The Tupelo journal., 1903-05-01
RESPECTS THE JEWS.
Apps Reply to Letter from a He
brew Lady.
She Objected to a Couple Of HfsAncc-
dotes-A MulattO Friend Correcfs
Gisstatemcnts Naiich nIiI
GlndI, Acknowledges.

GLADLY Acknowledges.
"A good lady, a neighbor aud friend,
bought one Of my books and express
eo her pleasure at its perusal, but
round one fault that did not har-
monte with her Heprew feelings. for
she is a Jewess. In two places she
round a sportive anecdote that re-
fected upon some of her people. but
they were too good to be suppressed,
ana would haye been told on Geutiles
as well. My respect for the Jews has
been too often expressed in nv let
tiers to be questioned. 1t is not mere
respect, but it is wonder and admira-
lion. | rejoice with them that the
ages Of persecution have passed, and
that they can now worship God ac-
cording to their conscience and the
faith of their fathers. Their ances-
tors appeared at the very dawn of
creation. They have been broken
up and scattered time and again, but
have preserved their sacred literature
and customs and religion, and have
outhHed every nation thai oppressed
them. They have had no king nor
ruler nor political head. and have
been scattered among all climes and
peoples, but have never lost their ma
tionality nor mixed their blood with
any other people. They have for GEN.
turtles struggled against the Egyp-
tians. Syrians and Romans, and sur
vived them all. They were in later
centuries prescribed by the Catholics
Of Spain, the Protestants of Norway,
while their prosecutors sang the
songs of the Psalmists and taught
the wisdom of their prophets. We re-
loice that their deliverance from per-
secution came along with that of our
own when we proclaimed religious
liberty and civil equality to all who
made America their home. | have
long admired that people, who have
eXceiled in domestic virtue, in obedi-
ence to law. whose children honor
and obey their parents. Rarely
among them arc found cOnvicts or
criminals or drunkards or suicides, or
divorced men or women. Their names
seldom appear on the dockets of the
courts. And yet they are patriots
when patriots are wanted. kosciuSko
had no Drawer troops than the Pol
ish Jews who followed his banner.
and if | had to name the most faith
full soldier | ever saw in our civil
war | would name Jonas, of N town
of Rome. Il Jew who never shirked a
duty or avoided a battle or loitered
on a march. We have not forgotten
how he came to time after a long
days march from the Chicahominy 10
Rapidan, and when the colonel said,
Mr.. Jonas. where is your company"
the tired soldieg came to a salute and
sand. Il ish der komp'ny." That Jonas
was an uncle t. Israel Jonas. who all
Atlanta knows. and who is now
prominent in New York commercial
circles.
With great reverence d. T recall
IVA Judah p. Benjamin. our
secretary of war, and on whom Mr..
Davis leaned for counsel more than
upon any member of his cabinet. He
was al NClN SlCdl Htdll, VI HO tOuiU
not have gone to England and worked
his way, unaided. TO the cry top of
the English bar. and within eight
years be appointed queens counsel
over the most learned members OF
the profession. l have not forgotten
the perfect loveliness of the Jewess
Rebecca in SCOTS story of Ivanhoe.
You may find broken vows and sepa-
~rations and elopements in fact and in
fiction. but not among the Jews. They
are in every town and city and are
more of an example than a ena
to our people and cur institutions.
Their are found responding to
every charity, and I noticed that the
university fund was materially aided
by their liberality, and | could not
help wondering how much Il Chris
tan people would have given TO aid
some great Jewish school or charity.
would like to write more about
these Hebrews. for. as st. Paul said to
the Romans. with them was COM
mitted the oracles of God" But am
not well to-day. and must defer to a
more propitious season.
In my last letter | made a mistake
that must be corrected. | said that
there were but ten months until
julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar
put in two more and named them
july and August. Somehow L have
had that impression all my mature
life, and, strange to say, | was cor
rected a few days ago by my good
friend Gassett, a mulatto merchant
of our town. who is well educated
and a student of ancient history. He
wrote me a respectful letter and said
that Numa, a Roman emperor. who
reigned 250 years before the Caesars.
put in January and February for the
two months, and the Caesars only
changed the names of Quantities. and
Sextiles (the fifth and SIXTH to July
and August. So / make the correc-
ton with pleasure and give the credit
to friend Gassett.-Bill Arp, in At
lanta Constitution.
New Imposition
Harris-Walters has been looking
nretty sad since his daughter got mar