Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-27
ja27.9.3
THE JEWISH PEOPLE
AND THEIR VICTORIES
Help the World Along Despite
Obstacles and Per-
Secuti0n.
From fine Candlestick.

| From fine Candlestick
| One of the most surprising things in this
world is the fact that after two thousand
years Of the most savage and almost
worldwide persecution a person Of Jew
ish blood is in existence.
| For centuries all kinds of laws have
been enacted against them. They have
been driven from one country to another,
only to be in turn driven from that. Their
property has been confiscated. They have
been compelled to loan immense sums Of
money without any security whatever.
They have been condemned as aliens, and
refused social intercourse with other ma
/ tons. If they succeeded in accumulat-
ing property they have been robbed, ana
If they did not succeed they have been
driven from the country. They were tor
tured and burned by the Spanish inquisi-
| ton. Every crime In the list has been
laid to them, and they have been punished
accordingly. For centuries practically all
| of the trades and professions were re-
fused to them. They have been tortured
for poisoning wells which they did not
poison, and hanged for stealing sheep
which they did not steal. Men, women
and children have been slaughtered by
! hundreds for centuries, and are still being
slaughtered in this twentieth century.
Practically their only way of earning
their means of subsistence has been
through the avenues of trade. Yet in
spite of unjust laws, trade and profess
sional Determinations, forced loans, ac-
cusations. tortures, robberies and MUIR
ders and though having no separate ma
ti0nal existence and residing among other
| nations as aliens they have preserved
their individuality and have. succeeded far
beyond the people of any other nation
atty.
During the second empire, Achille Fould
was four times minister Of finance. Leon
Gambetta came from Jewish parentage.
Several have been French senator's. A
Jew, IIuggati, has been Italian minister
of finance.
Emilio CASTELAR,. for many years the
foremost statesman in Spain. descended
from Jewish parentage. Benjamin Dis
Herschel was twice lord high chancellor.
There have been at least four Jewish
lord mayors of London, and many have
been members of parliament, since 1858,
The Jews as Traders.
1t has been stated slightingly that the
Jews are traders, that they consume and
do not produce that they are middlemen
and that they do not perform laborious
work Was it not by and on account of
ambitious traders that a large number OF
ancient cities as well as many Of those
of the middle ages were built up! was
it not by trade that England became rich
and powerful? If there were no con-
sumers there would be no call for pro-
ducers. The producer is as much depend
ent upon the consumer as he is on the
producer. One cannot exist without the
other. Every merchant Is middleman.
If every merchant is to be condemned
then the condemnation will extend to
vast number of men who are not Jews.
clergyman, physician, lawyer, teacher,
business manager or any one in any call
ing usually classed above the grade of
laborer would consider it an honor to be
able to say that by his own exertiOns he
had been able to better his condition.
What right has any person to condemn
Jew because he has raised himself to
position where he is not obliged to do the
work of laborer. honorable though that
work may be?
The discovery of America by Columbus
was made possible by Jew, Lewis de
Santangel, treasurer of Aragon. who In
formed Queen Isabella that the necessary
money, 1900 forms, was In the treasury,
when the treasury was in fact empty.
own funds. Several Jews accompanied
Columbus on the voyage, and of them
Rodrigo de Triana was the first to dis
cover land. Columbus had with him. on
the expedition Lewis de Fores. Jew who
was an interpreter of oriental languages,
and who was the first man to step upon
the land, being sent ashore in a small
boat by Columbus.
For many years the best known actress
on the French stage was Rachel Felix,
the daughter of Jewish peddler and the
best known there today. and perhaps In
the world, is Sarah Bernhardt, q Jewess.
Another actor. Adolph Ritter Won Somen-
thai, was for many years almost Wor-
SHIPPED by Austrian theatergoers,t and
during the twenty-fifth anniversary of
his beginning as an actor he was called
before the curtain forty-twO times. How
many people when listening to the strains
of the Mendelssohn wedding march real
lie that he was a Jew. of the most bril-
liant attachments in his art?
Johann Strauss, the waltz king; Sir
Arthur Sullivan, the composer. and Leo
pOld DamrOsch, the musical conductor
and interpreter. were all Jews Richard
Wagner once made an opera for the pur-
pose of showing how much superior the
Germans were to the Jews. He attend
ed the theater on the night of the first
|. performance and was speechleSs with
amazement when he learned that all of
the first violins were being played by
Jewish musicians.
minister of justice and gave 100000
francs toward reducing the German war
debt. He was afterward elected a sena-
tor for life.
Jewish Settlers in United States.
Inc HTSt Jews 10 settle IN the Un1tcQ
States came in 1854. and the 2jOth ami
versary of that event was celebrated in
New York city in 1905. AS late as 1872
there were only about 1900 in the coun-
try. in 1850. 10000, and at present per-
haps 100000, with 1.0OOIO0O In New York
city. There are undoubtedly five times
as many Jews in New York city as ever
resided in Jerusalem at any one time.
In 1769 corps of Jewish volunteer in
fantry was organized in Charleston, sc.
1t served under Gen. Moultrie. In the
darkest days of the revolution, when $40
in currency was necessary to purchase 81
in gold. when 1t was almost impossible
for Congress to borrow money and at the
urgent solicitation Of Robert Norris,
Haym Safomon of Philadelphia con-
tributed 100000 at one time, and $780,
600 altogether. none of which has ever
been repaid.
Manuel M. Noah of South Carolina gave
100000 to the revolutionary cause and
was an officer on Washington's staff. Col.
Isaac Franks served with distinction as
an aid-de-camp to Washington.
In I'LL, when the people Of Trinity
Church in New York city were about to
| build spire on their church. several Jews