the obnoxious teachings of the
Talmud, "the Jews cannot but regard their presence in any other land
except Palestine as a sojourn in captivity," and "they are held to obey
their own authorities rather than a strange government." This explains
"the omnipotence of the Kahals," which, contrary to the law of the
state, employ secret means to uphold their autonomous authority both in
communal and judicial matters, using for this purpose the uncontrolled
sums of the special Jewish revenue, the meat tax. The education of the
Jewish youth is entrusted to melammeds, "a class of domestic teachers
immersed in profoundest ignorance and superstition," and, "under the
influence of these fanatics, the children imbibe pernicious notions of
intolerance towards other nations." Finally, the special dress worn by
the Jews helps to keep them apart from the surrounding Christian
population.

The Russian Government "had adopted a series of protective measures
against the Jews," without producing any marked effect. Even the
Conscription Statute "had succeeded to a limited extent only in altering
the habits of the Jews." Mere promotion of agriculture and of Russian
schooling had been found inadequate. The expulsions from the villages
had proved equally fruitless; "the Jews, to be sure, have been ruined,
but the condition of the rustics has shown no improvement."

It is evident, therefore--the Council declares--that restrictions
which go only half way or are externally imposed by the police are
not sufficient to direct this huge mass of people towards useful
occupations. With the patience of martyrs the Jews of Western Europe
had endured the most atrocious persecutions, and had yet succeeded
in keeping their national type intact until the governments took the
trouble to inquire more deeply into the causes separating the Jews
from general civic life, so as to be able to attack the causes
themselves.

After blurting out the truth that the Government's ultimate aim was the
obliteration of the Jewish individuality, and modestly yielding the palm
in inflicting "the most atrocious persecutions" upon the Jews to Western
Europe, where after all they were receding into the past, while in
Russia they were still the order of the day, the Council of State
proceeds to consider "the example set by foreign countries," and lingers
with particular affection over the Prussian Regulation of 1797 issued by
that country for its recently occupied