New-York tribune., 1894-03-21
THE JEWS.
VIEWING THEM AS INDIVIDUALS NOT
AS A RACE.

These books are the work Of men both Of
whom have made close study of the Jew and
one of whom is a son of the race. Their aims are
very diverse yet they touch the same points at times
the one In abstract way, the other graphically,
as becomes a story-writer 1t is, for example, a
universal failing Of human nature to mark as
many things or pei sons with the same label as
possible. and then TO judge them as If they all
presented the same appearance All Hindoos
look alike to an inexperienced European; so all
Europeans look alike to HndOOs. The Jew
suffers more than any one else from this habit
Of mankind. Now the unknown author Of The
Jewish Question shows the average man how
inadequate is the method of estimating Jews by
the characteristics Of the "Old Clothes Man
who may not be Jew at all. He proves by OK
amples that II is difficult 10 say in whose VEINS
Hebrew blood does not flow. and just as difficult
to point out the person in whom it is absolutely
pure He makes it plain that each person
labelled as a Jew must he considered separately
as an individual. Then in nine cases out OF ten
the pecuiarities supposed to go with the label
Invariably will be missing. on the other hahd
Mr. Zangwill illustrates the diversity OF human
nature within the most exclusive boundaries OF
Jewry by his choice of typical characters, all
lows but as remote from any likeness to each
other as il they were Of different species. Inc
,nsnjred effrontery Of the beggar royal in the
which
prerogative Of any race. The Hebrew prophet and
the fasting Gynnasophist Of old times had it, and
It might even awaken reverence still, were II not
that this emotion is so foreign to the times. The
snare figure Of Manasseh Bueno Barzilai Aze-
yado da Costa excitcs our laughter, but there is
something in him, beggar as he Is, that WouIo
make us suppress our merrinent IN ms presence
He is sordid and unclcanly, he is watchful Tor
the main chance in what he considers ms pro-
fessjon but he is also mnutely learned ana IL is
his learning in both quantity and quality whch
DISTINGUISHES him from the skful beggars OF an
other race. Indeed If the atmosphere of Judaism
were eliminated from the tale, it might be APP
pled to any other we'll as to the Jews.
Douhtless such vivid illustrations as Mr.. Zang-
will gives help to solve the Jewish question as IL
nrcsents itself to many minds Meanwhile II
sbould be remembered how much of this question
danends on the mental condition of each person
who takes it in hand. AS between two employers
of labor for example both equally eager Tor gam
and oppressive in their management. wha' mat
ters II If one happens to be Jew! 1'eNeruleIeSS'
tbis fact aggravates the tyranny apparently IN
the minds of many. The author of Tne JEWISH
Question" speaks plainly on matters OF ths sort
1Ie maintains that there is no Jewish question in
the sense in which speak of the Eastern Ques-
zion or the Home Rule Question" Jews differ
tional environment in which each has grown up
The Hebrew of Western Europe and America is a
totally different being from his relative of the
Orient The German Jew is as unlike the spanish
as the Teuton is unlike Gothicized lperiah.
In a nation comparatively so young as the O"'ou
States the Jew has already taken on the nue. Oh
his surroundings. He is becoming unlike MS COIL
sener of Europe, just as the latter has chaheeo
IN his long absence from the orient Inc f's-
nsh Jew is more like his English neighoors thah
his German cousins Yet, if he be of Germanic
origin he knows that the time is comparatively
recent when the families which he represents
e.. ro,,rd their way to England. Within the
borders OF any given nation the Jews are any,
thing hut a unity No American thinks OF recK-
oning with the Jews as body, though ne mas 10
do this all the time with other races, ana may De
able to do something of the kind at the outset
with Russian Jews and Polish Jews. not as jews
but as distinctive septs. Thus, for "any practical
nurpose Of political social generalization Wlthih
the Occidental States and communities, the unity
which the Jews are supposed to present Is iilu-
sorry. even when there is not, as there genera1y
&c q definite animus bedimming the eyes of those
who would raise the question: Even the perse-
cution In Russia bespeaks only the purpose
"Russia for the Russians" animating the ruling
classes Of the country. This exclusive natonai
sentment might just well be directed against
any other extraneous element in the population
for example, the German immigrants-werel IL not
for Interior restraints. Jews have no hauoili
support while the Germans in Russia nave an
imperial protector just over the border whose re-
sentiment might be severe. What mas happeheu
70 the Jews happens likewise to dissenting Kus-
slams and to refractory Poles When it IS OBJ
served that the Jew is baited in Prussia by
Conservatives and in France by Radicals, anti
no
,s a farce in history. From point OF view
within the rank Of Judaism these adverse move
ments seem less bitter than some OF lsraers own
family uuarrels Here we may turn again lor
illustration to Mr.. Zangwills king OF the Schhor-
rers" The date of the story is about that OF the
Gordon riots in London. The German Jew hau
hare,v begun to figure in London. while the Por-
&uguese Jew-not counting the mediaeVai peTlou
had been domesticated in England since the
.,o-r ~ t1izabeth As beggars cannot be choosers,
tho exnert mendcant who figures as the hero OF
tbe niece though a Portuguese. gives his daughter
IN marriage to a Polish Jew. II the husband had
been a Gentle, a disturbance might nave peeh
expected But what is TO be said when the hossA
beggarmust exertan his dexterity to save hiHse1
from being cast out of the synagogue because ne
ventured to take son-in-law whose ancestors
,ever saw Portugal? His knowledge OF the La"
saves him. But his example shows how readily
the Jewish taste for Iegallsm cohH'es i'''ii
within national. local and tribal INES
Id,omatic phrases here and there lead one 10
susnect that the author of 'The Jewish Ques-
t,o,' Is himself Hebrew. But these evidences
are by no means conclusive. for the style OF the
hook as a whole is quite like that Of any edu-
Gated American who cared more for thought
than expression. Nor is the authors own state
Ynent conclusive He emphasizes contrast be-
tween the attitude of NJ. Leroy-Beaulieu who
wrote Israel chez les Nations as a Christian ,
and Frenchman. and his own, which Is In gen |
eral that Of one who avoids racial or religious
limitations But he adds that he has sought |
"to look at many OF the difficulties from the |
point of view OF a thoroughly OccidentaliZed and