir toeth. The
French Revolution and the decrees Of
the Fist Napoleon were great gains
to the Jewish people. Since then their
condition has been greatly improved
in all the great nations of the Old
World and in France, in Great Brit
ian and throughout Germany the sons
of the long down-trodden people have
distinguished themselves in all the
learned professions, winning high
places as statesmen and philosophers,
and distaneing all competitors as mas
tcrs of finance. In Eastern Europe,
however, and particularly along the
line Of the Danube, they have remain
cd in their originally wretched condi-
tion as an outcast and nccured race.
1t was only on Wednesday last that,
in the Lower House of the Servian
Parliament, a motion was with diff
Guilty rejected providing for the exclu-
sion of Hebrews from the landwehr
service. With the cruel treatment OF
the Jews in Roumania, and with the
indignant remonstrances which have
been addressed TO the government OF
Prince Charles by the government of
the United States and by all the lead
ing governments OF Europe, our read
ers are too familiar to permit US to
enter into details. The wonder is
that the lsraclite in those semi-bar.
barous regions manages TO maintain
his existence. All things considered,
we wonder not ut all that the wealth
ier and more comfortable of the raco
should seek in some final and satisfac
tory way to make an end of all this
suffering and sorrow.
1t is impossible for us to write in
other than terms of approval of tho
company which has been formed for
the purpose Of affording relief to tho
suffering brethren of Roumania and
other parts of Europe. That they
should have thought of the United
States as the Promised Land for the
children Of their proposed new exodus
was not unnatural. In these United
States tho Jew has literally found tho
Land OF Promise, the land o. the vino
and the fig and the pomegranate--a
land flowing with milk and honey.
But it must be admitted that this
country is suited to the jew, 1t is, on
tho other hand, undeniabIe that the
jew is not unsuited TO the country.
If be gets he gives. If he has found
home he has sought TO improve that
home and adorn il. We have no moro
prosperous citizens but TO them pros
perity does not come as the reward OF
indolence and ease, In all our largo
cities, and in almost every department
of trade, they are TO be found among
our most active business men. Mono
of our citizens are more peaceful and
law. abiding. OF all the nationalitics
they are the most careful of and kind
to each other. Seldom is Jew found
in our prisons; and when they are
poor they are no cost 70 the commu-
nifty. Most of our large cities owe
much OF their beauty to jewish taste
and Jewish wealth. Their residences
are built and maintained on n scale of
princely magnifcencc aud their syn
agoguos, for symmotery Of structure
and grace of adornment, put into tho
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