National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-26
MIR. BLAINE AND THE JEWS.


4 Letter from President Garneld's Secretary
Of state In Reference TO Protecting Ameri.
can Hebrews in Russia.
The following are the essential portions of n
heretofore unpublished dispatch by eX.secte-
tary Blaine concerning the condition of the
Jews In Russia which has been procured from
the state department;
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, Nov.
22, lsSl--l AMES II. LOWELL EsQ.-Sr! You
will remember that, with your dispatch of the
gGth of July last, you transmitted d memoran-
dun OF the laws and police regulations of Rus
sia affecting persons of the Hebrew faith,
which you had received from Sir Charles
Dixie, one of her majesty under secretaries of
state for foreign affairs. Although no inlorma-
tiOn was then given rs to the motive OF this
courteous and very acceptable communication,
] naturally Inferred that II was In u measure
the result of the consultations which the
United States minister ut st. Petersburg had
been directed to hold informally with his
British colleague at that court touching the
treatment OF such American or British Jews as
should, because Of business engagements or
other causes calling them to Russia, untortu-
nhtely find themselves under the operation q
the proScriptive laws of the empire against all
lsraelites native or foreign.
Tho question has for some years very seri-
ously engaged the attention of this govern
mcnt, ns presented In the cases of American
citizens OF Hohrcw faith visiting Russia on
| peaceful, law-observing orrands. Under the
| direction the late President Garfield, the
| representation of what we believed TO be our
/ just claims In the premises was vigorously
/ renewed through the United Stntes min
! lister ut 81. Petersburg by means of instruc-
| tions, of which | incloso for your information
! copies with the relative annexes. Those in.
/ structions still properly reflect the views OF
| this government that there should be achauge
In the treatment of American lsraelitcs in
Russia. In view of the circumstance that tho
ccse of Mr.. Lowisohn, a British subject eN.
Eelled from tho Russian capital, J., at
mNicsty's government, 1t seems TO- the
President that tho almost indenti.
cal interests of the two governments in the
| premises iusiihies similar aud, If practicable,
concurrent action on their part, and to that
end write YOU the present instruction.
The dispatches Of the American minister at
st. Petersburg show that the Russian minister
for foreign affairs has made frequent assertions
of strong desire oil the part of his govern
| ment to seek II solution which would harmon
izo all interests, While declining TO admit
that the existing convention may exempt
| American citizens from abiect submission TO
the religious laws of the land, the minister
has on several occasions promised TINT the
military authorities, in the enforcement Of
| those laws would give TO American citizens
the widest practicable latitude in interpreting
| the obligations of the statutes In point of
fact, II is believed that American (and presum-
ably Britishl soiourners in Russia enjoy, under
the almost absolute discretionary powers of
the imperial military commanders, the ex-
tremest privileges and immunities which are
granted to any foreigners.
This government conoclvos, however thatit
should not be content with leaving the persOns
and the material interests of its cIkizcns in
Russia to the discretionary icontrol (fthe mill.
! tury arm however friendly It's d0olarcd pur-
pose may be. And in this conception, II may
very properly assume TO be joined by her
majesty government, which has ever been 30
watchfully jealous of the moral freedom of its
subjects in foreign lands.
The statements of the Russian government
thatit was about 70 seek a harmonious solution
have been supplemented A very distinct in.
dcations Oft the probable Erection in which
the solution. win be soMht. There. is, un;
fortunately little doGlt that the imperial
government conteHfplates even more sharply
defined IestrictLTe measures against the native
4 Hebrews, apparently under the belief that by
represslng their injurious activity" as 1t Is
phrascd, the causes of discomfort which the
native Christians feel against the Jews will be
measurably lGssened, and internal harmony
between these conflicting elements be restored.
II cannot but be incxpressibly painful to the
enlightened statesman of Great Britain, as
well as of America, to see a discarded preju-
dice of the dark ages gravely revived at this
day, to witness an attempt to base the policy
of great and sovereign state on the mistaken
theory that thrift is crime of which the un.
thrifty are the innocent victims, and that dis.
content and disa1Gction are to be diminished
by increasing the causes from which they
arise. No student of history need be reminded
of the lessons taught by the prosecutions OF
the Jews in central Europe and on the Spanish
/ peninsula. Then us in Russia to-day, the He
brew Jared better in business than his neigh.
| Dor; then, as now, his economy and patient
| industry bred capital, and capital bred envy,
and envy persecution, and persecution dis
affection and social separation. The old tradi
| ton moves in its unVarying circle-the He.
brews are made people apart from Other
people, not of their own voliton, but because
they have been repressed and ostracised by
the communities in which they resided, Tht
| anI Gffn fta al
quent lesson which the nations have done
well to heed In Great Britain and In the
United States the ,lsraclite Is not segregated
from his fellow men. His equal part In oui
and industry add to the wealth of the state
and his loyalty and patriotism are unques
toned
1t was perfectly clear to the mind of the late
president that an amelioration of the treat
ment of American lsraelitcs in Russia coulC
only result from very decided bctterment o
the condition OF the native Hebrews-that an!
steps taken toward the relief of one would
necessarily react in favor of the other anC
that, under all the peculiar and abnormal as
poets OF the case II Is competent and prope
to urge the subject upon the attention OF Rus
sia. To his successor in the chief magistrac.
these conclusions are no less evident, and All
charged by the President to bring the subiec
TO the formal attention of her Britannia
majcsty's government, in the firm belief tina
the community OF interests between the Unitet
states and England in this great question o
civil rights and equal tolerance of creed 70
their respective citizens in foreign lands vii
lead to consideration of the matter, with
view to common action thereon II woul,
seem, moreover propitious time to initiate
movement which might also embrace othe
powers whose service in the work of progres
Is commensurate with our own, to the end tina
Russia may be benehcially influenced by thel
comulatiye representations, and that thei
geyGral citizens and subjects visiting the terr
tory OF the empire ON law-observing mission
OF private interest shall no longer find ther
sublectiOn of conscience to military forms an
procedure which obtains nowhere else in Eu
rope,
You may read this dispatch to Lord Gran
Vile, and, If he desires it, leave with him
copy. You will say TO MIN ut the same tim
that while abatlng no part of his intention t
press upon the Russian government the jus
claim of American citizens to less harsh trea
nent in the empire by reason of their faitt
the president will await with pleasure an OF
portunlty for free interchange of views upO
the subject with the government OF he
majesty. am, sir, &c, JAMES q. BLAINE.
ADJUSTMENTS.