The examiner., 1882-01-28
AN EASTERN JEW.

THE native born Levantine Jew does not
 compare favorably with his European and
 American prototype. He retains the blonde
 complexion and the blue or gray eyes of his
 remotest ancestors, but he has become
 bloated and f1abby from gross, oily diet and
 long persecution. Of late many rich He-
 brews have been attracted hither from
 Europe by the rare opportunities offered by
 1mpecunious Turks, and to the European
 born Jew is due the real power yielded by
 this race in the East, and upon them de-
 pends the future r6Ie of the Israelite in the
 impending collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
 There are about one million Jews in the
 Levant and persistent efforts are being,
 made for a concession to Hebrew Joint
 Stock Company, limited, of about half a
 million acres of fertile soil to the east of the Jordan, comprising the land of Gideon
 and the northern portion of the plains of
 Moab, which formed the ancient heritage
 of the tribes of Cad and Reuben. Some English and all Eastern Jews confidently look forward to the day when the C dis
 persed of Israel be gathered into one" They consider the downfall of the Turk and the colonization of Palestine as the great crisis in Hebrew annals which will in some way bring about the ful6lment of their cherished prophecy. But the Jews have never at any time distinguished them selves in agricultural pursuits, and it is more than doubtful whether at this late day they will be found able or content to till the soil and crystailize themselves into political unit. One of the most curious lessons of contemporary history is that the jews after having tenaciously clung to their race identity during fifteen centuries of persecution are losing it in half a cen- tury of tolerance The burthen of the '' ''Judenattze is that the Jew is longer the exclusive fanatical Jew of former times that his supremacy is no longer confined to banking and brokerage that Le permits himself to be absorbed by Chris tian races, and carries the ''war into Africa," by successfully competing wi Il the Teuton on his own ground-notablyi in politics, medical science, literature and journalism. The universal tendency is to ward amalgamation with surrounding races, whether Christian or Moslem, and modern science, by weakening religious belief of all kinds, greatly accelerates their amalgama- tion. In Christian countries the Jew by merely ceasing to profess Judaism fulfils the requirements of modern F' 'Chrisjian :" soc- ety. He need not go out of his way to embrace Q new faith. But the Moslem is more exacting. Here he must not only lrop Judaism, but he must embrace Mohammedanism before he can become '' amalgamated. This has tended to keep the Jew purer 1n the East than in Europe. Nevertheless, Jewish women are very numerous in Moslem harems, and many pachas and officials throughout the Otto man Empire are of Hebrew descent, and to this class belongs the present Prime Minis ter of Egypt In spite of the firm convic- tion of the Eastern Jews that the resurrec- tion of their nation is about to take place, and in the face of such plausible but wis ionary projects as are set forth by the Mor- decai in Daniel Deronda," the better opinion is that after three or four genera tions the Jews will no longer have an ex- istence as separate hachange.