_Traveller._ - "Admitting The Curse Pronounced Here Was Right, That Ham
And Canaan Were The Progenitors Of The African Negroes, And That The
Curse Was To Be Extended To All Generations Of Africa - Are These Reasons
Why The All-Merciful Deity Will Hold Man Guiltless Who Enslaves And
Maltreats Poor Africans?
Now, the Jews have been dispersed all over the
world, and maltreated, if not enslaved, by both Christians and
Mahometans (as now) according to prophecy, but will God hold us
guiltless for persecuting or maltreating you, Jews?"
_The Rabbi_. - "But we are the slaves of God, not of you Christians, and
besides, we are commanded to treat well our slaves in the Scriptures."
Here he quoted many passages from the Pentateuch.
Then followed a desultory conversation, some asserting "that inasmuch as
the slavery of the whites was permitted by God, how much more right had
they to enslave blacks who were the servants of servants!" Others even
added, "If we were Sovereigns of Morocco, we should make slaves of both
Mahometans and Christians." This indeed is the genuine feeling of
Barbary Jews; oppression begets oppression, and wrong begets revenge.
Another observed, "If you ask me what I think as a British subject, and
not as a Jew, I will give you my opinion against slavery."
Such distinctions in morals are not easily admissable, but the Jews
there are acute enough to make them, and are as good Jesuits as those of
Rome. Some cited the cavtivity of Joseph us, as a reason for carrying on
the slave-trade.
On another occasion, I had a conversation with Hassan Yousef, the High
Priest, or Archbishop, as Captain Phillips calls him. The Chief Priest
acknowledged that he who stole a man, whether white or black, was
condemned to death, according to the fair interpretation of the Mosaic
law. He and all Jews were much astonished at the tenor of Lord
Brougham's Act, and got not a little frightened; for all the merchants
of Mogador, Christians and Jews, more or less aid and abet the
slave-trade, all having connections with slave-dealers. At length, our
Jewish Archbishop opined. "Well, well, it is better now, since the
Christians have put down slavery in most of their countries, that we
Jews should follow their example."
It would be useful, and might subserve the cause of civilization, were
the Jews of Europe to take some means of enlightening their brethren of
North Africa on the question of slavery. The Israelites, who have
suffered so much from slavery and oppression, after becoming free
themselves, should endeavour to emancipate those who are still in the
chains of bondage.
The Hhaha levies were about to return to their country; the disposable
force of this province is about 70,000. The troops from Shedma were to
come in after the departure of those of Hhaha. Government were afraid to
bring both together, lest they should fight among themselves. Alluding
to the quarrel of their Sultan with the French, these hostile tribes
mutter to each other, "We must kill our own French first;" that is to
say their own "hereditary enemies."
I went out to see the two levies.
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