Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-09-15
FRANCE AND THE JEWS.

Forgive them, Father, for they know not what
They do With pleading lips by plying heart
Attuned, thus spoke the Christ Of Calvary
Thus prayed the Siness One in accents toned
With love for those who wrought Him direst i'll
That human heart may know. Forgive them rose
In tender prayer from sympathizing heart
Their want of light the plea the advocate
Presented to the court supreme. Think We
That plea prevailed before the throne of God?
If yea, then why should Israels sons whom He
Forgave still bear the wrathul scorn of men
To all the Christian lands? If nay, then what
Is human prayer but wasted breath, if heaven
Though hearing, needed not the plea OF Christ:
Behold thou wocfu scenes of war through which
The prosecuted Jews haye bleeding passed
Since Roman judges heard their plant, and, cruel
AS they, gave up the Christ to die With blood
Their affairs stained, their cities burned and land
Laid waste, the temples of their priests and kings
Destroyed, themselves despoed and driven forth,
Dispersed, and, unprotected forced to tread
The stranger paths of alien lands, and plead
The right to live without one hope of home.
The Roman eagles ruthless cry for blood,
The Moslem standard with its crescent glare,
AID Christian Europes cross with mlder glow,
Each hath in turn led on the hosts OF Hate
Against the wandering sons of sires for whom
The Christ in pity prayed on Calvary
To God we leave the tenets of their faith,
Assured that He will righteous Judgment give.
Earth hath no line of ample length to sound
The deeper depths of mans religious hopes
And fears. No man can measure things divine,
Or fashion laws for Souls immortal veal
Or force mankind to walk the heavenward ways.
And evermore Gods awful voice is heard
In stern rebuke: mot thou, but |, will Judge
Tell me, thou bigot priest, whateer thy faith,
What exled race of man oppressed as they
Hath e'er attained loftier height than that
Whereon they stand? In statecraft, commerce, art
And lawn every field of life where Thought
And Learning lead the way, behold the Jew
In every land where Aryan foot hath trod
Or pagan footprint marked the paths of men,
There Israers scattered sons have bravely been,
And not-as feon convicts doomed for crime.
o, Gala Beauteous realm of light and shade.
OF tempest and of calm Of darkest night
And fairest day. Thou land where Impulse leads
The Mind from Reasons way and Error oft
Is counted Truth, and Truth as oft dethroned.
Antipodean realms where Vice hath donned
The counterfeit of Virtues grace, and Wrong
Herself is worshipped on the throne of Right.
o, France! Thy broken faith in cyclrs past
When IsraeIs found refuge in thy arms,
And there slain! o, France! Thy darkest night
OF ST. Bartholomew, that brought no morn
For thrice ten thousand souls that worspped Christ!
Thy tears should be the balm to cleanse thy shame
And weep thy damning record from the page
1t stains. Now Dreyfus, made the target of thy
Envenomed shafts, accentuates thy past
Intolerant moods and startled realms condemn
Thy heartless crime, while those who listen well
May hear the voice of God: mot less do these
Offend than those on Calvarys sacred mount.
S. s. KING, Kansas City Kas.