The Jewish advance., November 22, 1878, Page 5, Image 5

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of Jehudah Abarbanel as of one who
has deserted Judaism, while it has been
proven (and Professor Harkavy quotes!
the authorities) that he has always re-1
mained faithfnl to the creed of his illus
trious father.
The Ilameliz. of October 30th, brings
a copy of a letter from Moses Mendel
sohn, which had not hitherto been pub
lished. The original belongs to the li
brary of a certain Pavel Vassilievitch,
Margolin of St. Petersburg. The letter
is in German with Hebrew letters, and
with the admixture of Hebrew phrases
and technicalities, and fac simile of
Mendelsohn’s signature in the G-erman
Hebrew Cursive appended to it. It is
dated in the technical Hebrew form
(Berlin, April 13th, 1782). It contains
an answer to a young man by the name
of Pinhas, who had probably called the
attention of Moses Mendelsohn to some
errors which had occurred in his first
edition of the Pentateuch, with a Ger
man translation (1778). The author
thanks his correspondent for calling his
attention to the errors, and says that he
will feel grateful for any such attention,
so that he may be able to correct all
mistakes in the next edition of his work.
This shows, as Professor Harkavy, who
is the editor of the literary department
of the Hamehz remarks, the
humble disposition and the love of truth
of the great philosopher. He did not
disdain to write to an unknown young
man, and was anxious to accept correc
tions of his work, no matter from what'
source they came. Somewhat like our
American rabbins.
Appleton’s Journal for the month of
December contains: “ The American at
Work (No. IV.) Among the Silver Plat
ers;” a description of the castle and
town of Heidelberg; “ The high Steeple
of St. Chrystom’s,” a story savoring of
the sentimental; a brief sketch of “Old^
New Yrok;” a very interesting sketch of
u The Great French Tribune.” descrip
tive of the faint effort of a revolution in
Paris after the coup d'etat of 1851, at
which Baudin was shot, and the rise, ac
tivity and abilities of Leon Gambetta;
an able description of “Apartment
Houses;” a short narrative, “ Carrying a
Paint-Box;” chapter IX of “ Otsego
Leaves,” descriptive of a roadside post
office ; a characteristic narrative, “ A
Floating City of the Atlantic;” “Mrs.
Maggregor,” a story; “The Greatest
Man in "the World;” a sketch of Buddha,
of the office of the Delai-Lama, the
supreme pontiff of Buddhism and the
immense power he wields. Hereupon
follows the “ Editor’s Table,” with sug
gestive remarks on critics and criticism,
a few notes showing how Englishmen
are characterized at Paris, which the
editor regards as a just retaliation for
the misrepresentation which Americans
suffer at the hands of English writers; a
few well-timed remarks of libraries and
review of some “ Books of the Day.’
The publishers announce that “ Illustra
tions will hereafter be excluded from Ap
pleton's Journal,” as they intend to
raise to tone and tendency thereof.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
We hear and read a great deal of
“temperance” meetings, “ prayer ” meet
ings, missionary efforts, etc., etc. It oc
curs to the mind of the impartial thinker
that the thing is overdone and can there
fore have no beneficial effect. All such
labors of our Christian friends are done
in behalf of the poorer classes of their
brethren. It would therefore seem as
though those poor classes,who constitute
the largest majority of the population,
stand very low according average stand
ard of morality. But the case is not so.
There are the same immoralities and vi
ces prevalent among the rich as among
the poor. The difference consists only
in the manner in which these immorali
ties are exposed to public notice. Those
who can prove that imported liquors and
costly domestic drinks, accessible only
to the wealthier classes, are sold in quan
tity less than whisky and brandy, they
shall throw their stones at the poor.
Gambling and other vices are even more
prevalent among the wealthy than
among the poor. It is truly “ tm-Chris
tian v of our Christian friends, that with
the constant noise and bustle about their
“ missionary ” labors, they decry the larg
est majority of their brethren, whose
only disadvantage is that they have not
the means to condone their short com
ings. In other words, they have not the
means to play the hypocrite.
The “ temperance ” saints or the red
ribbonists simply promote perjury. The
last expression may be strong, but it is
none the less true. Children are in
veigled, coaxed, frightened and per
suaded by a lot of half-sane or sanctimo
nious fools and prudes to sign a pledge,
which the majority must break at a more
advanced age—-must perjure themselves.
We have heard even of cases of Jewish
children having been made to sign such
pledges of temperance.
At every Jewish festive celebration,
wine is to represent the emblem of re
joicing, “ to cheer the hearts of gods and
men.” By signing such pledges, the
Jewish children renounce part of their
own religious usages. But a pledge is a
pledge, and the person who plays the
truant perjures himself. The first per
jury blunts the conscience for the next.
And thus it comes to pass that the sanc
tity of a promise; the dignity of a manly
word, and the veneration of religious
pledges especially have lost all import
ance in the estimation of many. “ It is
better thou pledge thyself not, than that
thou pledge and not fulfill.” The per
jury of the innocently inveigled children
falls back on the pious frauds who mis
lead them into signing pledges.
But not only in a religious and ethical
sense, even with the practical affairs of
society, does this extravagant, would-be
religious movement, interfere. It inter
feres with the government of the com
monwealth by way of suggesting amend
ments to the constitution ; it interferes
with State and municipal affairs by way
of creating Sunday laws and Bible-in-the
schools questions; it takes up the time
of the city council and of the judges on
the bench. The saintly efforts of our
Christian friends, with their illiberally
toward the largest majority of their own
brethren; their obnoxious manufacturing
of irresponsible pledge-makers ; then
killing of the time and wasting of the
energies of the political bodies which are
in office to effect some good work for the
common welfare of the people, is as
much, if not more, of a social evil, as
anything called by that name.
“ Charity begins at home,” and our ad
vice to the truly pious Christian friends
who have the morality of the people at
heart would be that they should take a lit
tle more care of the classes they belong to;
see that extravagance be banished; make
raids on expensive productions of fash
ion, costly and useless trinkets, and on
all immoral affairs which cause “the sons
of the gods to take the daughters of
men,” and thus to generate evil in the
lower grades of society. If all the
means and the energies which are spent
on cant, were employed in establishing
soup-kitchens and sewing societies for
the indigent, schools of general instruc
tion, or societies to support the free
schools we have, societies to provide
books and clothing for poor students,
and libraries without tiresome religious
cant, and all this without the impo
sition of particular religious ceremo
nies, which compel the recipient of
charity to play the hypocrite, good
results might be obtained indeed.
In connection with these thoughts it
occurs to us that now is the time for
some Jewish parents to send their child
ren to Christian Sunday Schools.* There
is nothing to be shocked at in this. We
know that there are some, so-called
Jews, who send their children to Christ
ian schools a few weeks before Christ
mas. The object of these people is the
“Christmas present” which the Sunday
School children receive on that heathen
feast. It was but last year, about this
time, that a Jewish minister of this city
saw some children whom he had
missed at his Sabbath School for several
weeks coming out of a Christian Sunday
School.
“ Do your parents know that you go
to this school?” asked the minister.
“Yes, sir,” was the innocent rejoinder.
“ Papa tells us to go here, because we
get such nice presents on Christmas.”
It so happened that on the next Sab
bath the same papa came to the syna
gogue to thank God for a new-born child
that was granted him. The minister
could not control his feelings at the sight
of such hypocrisy, and lectured on the
subject. The result was that . . . the
minister had to suffer hard for the hon
est pursuance of his duty. He is still
called a Meshumed, for the offence of
throwing such truths in the face of his
congregation. Now is the time to have
such incidents recur. Christmas is near
at hand. What is the religious con
science of a child in comparison with
the nice present (value from ten to
twenty-five cents) which the child will
receive on Christmas. The Christian
soul catchers may make good bargains
in their line by this time.
* When we wrote this the “ local” paragraph
alluding to the same subject had not been
handed In yet.
In conclusion we copy from the N. Y.
Sun the following item, which gives in a
few words a perfect illustration of the
spasmodic efforts of senseless piety:
“The invitations and inducements held
out nowadays to New York and Brook
lyn church-goers are worth noting. ‘ All
cordially invited,’ ‘ strangers made wel
come,’ 1 seats free,’ ‘ 500 young men
wanted for these services,’ ‘ come every
body,’ ‘ come early,’ ‘ attentive ushers,’
‘ free permanent pews assigned,’ ‘ hymn
books for all,’ ‘no collection,’ ‘public
promptly seated, and ' a fifteen minutes
sermon,’were among the seductive hints
conveyed in yesterday’s notices. At
Willett Street Methodist Church, the
sermon was ‘ illustrated by beautiful
paintings;’ at St. John’s there was an
‘illustrated sermon;’as also at Pacific
Street, Brooklyn, and elsewhere. At
the Church of the Holy Spirit, ' music
of the highest order’ was guaranteed: at
the Union Gospel Services, ‘ singing by
Carlos Florentine;’and at various places
were promised either individual celebri
ties, like ‘ Mrs. Wilson, sister of the late
P. P. Bliss,’ and ‘ Mr. Miltauer, cornet
ist,’ or else, more generally, ‘choice mu
sic,’ and ‘ rare musical talent engaged.’
Other attractive adjuncts were ‘ an in
teresting temperance lady,’ ‘ Hogan, the
reformed gambler,’ 1 the gifted evangel
ist, Jane Benson;’ while a Brooklyn
church secured ‘ four theological stu
dents from Drew Seminary,’ to be ‘pres
ent throughout the day and conduct the
services in the evening.’
DONNA GRACIA NASI.
Hannah (Gracia) Benvenisti was born
in Portugal in the year 1510. Possessed
of noble qualities of mind and soul, she
became the spouse of Francisco Nasi,
who when compelled to outwardly ab
jure his religion, took the name of the
patrician house of Mendes. Francisco
was the possessor of a very large bank
ing business, which had branches in
Flanders, France and elsewhere, and
numbered among its debtors no less per
sonages than Charles V. of Germany and
the reigning King of France. Francisco’s
brother. Diego, superintended the estab
lishment in Antwerp. The introduction
of the Inquisition rendered their lives a
torture, for like other Marranos, as was {
the title for converts, though outwardly
professing Christianity, they practised
the rites of Judaism in their homes
when safe from espionage. This con
stant restraint and the daily fear of
being handed over to that bloodrthirsty
tribunal, induced the departure of her
family, and when Francisco died about
1535, Gracia, with her daughter Reyna,
and two nephews, settled in Antwerp
under the charge of Diego. Here they
took up the honored position their wealth
and culture entitled them to. One of
the nephews, Joao or Joseph, who by
constant travel had become a man of the
world, mixed in the very highest society
of the Flemish town. But the restraint
was still upon them; they were com
pelled to mask their religious belief, and
Donna Gracia longed for a country
, where she could be a Jewess openly.
About 1546, Diego died, leaving Gracia
sole manager of the banking business.
An attempt to leave klaudersfor some
country of tolerance was frustrated by
the sudden confiscation of the house’s
property by the Emperor Charles, the
execution of which, however, Gracia
managed to evade. At length, by stim
ulating an elopement, the family fled to
Venice. Here fresh trouble arose. Die
go’s widow, Gracia’s own sister, demand
ed a share of the banking business for
her daughter, which Gracia, who had
been appointed sole executrix, refused
to deliver. Her sister revenged herself
by informing the Venetian authorities
that Donna Gracia Mendes was a recal
citrant convert, a Jewess in heart, though
professing Christianity. She sent mes
sengers to France, too, with the same
statement, praying that half the house’s
property might be forcibly given to her
and her daughter, who were good Christ
ians. His Majesty of France testified
his gratitude for the information by de
claring himself thereby relieved from
the debt to the bank, and by confiscating
such property as he could reach. The
Venetian authorities too, threw Gracia
into prison, pending inquiry. Her ne
phew, Joseph, turned to the Sultan,
Suleiman, for aid, and being seconded by
that potentate’s Jewish physician and
friend, Moses Hamon, sent a threatening
letter to Venice, demanding the release
of Gracia and her property.
Donna Gracia was released, or escaped
to Ferrarra, thence to Constantinople,
where Joseph Nassi (he dared here take
on his Jewish name) soon rose to promi
nence. He pleased Suleiman by his
diplomatic talent, by his knowledge of
men and matters, and by the control of
means of information which his wide
spread commercial connections gave
him. By taking a skillful part in the
Turkish court-intrigues of the day, he
completely won the love of the Sultan,
and his heir apparent, Selim. When
Pope Paul IV suddenly incarcerated the
Marrano of Ancona, Suleiman was easily
induced to send a threatening missive,
demanding the release of such as were
Turkish subjects; and when those who
would not embrace Christianity were
burned by Papal order, Don Gracia and
Joseph worked hard to inflict a severe
wound upon Papal revenues, by urging
all merchants in the Levant trade, to
ship their goods to Pesaro instead of
Ancona.
Joseph was able to keep his lofty po
sition in spite of the intrigues of Christ
ian ambassadors, who regarded the Jew’s
advancement with jealousy; notajdv the
envoys of France and Venice, whose
governments had good reason for then
envy. Upon the death of Suleiman, Jo
seph was made Duke of Naxos, and
twelve islands of the Cyclades, and
thought the moment opportune to settle
accounts with France and the Queen of
the Adriatic. After repeated demands
for payment of the French indebted
ness had been disregarded, Joseph pro
cured permission to lay an embargo on
all French vessels in Turkish parts, and
sell them toward liquidation of the debt.
He fitted out privateers who were
authorized to sweep the Mediterranean
and capture French vessels. The debt
was thus paid under circumstances of a
national humiliation.
Venice had imprisoned Donna Gracia;
she too must pay a reckoning. Taking
advantage of a sudden crippling of her
resources by the explosion of her arse
i nal, Turkey, i. <?., Joseph, declared war
against, laid siege to and captured Cy
prus, the gem of the Levant, which till
then belonged to Venice, and handed it
over to the Turkish crown, where it
remained, until another Hebrew (by de
scent) recently purchased it for another
power.—Reformer.