THE GERMAN ANTI-JEWISH AGITATION.
As regards the extraordinary movement of persecution of the Jews which has broken out in Germany, this is partly traceable to two causes. The first is the personal feeling of the Emperor and his great minister, Prince Bismarck. Prince Bismarck, in his early political life, made no secret of his opinion that the Jewish race ought to be put down by law, and the result of the three days' debate in the Prussian Parliament, in November last, seems to indicate that on this, as on most other subjects, the German chancellor retains his original convictions.68But this spirit of hatred against the Jews, and apparent determination to renew the persecution of the middle ages is by no means confined to the German court—it is thoroughly shared by the German people. The explanation which has been given of this, and which is doubtless true, at least in part, is as follows: "Of late years there has been a considerable tendency among the Polish (and Russian) Jews especially, to settle in Germany. This increase has given serious umbrage to the Teutonic population of the empire. The more phlegmatic German, notwithstanding the cultivation which of late years he has received, finds himself outwitted and overpassed by Jewish intelligence, and Jewish enterprise." "His trouble is the very reverse of what England is experiencing with the population of Ireland. Her difficulty is what to do with a race by no means wanting in natural abilities, but so improvident, so ignorant, so superstitious, and consequently so turbulent, as to be a ready prey to priests and agitators. The German anxiety is of a totally different character. The Jew is neither improvident, nor ignorant, nor superstitious, nor turbulent. He has no dealings with the Pope, or any other power hostile to that of the country in which he dwells. He has no interest in disorder and confusion, which can only impede his own material progress. The chief complaint alleged against him is that he is too intelligent, too sharp-witted, too money-loving, and money-getting, too rich, and too important in the State." —Rev. William Maude, in Christian Herald.