Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-17

| sia, signed by several thousand citizens
| and cabed to ST. Petersburg by direction
| of the President. At the conference Tues
day. the 18th Of July, at Oyster Bay. the
| President conferred with Messrs. Leo N.
Levi, Simon Wolf and Oscar s. Straus in
regard to the presentation Of the petition.
and it was decided that Secretary Hay
| should send the following dispatch to Mr..
Riddle, the American charge d'affaires in
st. Petersburg:
Instructions to Riddle.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
| WASHINGTON, July 10. 1903
| Riddle
| St. Petersburg
You are instructed to ask an audience of
| the minister of foreign affairs and to make
| to him the following communication:
| "Excelency: The Secretary of State in
| structs me to inform you that the Presi-
| dent has received from large number of
! citizens of the United States of all re-
| ligious affiliations and occupying the high
est positions in both public and private life,
| a respectful petition addressed to his
| majesty the emperor, relating to the con-
diton of the Jews in Russia. and running
| as follows:
| ITO His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor
| of Russia:
THE cruel outrages perpetrated at kis-
chineff during Easter of 1903. have excited
| world Until your majesty gave special
and personal directions the local authori-
| ties failed to maintain order suppress
the rioting.
| sault was the result Of race and religious
| prejudice.
The rioters violated the laws of Rus
| sia.
THE local officials were derelict in the
| performance of their duty.
The Jews were the victims of indefensi-
BILE lawlessness. These facts made plain
| by the official reports Of. and by the Off
| cial acts following. the riot
Under ordinary conditions the awful ca
! lamity would be deplored without undue
| fear of recurrence But such is not the
case in the present instance. Your
petitioners are advised that millions of
Jews-Russian subjects-dweling in south
| western Russia, are in constant dread of
fresh outbreaks. They feel that ignor-
ance, superstition and bigotry as exem-
pifled by the rioters, are ready to per-
secute them; that the local officials unless
thereunto specially admonshed, cannot be
| relied on as strenuous protectors of their
| peace and security; that public sentiment
| of hostility has been engendered against
them and hangs over them a continuing
menace.
Even If 1t be conceded that these fears
are to some extent exaggerated. 1t is un-
questionably true that they exist, that they
| are not groundless. and that they produce
| effects of great importance.
THE westward migration of Russian
Jews. which has proceeded for over twenty
years, is being stimulated by these fears
and already that movement has become so
great as to overshadow in magnitude the
expulsion OF the Jews from Spain and to
rank with the exodus from Egypt.
mo estimate is possible Of the misery
suffered by the hapless Jews who feel driv-
en- to forsake their native land. to sever the
most sacred ties and to wander forth to
strange countries. Neither is 1t possible to
estimate the misery suffered by those who
are unwilling unable leave he nd
of their birth: who must part from friends
and relatives who emigrate; who remain in
never-ending terror
Religious persecution Is more sinful and
more fatuous even than war War Is some
times necessary. honorable and just; re-
ligious persecution is never defensible.
"The sinfulness and folly which give i'm
pulse to unnecessary war. received their
greatest check when your majestys in
| itiative resulted in an international court
of peace.
with such example before It, the
civilized world cherishes the hope that upon
the same initiative there shall be fixed in
| the early days of the twentieth century
the enduring principle of religious liberty;
that by a gracious and convincing express
| sion your majesty will proclaim not only
| for the government of your own subjects
but also for the guidance OF all civilized
men. that none shall suffer in person, prop
! erty. liberty. honor or life. because Of his
religious belief; that the humblest subject
| or citizen may worship according to the
| dictates of his own conscience. and that
government. whatever It's form agencies,
| must safeguard these rights and immun-
| ties by the exercise of all its powers.
| Far removed from your majesty's do
| minions. living under different conditions
| and owing allegiance to another govern
| ment your petitioners yet venture, in the
| name of civilization. to plead for religious
liberty and tolerance: to plead that he who
| led his own people and all others to the
shrine Of peace will add new lueter to his
| reign and fame by leading a new movement
| that shall commit the whole world in oppo-
| sitiOn to religious prosecutions"
| Il am instructed to ask whether the
| petition will he received by your excellency
| to be submitted to the gracious consider
| alton of his majesty. In that the petit
| ton will be at once forwarded to st. Pc
| t.rsburg. Il avail myself. etc
You will report at the earliest possible
| moment your execution of this instruction.
| HAY.
This was sent on the 18th of July and on
| the same day Mr. Riddle was informed by
| the Russian minister for foreign affairs
| that. in view of publications which had ap-
peared in the newspapers. the Russian gov
ernment wished to notify him that the pro-
posed petition would not be received under
any circumstances. and that this resolu-
| tion OF the Russian government was taken
| independent OF any consideration of the
| substance or the terms OF the petition.
Jewish Representatives Informed.
| On the receipt of that information the
Secretary OF State addressed the following
letter to Messrs Straus. Wolf and Levi:
"Sirs: l am directed by the President to
| acquaint you that this department Is in
! formed by the American embassy in st.
| Petersburg that the imperial government of
| Russia has declined to receive or consider
| the petition in relation to the condition of
| the Jews in Russia which was addressed
| to his majesty the emperor by large
| number of citizens Of the United States,
and which this department, by direction OF
| the President and at your request, under
| took to transmit to it's high destination.
| l am, sir, very respectfully yours.
| JOHN HAY"
| 1t is believed that this petition was al
| most unexampled in the weight and dignity
| OF the signatures attached to 1t. Among
| them