The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-04-14
THE PASSOVER AND THE JEWS.

THE PASSOVER AND THE JEWS.
Tbla evening commence, the jewish Past !
over, which isa feast commemorative OF 'no
incidents and great event OF The lioeraVoh o'
the Israeli,oi, moro particularly OF inc spar
inc Of these whom the Hrs! born OF the
Egyptians perished and of their escape from
that land of bondsge 1t was the hrst ana
greatest of the three annual feasts instituted
by Moses, and in his time it was Incumbent
upon every ono of his male people 70 make
pilgrimage to the house OF the Lord-'his
at first being the tabernacle and subsequently,
King Solomon's temple. II was celepra'eo
on the first full moon of the spring, from the
Nth to the 21st of the month. 1t was calieo
the 'least of the unleavened bread" Inc
offerings were of the frstings OF the HOOK
and of first fruits. Often lamb one year
old, aud free from all blemish, designated
the "paschal lamb" along with bitter beros
and certain number of cups of red wine'
were consumed, the reserving of any part OF
the game until the next day, being expressly
forbidden. The feast of the "unleavened
bread" belonged rather to the remaining
DAYS of the week. whereon no animal food
was allowed. This, in brief expression,
is the nature and occasion of the feast.
Here perhaps, newspaper article might
iustiiably close, for to write the most sue
cinct history of this great people is to pre-
sent the history of civilization itself from us
incpient dawn to the present hour. 10
relate the story of their experiences and &C.
tivities, of their grandeur and of their suffer-
ings from the period of the Babylonish cap
tivity; to review the peculiarties of their
early governments, their persistent religion,
their literature and their commerce, their
enterprises and achievements in the sciences
the professions and the arts, would be TO
offer q miniature exhibition of all the
strength and all the frailties of humanity
But probably the most remarkable feature
in their history, one looming up like a pillar
of cloud above all the rest, is the prophesied
dispersion throughout ali the sections OF the
globe. And the yet other one that from
their first struggles for national existence
against the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylo-
mans and Romans, down to later oppres-
sions and prosecutions by empires,
Kingdoms, republics, theocracies and indiVld-
uals, that ought to have known and done bet
ter, though broken into atoms and in the very
logged denial of political equality, religious
liberation and social exclusion, they have
preserved the integrity of the characteristics
of those who were designated at the begin
ming as "the chosen people" Fer neither
has the Swallowed livery of the FURNISHED sun
of tropic zone or the bleaching qualities of
arctic cline changed their features, altered
their habits or transformed their religion
with its faith, its hopes, its ceremonies, its
legends if you please, from what the dim
twilight of time discloses, when by the willow
fringed rivers of Babylon, "they sat down
and wept." To, day, thanks to the advanced
march of real enlightenment under the
Christian regime, the Jew, raised from the
ranks off once enforced political yagabond.
ism and religious and social ostracism, u
become recognized factor in governmental
policy, may preside at the hela of state,
make nations echo with applause at the
power of his eloquence in Legislative councils,
Or bend obeisance to his judicial DEGREES. So
too in the social structure aud the business
organization, he is regarded as essential
component as was the straw or hsir for the
brick and the mortar. On the dramatic
stage or in the concert halls or the art gal
lsries, we praise the Israelitish voice and do
homage to his paintings and his sculpture.
Indeed the whole history Of his people is
fringed with irradialions of ligh', and there
is no department of human knowledge from
which he has not extracted glory,
no art that his genius has not
adorned, Nor is there any
dagger Of his stepping back into a night of
retrogresiion through this intellectual day.
In hesl.hy civilization there is no going back;
the man will never return TO the frivolous
auusements and useless occupations Of boy
hood, and the boy has bid long farewell TO
the credulities of the nursery, that told Of
some three hundred pound oil gentleman IL
white coming down, on Christmas eve, an
eight by twelve inch chimney; or of tho ami
mate proliacness of some water melon paich'
flower garden, hollow stump, or a country
doctors .addle-bsgs, with its crying "present
for mama" The prisons of the misty past
that confined thought aud were locked night
and day, have fallen into disgrace, while the
temples of liberation, with golden gates o.
golden hinges swinging" are kept open for
every pilgrim to her shrine. Surely thi'
Passion week is fitting era for the contem-
plation of these happy circumstances, which
every true. sincere Christian, from the Indus
to the farther pole, must rejoice TO know
prevail.
AFTER ussIAB-A LONG TINE APTBR.
lpdite VIC a few lines Of tho times Of BIOL
uo-o than r rtv-fve years, o Texas have