Letter
- Title
- Letter
- Location(s)
- Philadelphia
- Format
- Letter. 7 page(s) on 7 sheet(s).
- Legal
- Type
- Letter
- Language(s)
- English
- Physical Characteristics
- Manuscript
- Is Part Of
- The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries
- http://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124516100
- content
-
1
He “One who endeavors Hebrew to perpetrate an untenable assertion should be careful in keeping his testim-ony at a respectable distance.”
As this maxim is entirely Rabbinical and as Dr Mayer of Charleston SC is strenously oposed to the Talmud he has but proved himself consistent in refusing to obey the above salutory lesson. Now Dr Mayer has recently made certain assertions which are in direct keeping with his whole ?—that is he has made assert-ions under the impression of receiving an some credit from the public for his sincerity and extreme gent-lemany conduct, but has unfortunately forgotten to keep at that the testimony against him is at no great distance, coming for the like the ghost of Hamlet, and Shakespear's Ghosts to denounce the guilty Richard.
The learned, consistent, and veracious, and undeviating, brave, independent, Honest, serious, sincere, honorable, gentlemanly, courteous, and above all Pious, Mayer, who has declined answering its me because I have not treated him personally offensive the subject on which I have written in the Occident ? “in a dignified and becoming man new”
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and because I have “descended to sarcasam and personalities, instead of keeping the subject above in view”
Well there is some thing reasonable in this and his friends will of course give him credit for the little tact he has at once displayed in creeping out of an awkward position. but So far no good, but unfortunately the Dr has spilt his broth, and spoilt his clean shirt too, and instead of presenting the appearance of the modest and amiable young gentleman, who only addresses himself to the respectable and the elite, has dropped his outer robe, and we see him in his true light.
The Dr complains of personalities but look here, ? “Seeing however that from his continuation in the same strain number of your valuable magazine that he deemed it proper to adopt such a course, which no man of principle and self respect can approve of I have come to the determination herewith to retract my promise and leave Mr Jacobs in the undisputed possession of the field.” Ho ho, this is the genteel mode in which an antagonist is to be treated S, Good. The Dr complains of personalities in one line, and in the next letter a complete lesson from Bilimagate denouncing his opponent in language which fully shows, the kind of metal
3
society in which the Dr has been reared. It is certainly evident that the Dr did not think of the Talmudical maxim when he wrote his pice against me. But the Dr. has forgotten some other evidences which rise up against him He looses sight of one thing, that he can stated after the appearance of my first article that he would answer me at the conclusion of my argument. Was that article also distaled? by perso in an undignified and unbecoming manner? If so why did he notice it at all? Why or if he did at Why Or why did he not if he thought that also offensive characterise it as such and say we will not reply to Mr Jacobs for the same reasons that he has furnished in the Feby number. Now it becomes extremely ludic-rous for the Dr in the face of his own declaration that he would answer, try now to think the quest-ion by remarks and reflections on the style of his opponents writing The Dr has no alternative left him but He can not say nothing against that the first article in was personally offensive and therefore will not answer it for his own words stand patint? against him.
4
Supposing I had not written another line after the first, was he not bound to reply thereto after what he said about replying in plain household words”? Where is that the is the answer in plain household words? Perhaps the Dr meant what he has written last in the Occident as “plain household words” for there & it must be conf confessed he has written very plainly and has shown the kind of “household words” to which he has been early doubtlessly accustomed from his youth.
Again I say the Dr has not paid any mention to the Rabbinical maxim which forms the heading of this article. He forgets what he said to in the Asmonian when he proposed the startling question, “Is Dr Wise a Traitor”? He therein censures those who will not notice an antagonist & ? they may be beneath their notice. How does this accord with his present attitude towards me? Am I so infinitely beneath his august notice so that he wont on any account turn a single glance at me? Oh O? Dr if it be only for once in the way—dont be so harsh upon a weak antagonist. The great should always look down on the lowly and humble, you know that
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the first great Jewish Reformer a man who is much esteemed by modern Pietists, mingled with fish-ermen, and said Oh little chil-dren come ye unto me”, The ? the humble shoul truly great should not scorn their inferiors. Nor should those who are refined and honorable, sincere and filled “with a high regard for our holy religion” speak so much of “hypocrisy and inconsistency” among the Orthodox— nor speak of person's lives “whose every day life is a glaring contradiction to and a most bear faced disavowal of their religious proff professions” for these are all naughty words, and which are calculated to raise the ire and wrauth of some folks, and good, and sincere, and gentlemanly and honorable preachers should, rather ben bend their meek backs and bear the load of contum-ely and ? bestowed on them by the ignorant and the law than to retort in words which some uncharatable people might be disposed to say belie the grand-iloquent sentiments that make their ostentatious appearance now and then in the articles of our esteemed friend the Dr.
Again the Dr I say the Dr has not paid any attention to the Rabbinical maxim which forms the heading of this article
6
The Dr cannot have forgotten (no no he must have done so his memory I fear is like his views) what the Rev I Leeser said in the last January member of his Monthly in answer to his comp-laint about some thing that transp-ired in reference to our Dr the former Mr Leeser said that he if he found any thing personally offensive on in any paper sent to him he would ? run his pen throug the objectionable passage—and he likewise remarked that those who wished something spicy better look for it in other papers.
Now after such a declaration from Mr Leeser a gentleman proverbial for being punctual to his promise, is it not ridiculous for Dr Mayer to complain of personal-=ities &c in my letters? Why either they could have contained nothing improper when addressed to Mr Leeser or he kept his word and applied the pruning knife to the ungentlemanly parts. If neither then the Dr better bring his charge also against Mr. Leeser also, what an awful calamity that will be. How will the paper get on after it shall have received the withering denunciation of Dr Mayer
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Again I say the Dr has not bestowed any attention on the Talmudic maxim with which I have headed this article. He forgets that for three years long he has been assailing, maligning, abusing, and insulting the Orthodox Religion, in the most vulgar style. The Talmud, and the sacred principles which it teaches, the life spirit which it has given to its v? all these has he dared by recently to stigmatize in the columns of the Asmonean by the insolent name of strait jacket. Yes he calls a whole nation madmen, concoted a sickening and revolting Simile, paper an odius remark upon the whole house of Israel, calls them cheats and robbers, insults the belief of old and young, ploys the hypocrite himself by denying a belief in the Kabala which he insults the dead by marching round them seven times repeating a hymn in which he invokes the angels to receive the soul—at the same time laughing at the folly of the Orthodox for believing in such follies nonsense and then has the effrontery to say, “We have too much res high a regard for our holy religion whether it presents itself in the shape of reform or Orthodoxy, as long as we see sincerity, honesty, and consistency, manifested to treat it with sarcasm or ridicule. For three years long has he been indulging, his in malignity, and - Identifier
- LSDCBx9FF16_10
Part of Letter
“Letter”, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 29, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/65794