Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-11-06
The Jew In Modern Society.

The old Jewish fancy of coming
time, in which their own nation
should be in the ascendant, and
subjugate all other nations to its
sway, has long ago passed into the
region of chimera. In fact, most OF
US would be rather surprised by the
suggestion that the Jew had any
part to play in the development of
modern society. Somewhere about
eighteen hundred years ago, we
suppose that his importance to the
world eliminated, and that having
then communicated the most deci-
sive and far-reaching stroke in the
religious development of mankind,
a stroke which has determined the
current of religious thought and life
for the most advanced nations of
the world up to this very hour, he
then subsidized into insignificance.
Nothing, however, is farther from
the truth than this impression. 1t
is the Jew, in the person of Spinoza,
who is eXerting the profoundest IN
huence on the development of mod
crn thought OF any single writer of
the last two centuries, an influence
as penetrating and irresistible in the
region Of the intellect, as that OF
Jesus in the region Of the conscience
and the heart. Not certainly, that
we suppose that many persons read
Spinoza-probably the great think
Ell has no more students at first hand
than the great Teacher has of
thorough and uncompromising dis
ciples-but for all that, his mode
OF conceiving of the universe is one
that Is entiltrating through layer
after layer Of thoughtful minds, till
it is penetrating where he himself is
perhaps unheald of.
Intellectual leadership, however,
is nothing very apprehensible by
the majority of men. It is altogeth-
er too remote and thin to interest
them greatly, especially when, as
in the case of Spinoza, it is joined
with poverty, persecution, and OBJ
security. They will be more inn
pressed by remembering that the
financial leadership Of the modern
world is also in Jewish hands. The
Jew has held for century at least
the worlds purse, and kings and
states are obliged to take him into
confidence before carrying out their
projects. Peace or war, has turned
i'll our time, again and again, on the
question, will Rothschild lend, or
refuse to lend!
But as if the religious lead, the
intellectual lead. and the financial
lead We're not enough, the Jew
seems to have laid his hand on the
political lead as well. It is quite re-
markable how large a proportion of
the leading actors in European pol
tiles of to-day are Of this ancient
stock. The leading figure in Spain
just now-the man who is trying to
beat down the double enenly-Carl-
ism III the North and anarchy in the
South, and reorganize that distract
ed country, is CASTELAR,. Well,
Castelar, Is q Jew. The second, if
not the first, man in France, is
Gambetta, and Gambetta is Jew.
The only possible successor in Eng
land to Mr.. Gladstone as Prime Min
lister, and Il successor seems likely to
be called for in the next six months,
Is Mr.. Disraeli, and Disraeh every
one knows, is a Jew. So far from
being exhausted, the old stock seems
as vigorous as ever, and as likely to
realize the ancient dream, that "out
on Jacob should go forth the law"
But at least it is curious sight to
see these sciOns of remote tribe of
wandering Arabs thus coming to
the front of our modern life, and
taking the lead in alien lands, and
among an alien race. TO see them
survive through every possible dis
heaped on them through
so many centuries, ant, then come
out to lead their enemies thu mselves
to the battle against despotic Iorms
Of government, clerical intrigue,
and intolerance. The whirligig of
time has indeed, for them, brought
about his revenges.