Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-07-26
JEWS AS FARMERS.

Natchez Democrat, the telegraph
informed US that the Convention Of
Hebrew Congregations, recently
held in New York, lad resolved to
purchase large body of land &c,
the purpose of co'onizing such of
their people as were disposed to en-
ter i1to agricul ural pursuits. THE
is one among the ew and prog
ressive features which distinguish
tho American 1sraeii.es from their
co're'igionists in any other period OF
their history since their dispersion
from their original homes in Jodea.
For nearly nineteen centuries the
Jews have been so unct rtain in re-
gard to their tenure Of real estate,
have been SO uniformly denied the
rights Of citizenship, have been so
often liable to expulsion aud rob-
berry by the nations among whom
they have found temporary homes,
that they have paid little or no at
tention to the requirement of real
estal G, and have in few instances
devoted themselves to agric, l,urc.
The 1sraeli:es. have by the perse
cutions of other peoples, been nee
essariIy kept banded together as a
separate people, and have preserved
Distinguishing features which have
been only impediments to TIER
progress.
But hey have at length bec6me
assured Of their equal position in
this Western Continent, and have
probably for the first time since the
Christian "a become satisfied that
their rights as citizens are IN every
respect equal to those Of any other
class Of citizens. and this return to
the occupation Of tillers of the soil
is one of the most practical evi.
dences OF their appreciation Of this
TACT. The and of Judea was high
" cultivated by its inhabitants, and
a people. with the systematic and
per ve.ipg habits Of the Israelites
fail to make good farmers.
This move is proof that the Jew
ish people arc fast abandoning their
exclusive habits, for an agricultural
people must necessarily cultivate
social feelings with those who fol
low the same pursuits. Indeed the
breaking down Of the barrier which
he's so long existed between the
Jews and Christians has been evil
dent in other ways for long time
past. In the writings of the most
prom: inent and talented Is:a elites,
such as Dr.. Wise, Dr.. Adler, DR..
Lilenthal ar d others, there is an
evidence Of Ill erality which is not
common in scctarian productions.
Recently in st. Louis, when
Christian congregation had the
misfortune to lose their church by
fire, DR.. Sonneschein, one OF the
ablest and most popular Jewish
Rabbis in this country, and his lib
eral congregation. rendered 10 the
unfortunate Christians the use Of
their temples for worship until the
Church could be rebuilt. Ali
these evidences Of libera!ity go to
show that under our ben e6c,cnt
form Of government. the Jew while
he preserves his own rights Of con-
science in religio matters, will
become entirely assimlla.ed in 9th
err respects with the Gentle. We
regard howcver the tendency to
cultivate agricultural taste at the
greatest step in the direction Of
true progress which has YET been
developed hy that people. We be
lieve the time is not far dlstan,
when there will be as large pro-.
portion Of the farmers of The coun-
try belong ng to this community in
proportion 10 their number as OF
any Other.