Washington sentinel., 1899-01-14

Paris CorreSboHaeHcs Isufsh Chronicle.
Until quite recently lew French Jews
considered the antl-SemitIc question in
France worthy Of more than passing
shrug Of the shoulders. "The French
nation was too sensible" that was the
general impression, and even when the
anti Jewish feeling was famed into
fame by the terrible accusation brought
against Alfred Dreyius in 1894, and was
carefully fomented and kept alive by
fanatics like Drumont and men Of the
INSCRIPTIONS nature of Rocheiort, our
people did not think that it would ever
become a real danger to peace and
order
Now. however, things are very differ
ent and the feeling ofJews in Paris-all
over France, in fact-is becoming less
and less secure, The Frenchman Of the
lower classes is not loglcian, and the
words BH safe hit, though in reality
tuey convey to his mind no real meaning
whatsoever, have, by the efforts Of NJ.
DANAAANAA aAA hA9 NiEWt BECOLlG a wal
cry To read M. DrumOnt's writings
and to hear him talk, one would imagine
that one was dealing with a maniac
whose one all absorbing passion was
murder. Murder for murders sake, not
for a purpose or for a religion or TOR
cause, but murder because it is brutal,
because it is noisy, because it is bloody.
Edouard Drumont, in his own minds
eye, conceives himself riding at the head
Of an infuriated mob Of half crazy
Frenchmen, yelling France for the
French" brandlshing a sword, and
throwing little Jewish children into the
gutter to be trampled by the feet of
those who come behind him. This may
read hOrldly and be considered impos.
sible, ana it is not a piece of forid
writing, executed for the sake of having
big words to play with. What Drumont
has not, hitherto, been able to do in
France ITSELF he has done, by proxy to
a great extent but still done, in Algiers,
Readers Of the IszOiSH Chronicle have
read with horror some Of the telegrams
AANA fCAA PoECl AAA lAAoAl-o NNEAy WEGh
from Africa. What has been the course
of events there9 Jewish working men
prevented from earning a living, Jewish
shops boycotted, Jewish WON en- insulted
in the streets OF Algiers, a Christian
who sympathized with Jews reslgning
his office as Mayor OF Algiers, and the
lew baiter's lieutenant elected in his
stead, lew OF middle age so maltreated
by roughs at a meeting where he
attempted to speak that he died from
his injuries, Jewish shops wrecked and
looted, Jews imprisoned for defending
themselves against attack-in short, and
in one word, Anarchy, with the Jews as
a sCapegoat for all and sundry. Monsieur
Drumont. in his half scientific. half
fanatic, and wholly ridiculous form OF
reasoning, has way of suggesting that
the anu-Semitic movement is not a
battle between one rehgi on and another,
but battle between races. That anti
Semitlsm in France is not a battle OF
religions | freely admit, Tor France as a
nation for the past 2S years7has had no
religion. Superstitions the unfortunate
country may possess, but her religion is
a relic of the past, and II il be. ever to
flourish again, it will first have to 20
through the preliminary lorms ofbigotry
and intolerance, until It settles down to
a real religion once more
AS to NJ. Drumonts contention that
anti Semitism is a war between the race
OF Jews and the race Of Frenchmen, that
| utterly and emphaticaIy deny. Look |
at French Jew and compare him with |
the Catholics in whose company he sits |
in a theatre or IN a cafe How little |
difference there is between the men!
Take, on the other hand, a southern
Frenchman and a Breton, and compare
the two. The races are utterly and
absolutely distinct. The lew has as
much right to be called and to consider
himself Frenchman as has the Basque,
the Norman, the Breton, or the twenty
other races of which France is made up.
But we are perhaps begging the question
little. Nv object in writing this article |
was principally to show that there is
reason to fear for the safety Of the Jews |
in France, owing to the fierce passions |
which are being raised against them, |
and their own laxity and unwillIngness
to act. have no intention Of setting |
forth plan of campaign which l think |
the Jews in this country, and our
brethren abroad. ought to follow. but |
wish to emphasize my opinion that those
who have the welfare OF the lew at heart |
might 90 we'll to formulate such plan |
and have it in readiness, The storm in |
France, if it arise, will be far, far worse |
than it has been in Russia, for here the |
feeling against the Jew has been as
cleverly combined with the feeling |
against the rich as it was there. The |
Jews in France are wealthier than the |
Russian Jews, aud, more than all, polit-
ica,ly the Jew has been power in the
land, which is a crime tn : populace will
never forgive when its passions once
break loose.
The motive--not NJ. Drumont's mo-
tive, but the real one-for an anti lew
ish rising in this country is the ca! de-
sac into which the militsTist party have
got themselves, Grave misuses have
been made of public funds. Somebody
was guilty. BY the evidence which has
come to light il now seems evident that
the guilty men we're holding high rank
in the army. How was public attention
10 be turned away from their delin-
ouencvp The way was all too obvious.