Guilt is With Russia: Government Accused of Inciting Murder of Jews

Julius T. Loeb, “Guilt is With Russia: Government Accused of Inciting Murder of Jews,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), May 24, 1903.

GUILT IS WITH RUSSIA

Government Accused of Inciting Murder of Jews.

PRESS URGED EXTERMINATION

No Bitterness Between Jew and Gentile Until “Bessaralyetz” Was Established for the Purpose of Inciting Murder and Outrage—Rabbi Loeb Attacks Ambassador Cassini’s Statement.

    Editor Post: I read in last Monday’s issue of The Post a statement made by Count Cassini, the Russian Ambassador, wherein he endeavors to impress upon the American public the old story, newly framed, that the exploitation of the Jews simply destroys the Russian citizen, and that nothing but the ill-feeling of the populace has brought about the outbreak of inhuman massacres at Kishenef. I deem it unnecessary to comment upon his assertion that things have been grossly exaggerated and overdrawn. I shall leave this matter to the good sense and judgement of the readers, studying the facts transmitted from various sources, through cables and correspondence, public and private, all of which go to indicate that the outrages have been even more horrible than represented. However, I feel myself constrained to respond to the absurd and ridiculous tale of the Russian official that Jews are none else but usurers, unwilling to engage in the ordinary vocations of life, and constantly imposing upon their Gentile neighbors, until the latter could endure it no longer, and five vent to their bitter feelings in the form of a “pogrom.” A nice bit of yarn, very fitly contrived for the justification of Russian deviltry.

    I for one have never yet seen a Jew unwilling to work in order to gain an honest living for himself and family. If there be a few exceptions to this rule among Jews, there are many more so among other nationalities. As to the particular condition of affairs in Russia, Jews are simply the benefactors of the land. As a matter of fact, wherever and whenever a certain Jewish post has been usurped by a Russian, the populace of that place has repented it a thousand times. Numerous petitions have been addressed to the government from those Russian communities where Jews were recently banished demanding the restoration of that useful element into their midst, so as to rehabilitate thrift, development, and prosperity to the extent that is possible under the Russian sway. 

Jew a Useful Citizen

    In spite of the numberless restrictions against him, his “pale of settlement,” his exclusion from office-holding, owning land property, entering higher institutions for learning; in spite of his constant struggle for existence by reason of such and similarly brutal laws of ostracism, the Jew can still boast of being a most useful and expedient element among the Russian nation, without whom, I may justly aver, the country would soon go to its ruin. Woe will be unto Russia when some day she will find herself stripped of that life-giving power!

    The average American is positively unaware of the restrictive laws that make the condition of the Jew in Russia worse than that of a slave and a pariah, else the nature of the free-born American would revolt against the injustice, and even before learning of the inhuman outrages at Kishenef he would feel abashed to hold any relations with that barbarous government, which is clad in the cloak of civilization, and cries out in close paroxysms its call for “universal peace,” for “religious freedom,” in order to stunt the mind of civilized humanity, and to hide from view the evil machinations wherewith she purposes to swallow the world.

    Her secret machinations were once rampant in Servia and Bulgaria until a great human slaughter had ensued; then again the devastation in Manchuria and the continual disturbances in Armenia and Macedonia. Let the world know that Russia’s inner-politics are exactly the same her diplomacy abroad. Panslavism is bent, from its way, and its fiendish means is—Mephisto-like—to incite race against race and put the sword of man against his brother. 

They Dwelt in Peace.

    I was born and bred in Russia, and I know it for a positive fact that the citizens of the land have, as a rule, no cause for complaint against ill-treatment by the Jew. On the contrary, peaceful relations and good will were always manifest between Jew and Gentile. I had no more reason to fear an onslaught on the part of my Gentile neighbor there than I have here in this free country. The moujik always felt a certain reverence for the Jew and confided in his integrity and aid in time of need more than he would in his own kin. I was therefore not a bit surprised to read to-day in a document printed in the Jewish World, which is a translation from a petition written in the Russian language, drafted by the survived Jewish community at Kishenef and addressed to existing authority, wherein they make complain as to the cause of this unprecedented anti-Jewish outburst. They directly accuse the press, whose local representative is the newly established Bessarabyetz, prior to whose appearance there was not a spark of bitterness between the two distinctive parts of the Kisheneve population. They refer to articles constantly published therein where an open appeal was made to the wholesale killing of Jews. The reading material received by the population from this only paper in the pace was a constant, systematic appeal: “The Jews are your enemies!” “The Jews are detrimental!” “The Jews must be extinguished!” “Death to the Jews!” “All Jews must be killed!” In America or any other country such instigations would not be tolerated. Publishers of similar incitement would be sued for libel and justly dealt with. In Russia such a course would be utterly impracticable, as the newspapers there do not print anything but what is thoroughly approved of by higher authority. The censor receives his instructions direct from the government. Let, for instance any one newspaper in Russia raise its voice in defense of the unfortunate race and that organ will be quickly wiped out of existence, as were once the Goloss and Razsvyet. Thus, the present Vosehod is now suppressed, for it had dared tell the news of Kishenef in its naked truth. 

Government Directs Newspapers

    The American newspapers are voiced by the people, and no wise publisher will do aught to infringe upon what may be considered justice and right in the sight of mankind, even if allowed by government. Different altogether is the situation in Russia. The people there have no voice, and the government couches the tendency and scope of every newspaper, as of every other thing in the general status of affairs.

    The conclusions to be deducted from the above facts are clear and evident. It is the express purpose of the Russian government to annihilate the Jews, or convert them to the Greek Catholic Church. To this end she constantly contrives laws of ostracism, and has the entire press always in line to breed ill-will against the unfortunates. 

    At the same time the fact is well known that Russian despotism dreads general displeasure, and eventual upheaval, wherefore, the government deems it most expedient to divert the attention of the masses from its own evil workings and iron rule to her hated object—the Jews and to satisfy their wild rage by prompting them to prey upon Jewish life, soul, and substance. The Russian government has therein a double advantage. The Russian government has effected the Kishenef massacre. The reasonless and unlettered people were the stupid instruments executing her blood designs.

    Now the mystery as to the cause of the trouble is all cleared and the civilized world is henceforward responsible for the situation. All humanity should now join in resentment and protestation against the outrage, so as to avert a repetition thereof in the future.

JULIUS T. LOEB

Rabbi Congregation Adath Israel