The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-20

rusalem, for desperation and valor
have no parallels in history; at least
when rights, liberty and home were
lost, the Jew did not despond, but made
the best of his circumstances. Moth
ing could conquer this man with his un-
dying patriotism and his infinite trust
in God.
The Jews hopefulness and his ex-
clusiveness have preserved both him
and his sacred institutions; and nations
while they distrust each other. could
rely implicitly upon the business in-
tegrity of the despised Jew, and his
bills of credit were gladly honored in
market and palace.
If to-day the Jew Is cunning, or dis
trustful, staggering or cringing, 1t is
because our fathers have made him so,
and the obligation rests upon us to re-
move every disability that ingratitude
and bigotry have heaped upon him. We
despise children who have cast off their
parents, but for ages Christianity and
Accommodation gave their parent, the
Jew, nothing save six feet of friendly
earth.
We have been long in learning the
spirit of Christ who when his accusers
called down upon themselves the curse
of God, prayed, Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do" We
have long since forgiven or excused
the cruel bigotry of the papist, the CAL
whist and the Puritan, but not that of
the Jew. He is the only man who has
been and is still held responsible for
the mistakes OF his fathers. The dawn
of the twentieth century bushes at
the sight of Christian nations still per-
scouting the Jews. In the light of our
civilization that nation which strikes
ic a naTrlCld6.
Abreast of the Times.
Although the Jews have for CEN
turtles been dispersed over the face Of
the earth, yet the peculiar customs,
their distinctive features, and their
scattered unity make them wonder
and an admiration. Though dead as
a nationals we speak of nations-yet
they live. Their ideas and wealth fill
the earth, help to move the wheels of
progress, and to uplift humanity. In
all ages they have broken the rigid
bars of their environments and kept
abreast of the times. Maimonides was
the light of the dark ages; Spinoza
was the sage of the seventeenth CEN
tuhy; Dis1aeli, Gambetta and Caste
lar were the European champions of
religious and civil liberty, and to-day
the world is sweetened by the har-
monies of Mendelssohn, Rubbenstein
and Rosenthal. Though true to their
adopted land, they ever sob over Jeru-
salem's desolation and sigh for their
Judean hills.
The Jew has learned by hard ex-
perience, from Egyptian bondage to
Spanish persecution, that IL he would
prosper he must be true to himself,
to his religion and to his God. He
knows, too, that the Israel still has
a mission, and that that mission Is a
Jewish mission and must be accom-
plished in a Jewish way. He knows,
also, that as long as Israel preserves
her national identity, the world will
recognize by this living monument that
the hand Of God is in the affairs Of
men.
The Jews, therefore, will remain dis
tinct until the sunshine of intelligence
dispels the mists of ignorance, and the
dark shadows of cruel bigotry fee away.
When every land shall know the truth.
when every heart shall receive the
Prince of Peace, and every knee shall
bow to the Jews Jehovah, then Israel's
will be fulfilled and her sor-
row and bitterness shall be no more.