The herald., 1897-12-19
ing the amlable custom are within the
reach of almost everyone.
PALESTINE AND THE JEWS


Will the Jews return and re-establisl
their nation in Palestine? This question
continues to agitate churchly circles
DR.. Theodor Herzl favors the PROPOSE
ton. He contends that the return of tn.
Jews to their ancient fatherland would
help to solve the eastern question. HI
has written Contemporary Review al
enthusiastic account of the Zionist con
gress recently convened at Bale. Among
other things DR.. Herzl says:
We have held a gathering at Bale
before the whole world, and there we
saw the national consciousness and the
popular will break forth at times like
convulsive upheaval. To Bale came
Jews of all countries, of all tongues.
of all parties, and of all forms of re-
ligious confession. There were more
than two hundred representatives of
the Jewish people-most OF them dele
gates for hundreds and thousands. Men
from Roumania alone brought over
fifty thousand signatures of those who
had sent them there.
This looks like spirit Of awakening
nationality among the European Jews
at least. Mr.. Herbert Bentwich writes
in the Nineteenth Century. showing
equal enthusiasm touching this subject.
He claims that the work has already
co,nmenced that there are today in Pal
estine about thirty distinct Jewish col
onies. extending from Askalon in TIL
south to Carmel in the north, and along
the Jordan from Meron to the Sea OF
Galilee, and embracing a population Of
fully 10000 souls. And his estimate
does not embrace a large contingent Of
Jewish refugees residing in the various
holy cities.
Canon MacColl, writing in the Con-
temporary. favors the return Of the
Jews to the Holy Land, and thinks the
sultan would do we'll to take advantage
of the widespread feeling among the
Jews to become once more a recognized
nationality, that they now far outnum-
Der in Jerusalem all other races, and he
suggests that the sultan lease Palestine
to them" Continuing. he says:
So far from being a danger to him,
they would be a protection. keeping out
more formidable claimants and enrich
ins his treasury with the tribute of
land which. under their revised hus-
bandry would again abound in wealth
and become the emporium of thriving
trade
Referring 10 the European Jewish OPP
ponents of the new Zionist nationality,
teresting statement:
1t is surprising as it IS lamentable
that the wealthy Jews Of Europe have
so little Imagination as not to see the
fascinating prospect which restoration
to the Holy Land. with its vista of glo-
rious possibilities, opens up to them.
They claim to be citizens OF the coun-
tries wherein they dwell. and fear that
the revival of Jew:sl! STATE woull de-
s,roy their status in the various states
of Chr.:tendon. Ilu:. as 4 matter of
fact. they still exist. wherever they live,
AS peculiar people, traversing me
ocean Of humanity as thu Gulf stream
does the Atlantic. without mingling
with it except in minute driblets. .
But what is curious Is that the Jewish
opponents Of the Zionist congress 50
s.gnally fail to see the new dignity and
status which a political home CT their
own would give them in the world,
with Its healthy reflex action on the
a,tf $ ~,
may be regarded as the degenerate
sens OF 4 race that has been lowered
with an iliustrious past, who SIN PEE
fer the flesh pots of Egypt" to the
Promised Land. the home of their
fathers and the heritage OF their ma
ton.
The Herald takes no sides in this in
teresting controversy. The people most
interested pro and con are abundantly
able to give it final and satisfactory So
luton. Fascinating as the sentimental
and prophetical atmosphere in which it
floats undoubtedly is, there is 4 practical
side to the question which must be III
harmony with it or dominate both sentl-
ment and prophecy. The Jewish people
at home and abroad are especially fitted
to handle such an issue. No people are
at once more practical and, along racial
lines. more sentimental than the Jews,
and it may be set down as settled that,
while. with the statesman Disraeli, they
would welcome with enthusiasm the
restoration of the Jews to Palestine
the opinion of no one man or set of men
will determine their action in the prem.
Uses until the facts of the case are all in
and all conclusive that the moral, social,
political and religious welfare of their
race will be best conserved by return
home to the Holy Land.
DOGS AS DRAFT ANIMALS
The capabilities Of DOGS as draft ami