The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-08-28
Irrersoll,s Enlorr of tbe JsRs.

Below will be found an interesting
letter by Colonel "Bob" Iugersoll, con
demning the action Of the hotel propri-
etors at Manhattan Beach, New York,
in closing their doors to Hebrews:
Hos j. J. NoAH-Dedr Sir: As
matter OF course, / am utterly opposed
to tbe oppression Of any class, and re-
gard the action Of the proprietors OF the
Manhattan Beach hotel in reference 10
the Jews as bigoted, mean and disgrace
ful. such action belongs 10 the dark
ages The persecution Of the Jews
should bring IA blush 10 every Christian
cheek. Nothing is more Infamous than
the oppression OF "A class. Each man
has the right to be judged on his own
merits. To Oppress him or 10 hold him
in contempt on account Of religion, race
or color, is a crime.
Every man should be treated Justly
aud kindly, not because he Is or is not
Jew or a Gentle, but because Re is a
human being, and as such capable Of
Joy aud pain. II az any hotel man
fails 90 act in a decent, becoming man
uer, let him be put out, not on account
Of the nation 10 which he belongs, hut
on account Of his behavior. Any other
EUMlNF - MA.IM~t AAiA NlMFAs IL y W lNWA
90 for tile Keepers Of public houses to
brand an entire race as unfit 10 associ-
ate with them. Some Of the leading
men Of the world are Jews. These won
derfui people, although disrersed, de-
spi-ei, and FOR many ages prosecuted iu
countries where people loved their eue-
mics aud returned good for evil, have
contributed 10 every science aud have
enriched every art. He vino has heard
the music Of Mendelssohn and Meyer
beer, who has studied the grand philos-
ophy of Spinoza, aud has seen upon the
stage Rachel, mistress Of passion, hardly
uuiles m the condemnation of the race To
F which these prodigies belonged.
Neither should it be forgotten that
tine Jews furnished their prosecutors
with religion, and that they sre the
only people, aecoriiug to the dogmas oi
the dav, with whom the Almighty ever
deigued 10 have any intercourse what
ever. When We remember that God
: selected Jewess for his mother, pass
ing by the women of India, Egypt,
/ Athens and Rome, as well as the grand
mothers Of Mr.. Corhin, it Is hardly in
good taste for the wnrshipers Of that
same God to hold the Jews in scorn.
We should also remember that the
Jews were the only people inspired. All
the "sacredn writer's, all the prophets, VI
were Of the race, and while Christians
almost worship Abraham, nOtwithstand'
ing the affair of Hagar, and his willing
mess TO murder his own son; aud while
they hold ia almost infinite respect Da-
vid, the murderer, and solomon, The
Mormon, it certainly Is not perfectly
consistent TO denOuuce men and womef
Of the same race who have cOm mitte'
no crime.
The Christians have always beer
guilty OF this Inconsistency with regar'
tn the Jews-they have wOTshiped TIT
dead aud prosecuted the living.
cannot forget that during the Revo
luton the Jews prayed in their syna
poCues for the success Of the colonies.
cannot forget that during our civil wa
thousands of them fought for the pres
, ervation OF the Union, many Of then
( rising from the ranks to the most i'm
. pDrtant commands. Neither can for
, get that many of the Jews afe to-da!
among the foremost advocates Of intel
= lectual liberty; that they have out
) grown the prejudices of race and cree'
r and believe in the universal brother
, hood OF man. And in this connection
10 may not be out Of place to speak q
z your lAAItIs ne " a. q itiAu " iih huNl iAt
every position he held, and who as
q lawyer, judge, essayist and philanthro
l pist was an honor TO his race and TO m
- country.
Il will not do in this second centur
Of the United States TO insult gentle
, man because of his nation. We are, q
r last, a great, rich and prosperous peopl,
I Greatness should be great. Wealt
should be generous, aud pIosperit
: should at least beget good rsAnuer
, Every American should resent ever
= insult 10 humanity, for while the right
! OF the lowest are trampled upon the lit
- critics Of the highest are not sale.
3 While for the ancient myths aud Il
= b,es 81 your people have not the r
spect entertained by ChTisttaus, | sti
+, bold the rights Of Jews to be as sacre
q. a. my own. Yours respectfully,
X. G.. lNGERsOLL.
a Washington, July 26, 1873.