The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-11-30
THE JEWS OF ANTIQUITY AS LEGISLATORS.

gave US our basis for our law and gov
eminent, but the very germ Of our NOR
ality and civilization. And to their cred
1t this historical fact stareS us in the
face. SO far as we know, Moses was
the original great law-giver, and wheth-
er we consider their religious and moral
laws or their statutes CIVIL military and
political, the cause Of equity, humanity
and wisdom In all its phases shine forth
from these laws with conspicuous ana
unabating iustre. This conclusion must
be reached by all truth-ioving minds
whenever comparison is made to other
ancient nations the highest In fame. In
all their laws the pomp and show is
nothing unless the sentiments of the
heart give 1t truth and life The fact that
the heat must approve these sublime
ideas is the distinguishing mark between
the Mosaic orders and all ancient legis-
lators. What beauty and purity in all
this; it is not sufficient to apparently
act I'D to the standard: the desires must
be absolutely controlled. The statutes OF
this great legislature not only command
perfect equity, probity untainted. faith
fulness, justice, the most exact honesty
but EXODUS Xxx, Lev. XXX we must
be compassionate, charitable. unselfish.
There is reason in all this. All other ma
tions had but the weak and glimmering
light of human reason, while the sons OF
Abraham were blessed with superior
reason that enlightened their darkness
and established their wanderings and un-
certainties. There is no stronger PROOF
| of the hand Of God In human affairs
than than this wonderful and beautiful
wisdom handed down for the guidance
of the nations in their laws. If, as has
been said by Montesquieu and other sci
entists of law the great art of the iegis-
lator is to attach the citizen to the form
of government he lives under, what
form could possibly have more charms
than this ancient government of justice
and purity. 1t is near to the appoint
ment of nature itself. The military
laws are not less wise, humane and ten
der toward the citizens. The law-maker.
the legislator is the glory Of Israel in
the eyes of all nations. 1t is the dear
est patrfmony that their fathers left
| them. Sparta formed great soldiers,
Carthage made great merchants and
navigators, but to the ancient Jewish
we must bow for those maxims and
principles without which no virtuous
| people could be formed the noblest of
all ancient labors In this glorious duty
no ancient law-giver ever approached
| Moses. Minos, Drace. Scion. Numa, and
the great Lycurgus all posterior to Moses
by many ages, and possibly learned
much from him.
Senator Zeb Vance had a great, gen.
tie heart, full of warm love for man.
kind. and to this prosecuted race he
gave, in generous measure his great
sympathies. and complete Justice he
rendered to their high and wonderful
achievements in all the walks Of life.
His iecture-"The Scattered Nation" is
not surpassed by any of the grand ora
tions that fell from his eloquent lips,
Professor Maury called the gulf stream
"A River In the Ocean," and said. there
Is In the world no other such mystic
flow of water" and portrayed it's many
peculiarities-unlike anything else In all
nature, Senator Vance says that this
curious phenomenon In the physical
world has it's counterpart In the moral.
He saysi There is a lonely river in the
midst of the ocean of mankind. The
mightiest floods of human temptation
have never caused 1t to overflow and
the fiercest fires of human cruelty.
though seven times heated In the furn-
ace of religious bigotry, have never
caused II to dry up, although Its waves
for two Thousand years have rolled
crimson with the blood Of its martyrs.
Its fountain is the grey dawn of the
worlds history, and its mouth is some
where in the shadows of eternity, 1t,
too, refuses to mngie with the surround
ing waves, and the line which divides its
restless pillows from the common waters
Of humanity is also plainly visible to the
eXa. 1t ia -tha Lavish. Eaaes Tina laE- u