MEMORANDUM OF THE PROTESTANT MONARCHS
The London Convention of 1840――The new Treaty of London for
the pacification of the Levant――Viscount Ponsonby――Reshid
_Pasha_――Lord Shaftesbury’s “Exposé” addressed to Lord
Palmerston――The articles in _The Times_――A Memorandum to the
European Monarchs――“Enquiries about the Jews”――The _Allgemeine
Zeitung des Judentums_.
WE have to go back to the political changes which we indicated in
connection with Sir Moses’ activity.
After the Convention which was signed on the 15th July, 1840, in
London for the pacification of the Levant, the terms were duly
proposed to Mehemet Ali and were rejected on the 5th September. Then
the war intervened, Mehemet Ali was obliged to come to terms, and
on July 18th, 1841, the new “Treaty of London for the Pacification
of the Levant” was signed. Mehemet Ali abandoned his claim to Syria
on condition that the Khedivate of Egypt was made hereditary in his
family. This was a turning-point of much significance in the history
of Palestine. At that moment the Jews might have been able to regain
their ancient land, if only they had had an organization for carrying
out the plan.
The only country in the world where this idea found influential
expression at the time was England. The events in the East were
naturally of intense interest to Lord Shaftesbury, and stimulated him
to greater activity.
He writes in his _Diary_, on August 24th, 1840: “The _Times_ of 17th
August filled me with astonishment. I wish I had put down at the
moment what I felt at reading it; half satisfaction, half dismay;
pleased to see my opinions and projects so far taken up and approved;
――alarmed lest this premature disclosure of them should bring upon us
all the charge of fanaticism. Now who could have believed, a few years
ago, that this subject could have been treated in a newspaper of wide
circulation, gravely, sincerely, and zealously, yet so it is; and
who sees not the handwriting of God upon the wall? The very insults,
misrepresentations, and persecutions of the Jews at Damascus bring
forward the main question; and Mehemet Ali, ‘howbeit he thinketh not
so,’ is a mighty instrument for the benefit of this people!
“Palmerston told me that he has already written to Lord Ponsonby¹
(1780?‒1855) to direct him to open an intercourse with Reschid
_Pasha_ (1802‒1858) at ♦Constantinople respecting protection and
encouragement to the Jews. This is a prelude to the Antitype of the
decree of Cyrus, but, humanly speaking, we must pray for more caution.
Those gentlemen who have now got access to the columns of the _Times_
will, by over-zeal, bring a charge of fanaticism on the whole question.
O God, from whom _alone_ cometh all counsel, wisdom, and understanding,
be Thou our Guide, our Instructor, and our Friend” (_Ibid._, _p._ 311).
¹ John Viscount Ponsonby.
♦ “Constaninople” replaced with “Constantinople”
On August 29th, 1840, he writes:――
“The newspapers teem with documents about the Jews. Many assail,
and many defend them. I have as yet read nothing (except [the Rev.
Alexander] M’Caul’s (1799‒1863) treatise) which exhibits any statement
either new or clever. The motion of the _Times_ in this matter has
stirred up an immense variety of projects and opinions; everyone has
a thought, and everyone has an interpretation. What a chaos of schemes
and disputes is on the horizon, for the time when the affairs of
the Jews shall be really and fully before the world! What violence,
what hatred, what combination, what discussion. What a stir of every
passion, every feeling in men’s hearts!...” (_Ibid._, _p._ 311).
On September 25th, 1840, he writes:――
“Yesterday began my paper for Palmerston, containing in full the
propositions for the recall of the Jews to their ancient land.
‘Recall’ is too strong; it is simply a ‘permission,’ should they think
fit to avail themselves of it. I wish to prepare a short document,
which may refresh his memory, and exist as a record both of the
suggestion and the character of it” (_Ibid._, _p._ 312).
We may confess that at times we find Lord Shaftesbury’s ideas somewhat
too largely influenced by his religious zeal; yet he did succeed
in mastering his emotions and dealing with the problem in a sound
and statesmanlike manner. In this document of his we find not only
generous ideas but also excellent arguments, simply and convincingly
stated (Appendix liii).
On November 4th, 1840, he writes:――
“I hope I have done right in this: I have suppressed all party
considerations, and have used every effort to persuade the _Times_
to take just views of the Syrian question. I have been successful.
Lord Palmerston told me this evening that the concurrence of the Tory
papers had smoothed ten thousand difficulties....” (_Ibid._, _p._ 315).
The articles in _The Times_, to which Lord Shaftesbury refers,
appeared in that newspaper at various periods. On the 9th March, 1840
(_p._ 3), _The Times_ published the following notice:――
“_Restoration of the Jews._――A memorandum has been addressed to the
Protestant monarchs of Europe on the subject of the restoration of
the Jewish people to the land of Palestine. The document in question,
dictated by the peculiar conjuncture of affairs in the East, and the
other striking ‘signs of the times,’ reverts to the original covenant
which secures that land to the descendants of _Abraham_, and urges
upon the consideration of the powers addressed what may be the
probable line of Protestant Christendom to the Jewish people in the
present controversy in the East. The memorandum and correspondence
which has passed upon the subject have been published.”
This Memorandum (Appendix liv) is written entirely from a Christian
point of view. Lord Shaftesbury, although himself a staunch believer
in Christianity, was more inclined to give the project a practical
character.
On the 17th August, 1840, _The Times_ (_p._ 3) published the following
article:――
“_Syria.――Restoration of the Jews._
“The proposition to plant the Jewish people in the land of their
fathers, under the protection of the five Powers, is no longer a mere
matter of speculation, but of serious political consideration. In a
ministerial paper of the 31st of July an article appears bearing all
the characteristics of a feeler on this deeply interesting subject.
However, it has been reserved for a noble Lord opposed to Her
Majesty’s Ministers to take up the subject in a practical and
statesmanlike manner, and he is instituting inquiries, of which the
following is a copy:――
“1. What are the feelings of the Jews you meet with respect to their
return to the Holy Land?
“2. Would the Jews of station and property be inclined to return
to Palestine, carry with them their capital, and invest it in the
cultivation of the land, if by the operation of law and justice life
and property were rendered secure?
“3. How soon would they be inclined and ready to go back?
“4. Would they go back entirely at their own expense, requiring
nothing farther than the assurance of safety to person and estate?
“5. Would they be content to live under the Government of the country
as they should find it, their rights and privileges being secured to
them under the protection of the European Powers?
“Let the answers you procure be as distinct and decided and detailed
as possible: in respect as to the inquiries as to property, it will
of course be sufficient that you should obtain fair proof of the fact
from general report.
“The noble Lord who is instituting these inquiries has given deep
attention to the matter, and is well known as the writer of an able
article in the _Quarterly_ on the subject, in December, 1838.”
The adherents of the idea of Jewish assimilation in Germany started a
kind of opposition.
The _Allgemeine Zeitung des Judentums_ dealt with this matter on the
19th September, 1840, and admitted with regard to the articles in the
_Globe_, which it described as “a London Ministerial newspaper,” that
“the plans may all be classed among the things devoutly to be desired.”
On the other hand, this paper quotes from the _Courier Français_
of August 26th, 1840, a comparison between _M._ A. M. L. de P. de
Lamartine (1790‒1869) (the poet, and at that time Deputy) and Lord
Palmerston in the following words:――
“M. de Lamartine intends to form a Christian kingdom at the sources of
the _Jordan_, and at the foot of _Mount Lebanon_; if only _Jerusalem_,
the Holy City, came into the power of France, he would gladly leave
the rest of the world to England and Russia. But what is odd in the
whole affair is that Lord Palmerston has chosen the same spot. Where
the celebrated Deputy dreams of a Christian state, Lord Palmerston
projects a Jewish Republic.”
This jest caused the _Allgemeine Zeitung des Judentums_ to “protest
against the project in question,” and “to warn the young people.” All
we learn from this pronouncement is that the Jewish youth was at the
time inclined to listen to the Zionist idea.