Tue rumoured persecution of the Jews, in Russia has roused the press of Europe. The Czar, it was reported, had published an edict, depriving all Jews within his; dominions of the right to live where they please, the right to be educated as they Fecsion they posse. This is bad enough, lease, and the right ta follow what pro-
but it is wot quite as bad as one of the mung lions of the Daily Telegraph makes it out to be. He writes: "To look on calmly, and not even give utterance toa solemn warning or passionate protest, while million of hapless fellow-creatures are being deliberately done to death, appears to us well-nigh impossible. There must be some way—at least as far as diplomatic intercourse is concerned—of bringing to reason a State the Government of which is once the incorporate negation of justice and the revolting incarnation of cruelty.
Punch makes the persecution of the Jews in Russia the subject of its cartoon. The Czar has his foot on the breast of a Jew, and la drawing the sword of "Persecution", when the Shade of Pharaoh appears to him, with the words, Forbear! That weapon always wounds the hand that wields The idea of the cartoon seems to be derived from an article in the Daily News of the 2nd of August If the persecution of the Jews bad ever been successful the Russian Government might at least plead one argument in support of their action, however little open to respect, that argument would be, But the vigour tenacity of the race have always carried them through the greatest hardships and the fiercest edicts. There are millions of them in Russia now, in spite of the fact that they exist only on sufferance, and are scarcely scknowleYged. to be hunan beings by the laws under which they live, The Czar is as powerless as the meanest of his subjects to fight inst the of events and the order of the world. oltaire's bitter sarcasm that the Jews had everywhere the gift of finding their way in and of getting themselves shown the way out contained an element of truth which he was incapable of appreciating. The enterprise and perseverance of the race are aguinst the caprices of despotism. The "zar has the choice of making the Jews his friends or his enemies, To get rid of them altogether is beyond his power. Macaulay, in his famous spaoch on Jewish emancipation, contrasted the form of which the Jew wus deprived with the substance of which he was left possession. A Jew could not, without violating his conscience, sit in the unreformed Parliament, nor in the reformed Parliament till after the death of Macaulay. But he might Lethe owner of a dozen pocket boron; and entitled to direct the consciences of twice 4s many members. He could not vote in the British' House of Commons, but he could make the British nation his creditor. The Emperor of all the Russias says that a Jew may not own the land or occupy the soil. He cannot prevent the Jew from having fifty owners of land in his debt, or from supplying the finances for a great commercial undertaking. To appreciate the Czar's exact position We must remember that he is himeelf, in a very different sense from the Queen, the Head of the Nati nal Church and the object of a reverence which he naturally does not consider superstitious from " hundred millions of the human race, He regards a Jew not only us an infidel, but as a denier of his own Fertonal sanctity." When Bishop Hisher, of chester, refused to acknowledge the Royal supremacy, and was taken from Litle Bane" to the block, the motives of Henry VIN.
an religious, "There is 1g, the Czar of insincerity, or for doubting that he believes the enforcement of the Muy Laws to be a Christian duty. It would be w blessing if he could be brought to understand how his conduct alien nates the friends upon whom he may be some day glad to rely.
But we need not pursue the subject far-the er, for we read in another paper The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Standard says:—There is no truth in the announcement of new edicts directed against the dews in this country. have offic informa: tion that it is not even true thut the Law of May 3, 1882, is to be applied in its full strict. ness to the Jews dwelling outside the pale of settlement "Its application would involve too extensive a movement of the population. The United States Legation at St. Petersburg telegraphs a continuation of this denial.
The topic of the week in England was the visit of the German Emperor. In the twelvemonth that has elapsed since his former visit, the Emperor William has conered public opinion. 4 year agu he was the headstrong youth who was about to plunge Europe into war in order to pros himself to be another Frederick the Great. When he got rid of Prince Bismarck there was much shaking of heads, although the governments round felt as schoolboys do at. the removal of an unpopular master. Now it is felt and acknowledged that the young. Emperor is a statesman as well asa soldier, and he has justified his decision that he would govern as well as reign, The St. James's say:
German friendliness towards England has been quickened and strengthened while our own reciprocation of the sentiment, always ready enough, has of late been undoubtedly facilitated still further by a certain change in our current estimate of the German Emperor. It must be plain enough to every one who has taken the trouble to inquire, thut our Inv Byes than those which rested upon hit when perial guest is viewed to-day by us with other he did us the honour of visiting this country a year ago. The English public have seen occasion to revise their theory of his character
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.