Part 25 (2/2)

The Pasha had kept his eyes upon him the whole time. Sir Moses, when he had finished, requested that his interpreter might be permitted to read it to His Highness in Turkish. The Pasha said it was too long; he would have it translated, and would then read it and give an answer.

Sir Moses then begged that the heads of the pet.i.tion might be read to him; he repeated, ”It is long, it is long; shall be translated!” Sir Moses then stated that the pet.i.tion referred to the Jews of Damascus, to which the Pasha replied, ”I know it.”

Dr Madden then presented an address of thanks on behalf of the Society for the Abolition of Slavery. The Pasha appeared pleased to be able to turn the conversation from the pet.i.tion, and spoke at considerable length on the subject of slavery. Sir Moses tried, through Colonel Hodges, to bring his business again to the fore. An ineffectual attempt was made several times, when Colonel Hodges said Sir Moses should leave it to him. Before leaving, Sir Moses told His Highness that the English people were looking forward with great anxiety to his answer, for which he would wait on His Highness in two days' time. The Pasha told Sir Moses to come, and he should have it, adding that if it was an affair of justice, and Sir Moses had brought a French advocate with him for that purpose, then this could not be permitted. Upon which Colonel Hodges informed the Pasha that Monsieur Cremieux, though an advocate, had come solely from motives of humanity, and was himself a Jew. Sir Moses, on his return, remarked that nothing could have been less satisfactory than this interview, very different from the two former occasions, when His Highness was most friendly and chatty.

Sir Moses now heard that Monsieur Cochelet, the French Consul, had been with His Highness for an hour and a half on the previous night.

_August 6th._--We had many visitors; the captains of two English war-s.h.i.+ps were of the number, and also Captain Lyons. Sir Moses, on receiving a message from Colonel Hodges, informing him that the Pasha was going to the Delta early on the following morning, immediately went to the Consul. The latter read to him the letter he had sent to the Pasha on the subject of the Jews in Damascus; it could not have been stronger. Sir Moses determined upon going to the Pasha. It was nearly nine when he entered the Palace. His reception was most affable and kind, very different from that of the previous day. Sir Moses said he had heard that His Highness was going away. The Pasha replied that he would be back on Friday.

_August 7th._--Monsieur Laurin sent a message to the effect that the Pasha had told him that he would grant our request. Colonel Hodges called to confer with Sir Moses on the subject.

_August 8th._--The Grand Vizier directed a letter to the Pasha, of which the following is a translation:--

”His Excellency, the Amba.s.sador of Great Britain, to the Sublime Porte, stated in a letter which he presented, that Sir Moses Montefiore, Mr David William Wire, and Dr Madden, English subjects and distinguished members of society, also Mr Adolphe Cremieux and Dr Louis Loewe, form a distinguished deputation to the East, for the purpose of making a thorough investigation respecting the persecutions to which the Jews have been subjected at Damascus and the island of Rhodes. The above-named Amba.s.sador asked that the members of the Deputation should be treated with due respect, and should have every facility afforded them for accomplis.h.i.+ng their mission.

”This is the purpose of my writing to your Highness.

”10 Gema-zil-Akhar, 1256.

”Reouf.”

We attended divine service morning and evening, and received visits from the leading members of the community. Colonel Hodges and Monsieur Laurin conferred a long time with us on the subject of the Mission.

_Monday, August 10th._--Sir Moses, Monsieur Cremieux, Monsieur Munk, Mr Wire, and I went to Monsieur Laurin, who read to us all the papers and despatches respecting the Damascus affair. We remained with him for more than three hours, making notes of all that appeared likely to serve our cause.

From the following letters _subsequently_ addressed to Sir Moses by the Rev. Joseph Marshall, Chaplain of H.M.S. _Castor_, Lieutenant Shadwell of the same s.h.i.+p, and the Rev. Schlientz, of Malta, all referring to their visit to Damascus on the 16th August, in the year 1840, the reader will be able to gather important information respecting the accused.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

1840.

AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS OF THE CIRc.u.mSTANCES ATTENDING THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE JEWS--TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF THE ACCUSED--EVIDENCE OF THEIR INNOCENCE--WITNESSES IN THEIR FAVOUR BASTINADOED TO DEATH.

_Copy of a Letter from the Rev. Joseph Marshall, Chaplain of H.M.S.

”Castor.”_

Sir,--In reference to the enquiries you make concerning your brethren in Damascus, I have much pleasure in informing you, that when I visited that city about the middle of last August, I took considerable pains in making myself acquainted with the nature of the charge preferred against them, the evidence on which it rested, the treatment to which they were exposed. The result of my enquiries I will briefly submit to you.

That two men, the Padre Tommaso and his servant, are missing, is beyond dispute. There is not the least reason to believe that the servant is murdered or dead; there is but little evidence that the Padre has been murdered, and not the slightest that he was murdered by Jews; on the contrary, evidence _a priori_ is entirely in their favour, and that extorted by torture, if fairly considered, is equally so. However, as some others who have visited Damascus have expressed a contrary opinion, I think it necessary to state, in a few words, some of the grounds upon which I establish mine.

I need not allude to their ceremonial and moral law; both are equally abhorrent of the act imputed to them; but perhaps they were fanatics influenced by an inward light stronger than their law. Fanaticism is not usually found among such men as Soloman Murad and Meyer Farki, with their compeers, the leading men of a highly respectable and wealthy community, as was evident from the appearance of their families even in distress. Indeed I was answered by both Moslem and Franks, that the higher order of Jews at Damascus were less to be remarked for enthusiasm than coldness in religion. I have the same authority for believing that worldly compet.i.tions and commercial jealousy made it very improbable that they would unite so closely as the commission of such a crime would imply.

What testimony is there then to overcome these probabilities?

Confession wrung from mortal agony and unsupported by circ.u.mstantial evidence. Their enemies do, to be sure, appeal to certain circ.u.mstances, such as the ident.i.ty of the extorted confession itself: true, I believe it to be so perfectly identical as to lose all character of independence. But there were other circ.u.mstances. There were animal remains found twenty-five days after the Friar had disappeared, in a running sewer in closer proximity to a butcher's stall than to David Arari's house. There was said also to be the mark of fire on the white marble pavement of the same gentleman's court. I saw it not, though the stone was pointed out. This mark, which did not exist, was supposed to be caused by the burning of the Padre's clothes, but there were certain stains on a wall which might be blood; I thought they might be anything else rather. Again, with the aforesaid animal remains there was found a piece of cloth such as might identify it with part of the Friar's cap. Is this circ.u.mstance consistent with the burning of his apparel, or did they spare that part only, which would most easily lead to detection?

But there was another circ.u.mstance much dwelt on, viz., the posting of a notice at the barber's door, at too great a height for the Friar's stature; therefore, evidently the work of a Jew. I can positively say, it was at the natural height for such fixtures, within the reach of any middle-sized person, and with the slightest trouble might be placed there by anyone. But what was the object of the gigantic Jew in posting the advertis.e.m.e.nt at all? He had taken it, it was _supposed_, from the Synagogue door, where it was _supposed_ the Friar had posted it. And for the purpose of destroying all trace of the Friar having been in the Jews' quarter, he transferred it to the barber's door, which was actually within the Jews' quarter. He might, to be sure, have destroyed it and all trace of the Padre at once; but this would have been an expedient too simple for the sagacity of this Hebrew, which appears to have been in an inverse ratio to his bulk.

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