The first years of Prince Charles's rule were overcast by the shadow thrown by that source of constant trouble in Eastern Europe, the Jewish Question, and by the pro-Semitic agitation in the Western Press. The bulk of the Jewish population of Roumania was settled in the Province of Moldavia, where it held mortgages on the greater part of the estates. In addition to this, as "universal providers" they almost monopolised the trade in spirits, whilst the bulk of the retail trade also lay in their hands. In times of famine and scarcity they were always ready to lend money at exorbitant rates to the heedless landowner and ignorant peasant, and thus acquired a hold over them which could not be shaken off. The bitter hatred with which the Moldavian population regarded their oppressors, and the violence caused by that feeling, were powerless to prevent the constant immigration of Jews from Poland and Southern Russia, where they experienced a far harder lot than that which awaited them in Roumania. That the anti-Semitic feeling was not wholly unjustifiable is shown by the opinion of M. Desjardins, who had ample opportunity of learning the rights and wrongs of the case. The French savant declared that the Jews were not only aliens and strangers in Roumania by their language, religion, and customs, but that they actually desired to remain so. They refused to send their children to the Roumanian schools, though entitled to do so free of expense, and besides monopolising the whole retail trade of Moldavia, they exerted a most evil influence on the progress of the country by their usury. The peasant was forced to pay up to fifty per cent. per mensem on loans, as there were no other means of raising money in times of scarcity. The Moldavian Jew was dirty and utterly neglected, and could not from any point of view be considered a desirable acquisition to the State.

The Jews of Eastern Europe in general, and of Roumania in particular, have no intention, and, for the matter of that, no inclination to stoop to handicraft or manufacture. The quicker methods of getting money appeal to them more; and they are perfectly content to live on the needs and necessities of the original inhabitants of the land, though at the same time they bitterly resent the feeling with which they and their methods of money-making are regarded. The first outbursts of racial hatred during Prince Charles's reign proved too strong for the good intentions of the Government, nor was it to be expected that the Roumanian legislature would grant the alien race further rights or further liberty than Russia or even Austria felt inclined to do.

CrÉmieux, the well-known politician and founder of the Alliance IsraÉlite, interviewed the Prince on June 14, 1866, to try to obtain an alteration in the laws enabling Jews to hold land in Roumania, and, acting on the time-honoured maxim of do ut des, offered in return for this privilege a loan of £1,000,000 at a low rate of interest. The Prince informed him that the Government had already remembered the condition of the Jews in the draft of the Constitution, since the following paragraphs had been inserted: "Creed is no impediment to naturalisation in Roumania," and "So far as the Jews at present domiciled in Roumania are concerned, a special law will provide for their gradual admission as naturalised citizens." However, as soon as these proposals were laid before the Chamber, a wave of dissent swept over Moldavia, where the anti-dynastic party sought to create trouble by appealing to racial hatred. They succeeded only too well, for a riotous mob destroyed the recently completed synagogue at Bucharest in June 1866. The obnoxious paragraphs of the Constitution were withdrawn owing to the representations of the Jews themselves, who feared further excesses, if the Government persisted in them. The foreign Press eagerly seized the opportunity for spreading the report that, owing to the weakness of the Government, the paragraphs had been withdrawn in obedience to the wishes of the mob. The liberally minded Prince, to show his displeasure at the action of a section of the populace, and at the same time to prove his toleration in matters of religion, subscribed 6,000 ducats from his own purse for the restoration of the wrecked synagogue, but at the same time the Chamber, by passing the clause: "Only Christians can become Roumanian citizens," denied the Jews the possession of any political rights.

In April 1867 the Minister of the Interior, J. Bratianu, addressed a circular to all prefects, ordering them to proceed against all "vagabonds" in their districts; as, owing to the abolition of passes, the number of paupers had increased to such an extent as to add seriously to the already enormous difficulties of the Government in feeding the starving inhabitants. England, France, and Austria protested vigorously against this measure, which was chiefly directed against immigrant Jews, and the Emperor Napoleon addressed the following telegram to the Prince on this subject:

"I must not leave your Highness in ignorance of the public feeling created here by the persecutions of which the Jews of Moldavia are said to be the victims. I cannot believe that the enlightened Government of your Highness authorises measures so opposed to humanity and civilisation.

"NAPOLEON."

To which the Prince replied at once:

"Your Majesty may rest assured that I am not less solicitous for the Jewish inhabitants than your Majesty. The measures which the Government has thought necessary to take are not exceptional, and are a matter of common law. I shall, moreover, institute a severe inquiry to ascertain whether the subaltern officials have exceeded their instructions. Those guilty will be punished with all the rigour of the law.

"CHARLES."

All the laws against the Jews which had been passed in Moldavia since 1804 were published in the official Moniteur on May 28, 1867, to counteract the prejudice which the recent circular had created. It was thus made clear that Jews had always been prohibited from becoming tenants of farms, public-houses, and drinking-booths; and that the sole motive of the Ministerial Circular was to remind the prefects of the existence of these regulations, which had been allowed to fall somewhat into abeyance.

Sir Moses Montefiore, the well-known British merchant and philanthropist, who was touring through Roumania to investigate personally the condition of the Jews, was presented to the Prince by the British Consul on August 25, 1867. Sir Moses was able to inform his Highness that he could not trace any persecution of the Jews in Wallachia, and on his return to England declared, through the Press, that the situation of his brethren in Roumania had been painted in colours far too dark, and that there could be no question of their ill-treatment, as both the Prince and his Ministers were very tolerant, and had given him every assistance in eliciting the truth.

The Chamber, however, continued to persist in anti-Semitic legislation, and a "free and independent party" of thirty-three Moldavians introduced a measure on March 17, 1868, which contained the following provisions: "Jews may only settle in urban districts by permission of the town council, but on no condition, and for no length of time, in the rural districts.

"They are not allowed to possess real property in towns or in the country. Sales and purchases in their favour are null and void.

"They are also forbidden to become tenants of farms, vineyards, public-houses, hotels, kilns, bridges, &c., or to manage the same, and neither the State nor Communalities are to entrust them with contracts.... They are not to sell food or liquor to Christians, but only to Jews." Bratianu, whom the foreign Semitic Press hounded down as a persecutor of the Jews, opposed this motion with the greatest vigour, and openly broke with its proposers. He was in consequence overwhelmed with contumely and reproaches, and was on one occasion stoned by anti-Semitic mobs in Moldavia.

The Jewish Question was ably summed up by Prince Charles Anthony in a letter to his son, received on May 21, 1868.

"The Jewish question has reached a stage which attracts the rapt attention of the whole of Europe. It is a most unfortunate episode in the otherwise peaceful development of Roumanian internal economy, and is at the same time a great danger to the dynasty. I have already pointed out that all Jewish affairs are a 'noli me tangere.' This fact is a symptom of European weakness; but, since it is a fact, it must be accepted; nothing can be done, as the whole Press of Europe is controlled by the Jewish financial powers. In one word, the moneyed Judaism is a Great Power, whose favour may have the most advantageous effect, but whose opposition is dangerous. From every side, from all corners and ends of the earth, a cry of horror arose in unison about the Bakau incident, and nothing, not even the official dementia, could mitigate or alleviate the impression created by these incidents. It seems to me that Bratianu has not shown sufficient energy in this question, and is inclined to stake too much on one card!"...

"Innumerable petitions have reached me from all parts imploring my support in this unfortunate Jewish affair, especially from the Alliance IsraÉlite (CrÉmieux); Paris has made the most noise about it. This cannot be altered; and you have gained nothing but increased experience."

Advice on this difficult question was also tendered from a quarter whence it was least expected. Fuad Pacha pointed out to the Roumanian agent in Constantinople that the Principalities ought to take Turkey as an example of tolerance in matters of religion, for at Constantinople one might see Jews sitting side by side with Mohammedans and Christians in the Council of State!

On September 12, 1869, Prince Charles received a deputation of Jews on the occasion of his stay in Vienna. In reply to their representations on behalf of their brethren in Roumania, Prince Charles declared that the alleged persecution only existed in the imagination of agitators, and that the condition of the Roumanian Jews was by no means so miserable and abject as the European Press was ready and anxious to believe.

At the same time, the anti-Semitic element in the Chamber sought to overthrow the Ghika Ministry by accusing it of a tendency to favour the Jews. The Minister of the Interior, Cogalniceanu, it appeared, had recommended two Delegates of the Alliance IsraÉlite to the prefects of the districts, in order that they might have every opportunity of knowing the country and its inhabitants. It was also proved by statistics that the number of Jews in Moldavia was steadily increasing, whilst the Roumanians were being forced back by this constant stream of immigration. The measure of their success and increasing influence was in direct proportion to the corresponding weakness and poverty of the Christian tillers of the soil. Cogalniceanu, however, showed that the Jews were not favoured at the expense of the Roumanians, and that the Government had no means of preventing Jewish immigration from Russia or Galicia. He also pointed out that he had proposed to allow the Jews to settle near the delta of the Danube; but, as that proposal had been negatived, he could only suggest that the Chamber should formulate some other measure.

Nearly three years later (May 1872) a petition from the Jews of Eastern Prussia was laid before the German Reichstag, praying that Germany would use its influence in putting a stop to the persecution of Jews in Roumania. Dr. Miquel pointed out that, although he sympathised deeply with the sufferers, it was necessary to proceed with caution, as otherwise their situation might become even worse, for no Government was ever so weak as that of Roumania, and continual exhortations would only incite the inhabitants to further outrages, which might eventually lead to animosity against their German Prince. Von Bunsen supported Miquel's view and showed that no persecutions had taken place between 1866 and 1872. Eventually a resolution was carried, recognising the previous efforts on behalf of the Jews, and requesting the Chancellor to do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.

England also took up the cudgels on behalf of the Jews, and proposed to the various guaranteeing Powers to comply with the 46th Article of the Treaty of Paris, and grant political rights to the Jews. Prince Gortchakoff came to the assistance of Roumania, and reminded the Western Powers that it was impossible to compare the Jews of the Orient with those of the West. Russia had no intention of interfering in the domestic affairs of another State, though she would unite with the Powers in representing the matter to the Roumanian Government. He therefore advised England to communicate direct with the Roumanian Government before invoking the aid of the other Powers.

A letter from the Prince to his father contained the following passage about this difficulty:

"My only fear is lest the Jews[15] should continue to agitate and petition the guaranteeing Powers for the concession of political rights to their brethren here, until the Powers at last comply with their wish, and force our hand. This would lead to the overthrow of the present, or, indeed, any other Ministry.

"A few months ago the Jews here received some sympathy from certain circles, but since they have raised such a cry throughout Europe, and since the Jewish Press in every State has attacked this country in so unworthy a manner with the object of forcing the equality of the Jews upon us, the latter have nothing to expect here for the present...."

Another letter of Prince Charles also refers to this point:

"The newspapers again accuse us of persecuting the Jews, because the recent licensing law forbids a Jew to keep a public-house in a village. This is a reasonable measure; and we are determined to repel any representations or interventions in this matter. One must know the villages of Moldavia to be able to judge the noxious influence exerted on the rural population by the Jew with his adulterated brandy. In Poland and Hungary the Jew is to this day forbidden to keep a village public-house—and very rightly too! On the other hand, it is a pity that Roumania has excluded Jews from holding licences for the sale of tobacco, as they will now become the most arrant smugglers."

Russia replied to the Note, addressed by England to the Great Powers, referring to the persecution of the Moldavian Jews, with a circular to its representatives abroad directing them to defend the Roumanian measures.

The struggle so briefly touched upon in these pages affected the welfare of Roumania in its young days very keenly, as the great Jewish capitalists supported the demands of the Jewish population for the franchise by refusing to aid the young State in its financial troubles. Incalculable harm was done by the Press in giving a too-ready credence to the alarming reports of wholesale expulsion of Jewish families from Roumania and the confiscation of their property. The anti-Roumanian feeling thus caused in England, France, and in part of Germany was for many years a serious stumbling-block to the development of the Danube Principalities.