The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-12-22
The Letter Written by Baron RothschiId
in Defense Of the Jews.

physician once advised you TO take
plenty of exercise, and since then
you have been almost constantly
employed lin anti-Semitic move
ments. This matter really concerns
me very little, for, thank God, Aus
tria has not yet advanced so far on
the path of intelligence and refine
ment as to possess Judenhetze,'
such as the cultivated city of Berlin
can boast of. But still, l should
like to call the attention of your
reverence to certain grave errors
which have crept into your speech,
recently delivered in the German
parliament.
"You said in that address, behind
me stand the Millions You are
mistaken /; the millions stand behind
me, and if you doubt this, you are
respectfully invited to visit my
counting-house, where ample proofs
shall be given you. You contend
that the Jewish usurers have ruined
all classes of people, Now, pray
tell me, my dear Court Preacher,
who goes to the jewish usurer? Is
it not those whose credit is exhaust
ed? And if their fellow-men will
moi trust them any longer, are they
not already ruined before they seek
their last resort-the Jewish usurer?
This is only another of many cases,
where the Jew is made the scapegoat
for the offenses of his neighbors.
"You say further, that the Jews,
out of all proportion to their num-
bers, assisted by talent and capital,
exercise mighty influence in the
community. | am really surprised
that this should surprise you. AS il
talent had not, from time immc-
mortal, held the scepter. Would you
rather that this world should be
ruled by fools than by wise men?
And as far as the disproportion of
our numbers is concerned, we Jews
can not help but feel highly flattered
if we possess more talent than our
Gentle countrymen. And as for
our power as capitalists, that is the
result of our business genius and
our economy. Why do not the
Christians initiate us? Do we him
der them from earning money or
from saving 1t?
""The Jews should be more mod
est,' you say. 1t is true that mod
esty is q most desirable virtue,
suited alike to Jew and Gentle, but
as Goethe has it, 'Only scoundrels
are modest Now, among the Jews
there are so few scoundrels, and
then really it is much easier for
court preacher to be modest than
for Jew. If a court preacher dis
plays that commendable virtue. his
flock will bow before him and ex-
claim, $50 mighty and yet SO mod
est Let jew be modest and he is
kicked and spurned, and the mob
say, Served him right
"You aver that the Jew in Less
ing's Nathan is no Jew at all, but a
Christian. With the same right l
might say the Court Preacher
Stoecker is no Christian, but an
apostate Jew, who has banded him
self with some barbarons relics of
the middle ages to prosecute mis-
cradle anti-Semitlc agitation. But l
will not say this, as | would not de-
sire to so grossly insult my co-relig-
ionists.
"Your friend Bachem is of the
opinion that the people are backing
him. will admit that there is a
people in his wake, but as a German
philosopher once said: There are
enough wretches in the world TO
back any bad cause.' Your friend
also indulges in the crushing accu-
sation that the: Jews are.grain specu-
lators. Now, do you know who was
the first speculator in grain? None
other than the Jew, Joseph, III
Egypt, although at that time there
was no court preacher to discover
any crime in his action, and the
people were grateful to him.
I'm one of your discourses You
once exclaimed: Look at Herr
Won Bleichrocder. He has more
money than all the evangelical
preachers put together Now, j
am sure that Herr Won BleIchroe-
der never said: Look at Court
Preacher Stoecker. He earns more
money by a single sermon than
hundred Jewish firms do in o whole
year,
"In conclusion, if you will not adj
| IllO IhoO IuO oCWo ndfO any SOOu
qualities, you will, at least, not envy
them for the little money they pos
sess. If, in spite of their wealth.
they can not prevent, in the year of
1881, the formation of an agitation
against them, what would become
of them if they had no money! 1t
is true the Jews put some value on
wealth, and l must say that had
rather be rich Jew than a poor
Christian. But, then, are there not
poor Christians who would rather be
rich Jews? Even you, most rev.
erend sir, might, perhaps, be will
ing to change positions with me
| land flatter myself that you would
not make so bad a bargain.) For
myself, can only say that, if were
not Rothschild, / should still be
very far from wishing myself the
Court Preacher Stoecker. Very
respectfully,
A. Won RoTHsCHILD."