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New Zealander, Volume 10, Issue 885, 7 October 1854, Page 2

Amongst Uie marked features of ihe intelligence received by the last arrivals, there is one to which we have not hitherto adverted, but which obtains considerable prominence in both the English and the colonial journals. We allude to the condition and prospects of the Jews in Palestine, a topic which stands in close relation to the events of the War, and which, in itself, possesses characters of importance, which—although all readers may not equally recognise or admit their magnitude—cannot fail to render it a subject of deep and peculiar interest to large ciasses of the community every where. At the latest dates, the Jews in the Holy Land were suffering from famine, disease, and helpless destitution, in the most aggravated and horrible forms. The primary cause of this wretchedness was to be traced to the almost total failure of last year's harvest, which had quadrupled the price of provisions; but its greatest intensity was undoubtedly a consequence of the war in which Europe is now engaged, which has cut off the supplies from Turkey and Russia that otherwise would have mainly aided in mitigating the distress. It is well known that, in addition to the numbers born in Judea, the Jewish population has received large accessions from the constant arrival of pilgrims from Poland, Hungary, and, it may be said, from all parts of the world. — inspired by those motives of religious nationality, which it is not possible that any other man can feel as a devout Hebrew feels them; and longing to visit—or, it may be, to die amidst—those scenes which his faith consecrates by so many glorious recollections of the past, and so many not less glorious anticipations of the future. Now, hitherto, the maintenance of the Jewish residents in Palestine has been to a great degree dependent on pensions, and aid in various shapes, afforded by their co-religionists in other countries. This slate of pauperism. which has been attributed by many to indolence and mean-spirited preference of elemosynary support on their part, is believed by those who know the facts better, to bo owing, first to their want of means, but chiefly to the absence of all efficient protection by the government,—any crops they may raise being left almost wholly at the mercy of the roving and lawless Bedouin Arabs, whose depredations would speedily deprive them of the fruit of their labours. But such assistance as they ordinarily received from their brethren in Europe, is utterly inadequate to the new exigency ; and the Russian Jews, from whom a large portion of their resources had heen derived, are not only unable to continue that help, but numbers of them —bowed down by the severity of laws specially enforced upon their people—have fled to Palestine, thus adding to the misery which, in happier days, they would gladly have contributed to relieve. Documentary evidence of all this, and more, has bceu laid before the public by the chief Rabbi in London, Dr. Adler, who, on the suggestion of Sir Moses Monlefiore, (to whom as their munificent and constant friend, the sufferers had addressed their appeals), had issued a Pastoral Letter to the Jews of Great Britain and America, setting forth these heart-rending facts, and urging them to corresponding action for the relief of their brethren. This Pastoral is followed by copies of the appeals from the EkJers and Wardens of the Congregations in Jerusalem, Zafed, Hebron, and Tiberias, which are amongst the most touching descriptions of human wretchedness wo ever read. In their harrowing details they remind us of some of the most afflictive of the statements with which we were painfully familiar during the Irish Famine; while they derive a peculiar impressiveness from the intermingling of Scriptural phraseology, and the Oriental imagery and forms of expression in which some portions of them are couched. Did our space permit, we should willingly copy these documents at the length at which they appear in the Sydney and Melbourne papers; but we must" confine ourselves to a single extract from the Appeal of "the Conservators of the Law and the Keepers of the Watch " at Zafed:— The compass of human language is too restricted for us adequately to proclaim tie unhappy condition of our community. The elements have made a compact with the legion of human ills to pour on us the vials of desolation, and to pursue us with remorseless fury. Gaunt famine sits en*

limned, and with sable wings outstretched, o erspreada and darkens our horizon, shutting out both light and life. And Israel hath waxed very low, ev'en to the dust. The widow and the orphan wander houseless, and bend under the heavy weight of misery. By day one universal cry ascends, " Give us bread ! " the nightfall re-echoes •« Give us bread!" and the morning takes up tin anguished cry. Alas', alas! if tears could %■ distilled into food, we could to repletion grant the appeal of supplicants; but the soul mourns for its reply—there is no bread; the stuff of life is snapped ill twain and departed from among us. Misery! Misery! thy victims must soon yield their spent souls to thy embrace. Our hearts are broken by the dread sight of the tender babe perishing for "want in the lap of the distracted mother, who, herself, a prey to the pestijence of want, vainly tries to shut out the sight of the wasted form of her dying child. Hands, hitherto busy in giving, are now outstretched to receive, and who can paint the honors that surround us—words, even burning words, mock the reality of our condition. Better never to have seen the light of day, than that it should shine on misery so appalling. Never, in remotest history, has the state of the people been so frightful; the death of the sword is merciful, compared to the lingering death oi famine—grim king of terrors. What shall we say to convey a due conception to our state ? We essay to speak, but grief chokes our utterance. If the strength of stones were our strength, it must yield to the immensity ol our woe, for the teacher and the scholar make a charnel-house of the school, and the angel of dc th is busy over the books of life. Another of the Appeals addsto die pictures of suffering from want, the fact that famine had produced " a state of anarchy and confusion, in which every man's hand is raised against his brother, and violence is bcconiiug rife in the laud. For who can endure with uncomplaining fortitude that horrible death—death by famine ; and see, day by dav, the wife of his youth and the children of his love sink into the grave without an effort to save them." Tuemostharrowingfactof all, however,— one which, if it stood alone, would more than suffice to show the deep depth of the misery in wttieh these sufferers are plunged-"is stated, by Sir Moses MoiUcfiorc. —lt is that " fathers in Israel,—men profoundly learned in the law, who, so that they may die near the graves of their forefathers, submit to live in the most abject poverty,— are now impelled by the very love they bear their children, to sell them to the stranger. * so,' to use their own words, ' that their offspring may be spared death—death from starvation.'" The appeals thus powerfully urged, have been liberally and extensively responded to, boll) aihoineand in the Australian colonies—as we might have anticipated that they would be, not only on the common grounds of humanity, but on special grounds or interest connected with the place and the people most immediately involved. Not only have the Jews themselves given largely, but very many Christians have esteemed it their duly and privilege to co-operate in the work of benevolence. We observe, indeed, in a Report of a Meeting on the subject in London (published in the Watchman of July 5), that Sir Moses Montefiore had " with expressions of deep gratitude for the proffered sympathy and aid, declined to receive donations from Christian bodies as such;" but, we presume, it was not intended to exclude individuals from aiding as they might feel disposed. This view has, at all events been acted on in Sydney, where, after the Jews had themselves raised a considerable amount, a Public Meeting of all denominations was hefd to promote the same object. The Herald and the Empire of the 19th ult.< contain long and interesting reports of the speeches at this Meeting, at which Sir J. Nicholson the Speaker of the Legislative Council presided, and Mr. C. Lowe, Mr. Parkes, Mr. Holroyd, Archdeacon M'Encroe, Mr. Gilbert Wright. Dr. Lang, Mr. Arkins, the Rev, Mr. Threlkeld, and others took part. A draft for 2000/., on account of the Sydney subscription, was forwarded by the Madras to Sir Moses Montefiore. At"Melbourne, similar sympathy was manifested, and the Argus rendered the cause its zealous support. In other parts of Australian colonies, the the same disposition practically manifested itself.

A yet larger question than the immediate relief of the famishing Jews in Palestine, (whith, we may hope, is now sure of being provided for), is the probable issue of the Eu: ropean War on the future position of the Jews in the Holy Land. Weobserve that, in rotlneclion with Ihe relief movement, there have been numerous references to the probability that the present agitations in Europe will "lead to the establishment of numbers of them at once in their own land. At the meeting in London to which we have alluded, it was resolved to form a Joint Stock Company to purchase land for them, it being hoped that the present prohibition against the holding of land by Jews in Palestine would soon be withdrawn. This, however, was a project emanating from converted Jews and other Christians; but Dr. Adler, the Chief Rabbi, in his pastoral letter, also dwells on the probability that the War may "bring about a great and beneficial change in the Holy L;mkl," by leading the Porte to concede to Jews the right to hoid land in Palestine, and placing that light under secure protection. He recommends steps for the purchase of land, Which, he adds, will be materially aided by a munificent legacy bequeathed by Judah Tourc, of New Orleans for this very purpose. The beiring of the convulsions" which are now shaking Europe on the destiiiv of the peoplo of Israel, is, in various aspects, one of the most interesting points to which attention can be directed. At present there undoubtedly are Striking indications that the War may prepare I lie way for that restoration of the Jews to the laud of their lathers which is so enthusiastically looked.forward to by themselves, and which the majority of studious and thoughtful Christians also anticipate, as amongst the most certain and the most auspicious of coining events.

Wk have seen two large and beautifully executed drawings, with elaborate plans and maps, of the city and harbour of Sebastopol, and of the harbour and Forts of Cronstadt. They are the work of Charles Heaphy, Esq., and have been presented by that gentleman to the Auckland Club. In addition to what may be called their artistical attractiveness, though jhat is not a lit'le, thev possess a special value from their presenting in a convenient form a.i amount of information relating to scenes already of historical importance in the war with Hussia, such as could not be equally well obtained from the mere rending of even the most graphic descriptions. A single glance at the views of the fortification;, at Cronstadt cannot

but bring vividly before the mind the magnitude and perils of the task which, at the latest dates, Sir Charles Napier was about to undertake, and make us increasingly anxious to hear of the results of that heroic enterprise.