THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

12

A Jewish Revolutionary Patriot
of 1776

A financial patriot of that fateful
period of the American Revolution of
1776, who was closely associated with
Robert Morris in all his various schemes
for raising money, and who gave liber-
ally of his own means not only to the
cause itself, but in personal loans to
the often impecunious statesmen who
were sponsors for it, was Haym Salo-
mon. He might easily have avoided his
patriotic obligations and hid himself be-
hind the shelter of a hyphen, for he
was a Jew, born in Poland and was
familiarly known among the statesmen
of those days as "our little friend on
Front Street." Salomon was Morris'
confidential agent in all his transac-
tions—he was the man to whom Morris

first appealed when he wanted "real"
money and wanted it quick. And he al-
ways got it. Salomon himself contrib-
uted more than $600,000 out of his own
personal funds for the uses of the army
and navy, and a good portion of that
sum never came back to him, nor to
his heirs. The secret negotiations with
France and Holland by which money
and credit were obtained in those coun-
tries, were largely conducted by Haym
Salomon, who enjoyed not only the
confidence of the patriots of this coun-
try but that, as well, of the kings and
courts of Europe who were friendly to
the United States. Salomon's place on
Front street, Philadelphia, was the ren-
dezvous of the agents, consuls and am-

bassadors of the countries then in al-
legiance with us, all of whom regarded
him in the light of a confidential friend
and adviser. He was the intimate friend
and associate of his fellow countrymen.
General Pulaski and General Kosciusz-
ko. And his private purse was always
open not only to the chevaliers, but to
generals of the American army and to
the members of Congress. Just the kind
of a patriotic money lender Haym Salo-
mon was will perhaps be better under-
stood by quoting from a letter of Mad-
ison, who was long a pensioner upon
his bounty : •
"The kindness of our little friend
on Front street, near the coffee house,
is a resource that will preserve me from
extremities, but I never resort to it
without great mortification, as he ob-
stinately rejects all recompense. The
price of money is so usurious that he
thinks it ought to be extorted from
none but those who aim at profitable
speculations. To a necessitous delegate
he gratuitously spares a supply from
his own private stock." And the dele-
gates, by all accounts, drew liberally

upon that private stock.
But Haym Salomon was not only will-
ing to shed his money for the cause—he
was ready and willing at any time to
shed his blood as well, and twice he
narrowly escaped death at the hands of
the British, to whom his loyal activities
were very obnoxious. As early as 1775
he was arrested as a suspected "patriot"
and thrown into prison. Later, in 1778
Sir Henry Clinton had him arrested for
a spy and charged him with attempting
to burn the British fleets which lay in
the harbor of New York. He was tried
and condemned to death. But lie put
his hard money to work again from
outside his dungeon and effected a re-
mittance of the sentence. He was still
regarded with suspicion and his renewed
activities in the service of his country
soon brought the British guards again
to his doors in New York, where he
lived for a short time after his release
from prison. But lie eluded them in a
spectacular flight, escaped from New
York and made his way back to "Front
Street, near the coffee house," in Phila-
delphia.—Kansas City Star.

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UNITED

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By order of the United States Government, ever
register in the polling booth

TUESDAY,

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7:00 A. M. to 9:00 P.

This means those who have reached the age 21, and who

have not passed their 31st birthday. For instance, a man who

becomes 21 June the 5th must register; a man who becomes

31 June the 5th does not register.

A heavy penalty of imprisonment is provided for those who

neglect to comply with this order.

No man is exempt from registration who is within
the age requirements. The exemptions are all deter-
mined after registration.

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Married men must register.

Single men must register.

Native born citizens must register.

There are positively no exemptions to the Government Order, except
"Persons in the military or naval service of the United States, which

includes all officers and enlisted men of the regular army, the regular
army reserve, the officers' reserve corps, the enlisted reserve corps, the

Detroit Registration Board for the United States Government OSCAR
1.04i
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