The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-21
Influence OF THE JEWS.

Influence OF THE JEWS.
Lecture by Hon. Simon Wolf, Of Washing.
ton, d. G., ut Temple Sinai.
JEWISH CHARACTER THEIR GREAT LAW
GIvER-DEBT DUE TO MOsEs-TEsTIMoNy
OF AUTHORS AND sONG-sCIENCF
AND sTATEsMANsHIP-C COMMERCE AND
FINANCE -INTERMARRIAGE- HISTORY.
BY invitation Of the Board Of Officers
of Temple Sinai, the Hon. Simon Wolf,
Of Washington, d. c., delivered last
evening q most interesting lecture. The
Temple was filed to repletion, very
many distinguished people being pres
ent, and the city of New Orleans was
represented by some of its most eminent
Jewish citizens. The lecture Of Mr..
Wolf was on the subject Of the influence
Of the jews upon the worlds progress,
and it was characterized by labOrious
research, accurate learning, feryent pa
triotism toward his nation and people,
and by genuine eloquencc. 1t was a
mastery effort, and ranks the author
among the best and most eloquent
thinkers and orators Of his race in
America The lecturer was introduced
by the Rev. J. X. Gutheim, who said:
| Ladies' and Genfiemen-Tbe subject presented
for your kind consideration this evening is en-
| titled, THE jews In History.
The lecture, as i am informed. was originally
| prepared by the learned speaker ut the instance
Of n literary Jewish society, in Washington
| information In regard to the course Of de-
yelopment, of character standing, etc; OF the
Jews in history" i was deemed ct the time
meet with wider dissemination. The lecture,
also s,nt to yoS Il not Theological 6eoi
| Ris efforts. He. has. made the
subject u great study. by which he hopes and.
east some light of character. some impress, and
| in u slight manner to disabuse some prejudices
which yet are lingering IN some mems minds
| With these few preliminary remarks. have
the honor TO present 70 you the Hon. Simon
Wolf. of Washington City.
MR.. VOLTS LECTURE.
Before entering into tho merits Of his subject
Mr. Wolf said: What falls from my lips tonight
is not intended to humliate the one or for The
IF GyYs Yo"4 snSsense sG sass w S " sSns4" w
your imagination color them. My purpose is
10 disabuso the minds OF many. 10 crafty the
struct all for experience tcaches that tlp Amer
leans. matter how intellectual have but an
uncertain idea as to the history and characteris-
ties Of the Jew. Some years ago | had to see the
lamented Sumner when tho burden Of our con
versation was the condition Of the jews, in Rou-
in Africa than OF bis Jewish ielIow-citizcns in
America As usual with him. he was anxious
to be enlightened and what was true of this
majorty-thnir knowledge is legendary and
sectarian From tyranny the Jewish people
have suffered from the dawn Of history np to the
present day. Shakespeare. the noblest Ro-
man." Dickens and others have entered to u taste
dcpraved. to u feeling unjust. but nevertheless
sHYLOCK AND FAGIN.
instead of being recognized rs tho types of
wrctched debauched dssolute manhood are
held up as the standard of Jewish morality and
want Of character. Intolerance, with It's legend
nry as p 70 bringing n s1 my of
feelings of common hospitality and charity.
And thus Il, people which saw creation in its
Of history In fact il history. is DETAINED traduc-
ed and prosecuted; but to-day he. stands in
countries where his reason has full sway. the
peer of the best, the inferior OF no one
In quoting from many writer's shall not let a
single jew SPEAK Ghr7tlans ;t born those who
and glory. shall not discuss the
BIBLE CHARACTERS.
one by one. but simply ask what character in
history is equal to that Of Mosesf How grandly
n ss him NJ IN FFnGs Fncwsss the ana Ss es % s %
life. He laid broad and deep those burrows in
tho field of morality from, which hayc sprung
.mount were given to the children of mon those
sublime tenets that underlie the safety and well
fare of society. and which have done more for
The worlds progress than aught else, The be,
lief in Supreme Being. not one OF clay. wood
or brass. but Spiritual ,one was then ncul-
int eH the T Il ba of satnG M aG made
honoring Of fnther and mother made the cardi-
nal virtues -, in q, contradistine,tion Of I'll the old
Wild beasts, The mother, whom widow. be- be:
came the slave of the eldest SON. Tho laws of
Moses gave her the same honor; loye and obc-
Go" shalt not k VPSe %as 9s ng
hence the warming: Thou shalt not commit
dian and Egyptian history dwindle into insg- |
niflcance compared to that moment at Small
after, but they were based on oppression; had
for their object slavery not only physical. but
mental. On Sinai's Mount was first proclaimed
EQUALITY AND FREEDOM.
To Moses we owe the republican form Of gov
select men; the election of tried and trusted eld-
crs: the appointment Of judges also, The love
sDS Gere the eas Which e6uMS MnAss
bfcore his people. The era Witnessed the be-
trothal of Israel to holy and pure laws.
The jews Of modern ages were prosecuted,
not only for their money. but also, as Goethe
says to Eckerman. because l believe in God
and nature. and In the victory Of the good over
the bad, but that was not enough for the pious
souls. should also believe that three is one,
and one three. but that was against the
truth the feelings of my soul" And
yet the Christians who prosecuted
were rs Schiller says: They preached love of
your neghbor, and curse from their doors the
hoary headed blind" 1t is to the Jews that the
world owes religion in all its purity; morality In
,fl its elevation and history in all its teachings.
Mr.. Wolf here quoted the remarkable criticism
of William Cullen Bryant on ShylOck as drawn
by SHAKESPEARE and coupled with a home life of
the Jews. which proves that the Jew that Shak-
on describing the prosecutions to which the
Jews have been subjected. quoting from many
authors, among others. the historians Blount,
Sigismundi. De Castro. De Balzac
and Create. Then he commenced a narration of
the intel ellectual condition of the Jews in Europe
during the Middle Ages. particularly the Sara
cenic period so exhaustively treated by Draper
in his Intellectual Life Of Europe quoting
rom many writer's. among others. the historian
BartolOmio the Oriental geographer; Hankel,
and DIR. Castro. Again. the Retrospec-
i've Review" the famous historian. Pedro Teix-
eira, Buxtof Wolfius, Plantantius. Camaens. the
great Portuguese historian. He then showed
hat prosecutions had not ceased that in certain
narts of the Continent of Eurone CaIlicia in pO-