OUR ST. PETERSBURG LETTER.

ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 24. 1884

. . . .

It is impossible to read without disgust and indignation the articles published by the hero of Slavonophilism in this paper (the Rous ) against the " Alliance Israelite Universelle." The purpose of these edifying articles is clearly to set the ignoramuses who read this paper against the Jews, and excite the people to fresh violence. In any other country but Holy Russia a publicist would be prosecuted for filling his paper with the most impudent lies, exaggerations and falsifications. In the Novoi Vremia of this morning this article is almost entirely reprinted, as anything against the Jews is always seized upon with delight by the editor of this paper, though it has no particular colour and tendency whatever. Mr Axakoff accuses the "Alliance Israelite " of existing but for the purpose of exterminating sooner or later, all the Christians—Catholic, Protestant, and orthodox that all the riches of the earth will and must belong to the Jews, that other nations will be their slaves and other absurdities too ridiculous to be repeated. The Novoi Vremia accepts all this for pure unadulterated truth and launches forth into the most touching and pathetic appeals to Christians in general and orthodox Greeks in particular to save themselves in time from the all absorbing monster of Judaism. The Novosts, however, being a Liberal gazette took the trouble to make some investigations and discovered that Mr. Axakoffs quotations from the speech of the defunct president of the society in question, M. Cremier, are from the first word to the last inventions and falsifications. The society of the "Alliance Israelite," whose members are almost all scientific men and distinguished persons of different nations, never professed since its foundation to this day any but sentiments which would become any Christian indeed, a great many of its members are Christians and Mr. Arakoff would do well to try and improve his mind a little and add to his wofully scanty stock of general information. But for the editor of the Rous all means are good to attain his desired end, i.e. that of exciting the Russian people against the Israelites whose presence in the country he considers a serious obstacle to the development of the national qualities of the moujik. I affirm that such an appeal to the passions of the multitude will do more harm than an army of supposed Nihilists. It is fortunate that there have been people ready to unmask these false statements, and set the truth before the eyes at least of the St. Petersburg public. But in the interior M. Axakoffs article will produce its effort and do its work.

smh 1894,