The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-04-13
Ueekly CONSTITUTIONS Zig Three


A GOOD LADY, neighbor and
II friend, bought one of my books and
4 depressed her pleasure a its perusal,
but found one fault that did not harmon
lie with her Hebrew feelings, for she is
a JeWess. In two places she found a
sportive anccdote that reflected upon some
of her people. but they were too good to
be suppressed. and would have been told
On Gentiles we'll. My respect for the
Jews has been too often expressed in
my letters to. be questioned. 1t Is not
mere respect, but it is wonder and ad
niration. | rejoice with them that the
ages of persecution have passed and
that they can now worship God accord
ing 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 ard customs and re-
liSlon and have outlived every nation
that oppressed them They have had no
king nor ruler nor political head, ana
have been scattered among all chimes
and peoples, but have never lost their
nationality nor mixed their blood with
tUries struggled against the Egyptians,
Syrians and Romans and survived them
i'll. They were in later centuries pro-
scribed by the Catholics of Spain, the
Protestants of Norway, while their per
secutors sang the songs of the PsalmSt7
and taught the wisdom of their prophets
We rejoice that their dehVcrance from
persecution came along with that of oUc
own when VIC proclaimed religious liberty
and civil equality to all who made Amer
lea their home. l have long admired
that people, who have exceled in do
mestic virtue, III obedience to law, whose
children honor and obey their parents
Rarely among them are found conVictS
or criminals or drunlards or Sl-icides, or
divorced men or women. Their names
seldom appear eli the .jOckets of the
courts. And yet they are patriots when
patriots are wanted. kOsCiuSkG had no
drawer troops than the Polish Jews who
followed his banner, and T. | had 70
name the most faithful soldier l ever
saw in our civil war | would name Jonas,
of our town Of Rome q Jew who never
.hirKed duty or aroided a battle u
loitcred on a march. We have not for
gotten how he came to time after long
days march from the Chicahominy to
Rapidan, and when the colonel said. "Mr.
Tomas where Is vour clmparv?" the
tired soldier came to a salute and said
II jsh der l1onD'nv." That Jonas was
am uncle tn Israel Jonas who all Atlanta
knows. and who is now prominent in New
York CONNER cial circles.
With great reverence do | recall our
own Judah + Benjamin. our secretary
of war and on whom Mr. Davis leaned
for counsel more than upon any mcmbei'
of his cabinet. He was very great
,,1an. or he could not have gone to Eng
land and worked his way, unaided, to
the very top Of the English bar and
within eight years be appointed queen 5
counsel over the most learned members
of the profession. | have not forgotten
the nerfec; ioveliness Of the JeWess Re
becca in Scotts story of tvanhoe. You
NAV find broken vows and separations
and clonon,onts in fact and in fiction
buA nor among the Jews They are II,
o,erv town and CITY and are more of an
example than a menace to our people
and our institutions. Their names are
found responding to every charity, and
! .io7 ++,+ tho university fund was