The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-04-16
BILL ARP.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A good lady, neighbor and friend,
bought one OF my books and expressed
her pleasure at its persuasal, but found
one fault that did not harmonic with
her Hebrew feelings, for she Is .
Jewess. In two places she found
sportice anecdote that reflected upon
some of her people, but they were too
good to be suppressed, and would have
been told on Gentiles as well. My re-
spect for the Jews has been too often
expressed in my letters to be question
ed. 1t is not mere respect, but it is
wonder and admiration. / rejoice with
them that the ages of persecution have
passed, and that they can now wor-
ship God according to their conscience
and the faith Of their fathers. Their
ancestors 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 out
lived every nation that oppressed
them. They have had no king nor ru-
Ter nor political head, and have been
scattered among all climes and peoples,
but have never lost their nationality
nor mixed their blood with any other
people. They have for centuries
struggled against the Egyptians, Syri-
ans and Romans, and survived them
all. They were in later centuries pre-
scribed 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 rejoice that their
deliverance from persecution 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 excelled in domestic
virtue, in obedience to law, whose
children honor and obey their par
ents. Rarely among them are 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 braver troops than
the Polish Jews who followed his ban
ner. and II | had to name the most
faithful soldier | ever saw in. our civil
war would name Jonas of our town Of
Rome, Jew who never shirked duty
or avoided battle or loitcred on
march. We have not forgotten now
he came to time after long days
march from Chicahominy to Rapidan,
and when the COLONEL said, "Mr. Jonas,
where is your company" the tired SOL
dier came to salute and said, Il ish
der komp'ny." That Jonas was an uncle
to Israel Jonas, who all Atlanta knows,
and who is now prominent in New
York commercial circles.
! With great reverence do recall our
own Judah B. Benjamin, our secretary
of war, and on whom Mr.. Davis leaned
for counsel more than upon any men,
Der Of his cabinet. He was very great
man, or he could not have gone to
England and worked his way unaided,
to the very top Of the English bar, and
within eight years be appointed queens
counsel over the most learned men,
bers of the profession. have not for
gotten the perfect loveliness of the
Jewess Rebecca in SCOTS story Of
Iyanhoe. You may find broken VOWS
and separations 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 menace
to our people and our institutions.
Their names are found responding to
every charity, and noticed that the
university fund was materially aided
, by their liberality, and l could not
help wondering now much our Chris
tian people would have given to aid
some great Jewish school or charity.
l would like to write more about
these Hebrews, for, as st. Paul said to
the Romans, with them was commit
ted the oracles of God" But l am not
we'll today, and must defer to a more
propitious season.
In my last letter I radn "''s+"'-o
that must be corrected. said that
there were but ten months until Ju.i~s
Caesar AMI Augustus Caesary put in
two more and named them July and
and August. Somehow have had that
| impression all my mature life, and
strange to say, was corrected few
days ago by my good friend Gassett,
mulatto merchant Of our town, who
is well educated and a student of an
cient history. He wrote me respect
full letter and said that Numa, Roman
emperor, who resigned two hundred
and fifty 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 correction with
| pleasure and give the credit to friend
L A A L L. ik.,