Blackstone Memorial

Originally titled “Palestine for the Jews,” this document was drafted by William E. Blackstone after the 1890 Interdenominational Conference for Christian and Jewish leaders in Chicago on “The Past, Present and Future of Israel.” The document called upon all the world powers to hold an International Conference (modeled after the 1878 Treaty of Berlin) to consider the condition of the Israelites, and their claims to Palestine, as their ancient home; and to promote in all other just and proper ways the alleviation of their suffering.

Seventeen leading Jewish Rabbis and 28 Jewish Community leaders around the nation organized support for this document through regional meetings in Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Civic and business leaders, journalists, politicians, jurists and Christian clergy in each of these major cities also backed Blackstone's document. In all, over 400 notable citizens signed, including 53 newspaper editors; 7 college presidents; industrialists Rockefelller, Morgan, McCormick, Armour, Dodge and Scribner; the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; 22 federal and state jurists; the Speaker of the House and eight other members of Congress; the Governors of Massachusetts, New York and Illinois; the Mayors of New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore; and over 200 Protestant and Catholic denominational leaders. Blackstone then presented the petition to Secretary of State James Blaine and President Benjamin Harrison.

What shall be done for the Russian Jews? It is both unwise and useless to undertake to dictate to Russia concerning her internal affairs. The Jews have lived as foreigners in her dominions for centuries, and she fully believes that they are a burden upon her resources and prejudicial to the welfare of her peasant population, and will not allow them to remain. She is determined that they must go....But where shall 2,000,000 of such poor people go?...Why not give Palestine back to them again? According to God’s distribution of nations it is their home; an inalienable possession from which they were expelled by force....

For over seventeenth centuries they have patiently waited for such a privileged opportunity...What ever vested rights by possession, may have accrued to Turkey, can easily be compensated, possibly by the Jews assuming an equitable portion of the national debt....We believe that this is an appropriate time for all nations, and especially the Christian nations of Europe, to show kindness to Israel. A million of exiles, by their terrible sufferings, are piteously appealing to our sympathy, justice and humanity. Let us now restore them to the land of which they were so cruelly despoiled by our Roman ancestors.