Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-05-28
IsRAEL'S RESTORATION TO
sgst PALESTINE. es

tits remarkable and unquestionable
fact that at the present time strong
impression and expectation prevails
among Jews and Christians alike, both
in religious and political circles, that the
restoration of Israel to Palestine must
at no distant period take place. Some
worldly-minded Jewish writers affect to
deprecate and despise such an event. and
advocate as preferable result the more
complete fusion of the Jews of various
lands with the people among whom they
dwell. But so unpatriotic and low an
aim can never animate the breast of real
Jews, and at this moment the true hope
Of the nation burns brightly in the hearts
of such. The very popular novel by
George Elliott, "Daniel Deronda, has
for its hero Jew, and the ardent aspi-
rations of his people find utterance in
his words, II am possessed with the idea
of restoring political existence to my
people, making them nation again;
giving them a national centre such as
the English have, though they too are
scattered over the face of the globe. ]
am resolved to devote my life to this
task"
TIE Eastern Question, with its end
less and insoluble complications, has, of
course. tended to suggest to many minds
this revived nationality of Israel as
possible and not improbable result of
pending events.
But it is not generally known that the
restoration of Israel has already begun,
and made within the last ten or twenty
years most preceptible progress. so that
at this moment the Jews are IN consider
ably greater numbers than any other
civilized nation in the Holy Land. The
mass of the people there being degraded
Moslem Arabs, unfit even to become a
dominant race, must be ruled by some
superior race. Were Turkish rule abol-
ished tomorrow, the Jews are already
in Palestine in sufficient numbers to re-
sumo their natural aseendency. The
Hebrew population of Palestine is at the
present time about 10000; since 1867
they have had the right to acquire land
ed property there, and have not failed to
avail themselves of it, in spite of Mos
lem tyranny. The new military laws of
Russia have driven multitudes of Jews
from that empire, and the wealthy and
respectable exiles have settled in Pales-
tine. During the last few years every
steamer from Russia brought many Jew
ish families to Jaffa, en- route to Jerusa-
lem; this stream of emigration is stead
lily flowing. and ere long Russia, which
had third of the Jewish nation within
her borders. will. if it continues. have
none left. The new civilization which
is springing up in Syria, the influence
of the many Protestant stations
planted there within the last forty years
with their schools, colleges, etc., the
security to person and property afforded
by the settlement of English consuls at
various points and towns, the great an
nual influx of visitors, and the conse-
quent improvement of the means of
transit, and the rise and progress of the
German Palestine Colonization Society,
which has now about a thousand emf
grants in Syria-all these causes have
combined to render the Holy Land a
much pleasanter residence than it was
comparatively few years ago so that
even without any great political change
there is no question that the capitalists
and great men of the Jews will continue
as now to flock back to the land of their
fathers; and were Palestine once placed
under English, or even under Russian
guardianship. the process would be i'm
mensely expediatcd. But be it borne in
mind that, any way, it has begun. that
long predicted and intensely significant
movement
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of
the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles
are fulfilled. ."-Missionary Nea0s.