The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-11
GRANT AND THE HEBREWS.
Rabbi Browne Gives the Substance Ofa Talk
with the General.

Chicago Tribune
Rabbi Browne, of this city, who in his Pass
over sermon few days ago compared General
Grant to Moses of Old, makes public card to-
day in which he says:
"a friend. calling my attention to published
paragraph from this sermon, tells me that a
reverend somebody had considered this too
much of compliment for the who issued
order No ii against the Jews adding: DR..
Browne having come to this country after the
war, must never have heard of order No. IL
To set such characters Alright inclose the fol-
lowing. copied from my diary of Aug. ~, 1875,
when that very point was explained to me by
President Grant himself l have quoted these
lines several times to parties touching Order
No. IL and within the last two mounths called
General Grants attention to the propriety of
giving his sentiments on the subject to the pub
ic IN his forthcoming memoirs as he expressed
them to me- As stated, my visit to President
Grant took place Aug. 81, 1875, and returning to
my hotel wrote down the substance of our con-
versation, which | copy herewith
1875. -
Il am just back from President Grants cot
tage, and the simplicity characterizng my visit
lmpresSes me more than anything else with the
greatness of the country. One must have seen
the European crowned heads to appreciate that
true greatness which needs no display of hunkies
and gold lace to manifest itself. A cOOred serv
ant took my card and the President received me
Immediately, like any of my acquaintance. He
was at leisure and felt not as if in the presence
of the President of the United States and the
conqueror of Lee, but simply like do at home
with my neighbors. In answer to my remark
that the press had of late given much attention
to Grant and the Jews. the President said DR..
Browne, | have given more thought to the Jewish
people than you would imagine. j am an ardent
reader of the Bible, and such the history of
your race is as much to me as a Christian is.
The longevity of Jews, for instance, is an ac-
knowledged fact, and whist it is held that the
Jews live longer because of religious observances
which are strong sanitary measures, think the
Jew lives longer because he loves his life more
1t is certain that Jews take no risk of life and
limb, while even in the many railroad accidents
Jews, though much given to travelling are rarely
injured And yet / have found my Jewish
soldiers among the bravest of the brave. The
jew risks his life only to show his patriotism
and then he is fearless The Jewish soldiers as
stated, always found wonderfully courageous
in our army and in the rebel lines as we'll
But there were army followers among US. It so
happened one day that a number of complaints
reached me, and in each case it was Jew and
gave the order excluding the Jewish traders
You know that during war times these nice dis
tinctlons are disregarded; we have no time to
handle things with kid gloves But it was no
iil-feeling a want of good feeling towards the
Jews. If such complaints would have been
lodged against dozen men each of whom wore
q white cravat black broadcloth suit, beaver,
and gold spectacles, [ should probably have
issued similar order against so dressed,
excluding that class not because people so
dressed are all smuggers. but because / could
not then take time to go into nice considerations
have inmate friends among the Jews. l have
appointed more Jews than any Of my prede-
cessors. At my fathers house in Covington you
could find quite often in social intercourse Jews
of Cincinnati. Cincinnati has really quite a
number of very intellectual Jews
Il believe that nothing could more emphati-
cally show the friendly feeling of General Grant
towards the Jews tnan those words of his, and
justice to the illustrious sufferer take it that
at this juncture their publication is timely and
DUE