No. 41.
Mr. Jay
to Mr. Fish.
Vienna, August 31, 1872. (Received October 23.)
Sir: I have delayed my reply to your dispatch No. 228, dated 22d July, in reference to the Israelites in Roumania, on account of the absence of his excellency the Count Andrassy at his estates in Hungary.
The count returned a few days since, and on the 29th instant I had a conversation with him on the subject. I advised his excellency that it had been suggested to the department, and that the suggestion was [Page 63] concurred in, that it was proper that the sympathy entertained in America for the inhumanly-persecuted Jews in the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia should be made known to the imperial and royal government as one of the protecting powers who were authorized to act in the matter under the treaty between certain European States. That while the United States were not a party to that instrument, and as a rule scrupulously abstain from interfering directly or indirectly in the public affairs of that quarter, the grievance adverted to is so enormous as to impart to it, as it were, a cosmopolitan character, in the redress of which all countries, governments, and creeds are alike interested, and that I would be glad to be able to advise you what was the present position of the question, and what steps, if any, were being taken for the protection of the Israelites.
His excellency said that a joint note was addressed some time since to the Roumanian government on the subject of the treatment of the Jews, in which Austria had united with the other powers.
The English government had recently proposed a further demand for the extension of their rights; but the construction upon which it was based was regarded as somewhat doubtful.
The question was attended with difficulties. To the general expression by the powers of the world that the ill-treatment of the Israelites in Roumania was unworthy of a civilized people, and that its continuance would lower the power by which it was tolerated, and assign it a position among the less civilized and enlightened nations, there could be no objection. Such an expression of opinion, whether on the part of Europe or America, would be proper and would undoubtedly have an influence. But in view of the actual state of the government of Roumania, of the attitude of the opposing parties, and of the prejudices of the people, which neutralized in such cases the power of the government by the right of trial by jury, the question of foreign intervention was one of extreme delicacy; and so far from accomplishing the desired object, an intervention might result in diminishing the ability of the government and in subjecting the Israelites to increased prejudice and further persecution.
The Prince of Roumania was known to be in favor of securing to them protection, and every effort of his government in this direction would be rather hampered than assisted by foreign intervention, for the reason that such intervention would give new strength to the opposition, and enable them to raise the cry that the government was administered by foreign influence, and had ceased to deserve the confidence of the people; and while the government was thus thwarted in its efforts to protect the Israelites, they would be more than ever exposed to insult and abuse, as the indirect cause of foreign interference in the affairs of the nation.
Such was the prejudice against them in parts of the country, that, as a ral thing, juries would not convict the perpetrators of outrages against them, however clear the evidence; and when the crimes were thus ignored by juries, the government was powerless to punish.
At the present time, with the disposition of the government to deal justly by the Israelites as far as they could accomplish it, and with the idea now beginning to prevail that the attention of the civilized world was aroused, and that any recurrence of the ill-treatment of the Israelites would be viewed with displeasure, and might result in foreign difficulties, there was reason to hope that they would not be repeated, and that there would be a gradual amelioration of their condition.
I have, &c,