Chronicle has a very interesting and temperate article on "The Peril of the French Jews" To us it seems impossible that a nation at the head of civilisation and culture, as the French are, at, the end of the nineteenth century could possibly be induced by domagoguesiof the das of 'Déroutéde; Drumont, and Rochefort, to persecute their fellow-citizens on the Sbunacisecongs inner me wiy lea und of their race or religion.
is really marvellous kept themselves distinct as a race for so many centuries, a fiot-which reasonable people regard vith: admiration rather than disgust, they have everywhere attained eminence in every path of fife, and at same time they-haveralways shown themselves exemplary "citizens of whatever eountry'they have adopted as their home." Their patriotism has never been honestly called in question in any -country; and though their.emi+ neneo, especially in finance, has often excited jealousy, it is almost impossible to conceive of any civilised people, in these advanced times, let~ ting that jealousy grow.so.fierce as to induce jis subjects to demand the extermination or oven extrusion of the race. Eas die hard, and even in'England the word "Jew" is sometimes still used as a term of reproach; but.it seems incredible that an enlightened people should be able to resuiine such medirevalism as to be willing to actually persecute go useful and' innocuous a section of society. In whatever country the Jews have settled they have adored it by their Proficiency in literature and the arts, and enriched it by their skill in finance. 'They grow rich, but not really at the expense of the natives amon whom they settle, for their wealth fertilises again the country where it is gattered: Jewish Chronicle, "few French Jews 'Until quite recently," se the considered the' anti-Semitic question in France la a of more than a psig shrug of the ahouldors "The roach tation is too sensible, that was the general impression, and even when the anti-Jewish feeling was fanned into flame by the terrible accusation brought against Alfred Dreyfus in 1894, and was carefully fomented and Kept alive by fanatics like Drumont and men of the Unscruptlous nature of Rochefort, our people did not think that it would ever become a real danger to peace and order: Now, how: i ever, things are very different, and the feeling of Jews in Paris—all over Fraice, in fact—is becoming less and Jess secure. 'The French-Man ofthe' Idver "classes is not 4
The M.-C, herald and See. & C. Gazettes 873 logician, and the words.xn sale Fwif, "grave misuses hiye been made' of though in reality they convey to public funds Somebody was guilty. big detioci de chott-raaartvesiegeharet Cipnchid eavdoriecmeicae tooroo soever, have, by the efforts of M, to light it now seems. evident that Drnmont and his crew, become a the guilty men were holding high war-ery. To tead M. Drumont's/rank in the. army. How was writings and to hear him talk, public attention to be turned one ould. imagine' that one was away from their delinquency?,'Cho dealing with a maniac whose one-way was all too obvious.
That all-absorbing passion was murder. delinquency which they had com-Marder for murders sake, not fora mitted must be thrown into the purpose, or for a religion, or for a cause; but murder Sosam it is background by a greater crime, and that crime'fastencd by' an irrefutable brutal, because if is noisy, because it chain of evidence upon the shoulders ig bloody. Edouard. Drumont, in his of an unpopular man.. What crime own mind's eye, conceives himself could there be which should-upraise riding at-the head of an infuriated a greater tumult in France. than mob of half-crazy Frenchmen, yelling {misuse of money belonging to the "France for the French!" brandish-{nation? There was bat one—high ing a sword, and throwing little treason! And the Ww MOS Jewish children into.the gutter to be written and fastened round the neck trampled by the feet of those who of Alfred Dreyfus. Then Drumont come. behind -him. This may read floridly and be considered impossible, and other anti-Semites saw. their chance, and "A has les Jusfe!" but it is by no means impossible became a itis not " pieco, of florid. writing, ex-committed high treason, and Dreyfus pay ery. Dreyfus had ecuted for the sake of having big was a Jew! Therefore, all French words to play with. What Drumont Jews were traitors to their country. has not hitherto been able todo in "They have failed to, prove their France itself, he has done -by proxy, case, these militarist leaders, and it to a great, extent, but still.done, in them. What can pow be tone? is slowly but surely recoiling against that has been going on in Algiers Something to draw public attention has-been seen -by.us, at.this distance from the real offence must be found. but dimly, and it has made but little War with Kpgland? The feeling of impression because, knowing that no the French nation is against it, and such persecution would -be-allowed for the army leaders do not feel strong a moment in a British colony, we enough. The same or almost the have not thought it conceivable that same fooling exists with regard to the French Government would allow war with Germany, and the only reit in a colony not two days' sail source, left. to the military party is from the shores of France itself, to incite the mob against the Jews, The: Jewish Chronicle says:-—* What in the hope that, in the turmoil of has been the course of events there pillage and excitement of murder, Jewish workingman prevented. earn-their own misdeeds may be foring a living, Jewish shops boy-gotten." cotted, Jewish women insulted in It seems now that the truth the streets of Algiers, a) Christian is coming out. The indecent.rage of who sympathised with Jews resign-M. de Beaurepaire taken by itself ing his office as mayor of Algiers, shows that the Court of Cassation is and: the Jewbaiter's lieutenant elected unravelling the truth and will not in his stead, a Jew of middle-shrink from telling it. It is evident age so maltreated by roughs at a that even in Paris people, are, begin-meeting where tempted to ning-to realise that the charge of high speak that he di " his. injuries, treason was not, only " trumped-up Jewish, shops wrecked and looted, one as far as Captain Dreyfus was Jows imprisoned for defending them-concerned, but that it had no founda-selves against attack—in short, and tion at all, The Government which in one word, anarchy, with the Jews under M. Faure had seemed almost as a scapegoat for all and sundry." to tremble before the militarist ring, The Jewish Chronicle goes on to has plucked up courage under explain that the real. motive for the Loubet and M. Dupuy, as the in-outery against the Jews in France, vestigations that have been made into which, as we have said before, is the the plots of the Orleanists, and we work of demagogues, and is not by believe also of the Bonapartists, show. any means spontaneous, is the cul~ But at the time when the Jewish de-sac into which the militarist party Chronicle wrote there was a fear that have got themselves. This docs not' the certainty that the truth was mean the army; nobody impugns coming out would incite the mili-the honour of the French army as a tarist party to one last furious at-whole, or doubts the nobility and tempt to save their chiefs from the integrity of the French army officers of the outraged French nation, aah it refers to. the small ring which originated the charge and that they might turn po, the Jews, making the streets of Pari against Captain Dreyfus and controlled the court-martial which con~ once again a vast arena of prnge, The ble assumption of power vietedchim. It...ja- known that by if Toubet, the preservation, of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.