Accordingly, September 20th, Sir Moses wrote to Dr Hodgkin, inviting him to accompany them to some place on the Mediterranean recommended by him and Sir Charles Locock. Dr Hodgkin accepted his invitation. He felt it a duty, he says, as well as a satisfaction, to comply with the wishes of so kind a friend.
October 14th.—Sir Moses received a letter from the Spiritual Head of the Hebrew community of Damascus, entreating him to intercede on their behalf with the British Government, the Turkish Ambassador, and the Consuls at Beyrout. The Jews in their city, he wrote, were exposed to great danger from false accusations. Sir Moses went to town, communicated with the Chief Rabbi and the Secretary of the Board of Deputies, and addressed a letter to Lord John Russell, enclosing, for his Lordship's perusal, a translation of the letter he had received from Damascus. He took it himself to Downing Street. Lord Wodehouse was not there, but he saw Mr Hammond (now Lord Hammond), and acquainted him with the perilous position of the Jews of Damascus. Mr Hammond promised to send the letter to Lord John Russell, and added that it would be satisfactory to Sir Moses to know that they had later accounts from Damascus, which did not say one word about these accusations against the Jews. Lord John Russell had gone to Richmond, and should have Sir Moses' letter sent to him at once.
CHAPTER XIV.
1860.
APPEAL FROM THE JEWS OF DAMASCUS——LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S ACTION——THE MORTARA CASE AGAIN——SERIOUS ILLNESS OF LADY MONTEFIORE.
HAVING given the reader a copy of the letter Sir Moses wrote to the Times, pleading the cause of his Christian brethren when persecuted by the Druses and Mohammedans, he will probably read with equal interest a copy of the letter he addressed to Lord John Russell, pleading the cause of his Jewish brethren, accompanied by a translation of the original Hebrew letter from the representatives of the Jewish community.
"East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate, October 16th.
"My Lord,—With painful reluctance I submit to your Lordship the accompanying translation of a letter from the heads of the Jewish community at Damascus.
"There can be no doubt whatever that the Jewish body of that city is guiltless of any participation in the recent outbreak, and I venture to believe that your Lordship requires no argument to satisfy your mind on this point.
"May I entreat your Lordship, as heretofore, to exercise the powerful influence of Her Majesty's Government to protect and save the Jews of Damascus from the perils to which they are so imminently exposed? As the affair is urgent, I venture personally to attend your Lordship with this letter and its enclosure.—I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's faithful and obedient servant,
"Moses Montefiore."
"To The Right Hon. Lord John Russell, &c."
Copy of enclosure.
"To Sir Moses Montefiore, Bt., our Benefactor and Deliverer, whom
may God long preserve, &c."We had the honour to address you a letter in the course of last month, in which we spoke of the enmity of the Christians towards the Jews here in Damascus, which has risen up in addition to all former hatred.
"Now a great, bitter, and intense jealousy fills their hearts, by reason that they have been murdered, plundered, and maltreated, whereas against all the children of Israel not a dog moved his tongue. Our hearts were then moved as the sea, least, by reason of this bitter hatred and jealousy, false accusations should be brought against us. We therefore besought you to aid us by obtaining instructions from the English Government to the Consuls, Generals, and Commanders who come to Syria; also from the Turkish Government to His Highness Fuad Pasha that he should stand by us, and not be ready to receive malicious reports against the Jews, for His Highness is a just and upright man.
"Now we have to inform you that since the commencement of the month of Ellul (August) the Christians have been plotting and preparing false and malicious accusations against us; many of us have been thrown into prison, and falsely accused of having participated in the massacre. The Christians are believed in their statements, when they say, 'So and so killed some one.' That person is thereupon immediately brought before the tribunal. Testimony of honourable men among the Turks is not received when they declare that the accused was in their house during the tumult. Even the evidence of Christians is not believed when they bear witness to the Jews having been hidden with themselves, and their not having parted from each other during the whole outbreak. Even should the accused himself testify anything in favour of an accused Israelite, it is not attended to.
"A woman accused a certain Jew, who she thought had killed her husband; she was asked to swear according to her own faith that the accused was the man. She refused to swear, and asked the Jew to swear by the law of Moses that he had not done it so that he might go free, but the tribunal would not listen thereto. Even the testimony of our Chief Rabbi has been rejected.
"The Jews still remain in prison, and one has since died in his dungeon from the effects of terror.
"Oh, Sir! consider only for a moment the fearful consequences of innocent Jews being thrown into prison with murderers, when all the testimony and proof that they may bring forward will not aid in their deliverance.
"We know not, therefore, what is to become of the people of Israel when the Christians see that there is no hope for Israel; that false accusations against them are listened to; but that to the voice of Israel there is none to give ear or reply, none to pity or compassionate.
"Indeed those who rose against the Christians and killed them are not judged according to the ordinary laws of the land, nor is evidence taken in the usual manner; but there has been established what is termed an 'extraordinary tribunal.' Now it appears that it is intended to judge the Jews also by this tribunal, and to condemn them to death upon the mere word of the Christians. This is indeed a great and bitter calamity. How is it possible to compare the condition of the Jews to that of those who rose up against the Christians? Were not the Jews themselves during that terrible time in the greatest fear and danger? Surely there was but a step betwixt us and death. Most of the Jews hid themselves in the houses of respectable Turks, in cellars and in caves, in company with Christians.
"Is it possible to suppose that one who was in momentary fear for his own life should rise up to kill another? Reason and common sense testify against it. God forbid that such a thought should enter the mind of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen of England or her Government—a queen whose justice and mercy is as that of the kingdom of heaven, and for whose prosperity, honour, and glory we the congregation of Damascus have prayed these twenty years.
"We have gratefully to acknowledge the great mercy, kindness, and benevolence Her Most Gracious Majesty showed us in former troubles. May she long reign in peace, happiness, and prosperity.
"In this trouble also do we lay our supplications before Her Majesty, beseeching her to have pity and compassion upon poor afflicted Israel in Damascus, who only desire her aid and support and all powerful influence, that the imprisoned Jews may have a fair trial before the ordinary tribunal in accordance with the well-known custom of the country, for Israel both young and old are wholly guiltless in this matter, and free from the crime of shedding blood,
"Truly this is a time of great trouble and distress, for every Jew dwelling in Damascus is in continual dread of being accused, for there is none to say unto the Christians, 'Why do ye thus?' It has been openly declared by some of them that they will grant Israel neither peace nor rest.
"Already they have begun to conspire against the best, the most honourable and esteemed of our community, viz., the well-known Jacob Abulaffia and Solomon Farchi, son of the late Isaac Hyam Farchi (of whose hospitality you partook on your visit to Damascus), a youth fourteen years of age, and only son of his father's house.
"A certain Christian declared that his father was killed between the two houses of the above-named parties. Were not the Lord on our side what would become of us? The accused being under French protection, the French and Greek Consuls prevented this case being brought before the 'Extraordinary Tribunal,' but had it heard before the two Consuls. The Lord brought his innocence to light. May God save those who uphold His Law from such fearful machinations!
"And on what was the whole accusation based? If a man had been found slain in the highway at the time of the rising of the mob, when all the streets of the Christians, as well as the streets of the Jews and Turks, which are near each other, were filled with the slain, was it in the power of man to prevent a murder from being committed before his own house? Would the ruffians have had any regard? Who should tell them not to murder all who stood in their way? Were the lives of the Jews themselves then secure?
"Wherefore we beseech you to have compassion upon us, to put forth your right hand to save us, to answer us, as the Most Holy—blessed be He—shall direct and prepare the way for you. 'Behold it is a time of trouble unto Jacob, oh, that he be saved out of it!' Our hope is in you, that salvation may come through your means, to obtain the influence of the English Government, as well as that of the French and Turkish, with His Highness. Fuad Pasha, who is an upright judge; also that instructions may be sent to the English Consul in Damascus, so that the Jews may not be confounded with those who rose up in rebellion.
"You are our Father; hasten to help us. As you have been our former deliverer, so save us now, and compassionately be the means of frustrating their evil devices, so that it may be said of our troubles, and the troubles of all Israel, 'It is enough,' and redeem us with an everlasting redemption. Amen.
"Attached are the signatures of the Rabbins, the elders; and the most worthy of the congregation of Damascus, who anxiously await your answer.
"Hyam Romano. Nahum Lusano. David Harpy. Isaac Kalon. Menahem Farchi. Raphael Halevi. Jacob Halevi. Isaac Maimon. Jacob Peretz. Aaron Jacob." "Damascus, 7th Tishri 5621 (1860, September 23rd)."
| "Hyam Romano. | Nahum Lusano. |
| David Harpy. | Isaac Kalon. |
| Menahem Farchi. | Raphael Halevi. |
| Jacob Halevi. | Isaac Maimon. |
| Jacob Peretz. | Aaron Jacob." |
"Foreign Office, October 24th, 1860.
"Sir,—I am directed by Lord John Russell to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th inst., enclosing a petition from the Jews at Damascus, praying for protection against the hostile proceedings of the Christians, by whom they have been falsely accused of having taken part in the late massacres.
"I am to state to you in reply that Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople has been instructed by telegraph to take immediate steps for the protection of the Jews, and that written instructions to the same effect will be sent to Sir Henry Bulwer, as well as to Her Majesty's Consular Agents at Beyrout and Damascus.—I am, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
"C. Hammond."
"Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart., &c."