The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-01
.RABBISCHWARz
DELIVERS VERY
STRONG SERMON
THANKSGIVING, PATRIOTISM, IN
ITS RELATION TO RUSSIA, AND
THE AMERICAN PASSPORT" HIS
SUBJECT.

RaDDi Sanuel ScnWdEZ, VI ASHAptc
BETHEL, delivered a strong and most
interesting sermon at the temple last
night at the annual Thanksgiving Ser
vice. He selected Thanksgiving and
Patriotism, in its Relation to Russia
and the American Passport, as his
subject and handled it in most able
manner. He said:
again has come the annual Thanks
giving Day, a welcome occasion for
thanking God for the countless bless
ingS that He showers upon us day by
day; the life and the sustenance, the
health and the strength, the joy and
the hope. We tank God today for the
sun and its life giving warmth, for the
myriads of twinkling stars, in each
one of which His presence shines, for
the refreshing rains in their season;
for the plentiful products of the earth
and for all the blessings of field and
forest; for the toll of man, and the
inventions and creations of his mind
and hand; for the sacred gift of friend
ship and the joys of home and kim
dred; and for the aspirations and the
hopes that spur us on to ever in
creasing efforts and achievements in
fields of usefulness, and give promise
of bright and ever brighter outlook
for mankind. All these are inestimable
blessings, well worthy of heartfelt
thanksgiving.
Whole Tale Not Told.
"All this, however, does not tell the
whole tale of thanksgiving. Most of
all we thank God today for our com
mon country, for the blessings of free
dom and enlightened government
which we enjoy in common with all
other citizens of this land. This is a
national Thanksgiving Day, a festival
of gratitude for national blessings, an
occasion for the expression of true
patriotism. This is perhaps the one
day in the year when all American
citizens, irrespective of creed or belief
can unite in worshiping God under a
common purpose, for today our thanks
are logically connected with the for
tune and the destiny of our common
country. The day which for the Pill
grim Fathers was originally a festival
of gratitude for the bare necessities of
life, has developed into patriotic oc-
casion for thanksgiving unto God for
the nation conceived in liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all
men are created equal, equal, if not
in natural gifts, yet in rights and op-
portunity. That this our beloved coun =
try may continue to prosper in wealth
and in ideals is the wish, nay, the
prayer, of each one of her loyal citi-
zens.
I'VE realize most clearly on this ma :
tional Thanksgiving Day that we can
thank God best for our country by fos-
,ering her ideals and guarding her
2onor. Unless true patriotism is thus
mixed to our Thanksgiving, unless all
the loyal citizens of this republic band
together heart to heart and hand TO
hand to eViDce genuine gratitude TO
God by upho1ding the dignity of our
government and the integrity of its
fundamental principles, our thanks will
re of the lips rather than of the hand
and deed, and our national Thanks
civ inc NoNr IN, 70 fas lArl
of the purpose.
The Question of Russia
And therefore, it is that l bring be-
fore you on this Thanksgiving night
the question of Russia and the Ameri-
can passport, a question that funda =
our government and the inviola bility
of the principles of liberty and equality
on which that government rests.
81 wish to insist at the outset that
| this is not a Jewish question. 1t is
an American question, a question of
the meaning and rights of American
citizenship. I repeat, it is not in any
| sense a Jewish question. To begin
with, Russia's violation of the Ameri-
| can passport concerns not only Jews
| but also Roman Catholic priests and
protestant missionaries, that is to say
all religion teachers of the Christian
religion except those of the Greek
Catholic church. Nor is it a question
of securing for Jews or others privi-
leges now denied them. AS far as
Jews are concerned, the privilege
would be of small consequence, as the
number of American Jews desiring to
visit Russia is infinitestimaL Further
lcthe Jews as a whole, here or in Russia
/ have nothing to gain from the removal
| of the passport disability. On the con
| trary, 1t has been pointed out that
| most likely, judging by similar hap
penings on several occasions following
| passport agitation, the persecution and
| the sufferings Of six million oppressed
Jews in barbarous Russia would be re-
| doubled, in retaliation. Although the
| agitation may have been started origi-
nally by a few individuals to remove
| the implied disability from American
Jews, 1t has long since attained to the
rank and importance of a national
| question by virtue of the undeniable
fact that the acquiescence of our gov
eminent in the policy of Russia is a
and honor.
| An American Question.
| 1T is an American question, because
4 it concerns the reciprocal liberty OF
| commerce and navigation between the
United States and foreign power. Il
4 is an American question, because II
! involves the violation of an American
| treaty. 1t is an American question
because 1t challenges the right of the
American government under Its con
| stitution to make treaties that dis
eliminate against any part of it's citi
zenship. Let us see.
Treaty of 1882.
THE treaty of 1892 between the
| United States and Russia provides that
| there shall be between the territories
| of the high contracting parties a re-
| ciprocal liberty of commerce and nav
| igation. The inhabitants of their re-
| spective states shall mutually
| be at liberty to sojourn and reside in
all parts whatsoever of said territories
| in order to attend to their affairs
and they shall enjoy to that effect the
| same security and protection as ma