In the evening, however, he had the satisfaction of receiving from the Prince a reply to his petition, which cheered him up again. His Highness thus addressed him:
"Monsieur le Baronnet,—J'ai reçu votre lettre du 27 Août dernier et j'en ai pris connaissance avec un vif intérét. Comme j'ai eu l'occasion de vous le dire de vive voix, les vœux que vous formez pour vos co-religionnaires sont déjà accomplis. Les Israélites sont l'objet de toute ma sollicitude et de toute celle de mon gouvernement et je suis bien aise que vous soyez venu en Roumanie pour vous convaincre que la persécution religieuse dont la malveillance a fait tant de bruit n'existe point. S'il est arrivé que des Israélites fussent inquiétés, ce sont là des faits isolés, dont mon gouvernement n'entend pas assumer la responsabilité. Je tiendrai toujours à l'honneur de faire respecter la liberté religieuse et je veillerai sans cesse à l'exécution des lois qui protégent les Israélites comme tous les autres Roumains dans leur personne et dans leurs biens.—Veuillez recevoir, Monsieur le Baronnet, l'assurance de ma considération très distinguée,
"Charles."
"Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart."
"Cotroceni, le 18/30 Août 1867."
Saturday, August 31st.—Sir Moses attended Divine service in his drawing-room, the minister of the Spanish and Portuguese community officiating. At the conclusion, Sir Moses showed the letter of the Prince to all present, and it caused great satisfaction.
In the course of the day he paid a visit to Mr Green, and in the evening the Prince's Secretary called, remaining with us nearly two hours. Speaking to him of the disturbances of last Thursday, and the threatening attitude of the populace, he said, only a few days previously two persons had been murdered in the public street in daylight, and the friends of peace and order on hearing it expressed great satisfaction that none of our party had hitherto been molested. We then showed him the letters we had received from persons who gave their full names and addresses, suggesting even that we should make enquiries as to the correctness of their statement to the effect that it was intended, and had been arranged, to make an attack on the life of Sir Moses; upon which the Prince's Secretary observed, "Threatening letters of the kind are sometimes sent to the Prince himself, even pointing out the place where an attack is to be made on him; but His Highness shows no fear, and proceeds even to the very spot at the hour named for the attack."
Sunday, September 1st.—We all went to the Palace to take leave of the Prince. His Highness repeated to Sir Moses all that he had stated in his letter, and regretted the unfortunate occurrence which had taken place in front of his hotel. In the room in which we assembled before we were conducted to the presence of the Prince, we were told that when the populace a year or two ago had attacked a Jewish place of worship, His Highness, from his private purse, paid all the damage done. His Highness expressed himself most graciously to Sir Moses, and the latter reiterated his gratitude to him in his own name and in that of the Board of Deputies of the London Committee of British Jews for the gracious reception His Highness had accorded him and the gentlemen who accompanied him on his Mission.
On leaving the Palace Sir Moses called on the Consuls, all of whom evinced great satisfaction with the Prince's letter, and returned home to indite a letter to Mr Green, of which the following is a copy:—
"Bucharest, 30th August 1867.
"My dear Sir,—It is with sincere satisfaction I beg to hand you enclosed a copy of the reply I have had the honour to receive from His Serene Highness Prince Charles to my petition of the 27th instant in reference to my Mission to this country on behalf of my co-religionists.
"May I now beg the favour of you to communicate its contents to Lord Stanley, with my grateful thanks to his Lordship and Her Majesty's Government for the powerful aid they so kindly granted me?
"As the object of coming to this country was not to make enquiry regarding past unfortunate events, but to obtain for my brethren dwelling in Roumania security for the future, and fully relying on the honoured words of His Serene Highness Prince Charles, 'Les Israélites sont l'objet de toute ma sollicitude et de toute celle de mon Gouvernement,' ... 'je tiendrai toujours à l'honneur de faire respecter la liberté religieuse et je veillerai sans cesse a l'exécution des lois qui protègent les Israelites comme tous les autres Roumains dans leur personne et dans leur biens,' I consider my object happily accomplished, and feel confident that his Lordship will be pleased with the result.
"I deeply regret that the state of my health, with other considerations, prevents my going to see my co-religionists at Jassy, otherwise I would at once have proceeded to that city.
"Allow me to take this opportunity to tender you my heartfelt thanks for your valuable advice and assistance which have so materially contributed to the satisfactory issue of my humble labours in the cause of humanity.—Believe me, my dear Sir, with great esteem, yours very faithfully."
Sir Moses informed the Board of Deputies in London by telegram of all that had occurred. Subsequently he paid visits to the representatives of the Hebrew community at Bucharest in order to ascertain what foundation there was for the pretended dread expressed by the editor of the Natinuea that Bucharest would be converted into a second Jerusalem. He also inquired about the Synagogues, charitable institutions, and schools. He was told that they had a large number of places of worship, colleges for Hebrew and theological subjects, hospitals and societies for the sick, loan societies for the poor, irrespective of creed, societies for providing shelter for travellers and fuel and clothing for the poor, and a large number of schools for boys and girls, rich and poor.
"To a person unacquainted with the spirit which pervades Jewish institutions," he says, "the expression of dread that 'Bucharest' might be converted into 'a second Jerusalem' in the face of so considerable a number of houses of prayer, colleges, and charitable institutions, cannot be a matter of surprise; but he who knows the principles—heavenly principles revealed on Sinai which breathed the 'breath of life' into every act of benevolence performed, into every sentiment of truth expressed in institutions similar to those I have now seen, and of which you have given me the particulars—would entertain no such feeling of uneasiness. On the contrary, he would rejoice if, in the sense of peace, loyalty, and humanity in general, Bucharest were to make itself deserving, in the language of the non-Roumanian visitors, of the appellation of 'a second Jerusalem,' and the reason of it is obvious: the more Synagogues, the more prayers are offered up for the preservation of the life of the reigning monarch and the prosperity of the country; the more colleges for religious instruction, the more efficient the promulgation of the law of God: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself' (Lev. xix. 18); the more charitable institutions, the more aid, comfort, and consolation for the poor and suffering. 'Jerusalem' is the emblem of peace, as the word 'Shalom' indicates, and Bucharest, nay, the whole country under the sway of His Serene Highness, the reigning Prince, would become renowned as an abode of peace for all his loyal subjects, without distinction of creed or nationality."
The street was now thronged with thousands of his co-religionists, and many houses presented the appearance of an impromptu illumination.