The Asmonean.
New York Historical Society
LOC bound volume 1849-1850
Oct 26 1849 1st issue in volume, vol 1 no 1, Robt Lyon, 140 Nassau, Knowledge is Power; Two are better than One, and a Threefold cord is not quickly broken. Weirdly hieroglyphic masthead. Ad for Lyon’s Magnetic powder, a lot of clothes manufacturers
Asmonean means Come out of Egypt, Prince, Ruler, the last reigning princes amongst jews at Jerusalem. Shield has a wolf, bull and lion, shield of David and emblem of Judah, two tribes, wolf of benjamin and Bull of Manasseh, so emblems of whole tribe of Judah. Like Raphall, who just arrived fr London, too much of a firebrand to be kept there. cover theater. Letters fr Webster and Seward re Hebrew Benev Soc, support it
Dec 7 critical of Hamilton Fish bigotry in Tgiving proclamation p.53
Dec 14 p60 On reading a Newspaper (poem), horrible things, crowds clamor to be free, wealthy blight the world, worthwhile if can eliminate just one of the evils under the sun
1850
Admire Kossuth, Leopold Meyer. Like Judge Edmonds
Feb 22 p140 Noah in the Messenger defends Maretzek fr Willis, the Napoleon of slip slop literature, part of their quarrel he tells that Italian Opera singers are Jewish. Herald supports Maretzek.
Appletons has an ad. Admiring obit for Calhoun. Apr 12 critical of Herald re Rothschilds, Lyon writes to Herald and Express exposing lies of pamphlet that promises to reveal Jewish blood rituals in Damascus; Tribune and Republicaner support Lyon
p206 letter critical of Herald for identifying Jews in the police court, but not other religions
Apr 26 p2 fr Howitt’s journal, story of an artist. Thinks Carlyle is Fudge. May 31 Fanny Osgood poems. has has dag of Raphall. The Occident is another Jewish paper. Jul 12 Taylor was not a whig so much as the people’s candidate Aug 9 p125 Solomon Hart 6 ptgs at RA in London, got mixed reviews, show a scene in a synagogue. Abraham Solomon’s one pic Too Truthful in London Illus News, sitter’s vanity prominent in the scene, anxious painter. Blackwood hostile to Jews. bio of Fremont. Support the Masons, ok with Odd Fellows. Sept 13 big art sale in Europe p202 story of Empress and a painter. Oct 18 1850 is last in vol.
LOC bound volume Oct 25 1850-1851
Nov 8 p21 recalls last year’s Hamilton Fish Tgiving announcement offensive to relig liberty, synagogues stayed closed, this year the language was correct, not about the Gospel. Like F Wood and corelig Emmanual Hart, Dem elected to Congress. Dec 6 crit of Abbot Lawrence’s anglo-saxonism. Like Beranger.
1851
Jan 10 Bible approves reclaiming fugitive slave. Mar 26 black borders for Noah’s death. v brief mention of Hiram Powers returning to US. Apr 25 take fr Lit World review of Howadji; Huss’ Martyrdom improves on acquaintance p6. May 9 p 18 Hebrew artists in France, Emile Levy, Fichel, others. Lots more on Odd Fellows. Jun 20 on Home J versus C&E, disapprove of parading priv quarrels. Day book and Sunday Times and Herald like asmonean. Have gotten rid of complex masthead, subtitle is Organ of the American Israelites, $3 year. Jun 27 Start a German section, Jul 4 p88 praise US for teaching laboring classes of Old World to regard themselves as men, Thrones and oligarchs as abominations, fit only for barbarism of the past; slaves well off, Britain supports abolition. Leader has replaced Sunday Era, protectionist despite exploded doctrine. Homestead Union advertises. lots more ads generally, not just Jewish businesses. simplified masthead even more into family journal of commerce etc, 8 pages still. Like Catherine Hayes. Mercantile Agencies are bigoted. Fowlers and Wells noticed. p. 204 don’t plunder artworks fr Egypt etc
LOC bound vol Oct 24 1851 to Apr 16 1852
Oct 31 p19 Fine Arts: Leutze priv exhib of Wash crossing Delaware, truly natl, will make a sensation, superior to his other productions, in concept and execution, artistically grouped, feeling of truthfulness, ea countenance marks its class Nov 7 p30 Am A_U wrong to think taste may be cultivated by study of bad pics, Furniture Pics, with only a couple dozen good ones. Crack pic of last year was Woodville American News, Messrs Ridner & Co censured by London AJ. Recommemd NY Picayune. Nov 21 like JT Headley and Greeley’s letters fr Europe Dec 12 p 75 takes Herald’s expose of Father Mathew benefit, showing that James F otis, music crit and ed of Express, plus CB Burkhardt, critic of several Sunday and Penny papers, have done something with the money? funds from complimentary benefits don’t go to the beneficiaries, but to proprietors of oyster saloons, committee men and hired critcs. Still admire Kossuth, no jews invited to the corporation banquet. Aztec children real.
1852
lots on Fowler & Wells journals. Feb 27 p181 crit of Trib for identifying Jews (Trib later defends itself, just a descriptive term), but not Irish Catholics, despite its liberal opinions, Herald does too, pious Comm Adv follows suit. Rabbi Wise thinks Catholicism has been the prop to absolutism. Stephen Douglas of Illinois sends them public documents. Praise memoirs of Margaret Fuller Mar 12 they are also publishing a Mercantile Journal, and notice that Unitarians subscribe as well as Germans to the Asmonean p205 Legislature offers corporate charters to private concerns, Art Union is one, Building Societies or money clubs another, also Crystal Palace Assoc, public wrongs for priv interests. Mazzini.
The Asmonean: A Family J of Commerce, Politics, Relig and Lit Devoted to the Interests of the American Israelites. “Knowledge is Power” $3/yr. Robt Lyon, 83 Gold St, vol 6, no 1, for week ending April 23, 1852
Approves Bancroft’s American Revolution. Notes popularity of Forrest at the Broadway theatre, also notes Wood’s minstrels and respectable audiences.
April 30, essay by Henry W Beecher on Individual responsibility from the Am Phreno J
May 7 1852, May 14, 21, 28
June 4, 1852 p. 52 “Rlns of Races in US” from Cinti Gazette, that law of Nature will keep colored races close to climate of origin, some kind of Geographical Removal regardless of artificial legislation. Notes that in Mexico the colored (Inidans) have grown in population along with Europeans, because they have equality in social and political condition that results in amalgamation. Encourages Jews to imitate Irish and encourage emigration fr oppressors in Europe. June 12, French’s Hotel and Levi’s advertises (for Jews only) June 18 lots of excerpts fr the Southern and Western Masonic Miscellany. June 25
July 2 1852; July 9, July 16 our journal doesn’t usu interfere in politics, bcause our readers are divided, for every two Whigs, there can be founda couple of Demos, so exercise perfect indep of opinion in polit matters, but all agree that citizens shd vote and hold office, no proscription for creed.So can’t endorse voting for Franklin Pierce, and quotes correspondent for Amer Celt recommending changing word Catholic for Jew. V hard to read tho. Extract fr Bayard Taylor. July 23 excerpts fr Trib. July 30
Aug 6 1852 Aug 13? Brady’s Daguerreotypes advertise too, also Thompson’s. Beach Bird pub in Newport says Greenough is spendingthe summer there and offers to place his statue of Cooper there p. 154 The Capital—Washington” 10 years residence there, describes it, capitol fine ptgs and statuary, scenes of Tripoli, colossal figs of War and Peace, in rotundo, stone reliefs, lists subjects of sculptured panels and Trumbull ptgs, likes all of them, as well as more recent historical ptgrs, exquisite and beaut, eye is riveted, worthy the study of days. No parsimony, shld have style and spirit commensurate with nation. Aug 20 pro Masons, as not sectarian. Aug 27 puffs Mdme Sontag, the Countesse Rossi, an Artiste
Sept 3 1852 excerpts fr London Leader Thorntun Hunt Letter on the D? of Art, about its effect on the passions, exhib ofintense phys energy, John of Bologna; when we contemplate an ideal work of art, we become impressed with the sublime feelings that dictated the action or animated that work fo art and are more capable of understanding it. Notes Woods minstrels have abig hit with new song of Poor Uncle Tom. Sept 10 promotes Penn rrd Sept 17 p. 213 continues ThorntonHunt’s letters on The Discipline of Art, opens with Greek statue Lizard Catcher, type of human nature in most perfect condition, and in the midst of the most artificial society, we demand the siplest aboriginal impulse and form. Sept 26 notes Panorama of achievements of the American Army in Mexico at Minerva rms. Advert notes role of Genl Winfield Scott, and includes Torming of Chapultepec. Daguerro ads for Richmond & Hawkins, Edw Taylor
Oct 1 1852, Oct 8 calls Courier & Enquirer as well conducted as any in Union. Disagrees with Knickerbocker that destructionof old landmarks on Broadway is a kind of vandalism, but to mind moved by spirit of present age, prosperous advancement of trade, neat and chaste, rich and substnatial. Oct 15 critical of (London) Examiner’s attack on Baron Rothschild. Oct 23
LOC bound volume Oct 22 1852-1853 publishing at 83 Gold street
Oct 29 black borders for whole issue for Danl Webster. W is writing. Nov 19 big full page engr for Cryst Pal, an ad I think, Theo Sedgwick Aug Belmont involved Dec 10 p89 don’t admire Fillmore. say they aren’t taking sides on Reform v. Orthodox. Rabbi Wise of Albany a big writer for them.
1853
note Zionism in London. puff Banvard. Feb 4 D Davidson, Jewish Artistic Ingenuity, 182 Stanton st, thanks for patronage, will exhib at Crystal Pal, ornaments scriptural pieces. Feb 11 Wise wants more Jewish lit societies and lectures to promote our National Literature, Jewish writers p198. Like Currer Bell. Ends on 15th.
LOC bound volume Apr 22, 1853- Oct 1853
May 27 no admirer of woman’s rights, but wish to see woman in her right position, educated, reform her position in the synagogue Jun 3 Illus mag of art, putnam’s. Henry P Haynes on Influ of Natural Scenery on the Imagination. excerpts fr Lit World, Dickens. July 22 What we should like to see at the World’s Fair of 1905—a Bible transl without prejudice by theologians in favor of their own system, a comparison of judaism and Christianity written by a Chinese sage with a scientific education, which would exhib the picturesque scenery of old obstinately defended errors that caused persecution. Ptgs by Cornelius of Last Judgment of missionaries who tried to convert the Jews, large jury of disappointed donors, trembling agents who see the end of their business, crowd of indifferent, and crowds of triumphing Israelites, presided over by Inglis, Bunson, but none in America. Also like to see Lessing’s Burning of English House of Lords, Benderman’s Nicholaus on the ruins of Russia, and Pope on ruins of Romanism. Powers slaves of the English Hi Church, with a description by Mrs Stowe, signed W, who writes a lot for them, Sept 16 he leaves, has been writing (editing?) for the last year
LOC bound volume Nov 10, 1854-
like Horatio Seymour for Gov, many whigs joined in voting for him. has an ongoing interest in Mechanics, mech magazines advert. Likes Fanny Fern.
1855
like memoirs by Barnum and Greeley. Amused by Wikoff. Feb 16 Courier &E corrects itself, shouldn’t obj to Belmont as a Jew, only a foreigner. Jews aren’t patrons of lit. p 167 hostile now to Maretzek, Ital opera failed, third rate rtistes paid too much, regions of Snob dom, Broadway below Bleecker is real home of Opera, like Melville. Missing May. like Beecher Star Papers. should permit diversity in congregations, reform if they want. Abhor Know Noothingism, critical of Express and Erastus Brooks and Bishop Hughes, both bigoted and intolerant, skips July to Oct, I skipped to March 1856, lots more German, ends Apr 11.
vol 17, no 25, Robt Lyon, 7 Cedar St, New York, for week ending March 12, 1858
Don’t want anonymous communications. Robt Lyon just died, also edited NY Mercantile Journal; associated with Henry Clay, Genl Cass, and Danl Webster. Started publishing journal in Oct 1849
March 19, puffs Godey’s, April 2, notices Dickens’ Household words regularly, Wallack’s theatre. April 9 pulled poem fr Dollar Newspaper; James Russell Lowell too, pulls fr Mercury. Notes Laura Keene’s theatre too, likes the new or natural school, opposed to that of the old, traditional, spasmodic, unnatural and impossible school. April 16 notes Graham’s; notes that a lecture at Geog society illus by beaut ptg of Dead Sea; under Foreign Items said picture of Abraham Solomon, the Introduction, sold on Friday by Messrs Foster for 94 guineas, and “Art Gossip” Liverpool gave annual prize to Millais’ picture, acrimonious contention, strong body protesting agst preference for it over A Solon’s Waiting for the Verdict at the RA. Frith addressed a letter to a committee to institute an opposition academy, expresses his surprise and disgust at above award. Prof Hart has a large canvass for RA exhib and excels many of his more recent performances. Poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes. April 23 notes auction of Herts & Moss, oflibrary and fine coll of Valuable Ptgs, on Pine st, gman leaving for Europe, ptgs by most eminent masters, v rare. May 14, May 21 p. 46 “American Art” our country incomparable for natural scenery, signature is its Titanic size, magnitude, mind contemplating it must be exalted thereby, “imagination is summoned forth in its imperiality as the eye takes in the vast, varied, and magnificient lscape, seen fr some mtn crest” also ample history, tradition and romance, those who pioneered civiliz hiither fr Europe, and of history of race vanquished in our path. Art will make its most cherished home here, future sculptors rival Phidias, ptrs better than Protogenes or Apelles, distinct and surpassing Am Art. May 28 likes the Autocrat of the Atlantic Monthly, also Geo Ticknor Curtis’ History of the Constitution, merits place with Bancroft and Prescott.
June 4 likes Mrs. Ellis’ advice/writings
On same reel is NY Mercantile Journal Financial Recorder and Railroad Gazette, pub out of same office, 7 Cedar St., 1853 but very little coverage beyond the markets