THE DAY OF REST. GOD'S CH0SEN PEOPLE. Advice of Baron Mirsch as to the Future of the Hebrews. ADVERSE OPINIONS FROM "NEW YORK. Interviews With Distinguished Hebrews and Views of New York Newspapers.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 358, 10 April 1889, Page 4

THE DAY OF REST. GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE. Advice of Baron Mirsch as to the Future of the Hebrews. ADVERSE OPINIONS FROM "NEW YORK. Interviews With Distinguished Hebrews and Views of New York Newspapers.

' YVill ( you tell me, sBarony 5 Barony about the motives that induced 1 you to mako your magnificent donations iv Russia?' I ask'ed f , ' Must, the- Jo\v 'disappear?' isthe question that has been discussed throughout the, civilised world since the * New York Herald ' printed, its great .interview with Baron Hir,sch, in Paris the other day. Tho article read as follows : , ( it. For nearly two, th&usand yearn Israel has been axvaUhtg the second advent ofthcMevsiah. • When will the Messiah come f I asked of a prominent Israelite. ' The Messiah has come, and, is at this moment in Parish tuaS'the astonitihwy reply. > 1,,0j course, supposed that the person with loliom I was talkiwj intended to mystify me ; biiv he was ccriouv. I pressed him with/tirther questions, and his explanation was a*>jollows: 'We Jews have loner ago lost, faith in a literal Incarnation of the Messiah. That would not be compatible with ideas of modern civilisation,' but a new doctrine has now taken root in the hearts of Jew 3 all over the world, the doctrine of assinn'lition with Christianity, and the apostle of this doctrine, destined to bring about the salvation of Israel, is now in Paris, and is no other than Baron Hirsch, the well-known Parisian banker, who has given over 100,000,0001 in Russia and Austria alone to ivard carrying out this glorious conception.' A New Apostle. ' You will take me to see the Baron Hirsch?' I asked. 'Certainly,' was the reply, and in a few moments I was seated beside Baron Hirsch in , his magnificent house next the Palais de l'Elyseo. Baron Hirsch is a, fipe-looking man of medium, height and athletic build. , He is apparently about 50 years of age and his eyes are bright, grey, and brimful of intelligence. His nose is aquiline, his jaw has a determined look about it, and his long \ military moustache is mingled with grey. He looks more like an Austrian cavalry officer than a financier. Great and Useful Work. I 'My idea is this,' replied Baron Hirsch. ' I am a bitter enemy of fanaticism, bigotry, and exclusive theology. The Jewish question can only be solved by the disappearance of the Jewish race, which will inevitably be accomplished by, the amalgamation of Christians and Jews. The funds I have placed at the disposal of Russia are not for educational purposes of Jewish children alone, but Christian children as well. ' There are four and a half millions of Jewish children in Russia, who are in a destitute condition. They do not even know the Russian language, and speak a sort of Hebraic jargon of their own. They are frightfully handicapped in all that concerns earning their bread and making their way in life. There is a complete Chinese , wall around them, isolating them from the, rest of humanity. 'My idea was to knock out the corner stone of this wall by establishing schools in Russia on the condition that they should be open to Jews and Christians on terms of perfect equality. ' True Philanthropy. * Does the Russian Government facilitate the establishment of these schools in Russia, where the Government is everything ':' • ' Unfortunately the Government seem to fear that there is some political motive behind the plan. The truth is this. 1 happen to possess more of the so-called good things of the world than I require, and I carefully studied how I could best accomplish an act of pure philanthropy. ' I looked about and found that on the whole the condition of the Jews in Russia was worse than that of any large body of people in the civilised world. lam a Jew myself, and I felt for those of the same race, and set about giving them a fair chance to work side by side with and assimilate themselves with the people of the country in which they live. I surely want a guarantee from Russian Government that the funds I hold at their disposal shall be applied to the purpose intended— namely, the establishment of schools for Christians and Jews on a footing of equality. ' The mixed schools that are established in Galicia, Austria, are a success. . So they would be in Russia if the Government would only consent to disabuse itself of the idea that thero is a political motive in mv otier.'

Healthy Assimilation.

'You feel convinced, then, that the docbrine of assimilation is the solution of the Semitic question ?' 'Clearly so,' replied Baron Hirsch. ' Why, you have only to look about to see that this is the universal tendency of modern times. Younger members of the families of Rothschild and Montefiore and dozens of others are assimilated — that is to say, are married with the Grammonts, the Richelious, and the Roseberys. In other strata of society the same law prevails. In SatnC-Antoine and Belleville mixed Christian and, Jewish marriages take place every week. The Jewish race is now disappearing ; there are numerous instances of conversion of Jews to Christianity, but I cannot recall a solitary instance of a Christian becoming- converted to Judaism. The salvation of the Jews is assimilation. ' ' Let them be amalgamated by Christianity and merged in Christianity. Let the fusion be complete ; let Jewish isolation be ; broken down ; let the Jews as a distinct sect disappear. This is the tendency of the age. - This will be the solution of the Jewish question and a blessing to civilisation.' >