The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-01
Roosevelt, Cleveland and Others
 Pay Natabs Tributes
WAS 25OTH ANNIVERSARY
Addresses at Carnegie Hall Were In CongratuIatory Vein and Refer ences Were Made to Recent
 Atrocities In Russia.

New York, November So.-In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the landing of the Jews in America. meeting was held in Carnegie hall today at which adj dresses were delivered by ex-President Grover Cleveland, Governor Frank W. Higgins of New York, Mayor George B. Mcclellan of New York Bishop Coadjutor David Greer of New York diocese of the Protestant Episcopal church, Mayor Sulz- berger and the Rev. D. H. Pereira Men deg. President Roosevelt, who was unable to attend. sent a signed letter which was read to the great audience. Vice Pres ident Fairbanks sent his regrets and an appreciation of the Jewish character.
 Jacob H. Schiff, chairman of the execu- tive committee, which arranged the cele bration, presided, and Director Damrosch had charge of the musical programme.
 All of the addresses were in congrat- uatory vein, and the references were made to the recent atrocities in Russia only as one of the trials which had beset the Jewish people, but which have not daunted their spirit or stopped their march to success where political condi- tions have permitted.
 MT. Schiff, after few introductory re- marks. presented MT. Cleveland as the first speaker.
 MT. Schiff prefaced his presentation of the speaker of the day with a short ad- dress, in which he said:
 MT. schiff Speaks.
 'When some months ago 1t was decided to celebrate the settlement of Jews in the United States, and in this very city, the people of the Jewish faith throughout the land felt glad and proud because this be- loved country of their adoption had be- come the great exponent of human liber- ties and of freedom of conscience, fur nshing an example to the world how great and powerful a people can become who rive equal opportunity to all. no matter what their origin or their profess sion of faith may be. But our gladness has received shock; our hopes and ex- pectations have for the time being become dspelled. The brotherhood of man our prophets have taught us to look forward to still remains a dream, the realiza- ton of which the events of this very month have once more removed into the distant ftture. Racial prejudice and hatred are still rampant, the Jew still remains the martyr. whose life must be sacrificed. so that freedom and enlight- enment for which he has ever battled, shall triumph, even in darkest Russia.
 But though we sorrow, we feel that we should rejoice and celebrate, because America did become in centuries gone by the home of the people of our race and faith, and is now our own home and the home of our children
 "We who are Americans pledge our selves anew upon this momentous oc- casion to our fellow citizens, from what ever race they may have sprung or what ever endeavor to further augment the 70 ata 1AyA Rf.Vx country. and the respect in which 1t is held throughout the world"
 The former President was greeted with enthusiastic applause.
 Mir. Cleveland Speaks.
 Mir Cleveland said:
 Among the large enterprises and un- dertakings which have become familiar to the people of the United States there may be mentioned the extravagant cele- bration, especially in these latter days, of all sorts of anniversaries and events. Many of these undoubtedly tend to the Improvement and stimulation of patriotic sentiment. But there is good reason to believe that others have no better justi- hcation than the indulgence of local pride or the furtherance of narrow and selfish interests.
 We join today in ''the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the settlement of the Jews in the United States" This event created SuCn an important epOcn Tn our country's development, and its relation ship to our nations evolution Is so clear ly seen in the light of present conditions, that every thoughtful American citizen must recognize the fitness and usefulness of it's commemoration. To those of the Jewish faith it recalls a foothold gained that meant for them home and peaceful security, after centuries of homelessness and ruthless persecution. To those of us protesting different religious faith it brings to mind the landing upon our soil of an element of population whose won derful increase and marked traits of char acter have added powerful factor to our national progress and achievement All nationalties have contributed to the composite population of the United States many of them in greater number than the Jews. And yet I believe that 1t can be safely claimed that few, if any, of those contributing nationalties, have di- rectly and indirectly been more influential in giving shape and direction to the Amer icanism of today
 Apparent on Every Hand.
 "What our Jewish fellow citizens have done .~ increase the material advance ment of the United States Is aparent on every hand and must stand confessed. But the best and highest Americansm is something more than materiaIistic Its spirit which should make it imperish- able and immortal, exists in its patriotic aspirations and eXaltlng traditions. On this higher plane of our nationality and in the atmosphere of ennobling sentiment we also feel the touch of Jewish reIa tion- ship. If the discovery of America prophc- sled the coming of our nation, and fixed the place of its birth, let not forget that Columbus on his voyage in search of new world was aided in a most im- portant way by Jewish support and com raGethip.
 If the people of the United States efory in their free institutions as the crown of mans aspiration for self-gov- ernment, let them not be unmindfu of the fact that the Jews among us have in their care and keeping the history and traditions of an ancient Jewish common- wealth astonishingly like our own repub- lie in its democracy and underlying in- tention. This ancient commonwealth was ordained of God for the government of his chosen people; and we should not close our minds to conception of the coincidence In divine purpose discoversble in the bestowal of similar plan of rule. after thousands of years, upon the peo- - ok the United States. who also had