Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-24
RACE PREJUDICE.
Correspondents Views of the Jewish
Question

correspondents views OF the jewish
Question.
EDS. RECORD UNION: The Jewish question.
in different parts of the world, and. as insep.
erably connected with it, that of race preiu.
dice, are enlisting much attention and thought.
full consideration in the forum and by ihe
Dress, and hence, with your permission, a few
Words
When St. Paul said that "God made all
men of ore blood to dwell upon the face Of
the earth, he very wisely put in the qualify.
ing clause, "and has fixed the bounds OF
their habitation." Race prejudice has been
| a potent factor in forming the worlds civil
izAtions. 1t may even be safe to say that
race prejudice has been Of much service
to mankind, since I'D very foundation
source resides in the sentiment of fra.
ternity between the individuals of the
same race or between kindred races.
To indulge special feeling of fraternity for
those of our own race operates in the nature
of a sentiment Of hostility toward other races
Whoever extends special helpfulness toward
the people Of his own race or nationality
denies the claim OF a common humanity. TIE
be for class, involves the sense of being op-
posed to other classes. Reciprocal relations
sre indispensable to harmony between races
and nations in social, political and CONNER
cial contact. No people can hope to escape
becoming the objects of special enmity and
hostility who place the claim of race before
tie claim Of common humanity. To do so is
to indulge in race prejudice on the lowest,
meanesS and most selfish plane.
The Jewish race las been the subject OF
persecution and special hostility in nearly all
the civilized countries Of the world not be-
cause they were not an educated, refined and
highly civilized race, but because of the
exelusiv ness practiced by that people. a
race that chooses to isolate itself by main
tanning 2 distinctiveness from its surroundings
materially invites a sentiment of opposition
aud provokes an attitude of hostility. The
Jews have ia all countries maintained e con
jugal, social and religious exclusiveness which
nave made them foreign element in every
body polite
As we have already asserted, reciprocity is
the only basis OF harmony between differing
races 10 contact. That which will not assim.
Hate will be sloughed off by organized society,
as well as in all forms of organic life.
Jewish exclusiveness is founded on the sacred
traditions of that rare, as ancient as the race
itself. II is the common ballet Of all Chris
tiaudom that the great Creator of the uni
verse made this people his chosen race. The
idea of rejection is inseparsbIe from that of
choice. Selection is necessarily process Of
rel :ction. So, If God selected the Jewish
race to be His specially chosen people, He
has as specifically rejected from similar high
favor ali other races of men. This special
blessing of choice, to be effective must be
maintained ON the line of its original
ordination. A recs exalted by Divine
favor cannot, without impiety, mingle with
races condemned to the perpetual degrada-
ton of Divine rel sction. The Offspring Of
such miscegenation would be "haif-cast :"
of ftnd Tho blsssaI NJ 4
blood could scarcely commingle in the same
crimson currents of life. But the paradox of
all this is that it is in the ranks of the most
devout believers in this ancient doctrine that
the most bigoted and intolersnt jew haters
are found. The monothei-m, the lofty
lietism, the profound metaphysics of the
Christian world belo, ged to the Jew. TIE
patrisrchs, the psslmist, and even the parent
age of the great Inc srsatiop, all belonged to
the Jewish race. The claim to the special
favor of Almighty God toward His race is
set up by the Jew and conceded by the ChIi-
tian. Thus egotism on the one hand asserts
and superstition on the other cor cedes the
doctrine 50 completely repudiated by cpular
prejudice.
Divest the Jewish people of all association
with the religious mysticism which enfolds
them like veil of mist obscuring and toniug
into harmony the rugged outlines of lofty
mountain, and they stand forth as an edI-
Gated, enterprising, and perfectly orderly
element of society. In all that cons itules
test OF intellectual force the Jewish mind has
indicated its claim to full Mental equality
with the most fully developed races OF men.
Men are classified by occupation INFO two
general classes, to wit: the workers with
mind and the teilers with u Gle. The place
OF supremacy belongs to the former. the
superiority of relative mental power as bs-
tween individuals is determined by this
test. The physical and the mental
realms of human activity claim their own
The physical is subjected TO the domination
of the mental, and the question as to who
shall be reduced to the slavery OF physical
toll, or enj y the congenisl freedom of mental
direction, IL forever decided by superior mind
force. Nearly the entire Jewish race stand
firmly upon the high planes of int .lsctual
pursuits. They not merely occupy place in
the mental realm, but are masters there I;
leaders in the fields Of finance, com
merce, letters and craftsmanship. 81 ce their
field of activity is financial and commercial,
their lives are also in that realm. There are
no jesse Jameses among them, but there are
many fraudulent bAnkrupts. Brigandage
gains no recruits from the rauks of the jew
ish race but the reprissls Of dishonesty IN
business is far more lucrative. As merchants,
bankers, 6uanciers they are not more nor less
honest than Other men, bat since the whole
race is engaged Ia these pursuits, whatever OF
dishonesty may exist within il will be ioani-
tested on this plane II all the Auglc-Saxon
race were merchants, bankers and hnancisrs,
the thieves of the racs would take by fraud
ulent bankruptcy what is now sought to be
acquired by burglary ard robtery.
Bat the one black spot 10 Jewish character
proceeds from clanish race instinct. Il is
written in the sacred law of this people. and
claimed to proceed from the mouth of Jeho-
yah, "Thou shalt not eat OF anything that
dieth Of itself, nor sell it to thy brother, but
thou mayest sell it to the stranger and the
alien within thy gates that he may eat it.
The moLstrou3 immortality OF this permission
is but o logical sequence of the doctrine Of
Gods choice and rejection Of the different
races of men. Il is simple exponent of
Jewish ethics as between the member of the
race and the stranger. There are financial
transactions as rotten as the 4 sd OF the ami
NAL which dieth of itself" anSi the moral
quality of selling these things to. The stranger
IS completely anslog us. The rzest credulous
fool should be blamed for accepting this doc.
trine as Of Divine origin and sanction, and
the most abandoned felon should be able to
find 10 it deeper abyss OF seoundrelism But
there it stands recorded in the same book
from whence sll ChTistendom derives the
theology into watch has been ergraftsd the
Sermon on the Mount, the mystical atone
ment OF Calvary, and the fantastic arithmetic
OF the Trinity. There it stands, written IN
deg that other mOustrous libel or the Father.
hood Of God, which pisces the Jew before all
other men IN the IneIciea. gvsces and bless
iugs Of the Creator.
San Francisco, February 81 1893