, during the captivity of Babylon, the little kingdom of the Pope
contained 12,700 Jews. We further learn that in 1853, in the teeth of
such reforms, such a shower of benefits, such justice, and such
tolerance, the Israelites in the kingdom were reduced to 9,237. In
other words, 3,463 Jews--more than a quarter of the Jewish
population--had withdrawn from the paternal action of the Holy Father.
Either this people is very ungrateful, or we don't know the whole
state of the case.
While I was at Rome, I had secret inquiries on the subject made of two
notables of the Ghetto. When the poor people heard the object I had in
view in my inquiries, they expressed great alarm. "For Heaven's sake
don't pity us!" they cried.
"Let not the outer world learn through your book that we are
unfortunate--that the Pope shows by his acts how bitterly he
regrets the benefits conferred upon us in 1847--that the
Ghetto is closed by doors invisible, but impassable--and
that our condition is worse than ever! All you say in our
favour will turn against us, and that which you intend for
our good will do us infinite harm."
This is all the information I could obtain as to the treatment of this
persecuted people. It is little enough, but it is something. I found
that their Ghetto, in which some hidden power keeps them shut up just
as in past times, was the foulest and most neglected quarter of the
city, whence I concluded that nothing was done for them by the
municipality.
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