THE JEWS OF SOUTH RUSSIA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1134, 25 July 1882, Page 2

THE JEWS OF SOUTH RUSSIA.

i vPUBLTO \.r The meeting convened last evening, was well attended, over thirty ladies and gentlemen being present, and Mr A. Bish (the Mayor) occupying the chair, ■" " "• • ~«■

, Thechttirmanin,openingthoprooe'edings said that the meeting had been convened at the'.-request, nf.several - ' residents to express sympathy' with the persecutions to which the Jews in Southern Russia had been subjected, and to extend help as far »b possible to' them. He regretted nqt toseealargerlattendance, but recog-' nised that tjpsp' who were present were, the-ones, wj}o likely, by (,lpr ar]vocapy and pxanjple to' aid the i|ovem,eqt. He had. received a letter of agoloay for non-attendance from the Rev Mr Isi't also from Jfr Oaselberg who was confined to his hnQsej arid was' not permitted by his medical attendant \o be present. He, however, felt sure thai thought he was absent in. body hiß heart was with them, Four resolutions would be submitted to the meeting, and he tru'Bted that they all would be.carried,. as he was sure that they were all of one' opinion as to the severe sufferings the Jews in Southern .Russia had undergone. He djd qpt profess {o be well posted up in the details of the outrasefl, but ha felt that the record of the Mansion Bouse meeting waß itself sufficient to enlist tha'ir sympathies'in .the. cause,-.He conoluded by calling upon the Rev W. E. Paige to move the;first resolution: ',"(Appjause).\ ! Paige ■ml moving the resolution placed mhißhands^''That in the opinion of this meeting perseoutjon of Jews in Bnssia'des'eryea the censure' and ahn"V'rfi.'«CH qf-.every civilised oom-. that the rqolioh spoka for! ;■ iljere was only one point to whjqh he des'.rtid'tio allude.'" In" the* words of the Earl of Shaftesbury they ha 4 a very strong feeling and opinion upon the power of an open and constantly repeated affirmation of a great principle founded upon justice and/humanity, .s. It carried withitprodiuiouawoight Had they notseen in tjme past and in the present ;daythe marvellous jkifluence-produced by a 'good'publife rjpiniori u'ponssudh s'tat'es of thini'r-as :&?. 'upon ■:. the Snl-iiii pf-Turkeyand the Shah of .-Peraia'l TlKi'v was find poul4' be butane feeling'/

and that of ahhorrenoe at the cruelties wnion had been practised. Their • sympathies. wj>r fl with the viotims, not only because.-thej were dews, bat in the oaafle « outraged humanity they were 8 Craning the atrocities . praotiaod by ajeopje .calling, thenueirea rf %««»«ii ; (Applause). , to h»ve,been.seconded by the Rev Mr exprew hia^reg^lorJjii^iliiy'to : fi len M*P r^ e .3 witb the eaa>e f :and:'stated thrhaviHg-co-il'. WA Wi°k th ! office-bearer, of 'bjf F »'ehuioh tofail in with any arrangements which might be agreed to at the meeting"''' (Applause)/ :••'••.■■-:' '• ■'. • Isittj aedondflO the teadlulion ' and it waa carried unanimously,"' ft' • The Rev. J; McKee wa*' , th&£&s* upon bythe ohairma U ;,any(BKolwn has been '•' prepared' and' jCTpiJf '• my ; - hands, request thaOWufd inW it npw; This I reladlly.and heartily acbede' to. m mohotfi*, ''That'this" meetiM ( he . r ??X .express its heartfelt .for;tbe,perße,outed Jew's, an'd'dftire to place on record it's appreciation c of the Bteniihat «n being taken in England and her, de rjeadenpies toi mitigatS ML i'.Sjr,. religiousaentiments, or politl. ca .°P in L , . 0 ? l^ a / separate us, but there ii a tie w.hioh.,biijd« .us together, and thatia our,cb;maori r huraanify,;V^ f Mea : tto'nifiKt P?MHI# eßls "faiiy religious seot or politicaljpany aa suoh, but to express $Vf3. <tW%.s ithe Jews in bPutuern Russia in their present trying ..olfcunjaUn'oes, and our utter abhorrence pf the fanatical and uoohriatian-like'per-secution to'-whioh they are oxposed at the jianda of the Russians. In the dark 'tgej Christians' Have been persecuted^'faha!« tics'-orMahommedans, but now in thia* age. of civilisation and rofinement, ; and above all, of religious l toletetio"b',*we"ar» literally'horrified at the barbarous. atao» Cities perpetrated by.the. Russians upon the unprotected and'heipiess Jews, whom they expose to. murder, lust,'and destrud. tion. One of the strongest desires in the ibi-eaataf true and lbyaT British subjt'Ot ia liberty, political and religious. For this our fathers have; Might lorthuf the nation of which we form ai part has plunged her hand deep into, her treasury, even te free those who were 7 in bondage. Closely,allied with.this feeling is that of sympathy with the suffering and oppressed and. indignation at injustice .and crime, Seldom has'the'heart of the British nation been, more moved than on this.matter. And this, not because the suffering belong to., thy .Hebrew .persuasion, but.becauje they, are ,fellow-ore»tu,rea i.who' are so' brutally treated, and by those who ball' themselves Christians. This'persecution' leaves a: deep -blot,, not upon ohristianity,. but upon: our cqmmoi} humanity. It is enough, fa.Vjqg dawn, the judgment of Qod, upon the nation which permits it, of oonniv'es at it in any, degree, And we do not believe the Russian Government is, gujltless \a th'a" matter,' It is no wonder that the British; i a vey. cute)ij snob; 'coldblooded alrfloities,' ; And oase not only,in Qresit —ißSfftain but' throughout the civilised world, We, in this far'off corner of the British Empire', feel otiv blebd run gold.as we read of ths vainon violence and cruelty to which puf fellow creatures have been, andl fear attiUare, exposed.' f And as we jJeeply sympathise with our ;ajfl,icted and; persecuted brethren let us join cheerfully in giving i practical; expression to our feelinga/ J iy"' : aiding .'them to the best of one atpß- . (Applause,) "V •'■•"-.■ W''.: The Re?. Father Halbwachs, in.rtMin/' to second the resolution said; I must Bay it hasneAeriallen to. my lot to address sj ; . publioraWtiflg before w'thia district, \ have always avpided tailing part in public meetihgs', r and should nut have been present •thw.evenins; had I hot been affeov' 1 ted to the mj ; heart by the.'- o,ut. x rageons deedsi which have been dope in; Southern Russia; deeds which -fill-.tha heart of. eyery-iflaq wjth~aha.me and'-! horror, ; eujijghtened njnai' teenth cerj'ury murders of. every sort have been copipajtted. on an.; induitripqi) andlaw-abidiq* race. Nci wonderthv a • feeling.of.indignairon has been MptweA''' fromev.ry p f . ill* giu-k , mx \s [ . Npwim-lof.|,||.U':e".v/f '■ i'i.Mation ■'; h'as.p'eiiotraieiii'.io ro.uuiopa'ts of the world, a,nd hue found an epho .even' ,in New, Zealand | .Wherever human sympathies aye found on the earth ar» effort will be njade to a'ay suoh outrages,: This \i nopblitjcalnijating, prj should ;i n>t be standing hero. We a(:iqd un i higher level; we are moving in : the aerener regions of justice and humanity. Neitheris.this areligioui meeting, though we are all unjted li| a common bond, of sympathy wjth (he oppressed. '„ I .vhavp ■ no wishjiir any pcharitahle words to fell from'my lips. I. do not know the internal laws, nf that mighty country Oiilled Russia, but I dp know that in any country laws must be "'based" on nature and on divine rule;' If.outrages hsve been permitted in Russia It is because such laws had been disregarded, I speak • here only in.a.sense. of politioal justice. If 1 lake a higher view I would say in the words of one. of the greatest men of the *age, Cardinal Manning'; " There is abook.whiohiscomm.bhto ,the race of Israel and to us Christians. That book is ihe:bond between'* us, and in that book I ■ read that the people of ."Israel are the oldest people upon' earth—The Russias, ■ and the" Aiißtriaß, and the Enylaiuls are but of. compared i with that imperishable people, which with an inextinguishable liiiht and'km'uUble traditions and faith in the law of.God, centred', as it iif'all over the' world, passed through the fires unscathed, 'tptmpleb|""iij the dust, yet never comßimng' with the! .dust in which ji is trampled - ; the' p§opj§ ■ ; lives Btilij'-anti.'w.'e are iti 'bonds' of' briithec ; ,aood ; with it. m New Testah)ent rests upon the :old, thpy Wie've'' one. %l{ p] that fotwhjph wg WouW giye""tiqj lirea. lietuß,.theft' thai'wp w'. , united in a. qomraon sympathy." We/t Kave seen in' irq'aginatinn thousands of families outraged and penni less exiles, fleeing before the'knife of the assassin, We, though we maj'not be rich, have comfortable humus, aiid should bo able to.make some sacrifice au that • our generous donations may feed the .hunger of ihe oppre«ed,.and help them in their' distress, (applause).' The resolution. was. carried unanimously."."'; ,". ' '-i' ' -. Mr'J. V< Smith proposed a resoluiiou which he felt sure would meet with their support. -. If thaj^.:did• nothing4tlse tK'.t /; eveningbeyondjbii<!!i4theiii^2ejj|ttja|' - cry of indignation uis ■«! ihri against the barbarity used, and point i the fiuoer :( wK/W \ nation' which haftitood by;anPHBT suoh hiyi. good.; Still it was in their power' to relij •• more practical: aid. ■; His own ppinion, \j f that'tße"Jew'siti NewZealano*', were ijen of superior education, and with great'apljtude for business. •It OTi^heirjugq'ejSijn cprnewe whic|i had bro.ugbtaliem,into tint oharges bad been jumped tip »gaiti'attb n »nd the people booted oh to plundurlhu.ii. Hn wiiuld'hearberspnal testitnbny to ib 'e:m(jaii»iip:abilityvand,'lib'erality.Pf the Jewish - r race^.ifAppiaußeJ.''; Carlyj'e'onoe said'anaiitih' of meb,;m'6stly fools,? Be cßula onlysajfi the more Jews 'there/were, the fewer fools.*' He frequently enterprises in this colony tb'ft Jewish rac^ r the

benefit ol th? community* He coSoTuded by moving—!' That with tbapbjaot bfcbwith the movenient-for - the relief of the Jews already initialed in Wei-, liogton and he appointed for thrpurpoae of obtaining Bubsoriptions, lo consist of Messrs 0; A. .Vallance, A. Bish, Smriuel, -W. G. Beardj A. R. Bunny, B,lVP£rry; B. Fairbfoilipr Fi H. Wood, J. 6;Cox,hiiFhll rainisM'« >bf religion throughout,tho district" \vith power to name had.been overlooked iu'thi? motion. ' .

.Mr A. B. Bunny had much pleasure in seconding the'resolution',- After ihe exhaustive and eloquent speechet madotliat evening it would bo an act of presumption i, on,hJß part to anymore. He would simply endorse; the sentiments so ably placed before:them, and felt satisfied that the response'to the present resolution would 1( bo ftenetnl throughout the district.'' .'- Thea*tation was carried unanimously, in.;iuoving—''That the 'different churches ili, he writieti in, atid roqfiiesteil'loii'et apart a special Sunday mi whicb'an appeal may bV made to their congregations,nod their offurioriesdev»ted to' thin|elief Fund," said that although this district was late in coming- forward, he hofied its synipathy.wouhi be.all the more deeply shown-by.the ambunt'it Bubscribed. Itwas,he«aid,greatsatißfaolion to know that clergymen of all denominations carae forward in all matters where the alleviation of human suffering wal concerned., It. bad been a common fault .among nations .'lb!Lory down the Jews.; Not so m.ucb the Je.'v/6'.as.a body but from individual inHtanceef'-wlifch came under their notice." Theyhado/i.en.failed to grasp the character of the l'acb, to observe that they were a body of men with larfje liear'.s and wide sympathies.. He 'prieflyreferred to thb atrocities which had been practiced, and called, upon, the meeting to assist as far as possible in alleviating them.

Mr B. P. Perry, in seconding the'resolution, resetted his inability to do greater justice to it. • He shared in the horror folt by all elapses throughout the civilised world. The great meeting at the Mansion Hoiise'had abstained from expressing any opinion on the internal action of ihe 'Euesian Government.' They, however, could afford to be outspoken on this point The blame did not rest with thu people but with those higher in authority, The affajrhad arisen from a single spark which had been fanned into a flame by the authorities who should' have stopped it.';. Speaking to the resolution he felt it would be a pleasure to clergymen to enlist the sympathies of their congregations in suoh a cause. He spoke highly of the Jewish race' He bad done business with members, of it for more than thirty years, and though he found them kien at a good bargain, they scrupulously fulfilled their words. They were men in eyery instance to be admired and approved of; (Applause.) The'chairman, after the resolution had been carried, said that Mr Caselberg had requested him on behalf of his cu-reli-gionisU to thank the meeting, and especially those who had advocated tho object . fof.Whibhithad been He bo"lieved'that the present meeting was only the.first of a.series which would be held - throughout the district (Appose.) The Rev. Mr Paige, in moving a vote of thanks to the chair, explained that hit congregation had already devoted an Offertory to the cause, and that the money had been forwarded to' the Central Committee at Wellington. ; , 'The chairman Baid it'uas understood "rat the resolution inviting the co-opera-'-Tien of ministers did not apply to St. Matthew's Church, which had anticipated it. /" The proceedings then closed,