The Jewish outlook., 1907-12-20

lie and whose trust IN God is WrlCteI
in their loyal and liberty-lOving hearts
and not upon silver dollar.
When Justice Brewer speaks of this
country as being Christian and there
fore justified in prohibiting polygamy
or Mormonlsm. l reflect that the term
civilized, which Thomas Jefferson
would have used, would have answered
his purpos, as well, but I do not fee
aggrieved in conscience, nor would
call him to account for conventional
use of the word Christian" l think
we could spare little of our super
sensitiveness. without abating aught
of our staunchness as Jews.
If the word Christian be not applied
in dogmatic sense by such men as
Justice Brewer (as / feel it is nOt) bu,
that the truths which lived in the
great teacher of Nazareth, should be
regulative in the character and con
duct of the American people Ga con-
summation devoutly to be wished),
should not say nay.
But whatever name other than
American we may give to our country
Jews and Christians of every shade OF
belief have every reason to beware OF
the fanatic. who would lay his hands
upon. the sacred ark in which our re,
ligious liberty is enshrined.
Luckily for country there are very
few who call themselves American
who would say to the Jews. who stand
upon their constitutional rights. eff
you don't like the way we do things
here in Christian county. you can
find room and opportunities in Africa
or Asia" The presumption that this
fippant utterance contains. is too ri
diculous to consider and the Jew
might retort with perfect justice to all
who share it. that he has much bet
ter right to be here than they have.
This is certainly not Christian
country, in the sense that it belongs
of right to protesting Christians alone
and that adherents of other faiths are
here as aliens. and only by suffer
ancc.
BY right absolute. this land belongs
to the primitive red man. and using
the logic of the New York preacher
who reminds all non-C Christian Ameri-
cans that they are here by tolerance
he might say to this unchristian Cos.
peler: "YOu have taken from me the
inheritance of my fathers. you have
robbed me of my patrimony.
The Bible of the Jews says that God
gave the earth to the sons of man, nol
was the Jew ever so narrow-minded
as to believe that Jews alone came
under the category of "the sons OF
men,
Even in ancient Palestine, the prin'
ciple was enforced that there should
be one law. not one religion. for the
Israelites and the stranger e., the
right of the sojourner. who was Meth
er of the tribe nor of the faith OF
Israel. was absolutely secure.
IF there were many such as the New
York preacher. who are willing to cru
city the exalted principles and exam.
pie of Jesus. should tremble for the
fate of America.
Spain wrote her doom in 1892, when
claiming that Spain belonged alone to
Christians. she drove into exile those
of her subjects who would not sell
their conscience for mess of pottage.
The perennial source of our nation
al strength is our devotion to the
cause of justice, liberty and humanity,
the cause for which this nation was
born. One must be blind to the pc
culiar fortunes and genius of our
country not to know that it is the light
of these ideals which has illumined