The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-29
TILE AMERLCAN JEWS.

by nearly every Jewish journal IN this land" The
article asked for an explanation OF the interesting
phenomenon that the Hebrews alone oi oil OH
or peoples persist In refusing 10 merge them
selves In the Omnlyorous Amcrlcanism that do
yours and assimatcs all other moes. English,
German, Irish, swcdo French, Italian Swiss ana
Hun all lose their respective characteristics ana
their national attachments In the second or third
genemton IN this country, and have nothing but
their names 10 show whore they came from and
who their iorciathen were; but the jews, though
few in number not only decline to mix with the
American blood current, but. what Is absolutely
lnexpllcable on any recognized theory, exhibit
the capacity 10 successfully resist the tremendous
tendencies In that direction How and why
N thls' Our Hebrew contemporary does not
answer the question. II says at Ia the am
billion OF tho jew everywhere 10 be meiged
into the great mass, commercially, politically and
socially Ho Is an American by birth or adoption
lie Is prQpd OF this his great prerogatiye." All this
we kn& I1before-but II does not reach the ques-
ton why docs the German cease 10 he q German,
the Irlshman cease To be an lrshman, the English
man cease 10 DO an Englishman In this country,
and the Jew always and forever remain JewY He
Is an American. lndecd-and we do him the justice
of saying. 4 very good aud true one. We would not
like 10 DO without him. We do not find tanlt with
M IN the rosstless and all devourlng blood tide OF
Amoricaulsm- reslstless 10 all but him: We only
ask an explanation Of the phenomenon lie works
with MS, plays with us fights with us, trades with
rs tnayels with ~, eats and drinks with u.s. but he
,lrnws the line at lntermarryiug with us That he
win not do-and II n all the more surprls
ing because II was his habit Of intermarrying
with surrounding peoples that provoked the re-
proofs and excited the lamentations OF his ancient
prophets and teachers Tho Voice says 'the Israel
ito II conscious OF the great importance Of his con
tlnued existence a bearer OF God's ooycnant--hc
knows that he as part Of the house Of ltael, has
no right 10 give up his Identity, owing 10 the mis-
sion his people have In iuldll-aud which II can
not ul1ll unless Il rcssis every temptation IN the
direction Of scli destruction" Ia the Hebrew race
then. miracle after ALA perpetual present mir
ncle in the face Of an ago which denies all mira
clcsl II not, then let someone, Jew OF Gentlle, cx
plain his maintained isolation In the uuired States
"A country he IA 20 proud OF. contented with and
attached TO that one school OF Jews actually call IL
their promised land"
There is a reason for this segregation Of
the Jewish people. II lies in the state
mcnt OF the Christian faith. The Jews
crucidcd the Son Of God. In popu-
lar apprehension II is no mitigation of this
fact that, according to that faith, they
were forcordained 10 do II aud therefore
could not escape H. Doomed to do ii, they
were also doomed TO an cxccration aud
consequent persecution that nowadays is
proportional, in degree, in social and bust
ncss intercourse, according 10 the in
,elligcnce and liberality OF Christian
men and women. Avoiding this as
proud-spiriied and intellectual race,
the Jews almost altogether eschew so
cicty. And they arc right No man
OF normal mental construction and
possessed Of the pride Of becoming man
hood will willingly or knowingly put him.
self in the way Of being merely tolerated.
Equality is boon coveted by all men.
This tho Jews can always safely find
among themselves. Their faith In the
unity Of God Is a common bond Of brother
hood, made more binding by the social
isolation which they ebecrfully accept
n the penalty Of independence. In Eu-
rope, where cast sim obtains, this rule
Of isolation IL sometimes broken into by
wealth, which IL a distinction. The Roths.
Guilds and other great bankers meet their
colleagues Of the exchanges on a social