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Ulysses S. Grant's Jew order...



Item # 643380

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October 13, 1868

NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 13, 1868 

* General Ulysses S. Grant
* General Order No. 11 - Jews


The bottom of the front page, & carrying over to page 2, contains an extremely significant Judaica item headed: "Gen. Grant's Jew Order" "Letter of an Able Hebrew Lawyer in Support of the Republican Cause".
This relates to Ulysses S. Grant's General Order #11 from during the Civil War, known as the infamous "Jew Order". See Wikipedia for further details on Grant's controversial order which is considered to be the most anti-Semitic official act in American history.
As Wikipedia notes, Grant's General Order #11 and antisemitism became an issue during the 1868 presidential campaign. In a letter, published after the election, Grant sought to unequivocally distance himself from General Orders No. 11: "Grant's self-serving explanation", notes Jonathan Sarna, "did not actually bear close scrutiny," but Jews nonetheless generously accepted his attempt at self-extrication: "I have no prejudice against sect or race, but want each individual to be judged by his own merit. Orders No. 11 does not sustain this statement, I admit, but then I do not sustain that order. It never would have been issued if it had not been telegraphed the moment it was penned, and without reflection."  Though Jewish opinion was mixed, Grant's determination to court Jewish voters ultimately resulted in his capturing the majority of that vote, though Grant did lose some Jewish votes as a result of the order.
This significance of this report is that it is taken up almost entirely with  a letter from Adolph Moses, noting at the beginning: "Adolph Moses, Esq., an able Jewish lawyer of Quincy, Ill., and a Democrat, who was selected to preside over the National Organization of B'nai Benith this city, has written the following letter in favor of Grant:..." and the full text of the letter follows, signed by him in type: Adolph Moses. (see)
Complete in 12 pages, very nice, clean condition.

Category: Post-Civil War