this he
did in two elaborate memoirs, one describing the situation of the Jews,
and the other embodying a scheme under which they might be invested with
civil rights. To this he added a short memorandum drawn up at his
request by Dohm, the veteran champion of the Jews, who came to Aix for
that special purpose. By command of the Tsar, these documents were
presented to the Congress at its sitting on November 21, 1818, and were
made the subject of a special Protocol, in which sympathy was expressed
for "the praiseworthy object of his proposals." The plenipotentiaries
further declared that the solution of the Jewish Question was a matter
which should "equally occupy the statesman and the friend of
humanity."[20] It is interesting to note that in his scheme Way
declares himself to be a believer in Jewish Nationalism, and it is for
this reason that he does not ask for more than civil rights for the
Jews, as he regards their exile in Europe as an intermediate stage of
their history. In this he was probably influenced by the prevalent
anti-French atmosphere, inasmuch as the French Jews, in their compact
with Napoleon, made by the Sanhedrin in 1806, had solemnly repudiated
Jewish Nationalism, and had thus rendered themselves eligible for
political, as well as civil, rights.[21]

DOCUMENT.

For the texts of the documents referred to above see "Memoires sur
l'etat des Israelites, dedies et presentes a leur Majestes Imperiales et
Royales, Reunies au Congres d'Aix-la-Chapelle" [by the Rev. Lewis Way,
A.M.], Paris, 1819.

The Protocol of the Congress at which these "Memoires" were considered
runs as follows:--

* * * * *

PROTOCOLE.

_Seance du 21 Novembre, 1818._ _Entre les cinq Cabinets._

Messieurs les SS. de Russie ont communique l'imprime ci-joint, relatif a
une reforme dans la legislation civile et politique en ce qui concerne
la nation juive. La conference, sans entrer absolument dans toutes les
vues de l'auteur de cette piece, a rendu justice a la tendance generale
et au but louable de ses propositions. MM. les SS. d'Autriche et de
Prusse se sont declares prets a donner, sur l'etat de la question dans
les deux monarchies, tous les eclaircissements qui pourraient servir a
la solution d'un probleme qui doit egalement occuper l'homme d'etat et
l'ami de l'humanite.

Signe: METTERNICH.
RICHELIEU.
CASTLEREAGH.
WELLINGTON.
HARDENBERG.