The Jews—A Cursory Glance at Their Past and Present Status [pp. 694-700]

Tnt isWS.
clildren's hearts and attune thy children's natures. Bridging the
intervening spacp, as it were, with silent admiration and reverence,
we are content to rest awhile with the memory of the late Rachel,
in the department of the drama, and close this portion of our review
with the suggestive citations, more potent than panegyric, of the
familiar names of Pasta and of Grisi.
Years ago, retracing our steps from remoter periods, there were
no less than ten Jewish professors at Berlin, and we have been per.
stnally informed by a student of a French academy, that most of
the honors were invariably carried off by the Jewish scholars ia
the French colleges. Only a few days have passed away since, at
a festival in Prussia, given to the German Customs Parliament and
to Bismarck, the "cynosyre of all living eyes" in European diplo.
matic circles now, out of the one hundred and forty guests, the
same ratio being subscribers, no less than ninety were Jews, which,
as aJlleged in connection with the fact that nearly one-third of the
members of the Prussian Parliament are Jews, is an evidence of
their prcruinency in German politics.
But what is the testimony of mnodern times? Is it necessary to
reproduce Disraeli, Rothschild, Salomon, or shall we add Goldsmidt
to the British lists? Shall we unroll the scroll of France, to read
the inscriptions of such characters as Messrs. Fould, Cremieux,
Marid, Persir6? Must we enter Hlolland, to search out A[r. Asser
and MAr. Godfroi, or revisit Germany, to drag more pointedly to view
Mr. Jacobi and Mr. Reisser?
Enough that we accept Sir Edward Lytton's dogma that "Knowledge ispower," against the aphorism that money is omnipotent, for
wealth can only come through intelligence, unless as an inheritance,
and mind is the secret spring of all valuable acquisitions. Sectarian
as we may be, prepossessed or prejudiced as we are, we cannot
exclude the Jew from his legitimate possessions. Of these, none
are so predominant as "energy, temperance, vivacity, industry, and
tolerance of other religions" "IIe is rapidly becoming," cry aloud
the alarmists, "a great landed proprietor." "His estates are
spreading on every side," ring out, with sonorous acclaim, the
trenching property-holders. "Listen to the jingle of his bags of
roubles and thalers, sovereigns and doubloons," ask the envious
moniey-brokers; "and hear," say the jealous dabblers'in stocks,
"the rustle of his crumpling bonds." NWhat but his financial knowledge, trained in a school of daily tuition, has graduated him with
wealth, as with the diploma the collegiate receives at the end of his
curriculum?
But other honors await him. There are already scattered throughout the United States, attorneys and Judges, whose legal accumen
is as pointed and whose knowledge of jurisprudence is no less accurate
and extensive because they do not flaunt in the Torum the insignia
cf their religion, and wear the "Tephalim" as "a sign upon their
hands" It would be simply supererogatory to cite the numerous
instances of elevation to offices of trust, honor add emolument, that
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