The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-07-26
A PROSECUTED PEOPLE.
Condition Of the Jews I'm ROumania-
The Disabilities Imposed upon
Them.
From the New York World.

Mr.. Il. r. Peixotto, United states
consul general TO Roumania. Is in town
from Bucharest on leave OF absence.
MIR. PeixOtto was appointed to his posi-
ton about six years ago, and accepted
it without pay, going TO Roumaliia III
the hope OF doing something 10 amello-
rate the condition OF the Rounianian
Jews In conversation with reporter
| of the World yesterday the consul said
| that the present condition OF the Ron
manan Jews was dep!orabe. They are
| disqualified from voting or holding any
office; they are not allowed to hold
property outside Of the cities, and are
| also prevented from engaging in pro-
| iessional pursuits or i'm the manufac-
| ture and sale of wines and tobacco, two
of the chief industries OF the country.
| While the seris and even the gypsies have
| been emancipated. the Jews, numbering
| two hundred and fifty thousand. out OF
population of five millions, are still labor
| ing under cruel disabilities. They are
| scattered through the provinces OF Mol
| dayia, Wallachia and Bessara5ia, and,
| notwithstanding their acknowledgements.
| are subject 10 the same taxes a. the Rou-
manians and TO military duty, their being
| three thousand ofthem in the Rounianian
| army. Since the time OF the Bessarabian
riots In 1872, when the great mass met
| ing, attended by forty members OF Parlia-
ment, was held at the Mansion house in
| London, and when the German Reichstag
| and the American congress protested
1 against the ill-usage Of the ROumanisn
Jews. there have been no open hostili-
| ties. Nevertheless. individual cases OF
persecution and eXtortion and the civil
| and political disabilities still weigh upon
the people.
Mr.. Piexotto attributes the prejudice
against the Jews to these facts: In for
mer years the Roumanian boyars or
mobiles used TO spend the greater part OF
their time in Paris or Hamburg, or some
other fashionable capital, leaving their
estates in the hands of their Oyerseers,
who were generally Jews. They spent
a great deal Of money. and frequently
becoming impoverished, inortgaged
their estates TO these oversccrs, and when
they were backward about paying their
seris, attributed the suffering OF that
class to the Jewish mortgages, thereby
giving rise 10 ill-feeling and prejudice.
When, as sometimes happened, the es
tatcs passed into the hands OF the Jews
the boyars secured legislation by mean'
of which they recovered their property.
The peasants and boyars are, however
less opposed to Jewish emancipau d
than the middle class, Sho are the office
holders, and these have made the ques
| ton "A political issue, which has been tn
cause OF discussion between the Red Re
A puDncans, now IN power, aud me LII
q eral Conservatives, who were delicate
at the last election. Prince Charlie
y is well disposed toward til
e Jews, but he is bound by hi
= oath TO support the constitution, aud d
- he is, furthermore, bcset by political oil
. stacles, he can do very little for then
= The Prince has promised Mr. PeiXotto
e do all he can for the Jews, and NJ
% PeiXotto has also had much help fro
his colleagues OF the diplomatic corps
N Bucharest. In regard 10 the social al
s. intellectual status OF the Jews. the cons
< spoke cncouragingly. lie said that Will
out OF 1 population of 5,000,OOO, 5000
Roumanians could neither read nor writ
h there was hardlya Jewish adult wi
We could not read and write at least one Ii.
IN guage. They have established schoo
'" are becoming moderniLed III their Gu
toms and dress, aud he has hopes TN
is before long, they will be admitted TO f.
or citizenship.
MIR. Peixotto has been greatly aided
{" his labors for the good ofthe Roumani
e. Jews by Sir Francis Goldsmid, NJ.
n, Baron Lionel ROthschild, and the Ang
en- Jewish Association. In conclusion I
,s. consul quoted as applicable to all ciyiliz
nations, the words of the late Earl
ne Derby in the British parliament, VIII
h Sir Francis Goldsmid called the attenti
tel of the house to the Roumanian questio
mn 1T is the Jews who suffer, but II is
y" who have the shame"
we Consul Peixotto spoke also of I
&C, Eastern troubles. and attributed tn,
,tb to the influence of Russia and the mac
10 nations Of General Ignatieff. just
hes the present war would not amount
ce, much, unless Russia should come Dol,