The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-18
WAS NOR A REPRoAcH.
A Letter Written by Mai. n. j. Moses
to Hon. A. o. Tuggle.

Letter Written by Mai. n. j. Moses
to Hon. A. o. Tuggle.
The current Jewish Sentiment and Echo
publishes an interesting letter written as
far back as 1878 by the late Mai. r. ].
Moses of Columbus. Ca, to Bon. A. O.
Tuggle of LAGRANGE, prompted by an at
lack upon the former by the latter. arising
out of politics. Maj. Moses was an officer
in the Confederate service lie has rela-
lives now in Savannah, and there are
many here who were his close friends.
The letter, which follows, is an interesting
one:
l have taken time to authenticate a re-
port which 1 heard for the first time on
the evening of the first day of the conven.
ton, at West Point, in a public speech
during your congressional campaign and
in my absence, you sought for me a term
Of ''reproach," and from your well filled
vocabulary you selected the epithet of
Jew! Had l served you to the extent of
my ability In your recent political aspi-
rations, and your overburdened heart had
sought relief in some exhloition of un
measured gratitude; had you a wealth If
gifts, ana selected from your abundance
your richest offerings to lay al my feet,
you could not have distinguished me more
gratefully nor honored me more highly
than proclaiming me Jew 1 am proud
of my lineage and my race in your severe
censure, you cannot name an act of my
life which dishonors either or which would
mar the character of a Christian gentle-
man. l feel it an honor to be one of a race
whom persecution cannot crush-whom
prejudice has in vain endeavored to subj
due-who-despite the powers of man and
the antagonism of the combined govern
ments of the world, protected by
the hand of Deity, have burst
the temporal bonds with which
prejudice would have bound them.
and after nearly nineteen centuries of per-
secutlon, still survive as a nation and as
sert their manhood and intelligence, and
give proof of "the Divinity that stirs with
IN them" by having become great fac
tor in the government of mankind! would
you honor me? Call me a Jew. Would
you place in unenviable prominence your
unchristian prejudices and narrow bisot-
ry? Call me Jew. Would you offer a
living example Of a man into whose e(f1-
Gated mind liberation cannot enter; on
whose heart the spirit of liberty and the
progress CT American principles has made
no impression? You can find IL Illustrated
IN yourseifs Your narrow and benighted
MIND, wandering to the prejudices of your
auditory, has attempted TO taunt me by
calling me Jew-one of that peculiar
people al whose affairs. according to the
teachings of your theological masters. God
chose that his son should worship! Strike
out the nationality of Judea- and you
would seek in vain for Christ and his
apostles. Strike out Of sacred history the
teachings of the Jews, and you would be
as ignorant of God and the souls immor-
TAI mission as YOU are of the duties ami
amenities of social life! am not anger
ed, but while thank you for the oppor-
tunity which you have given me to re-
Duke prejudice confined to a limited
number, distinguished Cor their bieotry
and sectarian feelings, of which you are a
lit eXemplar, pity you for having been
cast in mould impcrvIous to the manly
and liberal sentiments which distinguish
ed the nineteenth century. You are not
created without purpose; nature exhibits
her beauties by the contrast of light and
shade, humanity illustrates its brightest
ana nooiest examples by placing its most
perfect models in juxtaPosition with the
meanest specimens of mankind So that
you have the consolation of knowing that
your mind has been thus deformed in the
wisdom of the Great Architect. that Won
might serve as shadow to bring forth in
bold relief the brighter tints of that bean
tiful picture of religious liberation en-
grated in the constitution of the United
States by the wisdom of our fathers.
r. J. Moses.
Columbus, Ga, Aug. 20, 1873.