CHAPTER XIII.1860.
THE SULTAN PERMITS THE BUILDING OF THE JERUSALEM ALMSHOUSES—CONCESSION FOR A CARRIAGE-ROAD FROM JAFFA TO JERUSALEM—SIR MOSES CHAMPIONS THE PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS OF SYRIA—PUNISHMENT OF THE CULPRITS—DISQUIETING REPORTS FROM DAMASCUS.
THE year 1860 opens with the record of a satisfactory reply from the Turkish Government to Sir Moses' petition respecting the building of the Juda Touro Almshouses in Jerusalem, the interruption of which, by order of Sureya Pasha, had caused him much annoyance and expense. Musurus Pasha, the Turkish Ambassador in London, thus addresses him on the subject.
"I have the pleasure to inform you that I have just received a dispatch from His Excellency Fuad Pasha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sublime Porte, in reply to the communication that I addressed to His Excellency on the subject of the interference by the Imperial authorities at Jerusalem with the erection of the building lately commenced there by your orders for the benefit of your co-religionists. This dispatch states that although, according to the general regulations respecting fortified places in the Ottoman dominions, the erection of such buildings in such proximity to a fortress should not be permitted, yet, notwithstanding this, considering that an exceptional permission was previously granted to you of which you have already availed yourself to erect a building in the vicinity of the fortress above mentioned, His Imperial Majesty the Sultan has been pleased to order that the building last begun should be allowed to be finished, according to your wish, and the necessary orders have in consequence been sent to His Excellency the Governor of Jerusalem.
"Congratulating you on this desirable result being obtained, I have the honour to be, &c."
About the same time he received some intelligence from Count Pizzamano, the Austrian Consul in Jerusalem, respecting a subject which had often engaged his attention in former years, viz, the construction of a carriage road from Jaffa to Jerusalem. It appears that the Count had at last succeeded in obtaining a fifty years' concession from the Turkish Government for the purpose, and he now proposed forming a company with a capital of one million francs, on which he calculated he could offer the shareholders a dividend at the rate of ten per cent. per annum, leaving a surplus to be divided between the contractors and the Amortisation Fund.
The Count was not willing to dispose of any shares before hearing from Sir Moses; and asked him whether he would be inclined to associate himself in the undertaking, sharing profits and losses alike; or, should this not suit him, how many shares he would take himself, and how many he could place in England among his friends?
The concession which the Turkish Government granted to Count Pizzamano to facilitate traffic in the Holy Land may probably have had some connection with the conversation Sir Moses had with Musurus Pasha in London on the subject of Jewish colonisation, consequent upon the offer which the French Government had made to the Jews of Morocco. However gratifying the communication of Count Pizzamano may have been to Sir Moses, his advanced age, and the great anxiety occasioned by the very unsatisfactory state of Lady Montefiore's health, precluded the possibility of his then associating himself with the Count in his important undertaking.
April 3rd.—Sir Moses laid the foundation stone of the Spanish and Portuguese Branch Synagogue at Bryanston Street, near Cumberland Place, towards the building of which he and Lady Montefiore had contributed £500.
June 15th.—The Viceroy of Egypt sent him a portrait of his son, Toussoun Pasha, with a very complimentary letter.
July 3rd.—The entry of this day, regarding the Juda Toura Almshouses in Jerusalem, I give in Sir Moses' own words.
Judah Turo Almhouses at Jerusalem.See Vol. II., page 111.
Judah Turo Almhouses at Jerusalem.See Vol. II., page 111.
"Being anxious," he writes, "to make arrangements, with the advice of our esteemed Chief Rabbi and Dr Loewe, for theguidance of Mr Kursheedt respecting the filling of the Almshouses in Jerusalem, as so much would depend on the choice of individuals,—I wish them to be persons of excellent character, men well learned in our Law, who devote much of their time to study, and by whom a nice house, free of rent, in a pleasant situation, would be considered a boon,—I therefore started at seven o'clock with Mr Kursheedt for Brighton to consult Dr Loewe."
Soon after the train started Sir Moses opened some letters which had been brought to him to the station, and found that they required his immediate attention in London. He left Mr Kursheedt at Red Hill, and went back to town; and having disposed of his business, he started again for Brighton, but the train, being a slow one, arrived so late, and the return journey had to be undertaken so soon after his arrival, that the meeting was only productive of a fresh appointment for the following Tuesday. Accordingly he returned to Brighton on that day.
"My dear Judith," the entry says, "had not a comfortable night. I left her with great regret, but it was unavoidable, having made an engagement with the Chief Rabbi and Dr Loewe to meet them at Brighton. Mr Kursheedt accompanied me. We arrived there at twelve o'clock. Dr Loewe was at the station, and went with us to Dr Adler's. We immediately commenced the consideration of the minutes prepared by Dr Loewe. The result was, the building is to be called 'Mishkenót Shaananim' (the dwellings of those who are at ease), to avoid hurting the feelings of the inmates by calling the buildings almshouses. There are to be eight houses and a Synagogue for the Portuguese; a similar number of houses with a Synagogue for the German community; one house for the weaver" (who was then the master at the weaving school established by the Trustees of the Holy Land Appeal Fund); "another for the Rev. Samuel Salant" (who, however, never availed himself of the offer then made to him); "and one for a Dispensary. The heads of the several congregations in Jerusalem" (at that time nineteen in number) "are to select the persons for the houses they think the best, and Mr Kursheedt will see them installed in accordance with Eastern custom. Tokens of esteem are to be presented on that occasion to the Officers of the Guard, the Officers of the Mosque of Omar,Ahmed Agha Dizdar" (the former owner of the land on which the Almshouses were built), "and his son; also presents to the poor of the Holy City, the Greek, Armenian, and Latin Convents, and the Guard of the Jaffa Gate. Offerings made by visitors who attend Divine Service in either of the two Synagogues, in memory of the benevolent founder, are to be appropriated to defray the expenses of keeping the sacred edifices clean, lighting them, and to paying a gate-keeper and well-keeper for water."
A number of regulations intended for the guidance of the inmates were then agreed to, but before half the business had been finished, Sir Moses was obliged to leave, and only reached Ramsgate late in the evening, after a fatiguing day's work.
July 11th.—Lady Montefiore had a restless night, and was very weak that day. Sir Moses, however, himself far from well, and scarcely recovered from the fatigue of the previous day's journey, was called upon to work for his fellow-beings in Syria, for "the Lebanon had opened its doors to the fire of destruction and dissolution."
The Druses, the daily papers reported, had destroyed 151 Christian villages and killed one thousand persons, and the Mahommedans had massacred Christians at Damascus. About 3300, it is said, have been slain.
Lady Montefiore reading to Sir Moses the debates of the House of Lords referring to Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's speech on the massacre of the Christians in Syria, in which he stated that twenty thousand Christians, women and children fugitives, were then wandering and starving on the mountains of Syria, he determined, with the willing and cheerful consent of his wife, to go to town.
There he addressed a letter to the Editor of theTimes, and suggested the formation of a committee to collect subscriptions for a fund for their relief.
After having done so he immediately drove to Printing-house Square, though fearing, as it was after midnight, that there was no probability of its appearing the next day in theTimes. "I must be content," he said; "I have done all in my power to prevent any loss of time in affording assistance to the unfortunate and destitute fugitives in Syria. I left my dear Judith with great reluctance. I was poorly, my legs swollen, and I had travelled five hundred miles, and this night's journey addeda hundred miles to it. I have not spared any exertions this week to fulfil my duty."
Happily his endeavours to serve the good cause were crowned with success. TheTimes, on the 12th July, under the heading of "The Civil War in Syria," published his letter, of which the following is a copy:—
"Sir,—I have noticed with the deepest sympathy the statement made last evening in the House of Lords that, owing to the recent outbreak in Syria, there are twenty thousand of the Christian inhabitants, including women and children, wandering over its mountains exposed to the utmost peril. Being intimately acquainted with the nature of that country and the condition of its people, I appreciate, I am sorry to say, but too painfully the vast amount of misery that must have been endured, and which is still prevalent."I believe that private benevolence may do something towards the alleviation of the distress of the unhappy multitude now defenceless, homeless, and destitute."I well know, from experience, the philanthropy of my fellow-countrymen, and I venture to think that the public would gladly, and without delay, contribute to the raising of a fund to be applied as circumstances may require, and under judicious management, for the relief of these unfortunate objects of persecution."I would suggest, therefore, that a small, active, and influential committee be at once formed, with the view of raising subscriptions and of placing themselves in communication with the British Consul-General at Beyrout, and the other British Consular authorities throughout Syria, so that assistance may be rendered by the remittance of money and the transmission of necessary supplies; and I take the liberty of enclosing my cheque for £200 towards the proposed fund."Your recent eloquent and judicious advocacy of the cause of the Syrian Christians has encouraged me to address you, and will, I trust, be a sufficient excuse for my so doing.—I have the honour to be, Sir, yours faithfully,"Moses Montefiore.""East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate,July 11th."
"Sir,—I have noticed with the deepest sympathy the statement made last evening in the House of Lords that, owing to the recent outbreak in Syria, there are twenty thousand of the Christian inhabitants, including women and children, wandering over its mountains exposed to the utmost peril. Being intimately acquainted with the nature of that country and the condition of its people, I appreciate, I am sorry to say, but too painfully the vast amount of misery that must have been endured, and which is still prevalent.
"I believe that private benevolence may do something towards the alleviation of the distress of the unhappy multitude now defenceless, homeless, and destitute.
"I well know, from experience, the philanthropy of my fellow-countrymen, and I venture to think that the public would gladly, and without delay, contribute to the raising of a fund to be applied as circumstances may require, and under judicious management, for the relief of these unfortunate objects of persecution.
"I would suggest, therefore, that a small, active, and influential committee be at once formed, with the view of raising subscriptions and of placing themselves in communication with the British Consul-General at Beyrout, and the other British Consular authorities throughout Syria, so that assistance may be rendered by the remittance of money and the transmission of necessary supplies; and I take the liberty of enclosing my cheque for £200 towards the proposed fund.
"Your recent eloquent and judicious advocacy of the cause of the Syrian Christians has encouraged me to address you, and will, I trust, be a sufficient excuse for my so doing.—I have the honour to be, Sir, yours faithfully,
"Moses Montefiore."
"East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate,July 11th."
July 27th.—Sir Culling E. Eardly and Sir James Fergusson apprised Mr N. Moore, Consul-General at Beyrout, of the formation of the British Syrian Relief Committee. Lord Palmerston, Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, Lord John Russell, Lord Overstone, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Sir Moses Montefiore, Mr A. P. Kennard, Baron Rothschild, and many others were contributors to the fund.
"We have already," the honorary secretaries write, "by the kindness of Lord Wodehouse, Under Secretary of State, sent you a telegraphic message through the Foreign Office, authorising you to draw upon us for £1000."
The Committee included the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir Moses Montefiore, the Lord Mayor of London, the Earl ofMalmesbury, Lord Stanley, M.P., Baron Rothschild, the Bishop of London, Sir Charles Napier, M.P., Mr Austen Layard, &c.
August 1st.—We find Lord Stratford de Redcliffe acting as President, and Sir Moses Montefiore as Chairman, of the Executive Committee of the British Syrian Relief Fund.
Sir Moses, when in England, attended almost all the meetings, and continued to be one of the most active members until the year before his death, when he and Mr H. W. Freeland were the only trustees of the fund. The amount left with their bankers at that time was £180. The Committee in London was assisted by a Committee in Beyrout, under the Presidency of Mr N. Moore, the British Consul-General. They also had the co-operation of Mr Consul Brant in Damascus. Much good was accomplished. By the end of August £7500 had already been remitted for distribution among the sufferers.
Circulars were issued to the leading Jews of Europe, accompanied by copies of an address of the Chief Rabbi to the Jewish community at large, and the result was a generous contribution to the Fund.
The English and French Governments intervened, and a convention was signed at Paris, twelve thousand men to be sent by France.
Fuad Pasha, in the same month, proceeded to Damascus, and severely punished the Mohammedans implicated in the massacres; 160 of all ranks, including the Governor, were executed.
General Hautpoul, at the head of four thousand French soldiers, landed at Beyrout; and there was every reason to hope that peace would soon be restored, and that all feeling of animosity among the various nationalities would cease.
August 8th.—Sir Moses presided at a meeting of the Morocco Committee, and agreed to send a commissioner to Morocco, who was to visit several of the principal towns on the coast, and to report on the state of the Jews and their wants, so that the money the Committee had on hand might be applied to the best advantage of the Israelites in that country.
August 9th.—Having received distressing accounts from Persia regarding the unfortunate state of the Jews in that country, he addressed Lord John Russell on the subject, and in his capacity as President of the Board of Deputies of theBritish Jews, sent him a copy of the communications from Hamadan, and entreated the kind offices of the British Government to protect the Jews of that city.
August 14th.—He received a requisition to call a meeting of the Board of Deputies to consider the best means to be taken to effect the removal of the inscription on the marble slab in the church of the Capuchins at Damascus, accusing the Jews of the assassination of Father Tomaso.
The moment, it was believed, would be most favourable for another attempt in this direction.
Sir Moses having endeavoured for so many years to obtain the removal of the same, he was very willing to assist, and to determine on the best means to be adopted to accomplish the object in view.
August 28th.—At a Court of the Irish Bank Sir Moses advocated the cause of an orphan child of one of the oldest clerks in the Bank, who had held his situation thirty-five years, and who had died a fortnight since, his widow following him a few days afterwards. They left an only child, a daughter, who had an admirable character, and was very clever, and Sir Moses appealed to the Board to deal liberally, and give her some substantial support.
August 29th.—In accordance with an arrangement for carrying out the instructions regarding the Touro Almshouses, Mr Kursheedt took leave of Sir Moses, the latter repeating to him all the conversation they had on that subject at Brighton in the presence of the Chief Rabbi, with the request that he would endeavour to do his best in the interest of the Trust.
September 1st.—The Turkish Ambassador in London made a communication to Sir Moses regarding the persecution of the Jews at Bagdad, which by the intercession of the Turkish Government had happily ceased.
Sir Moses was highly pleased, and would have gone to town on purpose to thank his Excellency for the good tidings, but the state of Lady Montefiore's health caused him much anxiety, and prevented him from doing so.
She passed night after night in a state of restlessness and pain, and her medical advisers in Ramsgate and London strongly urged that she should pass the winter in a warmer climate.
Accordingly, September 20th, Sir Moses wrote to DrHodgkin, 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.