New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-17
JEWS IN THE NEW WORLD.
4 HISTORY OF TIE PAST AND \ FICTION
or TIE PRESENT.

A. NJ. PIP. XVIII, Ia. Inllp '""N"
JOSEPH ZALAONAH. \ novel ny l'"""'" Nuns
Pm 80. Lee < Shepard
Many years ago Judge Charles p. DaN prepared
and delivered an address In which h" presented me
results of his Investigations concerning me carry
history Of the Je"s In the Co!ohi'7 "a ->''''
America That address is tho Nucleus o, ''e p'3S
ent volume Subsequent researches nave 'V''''"'.N
Judge Days statements and have ao"'n ~ Wv
material Mr. Koher in his brief INTRODUCTION
merely indicates the lines upon which those m
terested i'm the work have pushed their injuries
!, spite Of the fact that Jews dared not i't tner
religion be known in the Spain AMI f''''S"l vi
Columbus's time Il is now ascertlineh 'hit '''''
were Jews in his expedition and That JeWlsh 'N'''
ciers aided the work one of the first settlers IN
cuba was a Jew. But they were obliSeh 70 h''P
their religion sccrc, and their anxious "eSrc 10,
the norcst shadow OF religious liberation was Ia'ai
10 many OF those who settled In Brazil for' KNOW
ing the freedom accorded 20 persons Vi W.
faith IN Holland. they aided the Dutch III t'c con
quest of Brazil and when this was accompiSheo
began the practice OF the religion openly VI o"'''
the return of the Portuguese to power was sigma"
for the persecution OF these who hhd mus haue
themselves "A mark for Catholic hatred
Pint The liberation OF tho Dutch did not 80 20
far az TO permit the opcn practice OF mont h'iS''"
religions Even In the free air Of the North Amer
lean colonies the Jew found himself prescribed
There were only two spots where }" had Ho'ne-
thing like the liberty accoucf to Other men s>'N
Amsterdam and Rhode Island. II was not cover
nor Stuyvcsant'a fault that Jews had i"''ho''
on Manhattan Island he would have forbidden
them the privileges OF trade and residence hu'
the Dutch West India Company drew l." '"P'""
largely from Jewish Golfers. and It's directors H-
sisted that the same liberties must u" granted In
thc colony as wora allowed in the parent country.
But i'm the sixteenth century the Jews had nuhci
Gus companions in the misery OF cnioTcep ''''"-
zion This worh" says Mr.. Kohl'r in his intro
duction will show that neither under IN" P"''h
nor in Rhode Island were the rights Of Jewish se'-
tiers as extensive those of the adhercniS 81 the
prevailing religions. Nor does it appear that IN"
Dutch Government or'gsally intended ~ p"rsN"
the same policy 81 religious t1"iaiion as !" mr.
colonial possessions she adopted AT hone 'or we
know that the very Puriians Who wer" p"'r''''l
10 enjoy Amstcrdams generous Hospitality ana
liberation were refused rermisson 10 s"i'' III the
Dutch colonies prior 10 arranging COR ~" c"'"hy
which WAS be.qucntiy planted NJ rlymorth'
one Of the most curious facts about ;he freedom
NJ las, granted ~ the Jews 10 have public pac"
Of worship on Manhattan Island "as That me per
mission came from the last Catholic king OF Eng
land James II had felt thc pinch Of inioleinn'"
ard his plan was 10 treat al religions alif'. j."
was only one among those who glv that they co"ll
never be free and salo themselves unless they
conceded safety and freedom 10 others N'"n ~"
founder Of Maryland. generous ~ he was c"ull
not understand this nnd he practically excluded
Jews 10y requiring a belief In the d'clIin" "i '''
Trinity Under the injunction that differences 81
religion were not to be considered. the previous
decision Of the MAYOR and Common Council 90
New-Yorl, which forbade ~" jewish. "nS over
ruled and the first synagogue I'm North America
was built in Deaycr-s,.. between Broadway ana
Broad-s'
As late as ne, the rights or Jews nc electors
we're SIN in question. ~ N'w-Noik "aa subject
10 English law the status 81 lows IN England was
made the basis Of a decision in contest Tor "a
seat in the General Assembly. jews had voted Tor
one Of the candidates and ;hus point wa rAl-'i
which had 10 be- passed upon Ay do" ilou'" hs''.
The conclusion was tina, as Jews could not vote
for Members OF Parliament they could not b" al
lowed TO vote for representatives. In III" colony
Judge DAILY shows that there no prejudice IN
the matter. the question helms simply on" ~ '"
Mr. Kohler Offers however. what b" calls ~ hrirI
for the Jews" While declaring that judge Days
exposition Is una ssailabe" be- turns from IN" Eng
llah law to the history OF legislation IN tho colony
itself: taking this legislation IN connection Win
the capitulaiion Of the Dutch 10 the Enrli,h in
1861 he argues that the General Assembly might
properly have reached different decision in 49,
Ev theso gradual steps the Jew rose TO religious
and political equality with his fcllo7 m'n Th'r"
were even greater difficulties IN other colonies but
everywhere the Jew was promptly on the ground.
never i'm great numbers. but ready 20 irfe ~"
world as il came and finding America from ~"
outset an Improvement on ia" narrow CIVILIZATION
Of the old World 70 his original paper Judge
DAILY. at TIE request Of Mr.. Kohi'r. has added "A
continuation made up largely Of biographies 81 Jew
ish literary men in New-York. The most remark
able Of th@se was Mordcch ". Noah. whose effort to
found "A Hebrew colony island in the Niagara
River would have made him famous = hc had not
been already u dramatic writer and Journalist OF
prominence But all in all. the Jewish name does
not shine well In the career of these adventureri
| Of the pen as /, does in Grioter pursuits.
ftHtIg. fl.tlt rF
Mr. Kohlcr to the rather fcvcreh writing Of I'll
! ward Kings new novel Joseph Iamonah' We
| have a glimpse of the Jew IN character wEich Pc
has rarely impersonaod in this country. II Is wei
said Of the jew that he takes Oh the traits Of the
| country TO which he belongs. Evcrywhcr" and al
ways a jew. it still makes vast difference IN him
whether he Is English. German Spanish Russian
! or Oriental. The American Jcw has already taken
on pecularlties that distinguish him from his Coz
regionists i'm other countries. IL Is only saying of
! him what is true OF all Americans, that he Is less
hampcred by tradition than his brethren OF the 81,
| World. TO the conservative adhcrent OF Judaism
the Reformed jew IS doubtless alarming pie
nomenon. He is not so. however. 10 those outside
the Law Of Moses. 70 them motioness cons"r'a
tsm is an alarming factor IN the life OF any race
| From such an object lesson that given IN Mr.
Kings book. even II IT be only partially true, there
| is much to learn this very point His characters
| and they by no means few. are nearly al
| Russian Jews. They comprehend that there Is II
| this country no restriction on their worship an'
| that they are longer Obliged 10 whisper thei
opinions. But the Ideals that they formed In Rusai'
| Of Il promised land. OF a sort OF elysum. are no
| realized here They do not understand the indvh
| ual liberty universal In this country Their notions
Of liberty suitable to cohesive organization h
which the individual might still be n slave to TN
commune. There is denying that this notion J.
| acceptable to the Russian noujik; less 80 now per
| haps than in the past. but still something which
! can only gradually be- ougrown. The Russian Jew
| retains the color Of his ancient environment. He !
| still the slave OF those who choose to tyranniZ
| over him He knows what II II 10 complain. what
| Is 10 agitate but he has never learned what il /
| 70 he free. The testimony OF Mr.. Kings rcalisti
fiction is that the tyrants under whom the wretche
people suffer men Of their own race One o
the most graphic pictures In his book Is that o
the "sNentern who hOpes 20 atone for The mnrder