The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22

I den people who may find no other conso-
lation save in the rehabilitation of this
their ever-cherished fatherland
To have endured 20 centuries of mar
tyrdom for an ideal in which this land
figured supremely Is no small task, and
II we are to assume that judaism Is still
destined to live we must at the same time
be convinced that Jewish persecution will
not cease as long as the Jew will per-
sist in cllnging to his ancestral fai
and remaining "a people that dwelleth
Alone In order. therefore to remove
a source of endless trouble with all
the world there is but one remedy to be
applied, and that is to give the Jew the
land of his yearning, the home which he
may call his own. Since 1t was suf-
hciently proven that the Jew will never
assimtlate and never lose his identity
among the nations of the earth. it Is to
the interest of himself and all the world
that he be given possession of the one
and only spot which he may claim as his
own. Restore the Jew to his ancient soil.
give him the land of his inheritance. and
you will find in him a defender of all
that is good and manly within man; and
you will then see "the Jew at his best, !"
as the editor of the Boston Transcript
has well remarked. Give the Jew free
scope of action In his own home and you
will soon find in him the uplifting influ-
cnce for which he is destined to be. Let
there be a protectorate of the Jewish des-
tiny-a Jewish state-and the sons of
modern Israel wherever they may chance
to be, will soon turn a new leaf; will
soon be filed with sense of responsible
ity to themselves and all the world, and
mankind will soon recognize in them the
children of light, the God-fearing and hui
anifV-1 01rif1c Of ba Ta,ry
mot the imitation of Jew-the proud
product of lions hills-not the crawling
crfngfng and favor-seeking Jew, the "bit
OF apology Jew, as he always was forced
to be in the lands of his oppression.
True 1t is, there is no immediate pros
pect for Jewish autonomy in Palestine at
this moment. when Turkey needs her
peace and rest from all around; when
all must combine to form the united conf
monwealth; when all must work In unison
for the one great end of guarding and
unbuilding the newly formed state, and
all must stand ready to defend its cause
protect its liberties, and guarantee its
freedom for all men and ideals In civiliza-
ton. The Jew Is today requested to come
as citizen free to worship his God pur-
sue his daily yocations and add to the
prosperity of the land by his useful &C
tivity. However, the outlook for the Jew
ish autonomtc state Is not weakened In
the least by the present conditions. In
as much as the Armenians, Syrians, Ma
cedonians. and other distinct nationalities
inhabiting the land may now justly hope
that In the near future each of them will
secure a satisfactory amount of home
rule or self-goyernment. so in due course
or time the Jewish people, too after hay-
ing increased in numbers and properly
established themselves in commercial, lit
erary and agricultural lines may like
wise form special contingent In the
union of states, or colonies, which will
constitute sort of united kingdom, or
United States similar to those of West
ern Europe or even those of the Ameri-
can republic. For In this wise only free
Turkey will prove a success.
OF course, this question of autonomy
is one to be settled not by any arbitrary
means, but by the peaceful deliberations
OF the peoples representatives on the floor
of the Turkish parliament at some future
period when all questions of Immediate
import will have been solved.
1t is not to serve policy of aggression,
nor to become menace to the world that
the jew seeks to re-establish his politi-
cal career, but to solve that pressing
political problem which was, and is today.
the most vexiEs and knotty question with
the whole of civilization.
The proposed plan for the re-establsh-
ment of the Jewish nation, together with
the rehabilitation of old Zion-land on a
civilized basis, is in no way antagonist
to the principles of humanity and the
progress of the age. 10