Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-03
THE RETURN OF THE JEWS TO PAL
EsTINE.

ity that the project for the return OF the
Jews to Palestine will be carried out Inc
genesis OF this scheme is both curious and
interesting. 1t was not, as might nave
been supposed, conceived by some ldeailss,
noet or religious enthusiast. It was not
conceived by Jew. It was rather a dipio.
matte than a speculative idea. Mr.. Lau-
renee oliphant was the protector. The
story as told by himself is that after the
last Russo Turkish war, and the Treaty of
Berlin, it occurred to him that perhaps the
beat way to begin reform in Turkey would
be to take some single province or part of a
province, and by agreement with the Porte
provide it with administrative autonomy.
He thought that in this way "an evidence
"might be afforded to the Porte of the ad.
"vantages which would attend the devel-
"opment of single province, however
"small, under conditions which would in
"crease the revenue of the Empire, add to
"its population and resources. secure pro.
Election of life and property, and enlist
"the sympathy of Europe, without in any
"way affecting the sovereign rights of the
"Sultan." The way to effect this appeared
to him to be to organize Colonization
Company, under the auspices of the Turk
ish Government. But when the question
of the locality and the class OF people to
be sought as colonists came under consider.
alton, it was Immediately apparent that
there were strong and probably insurmeunt.
able objections to Christians, arising
out of Ottoman laws and customs
and the bitter rivalries between the
various Christian sects of Asia. The
idea of taking Moslem refugees from
Bulgaria and Roumalia was next thought
| of, but that, too, was rejected, on account of
the want of capital among them. And SO
by degrees Mr.. Ohphant was compelled to
the choice which determined the character
of his scheme, by what may well be called
a process Of natural selection. In his own
language: "There was, in fact, only one
Grace in Europe who were rich, and who
"did not, therefore, need to appeal to
christian capitalists for money to carry
Through the whole undertaking; who
"were not Christians, and to whom, there
"fore, the objections of the Porte to the
introduction of new rival Christian sects
did not apply; who had never alarmed
"the Turkish Government by national
aspirations, but on the contrary, had
"always proved themselves most loyal
"and peaceable subjects of his Majesty !;
"who were nevertheless strongly attracted
"by historical association to province Of
"Asiatic Turkey, and to whom the induce
"ment of once more becoming proprietors
"of its sacred soil might prove strong
"enough to tempt them to comply with
"the probable conditions of the Turkish
Government; more especially as the
persecution to which they were subjected
"by some Christian Governments in
Europe contrasted most unfavorably
with the liberation with which they were
treated in Turkey itself. It was thus
"that I found myself, by process of
deduction, compelled to turn for the
"locality of the colony to Palestine, and
for the colonists to the Jews"
When Mr.. Oliphant preached his scheme
the press took it up with good deal of
enthusiasm. OF course it was not supposed
that the project for return of the race to
Palestine would tempt those fortunate
Jews who have settled in the more progress
i've and free countries. The wealthy and
influential Jewish fnanciers of England,
America, France, Germany and other
European countries were not appealed to
as possible co!onists, but as capitalists who
were at once shrewd and patriotic enough
to realize the financial soundness OF the
scheme, and to assist il from less selfish
motives. They were to furnish the capt.
tai, in the shape of loans, and the Jews
who had reason to expect improvement for
emigration were to be the colonists. And
there are unfortunately too many of these
oppressed Jews. In Russia alone there
are more than two and a half millions, all
of whom would gladly emigrate if they
could. In Galicia there are some six
| hundred thousand, also an abused COM
munity. In Roumania, Servia, and the
Slav countries, and also in European and
Asiatic Turkey, there are masses OF poor
! Israelites who would look upon such a
scheme as almost equivalent to the opening
the colonists are to be obtained, and there
has never been any ground for fear that
the applicants would be insufficient.
Mr.. Oliphant submitted his plan last
year to the Porte, but Russian and other
external influences were hostile to it rus
STA because she is afraid lest Turkish re.
form should throw the disgraceful con.
| dition of her own rule into strong relief,
and the Tophaneh Committee, or Coun-
Gil Of Undertakers, as it has been nick
named onaccountof Gifts obstructive practices,
rejectedt the proposition. For time it
was thought to be dead, but a wealthy
French Jew, NJ. Cazalet, had become deeply
interested in the scheme, and it is ROW
stated that he has succeeded in overcom-
ing the opposition of the Turkish officials,
and has, in fact, got the whole affair to
the point of accomplishment The capital
tS25, 200, 000) is all forthcoming the grants
of land are made; the undertakings are
signed and it really looks as though the
return of the Jews to Palestine would
occur in our time. If it does we may ex-
pest it to lead to very important conse-
| quences. It will establish nucleus
around which the hitherto scattered powers
of the Jewish race will gather. Pales-
tine thenceforward must become the GEN.
ter of attraction for the Jews, and their
desire to re.establish not only colony but
nation there is sure to increase. The
great financial influence of the race, its
enormous capital, its predominant
talent for business, will be en-
ployed in the preparation of new
career for Palestine. What effects
the introduction of SO virile and potent an