The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-22

4 Il
In Georgia il the liberal views Of Dale
thorpe hui been carried out, there
4 would hsy, been a fourishInR settlement
I Of Jews. for no less than forty jewish
| en- irrants arrived on the very day Of the
| founding OF the colony. 40 discouraged were
| they, however. BY their treatment at the
hands OF the trustees III London that within a
quarter OF q century most OF the original
Jewish settlers had removed to Charleston
After the close of the Revelation change
took place; many Israelites arrived In Savan-
nah. and their congregation was reestabllshed
in 1856. The immigration seems to have
stopped. nevertheless. after 1799. and tho
number OF Jews in Georgia is now compare
lively small. although as body they are TO-
markedly prosperous and hold an excellent
social position. In 179o the largest merchant.
the leadin e lawyer and the principal physician
OF Savannah were OF their number. and Judge
DAILY testifles from personal experience that
in 1S43 the High Sheriff. tho principal judge.
and the Collector OF the Port we're jews.
The Israelltes who settled in Charleston ret
with more favorable conditions and Increased
rapidly In numbers. being recruited from
New York and Newport rs well MS Europe. AS
early as 1850 they formed themselves into
religious society. which by 1871 had como to
consist Of 81 families. comprising about 400
persona. The number Of Jews in South Caro-
lima in 1926 was estimated at 1.20O. or as
many as in Virginia. Pennsylvania. and the
whole OF New England put together
Judge DAILY throws light upon the short
lived comm ercial eminence OF Newport In the
period Just preceding tho Revolution. This
was largely. II not mainly. due to the Jews.
1t was in 1850 that the Jewish community OF
Newport received q valuable acquisition in the
person OF Aaron Lopez He was quick to COM
prehend the capabilities OF this seaport. and
to him In n larger degree than to any one else
was due the rapid commercial development
that followed. and which made Newport, for a
quarter OF a century. formidable rival of
New York. He was the means OF inducing
more than forty Jewish families to settle there.
the heads OF many Of which were men OF
wealth. sagnclty and enterprise. Fourteen
years after Mr. Lopez had settled In the place.
Newport had 100 vessels engaged In trade with
the West Indies alone. besides carrying on an
extensive whaling business The West India
trade was particularly lucrative. Vessels were
freghted in the Antilles with molasses. which
was brought to Newport and there manutac-
tured into rum for expectation to the coast
OF Africa. where the vessels were reloaded
with slaves for the West India market. At
the outbreak OF the American Revolution Mr..
Lopez was himself the owner Of thirty vessels
engaged In the West Indian and European
ira lllc. and he was then looked upon as the
most successful merchant in New England.
His father-in-law, jacob Rodriguez Rivera.
had come to Newport few years before him
tabout 1919. aud was the first person to in
troduce the manufacture OF spermaceti in
America. having brought the art with him from
n fl Mr
united in promoting this important branch Of
industry so effectively that there were at one
time In the town no less than seventeen
manufacturers OF spermaceti candles: In
fact Newport enjoyed tho monopoly OF this
traffic down to the beginning OF the American
Revolution. In 1903 there were between sixty
and seventy Jewish families in Newport.
the greater portion of whom ha emigrated
from Portugal and Spain. What is now in
Newport the north side OF the Mall was then
covered with Jewish residences. The Jews
were. in fact the chief persons of the place.
for. besides Lopez and Rivera. there were many
other 1sraelite merchants there Of large re-
sources and superior intelligence. Before tho
arrival OF these emigrnn.s the religious exer-
cises OF the Jewish residents had been con-
Quoted in private houses. But their mum Der
had now become large that. in 1862. the
erection OF a synagogue was begun. which was
com pleted and dedicated In the following year
with much pomp and ceremony. Under the
teaching Of the Rev. Isaac Touro a learned
young man from jamaica the synagogue con-
tinued to be crowded with worshlppers until
the outbreak OF the Revolution. 1t was Isaac
Touro who impaired a knowledge Of the He
brew tongue to the we'll known DR.. Stiles. Pres
ident OF Yale College.
The Revolution put an end to tho commercial |
mr. ~ ut 70 citp tt,n
ocean. which in peaceful times had been an ad-
vantage. left it more exposed to attacks from
the enemy than any other place Of equal i'm |
portance in North America. Moreover it's in
ha bitants had given particular provocaton to |
the mother country. having been among the |
FIRST Of the colonlsts to manifest spirit OF re-
sistance to the arbitrary acts OF the British |
Government by burning war vessel that |
came to exact an odious tax. 1t could. there |
lore. expect but little mercy. and 1t received
none. 1t was occupied by eight thousand British |
and Hessan troops. who destroyed four hun
bred and eighty houses. burned the shipping.
'ut down the groves and orchards. pilaged
he libraries. then the finest in America. and
carried Off the town records From this stroke
ts commercial interests never recovered. and.
Is tho wealth Of the Jewish residents formed
| large part OF the invested capital. tho blow
ell upon them with crushing force When the
struggle drew to a close. most Of tho Jewish
'esidents had left Newport. Impoverished by
he loss OF their investments. they sought
,ther places In which to retrieve their shat
cred fortunes. and never returned. So few
antilles remained that the services at the syn
lgogue were discontinued about the year
100. The last lew to linGer in Newport was
Noses Lopez. ths nephew OF Aaron. and even
10 closed his days in New York. 1t was not
Until 1850 that the synagogue at Newport was
eopenod for public worship
FIoreutine Life In the Renaissance.
An unusually valuable addition has been
made tn the series of Johns Hopkins Upiver-
ty studies In historical and political science