NOTES ON MAJOR AMERICAN OBSERVERS: MARK TWAIN

America has produced some notable observers of their contemporary scenes, but these men and women have not always had their observations available very long. When the focus has been on people or groups who have the power to “stifle” it, the offending observations tend to “vanish” from the face of the Earth.

 Among some sages, who are well-versed in the “ways of the world” and who apply such principles upon every subject, there is the dictum: “the old die; the young forget.” With this in mind I have decided to resurrect some forgotten insights, so that, even though the old die, the young need not be consigned to darkness. Consider:

Samuel L. Clemens was a 19th century American writer who is better known as MARK TWAIN. “In the U.S. Cotton states, after the war…the Jew came down in force, set up shop on the plantation, supplied all the negroes’ wants on credit, and at the end of the season was the proprietor of the negro’s share of the present crop and part of the next one. Before long, the whites detested the Jew.

“The Jew is being legislated out of Russia. The reason is not concealed. The movement was instituted because the Christian peasant stood no chance against his commercial abilities. The Jew was always ready to lend on a crop. When settlement day came, he owned the crop; the next year he owned the farm.

“In the England of John’s time everybody got into debt to the Jew. He gathered all lucrative enterprises into his hands. He was the King of Commerce. He had to be banished from the realm. For like reasons, Spain had to banish him 400 years ago, and Austria a couple of centuries later.

“In all ages Christian Europe has been obliged to curtail his activities. If he entered upon a trade, the Christian had to retire from it. If he set up as a doctor, he took the business. If he exploited agriculture, the other farmers had to get at something else. The law had to step in to save the Christian from the poor-house. Still, almost bereft of employments, he found ways to make money. Even to get rich. This history has a most sordid and practical commercial look. Religious prejudices may account for one part of it, but not for the other nine.

“Protestants have persecuted Catholics–but they did not take their livelihoods away from them. Catholics have persecuted Protestants–but they never closed agriculture and the handicrafts against them. I feel convinced that the Crucifixion has not much to do with the world’s attitude toward the Jews; that the reasons for it are much older than that event…I am convinced that the persecution of the Jew is not in any large degree due to religious prejudice. No, the Jew is a money-getter. He made it the end and aim of his life. He was at it in Rome. He has been at it ever since. His success has made the whole human race his enemy. You will say that the Jew is everywhere numerically feeble. When I read in the Cyclopedia Britannica that the Jewish population in the United States was 250,000 I wrote the editor and explained to him that I was personally acquainted with more Jews than that, and that his figures were without doubt a misprint for 25,000,000. People told me that they had reasons to suspect that for business reasons, many Jews did not report themselves as Jews. It looks plausible. I am strongly of the opinion that we have an immense Jewish population in America. I am assured by men competent to speak that the Jews are exceedingly active in politics….”

> AMERICA’S PROMISE NEWSLETTER, www.amprom.org, June, 2007, citing Harper’s Monthly Magazine (1899), article “Concerning the Jews.”

Note: “Twain’s opinion on the Jews is probably the best-kept secret in American literary history. Immediately after his death, his eccentric daughter Clara married-or was married by-the Jewish piano player, Ossip Gabrilowitsch. Twain’s publishers were given speedy instructions to delete “Concerning the Jews” from the collected works, where it had appeared in the book The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg & Other Stories.” [Emphasis added.]

I believe that I should add a bit more information, as the typical contemporary nonJew is “primed” to suppose that anti-Semitism is being exhibited even when the most banal, factual data is stated. This citation supposes that Mark Twain has not been “tainted” for exhibiting anti-Semitic commentary, but in fact he has been alluded to in this connection. However, whoever is behind the “correction” in regard to Mark Twain’s reputation has apparently decided to use “racism” as the displacement mechanism by which to punish his rather pedestrian observations. If so, then it is not the first time that Black people have been manipulated to do the will of, say, Jews. For his “racism” Mark Twain has been largely banished from the public educational scene.

Nevertheless, I will offer some available data which indicates the reason why Jews have placed such importance on being “money-getters.” Consider”

“Most nonobservant Jews perceive Judaism to be a set of laws relating to blessings, holidays, ansd rituals between man and God. But Judaism is much more than a religion–it is a way of life….A man or woman is not asked first about Sabbath observance, kashrut observance, or even how much charity he or she gave. Rather, it is business ethics that first concerns God. Another talmudic passage indicates that the path to Jewish wisdom can be through the business world. It says that to acquire Jewish wisdom, a person should either study Torah or be involved slightly with business and to become wealthy, he should be totally involved with business and remain honest! The Midrash says that if a person is honest in business, it is considered as if he fulfilled the entire Torah. Another talmudic passage states that if a person desires to be a Torah scholar, he should study Jewish business laws….” [Emphasis added.]

> THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MORAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES, Nachum Amsel, p.29

I believe that this citation offers a fractional explanation for the observed “way of life” which Mark Twain indicated in his own humorous fashion, cited above. There are clear admonishment by learned scholars of the Torah to be ethical, honest businessmen. However, since this seems also at odds both with known Jewish practices and with the “fallen” nature of mankind, it seems to be an exalted level to which to aspire. Also, frankly, there do seem to be schools of thought within Jewry that state a duality which manifests itself by placing Jews on the right side of the Tree of Life [good side] and nonJews on the left side [bad side]. This is an expression indicating Cabala’s influence. To praise The Most High a Jew may be honest and ethical with a nonJew. Then again, he may perceive the nonJew as a glorified beast which has no inherent right to property. Such a perception may lead to “crafty” doings which may result in the ruin of the nonJew.

There are many things which might be offered to round out the picture, but rarely do bad relationships developed between two groups of people intent upon doing that which is good, moral , and ethical.

Downnlaced, 2008.