Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-04-10
Prosecuting the Jews.

Prosecuting the Jews.
During the Middle Ages the fury of
mankind seemed to burst on the devoted
heads of the unhappy Jews The whole
world appeared to have entered into o
conspiracy to strip this miserable race
of their treasures, and to pour out their
blood like water. Kingdom after king
dom, and people after people, were bent
on their destruction. Human craft was
at work to devise new means to sweep
them from the earth, and the Inquisi-
ton, under the name Of Christianity, at
one swoop deprived sunny Spain OF its
most industrious citizens, and consigned
to cruel grave some hundreds Of thou
sands of Israelites.
In the East, under the Sultan Motak-
vel, the Jews were distinguished from
the faithful by brand mark and their
houses were defaced by figures of swine,
apes, or devils. 5
The Jewish communities in Palestine
suffered a gradual extinction until only
200 descendants of Abraham were found
in Jerusalem. In the byzantine en-
pire also the number of Jews greatly
diminished through unceasing persecu-
ton. M r.es =
In the West all orders were gradually
arrayed against Israel in fierce and i'm
placable luminosity. Every possession
was in arms against them. The mon
archs were instigated by ayarice, the no.
bility by the warlike and fanatical spirit
fosteredby chivalry, theclergy by bigotry,
the people by oil these motives, to which
were added ignorance md superstition.
The history Of the Jevs, for several cent
uries is only record Of wholesale mass
acres, of rapine, of prosecutions, of
bloodshed. The Crusaders, under the
guidance of Peter the Hermit and Wal
ter the Penniless, recollected that while
they were advancing to recover the sep
ulcher of their Redeemer from the in
fdels they were leaving behind worse
unbelievers, the murderers Of the Lord.
Whereupon ensued' scene of pillage,
violation and murder that could not have
been surpassed by the most atrocious
savages that ever scalped their foes. In
that terrible day Israelites slew their
children and their wives to save them
from the fendish iniquities of the so
called followers of Christ. Half cent
ury later the fierce cry Of Hep, Hep,
rang through the cities of the Rhine and
the Jews endured fresh outrages and
murders.
In comparatively peaceful times the
ingenuity of different potentates was ex-
ercised in passing enactments intended
to fetter and restrain the Jews in every
phase Of life. AS an instance of this
special legislation, we may adduce the
laws passed by the Council Of Vienna in
1867. Israelites were interdicted the
use Of Christian baths and inns; they
were not allowed to employ Christian
servants, or to marry Christian women,
or to farm any tolls. They were COM
manded to wear a distinctive badge,
which consisted of a pointed cap. They
were enjoined to pay certain dues to the
Christian clergy, and to observe respect
for Christian ceremonies. Christians at
the same time were prohibited from as
sociating with Jews. In France lifewas
no less buraensome to the descendants
of the patriarchs than in Germany. st.
Louis. by a stroke of the pen, wiped
out, for the welfare of his soul, one
third of all debts due to them. No
bailiff might arrest or maltreat Chris
tan for any debt due Jew.
In Brittany, John the Red surpassed
his liege lord in his edicts against the
Jews. They were banished from the
country all the debts owing to them
were annulled; permission was given to
those who possessed their property to
retain it no Christian who killed Jew
should be prosecuted. In other words,
license was given for the robbery and
murder of Jews. Fair France toler-
ated them for some generations longer.
Kings and mobiles continued to plumber
them, and fanatical populations to shed
their blood until they were finally ex-
PEELED by an order Of Charles VI. They
we're accused of running the country,
and of individual crimes for which not
the slightest proof was adduced. Four
of the most wealthy among them were
scourged two successive Sundays In all
the crossroads of Paris, and they bought
their lives at the price of $4,000 liyres.
The Jews were allowed month to
wind up their affairs, and then the whole
community crossed for the last time the
borders of the kingdom. In Spain this
unhappy race underwent various vicis-
STUDIES. The Golden Ages under the
Moors was followed by the Iron Age I'M
der CASTLES Christian monarchs. Spoil
alton, persecution and torture, were
crowned by Ferdinand and Isabella's
edict of exile.-Londoaa Examiner.