Page 108 - The Track Of The Jew Through The Ages - Alfred Rosenberg

The Track of the Jew through the Ages

the Jewish policy. As today, then too major politics was already
being conducted in the Jewish salons ofBerlin. An especially striking
172
one was that of Henriette Herz. Here diplomats of all countries
met, here Mirabeau made the acquaintance of the German stooge
Dohm. Mirabeau had "pressing reasons" to be enthusiastic about
the Jews, wrote even a work on Jewish reforms and stood in the
National Assembly as their representative.
What was the use of the Alsatian Rewbell 173 pointing out
that one could not solve the Jewish question through clauses, he
was thrust aside.
Indeed, when he wanted to speak in a further sitting against
the false consideration of the Jewish question (it had been once
again discussed purely in the domain ofreligion), he was cried down
by Regnault, 174 one of the petitioners: "I demand that all be called
to order who wish to speak against this proposition (of the Jewish
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emancipation) for thereby the Constitution itself is attacked".
Rewbell however did not give up the matter as lost and, in
one of the next sittings, he recounted the monstrous usury of the
Jews in Alsace.
He spoke about the assets of the inhabitants which did not
amount to more than 3 million, who however were burdened with
15 million in debts, of which 12 million purely usurious, about the
plundering of many families, etc. In vain, the clause won. 176

172
[Henriette Herz (1764-1847) was a Jewish socialite whose salon in Berlin was
attended by many of the best German literary and philosophical figures of the age.
Under the influence of Friedrich Schleiermacher she converted to Protestantism.]
173
[Jean-Francois Rewbell (1747-1807) was a French lawyer who distinguished
himself in the National Constituent Assembly by his oratory and support of reforms
though he opposed the granting of citizenship rights to Alsatian Jews.]
174
[Michel-Louis Etienne, Count Regnault de St. Jean d'Angely (1761-1 819) was
a member of the National Constituent Assembly which lasted from 1789 to 1791
and a liberal who sought to reconcile the new ideas of the age with monarchical
ones.]
175
Hallez, Les Juifs en France, Paris, 1 845, p. 1 74. [Theophile Hallez, Des Juifs
en France: De lew etat moral etpolitique depuis lespremiers temps de la monarchic
jusqu 'a nosjours. Hallez was a lawyer who criticised the segregation of the Jews
but blamed the Jews themselves for this condition.]
176
Hallez, op.cit., p. 176.
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