The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-02

which ought to be sure Of approval every
where. In insisting upon adequate guaran-
tees for the fair treatment of the Jews IA u
condition Of Scrvian Independence, tho Con-
gress obeycd the voice of all enlightened
nations Yet IL was but the other day.
when one OF the last vestigcs Of medieval
wrong was about to be wipod out, that
GOODWIN SMITH undertook to excuse the
oppression To which the Hebrew race Is still
subjected in Scrvia and Roumania. He
based his apology on the broad ground that
from the nature Of his creed the Israclite Ia
man without country; that, In other
words. for the genuine jew patriotism is i'm
possible.
Let us sec how far reason and experience
confirm this extraordinary statement. In
the first place, the English Liberal asserts
that both the Mosaic law and the Mosaic
morality were distinctly tribal, sanctionng
difference of principle between the rule of
dealing with Hebrew and that OF dealing
with a stranger. Now, on this head, surely.
the accepted expounders of the Jewish faith
are entitled to be heard, and probably no
man in England speaks with greater au-
thority than Rabbi Hermann ADLER The
latter has replied to GOODWIN SMITH and,
to the universal character OF the scheme Of
ethics outlined in the Decalogue, he pro-
duces a mass of explicit evidence against
the charge of tribal morality. He points
out, for instance, the precept given to the
Jews when they were about to de-
part from Egypt lone law shall
be to him that ls homeborn and unto the
stranger that soiourneth among you
Among other texts he cites the monition,
frequently repeated, and afterward en-
| bodied in the Christian faith, 1.-THE stranger
| that dwclleth with you shall be unto you as
one born among you, and thou shalt love
him as myself Finally he calls TO mind
the fervent recognition Of an all-embracing
brotherhood In SoLoMoN's prayer of dedl-
cation, Concerning him that Is not OF thy
! people but cometh from far country, when
he shall come and pray toward this house.
hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place
and do according TO all that the stranger
asketh thee" Certainly these passages
from the sacred writings seem TO Justify
Rabbi ADLER in his claim that he and his
brethren are not bound, as genuine Jews, to
observe different rules In dealing with q
Hebrew and with stranger
OF the counter text, on which his assailant
had laid great stress" unto stranger
thou maycst lend upon usury, but unto thy
brother thou shalt not lend upon usury-"
the Rabbi ADLER disposes without much
difficulty. He shows that the word trans
lated usury means simply interest, and that
with respect to the Israeltc II was pro-
hibited "a an economical expedicnt, TO pro-
vent the concentration Of landed property
in the hands Of the rich. This danger could
not arise from lending to the foreigner, and
accordingly compensation was allowed for
Hebrew capital applied to commercial en-
terprisc in foreign parts. But the distnc-
ton should bc noted that this permission
only applied to sums borrowed for mercan-
tile purposes, and when the Gentle needed
money, not for trade but for subsistence, the
Mosaic law made no difference between him
aud the Israelite. q If thy brother be waXcn
poor and his hand falleth with thee, thou
shalt relieve him; yea. though he be a
stranger and sojourner, take thou no usury
OF him or increase" So much for the asscr-
tion that what GOODWIN SMITH calls n
hardshell" jew IL disqualified by the
teachings of his creed for fair dealing and
good citizenship.
In his rejoindcr to the Rabbi, the English
Liberal falls back upon the test Of eXpc-
rience; but here he is even less successful
II is absurd at this day to revive old preju-
dices by charging that the Hebrews during
the middle ages, were cruel usurers." The
I whole truth on this point was stated by
: MARTIN LUTHER when he said, " II we pro-
hibt the Jews from following trades and
other civil occupations, we compel them "a
become usurers" And long before his time
: the responsibility had been put whore it be-
longed by GREGORY, Bishop OF Bois, who
wrote " o nations. II you recall the past
, faults Of the Jews and their corruptons, let
= ii be to dcplore your own work" Loss candoi
was not 10 bcexpectcd from an Oxford Pro-
fessor in the nineteenth century. 1t is true
enough that Jews feel themselves drawn by
ties Of religious knship to their brethren m
other lands But so do Christians, so do Mo-
hammcdans. Who would pretend that tn,
? sympathy of English Liberals for their co.
religonists in Bulgaria is Incompatible
= with loyalty to the interests Of the Engsl
nation; that a broad humanity Is ncon
slstent with an ardent patriotism? Nor ear
we see in view of recent events how n stu
, dent of history can accuse the Hebrew u
= knowing no country but his race. 1t is but
| lately that Israeltes have been pcrmittc,
! to enter military service yet there il n,
o lack Of vouchers in the shape Of the
b, Iron Cross, or OF tho ribbon of tn,
3 Legion Of Honor, to attest how freely the
I Jews Of Germany shed their blood for thcil
l fathcrland in 1870, and how promptly th,
Jews Of France rallied to the defence OF thcil
a imporillcd country. AT this time. accordnl
% To Rabbi ADLER, there arc no fewer than
e. 1000 Jews among the 100000 volunteers On