The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-18
TURN PETITION DOWN
RUSSIANS WON'T HAVE 1T AND IN
CIDENT is CLOSED.
DECLINED MOST POSITIVELY
TO RECEIVE 1T UNDER ANY CIR
CUMSTANCEs.

Secretary of state Hay Has Stated
That Nothing Further viii Be
Done by the United states Govern
ment Toward Presenting the Jews
Appeal to the Russian Govern
ment-What the Petition Sought.
Lesson in Political Economy and
EncOmiums for the Car.
Washington, July lit is stated by
the Secretary of State that the Incl
dent created by the question of the
presentation of the Jewish petition to
Russia is closed.
The State Department to-day made
public the correspondence that has
taken place respecting the petition Its
substance already has been forecasted
in the press dispatches. The CORE
spondence consists of an instruction
to Mr. Riddle, United States charge de
affaires at st. Petersburg. reciting in
detail the petition and directing him
to present the same to the Foreign Of
flee. if it were willing to receive it. 1t
is stated by Mr.. Riddle that the For
eign Office would not receive it under
any circumstances. and Secretary Hay
so informed the B'Nai Birth commit
tee in a brief telegram.
The official statement of the facts
is as follows:
The Russian government has declin-
ed to receive or to consider the petit
ton in relation to the condition of the
Jews in Russia signed by several thou
sand citizens. and cabled to st. Peters
burg by direction of the President.
AT the conference on Tuesday, the
14th of July, at oyster Bay the Presi-
dent conferred with L. N. Levi. Simon
Wolf and Oscar Straus, in regard to
the presentation of the petition, and
decided to send the following dispatch
to Mr.. Riddle, the American charge de
affaires in st. Petersburg:
For Foreign Minister.
Department of State. Washington,
July Is, 19O3.-To Riddle. st. Petersburg:
You are instructed to ask an audience
of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
~ uldhG W MN tic lOtlOWAnS
nication:
''Excellency: The Secretary of State
instructs me to inform you that the
President has received from a large
number of citizens of the United States
of all religious affiliations and occupy
ing the highest positions in both public
and private life, a respectful petition,
addressed to his majesty the Emperor,
relating to the condition of the Jews
in Russia, and running as follows:
Ito His Imperial Majesty the EN-
peror of RUSSIA: The cruel outrages
perpetrated at Kishineff during Easter
of 1903 have excited horror and repro
baton throughout the world Until
your majesty gave special and personal
directions the local authorities failed
to maintain order or suppress the riot
ing.
1.-The victims were Jews and the as
sault was the result of race and re-
ligious prejudice.
1.-The rioters violated the laws of
Russia.
1.-The local officials were derelict in
the performance of their duty.
1.-The Jews we're the victims of in
defensible lawlessness. These facts
are made plain by the official reports
of and by the official acts following
the riot.
"'Under ordinary conditions the aw-
full calamity would be deplored with
out undue fear of a recurrence. But
such is not the case in the present in
stance. Your petitioners are advised
that millions of Jews-Russian sub
jects-dwelling in Southwestern Rus
STA. are in constant dread of fresh
outbreaks. They feel that bigotry, ig-
norance and superstition, as exempli-
fled bv the rioters are over-ready to
prosecute them; that the local Off
Gals, unless thereto specially admon-
ished, 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 as a continuing
menace.
Is Forcing Emigration.
Even if it be conceded that these
fears are TO SOIDt GAltilL GAd6S
IL is unquestionably true that they ex-
ist. that they are not groundless and
that they produce effects of great i'm
portance.
The westward migration of Russian
Jews, which has proceeded for over
twenty years, is being stimulated by
these fears, and already that move
ment has become so great as to over
shadow in magnitude the expulsion of
the Jews from Spain and to rank with
the exodus from Egypt.
No estimate is possible Of the mis-
cry suffered by the hapless Jews, who
feel driven to forsake their native
land. to sever the most sacred ties, and
to wander forth to strange countries.
Neither is it possible to estimate the
misery suffered by those who are un-
willing or unable to leave the land of
their birth; who must part from
friends and relatives who emigrate;
who remain in never-ending terror.
Religious persecution is more sin
full and more fatuous even than war.
War is sometimes necessary. honora-
BILE and just; religious persecution is
never defensible.
The sinfulness and folly, which
give impulse to unnecessary war, re-
ceived their greatest check when your
majesty's initiative resulted in an in
ternational court of peace.
Compliment s for the Czar.
With such an example before it,
the civilized world cherishes the hope