Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-24
SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE.
The Centenary Of lhGlF.dm0uS PhilaI-
thTOpiSt,
Notable Deeds Of Charity in His
Grand Life,
4 -
Htl Love for the Downtrodden and
Hti Love for the Downtrodden and
pcrsccuteu of His Race.

? e Pcrsccuteu of His Race.
Written for the Denver Opinion.
"And where shall Israel lave her bleedin
feet!
And when shall zion's songs again seer
sweetI
And Judas mel.dy once more rejoice
The hearts that leaped before its heavenl
voice?
"Tribes of the wandering foot and wear
breast,
How shall ye flee away and be at rest?
The wild dove hath her nest, the fox his cave
Mankind their country-lsrael but the grave
On the 2ssn of October, 1874, wa
born man whose noble instincts, who's
great love for his race, led those bleed
ing feet, not TO the grave,a put to life ant
comparative happiness. Oh the Oath o
this month we shall behold q voluntar.
outporing of love, OF respect, of adora
tion and honor to aman whohas been per
mitted in his usefulness 10 live the allot
ted three score years and ten and to ado
thirty years to these, apd is still living Il
lift up the downtrodden, the sick o
heart, the wronged and shaolsled of al
climes. ThSi electric sparks oi divine
sympathy emenating from this great sou
are making the rounds of tho world,
wherever love for ones kind
has taken root, and is firing
their hearts, making them akin in
doing homage in spontaneous testimo'
nial to the centenarian, whose hand has
never palsied In doling out sweet charity
and justice to his fellow men: His
riches are not so great but that they are
overpowered by the wealth of Thousands
of Others; yet they seem everlasting in
the good they do. His title not 80 proud
only as it has been conferred by CRATE.
full sovereign for superior achievements
in the battle for good, but that it be
overshadowed by older ones. His race,
his people, once despiaed, driven out of
the country where he now sojourns an
honored citizen. We first hear of the
Montefores in England after the Jews,
through an eloquent appeal to Cromwell
by Manassah- ben Israel, had been read
mitted to this land. He lives in q ooun.
try where only decadepast no jew could
sit in parliament, and yet he has lived to
see not only that contamination, but one
of this hated race occupy the chair of
premier with dash and tinesse which
challenged the admiration of the world.
his traducers are wont to call him, sail
forth to. the Berlin congress and legslate
there for those poor white slaves in south
ern Europe, who, for their religious con-
victions, are hunted down like the wild
animals of his lair. He did much for
their alleviation, and if Benjamin Dis
raeli lived to-day that treaty would be
kept inviolate. Those poor Roumanian
peddlers and those Russian refugees, who |
have "but the grave" or dishonor for
their wives and daughters, degradation,
persecution and poverty for their pardon |
would be better protected? Let us thank |
God that about the time when the great |
est philanthropist of the age, Moses |
Montefore, first saw light, already free
country had been established, which WAS
to become the mecca of those beings for
whom this man was to labor INCREASINGLY |
Do not drop tear, a flower or your
need of praise upon great worth until 1t \
shall have ceased to be; but pause IN your
laily tumoil, and with your children
Upon yonr knees, tell them of this man
n Israel whose inexhaustible beaefi-
,ences have taken root in AL soils, among
III people, no matter what their creed
,r tongue. We characterize we'll. doing
IS "Christian charity" Why any one
eligion should have q corner in this we
ould never quite understand. But his
harity knows no confessiony lit is uni
'ersal, and therefore God.like. His life
8 one grand sermon of the good and
Samaritan quietly doing his
york. Therefore, in this age of mate
ialism and OF scepticism. of greed and u
elf, tell it to your children, as an ex-
mple worthy Of emulation, how man
, living anaongst us for the usual period
{ century, aad yet stands immaculate
n character. No ono can point to a
mirch upon his'noble escutcheon, but as
Colossus, not unlike the one we are
'laoing at Beiloe, with the torch of
liberty lighting up tho world-so far
eaching and enduring arc his opks.
His nearest parallel in our day. and in
his country, is the late lamentsd Petsr
cooper, whose simple, fatherl1 protec-
ion, whose lasting practical monuments
# charity-that true charity which does
lot degrade, but elevateB; thaS charity
which helps man TO help himaOh,
md does not sink, him beneath the bur-
len of of obligation-this our own Peter
Cooper understood so well. We have
,ad John Hopkins, Peabody, Judah
rouro. Americahas hardly town who're
,ome kind soul in departing does not
oerpetuate his name in churches and
asyiums or generously endowed collages
and libraries. Yet to how many can We
point who personally gave not only
money, but their moral support, sheir
time; who would go, right among the
filth and aiiiictiOn, direct to. the heart OF
the disease, probe and curaeit by appeals
to the proper authorities, when feasiblei
The good deeds of Pestalozzi in Switzer-
land speak for him to-day yes; and
Froebel, who wanted only to make a
childhood happier, gave as tho beautiful
Kinder -garten. Poor as no was, yet
from his store.house Of love he gave
freely. He is as much benefactor OF
mankind. Florence Nightingale and the
army of noble women who succor tia
sick and the dying-those sweet Sisters
of Charity, ministeripg angels-all can
be placed beside this truly good nan
whose encomiums l but feebly pro-
nounce.
"Kennst du das Land, wo die CttrOnen
bluehn,
I'm dunkeln Laub die Gold-orangen gluehn
Elm sanfter wind yom blauen Himmel weht
Die Myrtle stell und hoch der Lohrbeer
stehtl
Kennst du es wohl!'