The Evening critic., 1882-05-03
AMERICAN JEWS IN RUSSIA.
A Message from the President--Iu-
strucsious 10 Minister Foster.

The President yesterday sent TO the United
States senate, In answer to resolution passed.
January 80, all the correspondence In tho
State Department relating to the condition OF
the Jews in Russia. Tho documents trans
mitted cover tho period from September 20,
1872, TO April 10, 1892. on tho last-men-
toned date Secretary Frelinghuyscn wrote to
Mr. HOFFMAN, United States Charge d'Analres
at st. Petersburg, as follows;
"SIR; The prejudice frace and creed having
In our day given way TO the claims OF our
common humanity the people OF the United
States have heard with great regret the stories
Of The suffering Jews In Russia. 1t may be
that the accounts In the newspapers are ex.
aggerated, and the same may be true of some
private reports. Making, however, due allow
ance for misrepresentation, Il can scarcely be
doubted that much has been done which a
humane and Just person must condemn. The
President, OF course, feels that the Government
OF tho Emperor should not be held morally
responsible for acts which he considers wrong,
but which IL may be powerless to prevent. IL
that be true Of this case, It would be worse
than useless for me to direct you, as the repre-
sentative of the United States to give official
expression to the feeling which this treatment
OF the Jews calls forth In this country. Should,
however, the attitude OF the Russian Govern
ment be different, and should you be OF the
opinion that a moro vigorous effort might be
put forth for the prevention Of this great
wrong, you VIII, IL favorable opportunity
offers, state, with all proper Difference, that
the feeling of friendship which the United
States entertain for Russia prompts this gov
ernment TO express the hope that the imperial
government Will ind means to cause tho perse-
cution of those unfortunate fellow-beings to
cease.
"This instruction devolves n delicate duty
upon you, and a wide discretion is given You
In Its execution. However much this Repub-
lie may disapprove of affairs in other nation
alites, IL does not conceive that 1t Is Its right
or province onicially and extensively 10 inter-
meddle. III, however, 1t should come to yonr
knowledge that any citizens Of the United
States are made victims of the persecution,
you VIII feel 1t your duty to omit no effort to
protect thom, and TO report such cases to this
Department"
1t appears from the correspondence between
Minister Foster and Secretary Blaine that the
action Of the Russian authorities toward
American citizens is of two kinds First abso-
Lutte prohibition of residence In st. Petersburg
and other cities OF the empire, on the ground
that the Russian law permits no native Jews
TO live there, and that the treaty between
Russia and the United States gives to our citi-
zens in Russian jurisdiction no other rights
or privileges than those accorded to native
Russians; second, permission of residence and
commerce conditioned on belonging to the
first guild of Russian merchants, and taking
out q license.
Mr.. Blaine maintained that the treaty OF
1882 conferred specific rights on all Amerl-
can citizens In the matter of the disposition
OF their personal property, and that they have
the rightlto go to Russia and remain there as
long as their business may require, without
regard to any municipal regulation provid-
Ing for their exclusion; in short, that the
treaty supersedes all local laws or decrees
which interfere with the free action of such
persons. He also advised Minister Foster
that the United States Government could
tolerate no discrimination against any class of
Its citizens account of race or creed as
long as they obey the laws at home or abroad.
The Russian Minister Of Foreign Affairs,
however, refused to accept Mr.. Blaines inter-
pretation of the treaty Of 1882, and main
tained that American jews when they go TO
Russia are subject to whatever restrictions
may be put upon Russian Jews by local laws
and regulations,