The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-18
COLUMBUS AND TIE JEWS.
One OF Their Number Was Among
His Crew.
H. s. NJ. in PHILADELPHIA Ledge

H. S. NJ in PHILADELPHIA Ledger.
Apropos Of q subject which will for a long
time engage the attention Of the civilized
world, it may be we'll TO bring to notice an
incident that serves to illustrate the i'm
portant pos1t ion taken by people IN every
movement aving in view the welfare OF
mankind.
But, before mentioning the incident, an
other matter of history may be cited as an
introduction thereto. When Christopher
Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on
Aug. g. 1892, on his voyage 70 discover
new hemisphere, the descendants OF the He
brew Patriarchs were quitting that same
land that had lent him its assistance. The
edict Of Ferdinand and Isabella exiled from
all their territories aud those they had con-
quered from the Moors, every Jew who re-
fused to accept baptism in the church Of
their Spanish msjesties. Hundreds Of
thousands were compelled TO fee, and In
doing so multitudes lost their all, while
many succumbed TO starvation, or were
drowned on their voyage to other lands Of
freer access.
Strange to say, however, quito q number
OF Jews still remain ia Spain. Outwardly
they profess the dominant creed, but se-
cretly prscticed Judaism. This GLASS
gradually were given the opprobrious name
of MarranOs, derived from a Spanish term
q
and many a chapter Of interesting history
has been written of them. Some, it is said,
ate the unleavened bread throughout the
year. IN order to prevent, il possible, the
annual rene wal Of that old but utterly un-
true charge that Jews used Gentle blood
in their Passover bread, charge repeated
to this day, Notwithstanding the strict COM
mand Of the pentateuch rigidly forbidding
the use or drinking OF blood In any way or
EghakCOauQF md
scrupulously observed by Hebrews in every
age.
As to the HdrTdnOs, the writer has been
told that some OF his ancestors, who still
dwelt in Spain after the edict Of expulsion
had been enforced, were obliged to resort to
various articles In order to observe main
ordinances of Judaism; that they cele-
brated the day of Atonsment-the most
solemn of all Jewish holy days-by taking
TO the fields with the excuse that they we're
Oh on an excursionl, and there secretly
keeping what the revealed law enjoined
upon Israelites in all their generations,
But now TO the incident connected with
Columbus first voyage westward over the
Atlantic ocean. 1t ia said that there were
Jews, either protesting or con verted, among
the crews of the Santa Maria, the Piuta
and the Nina; that when land was reached,
among the first. IL not the first, to step upon
the newly-found soil, Of San Domingo was
a Jew, whose name has come down 70 Dos
tsrity as Louis de Torres. This man is
spoken of In different works bearing upon
the subject Of Columbus. 1t is not quite
positive that Torres had not become con-
verted, as Others had done, rather than be
prosecuted or driven into exile. At all
events, he was Of Jewish paFentage and
birth
Hence It Is seen that Hebrews had at least
some interest in the discovery Of q new con-
tlnent In which an asylum was to be
founded for all who suffered for conscienoe's
sake. A movement has been on foot for
some time to have the Israelites celebrate
the quadro- centennial in a special way be-
fitting the great event. Whether this will
take any practical shape or whether they
would prefer not to be distinctiveIy repre-
sented as a religious community, but 90 cell
citrate with other citizens, irrespective of
denomination, has not yet been fully shown.
1t Is quite likely, however, that an open act
OF sheirs will mark the coming obser vance
and that some representatives OF Judaism
may take part in the religious congress to be
held at the same time as the exhibition in
Chicago in 1898.