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It is a time-honored custom, that when an Editor appears for the first time
before the public, he is to state something of the course he means to pursue,
and of the subjects he intends laying before his readers. In our case, this is
hardly necessary, since the name of "Jewish Advocate" amply shadows
forth what we mean to devote our pages to the spread of whatever can advance the
cause of our religion, and of promoting the true interest of that people which
has made this religion its profession ever since the days of the great lawgiver,
through whom it was handed down to the nation descended from the stock of
Abraham. But this general view may, perhaps, not be sufficiently detailed for
many whom we would gladly number among our readers; and we will therefore
briefly state our object in assuming the editorship of this new periodical, and
of the course it is our firm determination to pursue.
With regard to our object, we state candidly, that the plan of a religious
periodical did not originate with ourself, nor did me approve of it when it was
first suggested to us. We thought then, and still think, that newspaper
knowledge is at best but superficial; for, to make a paper or magazine really
interesting to the general public, (and for such a one it is our duty to labor
in our present vocation,) much matter must be admitted which is more pleasing in
its nature than instructive, and the variety, which is to be constantly
furnished, will naturally prevent long and continuous articles being given,
although they might be extremely rich in information, even such as the people
stand most in need of. We dreaded, moreover, that despite of the greatest care
which we could bestow, articles might at times gain admission which would be, to
say the least, not very beneficial, if not injurious, in their tendency. Add to
this a well-founded distrust in our own powers of conducting so laborious a work
in a manner satisfactory to ourself (not to mention others), and befitting the
grave object on which it has to treat; and there will be sufficient reason why
we hesitated so long offering our services in a department where it was alleged
by many intelligent persons that our labors might be rendered useful with the
blessing of G-d.
But by degrees it became manifest to us, that the age is more inclined to
receive information in the detached manner in which journals treat the same,
than by the slow process of deep research, which formerly was considered the
road to knowledge; and that, though the stream be in this manner more shallow
than when it flowed between confined banks, still it is diffused over a much
wider space, and penetrates in little rills, branching off from the parent
river, into many a sequestered nook where formerly the waters of science did not
and could not reach. Formerly there were a few great thinkers, whilst the many
were in a measure uninformed; but in our days, the towering giants, who rise
above the whole people in the might of their intellect, like the first king of
Israel did in stature above the nation that he was called upon to govern, are
few, whilst the multitude has a taste for knowledge, and a vast many have made
such progress in science, or useful information, that the charge of general
ignorance with one or more branches of knowledge cannot be urged against them.
We believe it is owing to this fact that so many journals in the various
branches of human knowledge have of late years been started, and what is more,
have won their way to the favor of the public; and no one subject has been more
discussed in this manner than that of the moral sciences. We might cite many
instances to prove this, but we will merely confine ourself to those relating to
our own religion; and of these, besides those unknown to us, and those which
have been suspended, there appear now in Germany the Universal Jewish Gazette,
the Israelite of the Nineteenth Century, and the Orient; in France, the
Israelitish Archives of France, and in England, the Voice of Jacob. We could not
shut our eyes to the consideration that daily there was more demand for a
similar work in this country; and in fact various attempts have been privately
made to carry such a project into effect.
But it may be said with truth, that as yet no feasible plan, nor a competent
editor was offered to satisfy us that it was safe to let such a magazine start
into existence. For, should such a work fall into improper hands, it might be
conducted on principles which the Jewish community ought not to approve of, and
disseminate doctrines which would be injurious to our rising generation. This
reason, then, at length induced us to announce our plan, in the full persuasion,
that, having been so often kindly received by our friends in various
publications, much more so at times than we had any idea of, we should be sure
of a favorable consideration for our well-intended labors, if even they should
fall short of that point of excellence which deserves to be rewarded by the
approbation of a discerning public. Nevertheless, it is with unfeigned
diffidence that we now proceed to execute our plan; knowing, as we do, the
limited extent of our education, and the fact that the greater part of our life
has been devoted to active business or official pursuits, and been interrupted
by several painful attacks of sickness, which have rendered self-improvement by
close study altogether impossible. Moreover, had our days glided along hitherto
ever so happily, and had no interruption been offered to our march in
improvement, we should nevertheless not be able, without being guilty of
unpardonable presumption, to measure ourself with those men of exalted talents,
laborious research, and wonderful acquirements, who have shed so brilliant a
luster on the Jewish name in every part of Germany, France, Holland, and the
Russian and Austrian dominions. We therefore will be compelled to follow our
contemporaries in the old world at a respectful distance, and make use of their
labors, whenever accessible to us, for our own enlightenment and the instruction
of our readers; who may rest assured, that though far behind a Plessner, a
Geiger, a Salomon, a Furst, a Hirsch, a Munk, and a host of others in intellect
and acquirement, we will endeavor to prove that we are not their inferior in an
honest zeal, and an ardent love for our good cause; and that these, with
unwearied attention and close labor, shall be devoted to the advancement and
entertainment of those who may look for the same in the pages of the Occident.
This then is our object; we wish to be useful in a department where
attainment of success is very difficult and where failure would carry with it no
disgrace, any farther than having been too bold in undertaking that for which
our forces were insufficient. But we trust, that we shall be kindly supported by
many valuable contributors and correspondents, who, it is to be hoped, will
offer their assistance as soon as they see that we are fairly embarked in our
laborious undertaking.
With regard to the course we intend to pursue we would gladly leave our work
to speak for itself; we dislike exceedingly the promises which every candidate
for public favor always makes, and leaves them not rarely unaccomplished. But in
order to satisfy those chiefly who are personally unacquainted with us, we will
briefly state that we shall endeavor to give circulation to every thing which
can be interesting to the Jewish inhabitants in the western hemisphere; we shall
therefore not so much give original articles as those which contain something
instructive, even if we should have to lay some old works under construction.
We would certainly prefer filling our pages with articles especially written
for us; but if these should not be at hand in sufficient quantities, or not come
up to the standard of excellence which we desire, we shall not hesitate
resorting to publications which are not generally accessible, or furnish
translations from Hebrew, French, and German works. But as we stated that
it is our object to give currency to articles which elucidate our peculiar
opinions, we shall endeavor to give every month one sermon by one of the modern
Jewish preachers on some topic of general interest; and we claim the indulgence
of our readers if for the first two or three numbers we should have to insert
some of our own productions, till we be favored with the contributions of our
friends in other places, which we trust will not be delayed beyond the time
specified.--We also intend to give reviews of such new books as concern our
people. We regret exceedingly that for the present we have been able to procure
but few indeed of the modern publications; but we hope that in a very short time
we shall obtain all the new works as they appear; at least we will omit no
pains, and if need be no expense, to make ourself be able to speak to our
readers understandingly of what is going forward in the lands beyond the
Atlantic, and to spread before them, with strict impartiality, whatever can
interest them.
We shall not object to controversial articles, if written temperately and
candidly; but on no account can our pages become the vehicle for violent
denunciation or unfounded aspersions. We ourself will endeavor to state nothing
but the truth; and we earnestly entreat all those who may favor us with their
literary assistance never to send us any thing which may require contradiction
or amendment in a future number. We know that absolute freedom from error is
unattainable; but proper care will go a great way to render it less frequent
than would otherwise be the case. We do not mean that articles intended for us
should be written tamely, without life or spirit' far from it; we like zeal; but
it must be tempered with discretion; and in carrying on a controversy, when such
a warfare is necessary, a prudent deference to the opinion of an adversary, a
cautious avoiding of harsh epithets, and above all, a manly candor, will much more
readily insure the victory, or at least the respect of opponents, than hasty
expressions, crude denunciation, and vehement philippics, though the provocation
be ever so great.
We purpose to give accounts of public religious meetings of sufficient
general interest whenever attainable; and we offer our pages to congregations
and societies as a medium of giving publicity to their intended assemblings and
of their transaction, at a moderate compensation; this latter course is
considered necessary to avoid any undue claims upon the space we mean to devote
to novelties in which all our readers are alike interested. We also request the
respective presidents and secretaries of our American congregations especially
to send us a condensed account of their first establishment, and of any thing of
interest connected with them. Such a regular series would serve as the best
history of the American Jews, who have always been hitherto in too small
numbers, and have happily been always unmolested, to fill any large space in the
history of the country independently of its other inhabitants.
Although we profess a strict impartiality, we have opinions of our own which
we shall not hesitate to avow with becoming firmness upon every proper occasion.
We flatter ourself that our public course is sufficiently well known not to
require any detailed statement of what we think. We shall leave every one to
form his own judgment of our sentiments from what we shall offer to the public;
and we trust that we shall be judged leniently by all our readers where they may
not be able to agree with us altogether, or where they may widely differ from
us. We mean to accord the same charity to others; and we ask no more in return.
It is barely necessary to add that no communication can be inserted, except
under rare circumstances, where the author's name is not known to us. We mean to
be responsible for whatever we insert; hence our friends will see the necessity
of the rule that they must be known to us at least. If requested, the authorship
of any article shall be kept a secret; but we would as a rule prefer that our correspondents
would not preserve too strictly their incognito, even if at first assumed. We
hope to make our periodical the vehicle of bringing merit before the public; and
we therefore expect that a useless secrecy will not be too pertinaciously persevered
in.
With these remarks we give our first number to the public, with the firm
assurance, that we shall omit no opportunity of satisfying their demand upon our
labors and defending the religion which we profess. We know and feel there is
something noble both in our race and in our creed; and it shall not be our fault
if the first be misjudged and the other misunderstood. We throw ourself then
upon the kindness of our friends and the friends of Israel, with the request
that, if they are pleased with this specimen, they will not only honor us with
their own support, but induce their neighbors to do likewise. Every subscriber
will be of advantage; and we believe that the price which we demand is
sufficiently low for nearly all the friends of our religion in America. We
regret being compelled to say this much even on the pecuniary part of our
undertaking, but it will strike every one as unavoidable; and our readers may be
assured that we shall refer to this subject as rarely and then as briefly as
possible.
In conclusion we will state that it is owing to a strict sense of duty that
we have embarked in this difficult enterprise; and that it depends altogether
upon our religious community to render our task a pleasant one. On one thing we
are resolved, to do the best we can, in the full reliance upon that aid from
above which is never withheld from those who honestly fulfill their duty. More
than that no man can do, and, therefore, this alone can our friends expect from
the EDITOR.
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