The elders--Lilienthal tells us in his Memoirs [1]--sat there
absorbed in deep contemplation. Some of them, leaning on their
silver-adorned staffs or smoothing their long beards, seemed as if
agitated by earnest thoughts and justifiable suspicions; others were
engaging in a lively but quiet discussion on the principles
involved; such put to me the ominous question: "Doctor, are you
fully acquainted with the leading principles of our government? You
are a stranger; do you know what you are undertaking? The course
pursued against all denominations but the Greek proves clearly that
the Government intends to have but one Church in the whole Empire;
that it has in view only its own future strength and greatness and
not our own future prosperity. We are sorry to state that we put no
confidence in the new measures proposed by the ministerial council,
and that we look with gloomy foreboding into the future."

[Footnote 1: I quote from _Max Lilienthal, American Rabbi, Life and
Writings_, by David Philipson, New York, 1915, p, 264.]

In his reply Lilienthal advanced an impressive array of arguments:

What will you gain by your resistance to the new measures? It will
only irritate the Government, and will determine it to pursue its
system of repression, while at present you are offered an
opportunity to prove that the Jews are not enemies of culture and
deserve a better lot.

When questioned as to whether the Jewish community had any guarantee
that the Government plan was not a veiled attempt to undermine the
Jewish religion, Lilienthal, by way of reply, solemnly pledged himself