St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-25
JEWS AND THE HOLY LAND.

The thrifty American Jew does not
want to go 10 Palestine, says Nym
Crinkle, in the New York Recorder.
That is certain. The thrifty Jewish
editor in New York refers to the
restoration of the Jews in the Holy
land, in congressional phrase, as an
irldescent dream. But meanwhile hun
dredS of thousands of Jews, forced
out of Russia, are compelled to 20 some
where. There is not a generous well
come awaiting them in Germany or
England or America. The real question
is, where shall they go? NJ. Rothschild
and few other wealthy and influential
men think that Palestine ought to ap-
peal 10 their sympathies and can be
made to pay for the investment.
There is something strange and
almost uncanny in the history and the
present condition of Palestine. In some
respects it has stood still for 1.S00 years,
and through all its deSolation and stag
nation the faith of some. Of its children
have never wavered; they will wall owe
its last glory at the walls of the temple
but they live and die in the belief that
the temple will be rebuilt. Palestine is
not much larger than the State of New
York, but it must have teemed
with people at one time, and must have
been in Solomon's time far more beau
tiful country than it is at present. for Its
timber has disappeared and its streams
have dried up. The rose of Sharon has
disappeared, the palms of Jericho
have Vanished. and cool Siloam's shady
rill is a tepid puddle. But the ravens
still fly in the gorges as you go down to
Jericho, just as they did in the time Of
the prophet; the oleanders and the
reeds sway along the Jordan as of old
and the shepherd watches his flocks by
night, lust as he did when the Christian
renaissance began.
The Turk has devastated and robbed {;
Incidence. superstition and fataliSm
have rested like blight Oh Samaria
and Judea, but the world Journeys to
Palestine TO look at its memorials, be-
cause something has preserved them
in spite of time and the Vio-
lence of man. Four great ma
tons of the earth take a deep re-
ligious interest in Palestine. Pilgrim
ages have not ceased because there are
no crusades. These four nations could
buy the land. They could either make
it over into an international worlds
park OF they could present it to the
Jews. If some modern Peter the Her
nit should agitate a new crusade you
would be astonished at the response.
England stands on mere question Of
eXpediency, and blocks the way. She
doesn't care for Palestine any more
than she cares for the Turk, except as
piece of enchanted ground that keeps
the Russian bear back. But ope Pales
tine to the world. Populate and improve
it, and you do two things-you raise up
a spirit of independence that is the best
of all barriers, and you let in science
aud archaeology to the wealth of knoWl-
edge lying buried under the ruins of
ages i'll the Tyrophean and the Kedron
valleys.
Ihe expulsion of the Jews from Rus
STA has met with the unanimous con-
domination and pity of Christendom But
it has larger meanings than are offered
in the Immediate suffering of the fugi-
tives. Those Of us who have read his
tory know only too well how
the descriptions of nations and the
expulsion of whole peoples have built
up the world. Cruel as this act of
Russia is, she may be playing a greater
part than she knows in the drama of
history. 1t requires throes and cata-
clysms and revolutions to move hui
mainly OH. 1t is through suffering that
new conditions are born. No one dare
say that future genel ations of Jews will
not daJe their progress and their hap
piness from the expulsion by Russia.
1t is a curious fact that Palestine
should have become Il common ground
of interest for Jew and gentle, isn'ti
But it is disgrace to the world that
a country OF such abiding interest to
half score of Sects and of such his
toric value should be left under the
Turkish heel to preserve status quo.