Chapter XLVII

1847.

THE CZAR'S REPLY TO SIR MOSES' REPRESENTATIONS--COUNT OUVAROFF'S VIEWS--SIR MOSES AGAIN WRITES TO COUNT KISSELEFF--SIR MOSES IS CREATED A BARONET.

The reports given in the foregoing chapters were forwarded to Lord Bloomfield, the British Ambassador at St Petersburg, who in letter dated January 3rd, 1847, informed Sir Moses that he had forwarded them to their respective addresses. Lord Bloomfield, having read the reports, adds: "I need scarcely assure you that I have perused them with great interest, and have gleaned much useful information from this result of your labours."

Count Kisseleff prefaces his reply to Sir Moses, dated November 5th, 1847, with the following words:--

"Monsieur,--J'ai en l'honneur de recevoir les deux
memoires que vous avez bien voulu m'adresser en date du 10
Novembre dernier (1846) sur la situation des Israelites de
l'Empire et du Royaume de Pologne. L'une et l'autre de ces
pieces out ete placees sous les yeux de l'Empereur, et Sa
Majeste Imperiale, appreciant les sentimens de
philantropie qui les out dictees, a daigne a cette
occasion exprimer une fois de plus tout l'interet qu' Elle
porte a Ses sujets Israelites, dont le bien-etre et
l'avancement moral ne cesseront d'etre l'objet de sa
constante sollicitude.

"Vos deux memoires seront portes, par ordre de l'Empereur,
a la connaissance du Comite, et serviront a appeler son
attention sur differens details. Cette disposition vous
prouvera, combien Sa Majeste Imperiale s'est plue a rendre
justice aux intentions qui ont dicte votre travail et a
l'esprit dans lequel il est concu.

"Agreez, Monsieur, l'assurance de ma consideration
distinguee,

"Le Cte. de Kisseleff."

(_Translation._)

"Sir,--I have had the honour to receive the two memorials
which you addressed to me on the 10th of November last
(1846) respecting the situation of the Israelites in the
Empire and in the Kingdom of Poland.

"Both documents have been placed before the Emperor, and
His Imperial Majesty, appreciating the feelings of
humanity which have dictated them, has been pleased to
express once more the interest which he takes in his
Israelite subjects, whose welfare and moral advancement
will not cease to be the object of his constant
solicitude.

"Your two memorials will be brought to the knowledge of
the Committee, by order of the Emperor, and they will
serve to direct its attention to various details. This
proceeding will show you how much His Imperial Majesty has
been pleased to do justice to the intentions which have
dictated your labour, and to the spirit in which it has
been conceived.--I have the honour to be, &c.,

"Count Kisseleff."

Count Ouvaroff, the Minister of Public Instruction, acknowledged the receipt of the report addressed to him as follows:--

"Monsieur,--J'ai recu la lettre que vous m'avez fait
l'honneur de m'adresser en date du 10 Novembre 1846. Vos
observations, sur l'etat, de nos ecoles Israelites,
m'ont vivement interesse, et je vous sais gre de les
juger favorablement car ce ne sont que les premiers
commencements, d'une ere nouvelle dans l'education de
vos correligionaires en Russie. Il est cependant permis
d'esperer que l'organisation des fonds, specialement
destines a cet effet, nous applanira la voie des
ameliorations desirees.

"Quant a votre sollicitude sur l'education religieuse
des Israelites, vous connaissez, Monsieur, mes
sentiments a cet egard et vous avez pu apprecier
vous-meme le soin, avec lequel on evite dans nos
reglements scolaires tout ce qui pourvait choquer, leurs
moeurs on exciter leur susceptibilite religieuse.

"Agreez, Monsieur, l'assurance de ma consideration
distinguee.

"Le Cte. Ouvaroff."

"St Petersbourg,
"_ce 26 Fevrier_
_______________
"_10 Mars 1847._"

(_Translation._)

"Sir,--I have received the letter which you did
me the honour to address to me under date of November
10th, 1846.

"Your observations on the state of our Israelite schools
have greatly interested me, and I thank you for
expressing a favourable opinion of them, as they are
only the first beginning of a new era in the education
of your co-religionists in Russia. But we may be
permitted to hope that the organisation of the funds
specially intended for this purpose will smooth the way
to the desired improvements.

"With regard to your solicitude about the religious
education of the Israelites, you know my feeling with
regard to this matter, and you were able to judge for
yourself of the care we take to avoid in our school
regulation all that could give offence to their
observances or awaken their religious susceptibilities."

(Signed) "Count Ouvaroff."

Sir Moses, with a view of both conveying his gratitude to the Ministers for their very courteous communications and of making an additional effort to impress on their minds the object of his visit to Russia, addressed each of them again in a special letter. To Count Kisseleff he wrote (1848):--

"May it please your Excellency,--I have had the honour
to receive, through the kindness of Baron Brunnow, your
Excellency's esteemed favour of the 5th November last,
the contents of which were highly gratifying to me.

"I was delighted to learn that the reports (in which, by
His Imperial Majesty's gracious permission, I was
enabled to represent the condition of the Russian and
Polish subjects of His Imperial Majesty professing the
Jewish faith) had come under the personal notice of the
Emperor, that on that occasion His Imperial Majesty was
pleased to reiterate his anxious desire to promote the
welfare of his Jewish subjects, and that by His Imperial
Majesty's directions, these reports would be submitted
to the consideration of the Committee specially
appointed to investigate the state of the Jews in the
vast Empire of His Imperial Majesty, so that the
attention of the Committee might be called to the
several details contained in such reports. These
evidences of His Imperial Majesty's paternal solicitude
have made a deep impression on my heart, and cannot fail
to be gratefully appreciated by every friend of
humanity.

"The sentiments which your Excellency has been pleased
to express in the name of the Emperor, fully confirm the
high opinion of His Majesty's exalted principles,
entertained by myself in common with all who have had
the good fortune to visit the numerous nations living
under His Majesty's benignant sway.

"I notice with sincerest satisfaction that the
honourable committee in question have at present under
consideration a measure to facilitate the presence of my
co-religionists, for commercial purposes, in the
capitals of Russia, and also the allowance of the
privilege to cultivate land in the vicinity of Christian
settlements.

"These acts of His Majesty's high favour cannot fail to
elevate the commercial standing of His Majesty's Jewish
subjects, and by affording them still greater
encouragement, to the maintenance of social intercourse
with their fellow countrymen of other religious
denominations, must necessarily lead to the improvement
of all as citizens of one great Empire.

"I am confidently convinced that my brethren in Russia
and Poland understand and appreciate the benevolent
intentions of His Imperial Majesty; that they feel
assured that the Emperor's sole object is to improve
their condition, and that they are impressed with the
conviction that their truest wisdom will be to acquiesce
cheerfully in the measures designed for their welfare by
their powerful and enlightened Sovereign, and to adopt
with alacrity the course which, in his paternal care,
His Majesty may direct.

"The gracious reception which His Imperial Majesty has
already given to my reports, emboldens me to hope that
the existing restrictions calculated to impede the
well-being of my Russian brethren will be speedily
removed. By this means I feel assured will not only
their happiness and prosperity be promoted, but their
character as good, useful, and most loyal subjects will
be abundantly testified.

"I trust that the documents to which I have referred
will satisfy the Committee that the Israelites of His
Majesty's Empire are not of an idle disposition, but, on
the contrary, most of them are anxious to cultivate
land, and even pray for such occupation, and that under
the fostering protection of His Imperial Majesty they
will gladly apply themselves to industrial pursuits.

"On the whole, my heart is filled with hope that the
honourable and distinguished Committee will take into
consideration, the circumstances of extreme misery in
which the great body of Israelites in His Majesty's
Empire is placed, and that the Committee will kindly and
speedily proceed to the arduous, but noble and sacred,
task of carrying out the intentions of His Imperial
Majesty to a most happy and glorious conclusion.

"In fine I beg to express to your Excellency my
sincerest acknowledgments for the kind and condescending
manner in which your Excellency was pleased to convey
to me your very gratifying communication; and with
fervent prayers that your Excellency may soon find the
happy opportunity of signifying to me some good tidings
of the progress which may have been made in the further
extension of His Imperial Majesty's favour to my
brethren, I have the honour to remain, with the most
profound respect, your Excellency's humble servant,

(Signed) "Moses Montefiore."

We now return to the diary of 1846, in the entries of which, from June 20th to the end of the year, we find a succession of pleasing evidences of the motives which prompted him and Lady Montefiore to undertake the journey to Russia.

In an interview which he had with Sir Robert Peel, the latter told him that he would be happy to do everything, either privately or publicly, to forward his benevolent objects; that he would write to Count Nesselrode to say that he had seen the favourable impression made on the public mind by Sir Moses' report of the promises made to him; and that, if His Excellency rightly valued its effect, those promises would in the result be confirmed by their strict fulfilment.

_June 28th._--Sir Robert conveyed to Sir Moses, in a letter dated from Osborne, Isle of Wight, the gratifying news that Her Majesty had conferred on him the dignity of Baronet of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

"I have the satisfaction of acquainting you," he writes, "that the Queen has been graciously pleased to confer on you the dignity of a baronet. This mark of Royal favour is bestowed upon you in consideration of your high character and eminent position in the ranks of a loyal and estimable class of Her Majesty's subjects agreeing with you in religious profession, and in the hope that it may aid your truly benevolent efforts to improve the social condition of the Jews in other countries by temperate appeals to the justice and humanity of their rulers."

The honour thereby conferred on Sir Moses by Her Majesty was not only a cause of great happiness to himself, individually, but also a source of the highest gratification to all his brethren in the British Empire and on the continent, inasmuch as it undoubtedly manifested Her Majesty's solicitude for the welfare of all the Jews in other parts of the world.

A deputation from the elders of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews Synagogue, headed by their President, Mr Hananel de Castro, waited on Sir Moses to request, in the name of their co-religionists, that he would sit for his portrait, to be placed in the Vestry-room, to which he consented.

Sir George Hamilton, whom he had requested, when at Berlin, to present a petition to the King of Prussia in favour of the Jews at Krakau, informs him (June 12th) that, when dining with his Majesty at Sans Souci, he had an opportunity of speaking to him on the subject which Sir Moses had entreated him to explain to His Majesty. "The King," he wrote, "was very gracious on the occasion;" and he sent to His Majesty the petition prepared by Sir Moses. The King regretted very much not to have seen him at Berlin, and wished Sir Moses could have remained there until his return.

The good offices rendered by Sir George in engaging His Majesty's favourable consideration on the subject became a cause of much happiness to Sir Moses.

_July 11th._--He attended the Lord Mayor's grand entertainment given to His Highness Ibrahim Pasha. His Lordship introduced him to the latter before dinner, and proposed his health to the company, which was extremely well received.

Sir Moses concludes his diary for the year with expressions of deep gratitude to Heaven for all mercies bestowed on him and his affectionate consort.

END OF VOL. I.

Transcriber's Note:

Some Hebrew text has been transliterated into Latin characters if one was not already provided. These passages are marked with [Hebrew] where they occur.