The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-04-23
BILL ARP'S LETTER
Criticism Of His Book Brings
Forth Interesting Reply.
JEWISH RACE Is LAUDED
With Great Reverence Barlow Man
Recalls Heroic Deeds Of vaIor
in Defense of Home and Coun.
try and Wonderful sta.
biIity of Hebrews.

A good lady, neighbor and friend,
bought one of my books and expressed
her pleasure at its perusal but found
one fault that did not harmonic with
her Hebrew feelings, for she is Jew
ess. In two places she found a sport
i've anecdote that reflected upon soma
OF her people, but they were too good
to be suppressed, and would have been
told on Gentiles as well. My respect
for the Jews has been too often ex-
pressed in my letters to be question
ed. 1t is not mere respect, but it is
them that the ages of persecution have
passed, and that they can now worship
God according to their conscience and
the faith of their fathers Their ances.
tors appeared at the very dawn of crea
ton. They have been broken up and
scattered time and again, but have pre-
served their sacred literature and GUS
toms and religion and have outlived
every nation that 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 nationality nor mixed
their blood with any other people.
They have for centuries struggled
against the Egyptians, Syrians and Ro-
mans and survived 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 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 ex-
celled in domestic virtue, in obedience
to law, whose children honor and oby
their parents. Rarely among them are
found convicts or criminals or drunk
| ards 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 Polish Jews who fol-
lowed his banner, and if 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 a duty or avoided battle or
loitered on a march. We have not for
gotten how he came to time after a
long days march from the Chicahom-
iney to Rapidan, and when the colonel
said, "Mr. Jonas, where is your COM
pany," the tired soldier came to sa-
lutte and said, 81 ish der komp'ny."
That Jonas was an uncle to Israel 10.
mas, who all Atlanta knows, and who
is now prominent in New York COM
mercial circles.
With great reverence do 1 recall our
own judah P. Benjamin, our secretary
of war, and on whom Mr.. Davis leaned
for counsel more than upon any mem
Der of his cabinet. He was very great
man, or he could not have gone 10
England and worked his way, unnided,
to the very top Of the English bar, and
within eight years be appointed
queens counsel over the most learned
members of the profession. have not
| forgotten the perfect loneliness of the
| Jewess Rebecca in SCOTS history of
Ivanhoe. You may find broken vows
and separations and Opponents N
fact and in fiction, but not among the
Jews. They are in every town and
city and are more of an example THAI
a menace to our people and our insti-
tutions. Their names are found re-
spending to every charity, and l no.
ticed that the university fund was
materially aided by their liberality,
and l could not help wondering how
much our Christian people would have
given to aid some great Jewish school
or charity.
I 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 today, and must defer to a
more propitious season.
In my last letter / made mistake
that must be corrected.~ I said that
there were but ten months until julius
Caesar and Augustus Caesar put in
two more and named them July and
August. Somehow I have had that
impression all my mature life, and,
strange to say, was corrected few
days ago by my good friend Gassett, a
mulatto merchant Of our town, who is
well educated and student of ancient
history. He wrote me respectful let
ter and said that Numa, Roman en-
/ peror before the Caesars, put in Jan.
uary and February for the two months,
and the Caesars only changed the
names of Quantities. and SETTLES (the
i fifth and sixth) to July and August Sc
make the correction with pleasure
and give the credit to friend Gassett
BILL ARP. in Atlanta Constitution.