Morning journal and courier., 1884-10-27

rising by strict proD1ty ana DuslIesS pTlncl- ples to success and fortune as well as to the respect of the community in which he resld- ed.
 From the earliest moment he evinced great interest in the condition of his less fortunate brethren in faith, making his first visit to Palestine as early as 1929.
 In April, 1898, year previously, he had been elected member of the Board of De puties of British Jews, an organization founded in 1760 and exercising great infiu- ence for good both in England and elsewhere, and of which upon the resignation of his predecessor, Moses Mocatta, he became the president in 1885.
 In 1887 he became high sheriff of London and MiddleseX position of great honor in the mother country, and he was the first Jew who ever held the office. In the same year Queen Victoria criated him baronet, with the privilege of using coat of arms, an honor usually conferred on peers of the realm.
 might as well mention right here that it was greatly, if not entirely, due to Sir Moses that Victoria was born on English soil, thus preventing any questions as to her right to oc- cupy the throne of GreatBritain. Just previous to her birth, Sir Moses, who was on friendly and probably intimate terms with the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the parents of the present British sovereign, advised that the Duchess return to England before the birth of her child, as there was bare possibility that her offspring might some day ascend the throne.
 Although at that time there seemed hardly a prospect that such could be the case, there being so many lives between the then reign ing monarch and the as yet unborn child the advice was accepted and the possibility even tually became an actual fact. The grateful Queen never forgot the foresight and friend ship which had prompted Sir Moses to give this friendly counsel to her parents, thus preventing any question arising upou account of being of foreign birth, and she has done much to confer honor and distinction upon this great man.
 But all the honors and dignity which an earthly monarch can bestow will never equal those which he has gained by his unsel- fish sacrifices to aid the unfortunate Israelites, his brethren in faith, to whose call his ear has never been deaf In the year 1S40, when the cry of anguish, misery and despair rang out from Damascus upon the enlightened world, Sir Moses Montefiore, obedient to the gener- ous impulses of his noble heart, took the lead in defence of his persecuted brethren, malici- ously charged with heinous and horrible crime and in imminent danger of absolute de- struction. Hurrying to the scene of the per secution without waiting for the summons to be renewed he proceeded to the Levant in company with his noble wife, Lady Judith, Monsieur Cremieux and others, and convinc- ing the Turkish government that the charge was entirely unfounded, he succeeded in bringing his merciful mission to a satisfac- tory termination, and secured justice for his persecuted brethren. These particulars have long since become history.
 This one act alone had it stood out as the on- 1y good deed of his life, would have been sdf- ficient to place his name upon the pillar of fame upon which are indelibly engraved tha records of those who love and labor for their fellow-beings. But so far from it's being the only great deed of his life, land it does not often fall to the lot of one man to do more) it is only one of long series of many kind, considerate, unselfsh and brave deeds of hu- manity which form the crown of glory that circles around the grand old mans head shedding forth his 1ustre to light up future generations yet unborn.
 Their recital in detail would take up more time than can well be afforded on this occasion, though I am sure that none of you would tire at their repetition. Only few of his great deeds can be mentioned in the brief space of an hour, because a volume would be needed to do this subject justice.
 The oppressed Jews of Poland soon needed his aid. The hardships of Russian winter did not cause him to hesitate for an instant the fear of a despotic monarch's wrath did not cause him to tremble, but his blood boil ing with the righteous indignation which al true men feel when might tramples dowr right and justice, and when the strong oppress the weak, he hastened across the broad conti nent of Europe to the court of the autocratic Czar of all the Russias, and in 1846 he sue ceeded in inducing the Emperor Nicholas tc give the Israelites some of tho equal rights enjoyed by the remainder of the human be- ings born on the same soil and living under the same flag, which pretended to (but did not) protect the sons of Israel in poor, down trodden, captive Poland.
 We who live in this glorious land where liberty" is the first sound that greets ou1 ears as we enter Gods beautiful earth, where all human beings ought to be free, we who can sit in our own tent and under our own fig tree with none to make us afraid, we into whose hearts the sharp steel of oppression and intolerance cannot thank God) ever en- ter so long as the stars and stripes wave over the greatest republic and freest government on earth, we who can lie down at night and rise up at morn without fear of political per secutions and an endless Siberia for our lot, we, I say, cannot fully comprehend and ap- preeiate the hardships and the heart burn ings of those who live in land where they can never tell when they lie down at night whether they will live to rise up at morn to behold the lovely rays of the beautiful sun, or whether riot pillape and death may not be at their door and still the dull, aching fear, pain and anxiety like unto that of the hunted stag.
 Those of our brethren in faith who live in the land which Washington and his eompat- riots freed from foreign bondage can appre- c1ate the humanizing efforts of generous hearted man, whose sole object in life has been and is the amelioration of the condition of the oppressed of all nations, and they should never cease to raise their voices in praise to Almighty God for having blessed them by allowing them to have America for their home, and to night go surety for them that should an invader ever set foot upon our glorious soil the Israelites who can bear arms will not forget that they are Americans above all other things, but they will be among the first to enter into the breach and stand sheul- der to shoulder with their fellow citizens, of whatever race or creed, to defend our banner from being trampeIled upon by foreign hordes or ruthless invading armies.
 His next effort did not prove as successful as bis others. In 1858 the civilized world