Herzl, Theodor, 1860-1904; Zionism; Zionists -- Austria -- Biography
Hence I incline to an aristocratic republic. This would satisfy the
ambitious spirit in our people, which has now degenerated into petty
vanity. Many of the institutions of Venice pass through my mind; but
all that which caused the ruin of Venice must be carefully avoided. We
shall learn from the historic mistakes of others, in the same way as
we learn from our own; for we are a modern nation, and wish to be the
most modern in the world. Our people, who are receiving the new
country from the Society, will also thankfully accept the new
constitution it offers them. Should any opposition manifest itself,
the Society will suppress it. The Society cannot permit the exercise
of its functions to be interpreted by short-sighted or ill-disposed
individuals.
LANGUAGE
It might be suggested that our want of a common current language would
present difficulties. We cannot converse with one another in Hebrew.
Who amongst us has a sufficient acquaintance with Hebrew to ask for a
railway ticket in that language? Such a thing cannot be done. Yet the
difficulty is very easily circumvented. Every man can preserve the
language in which his thoughts are at home. Switzerland affords a
conclusive proof of the possibility of a federation of tongues. We
shall remain in the new country what we now are here, and we shall
never cease to cherish with sadness the memory of the native land out
of which we have been driven.
We shall give up using those miserable stunted jargons, those Ghetto
languages which we still employ, for these were the stealthy tongues
of prisoners. Our national teachers will give due attention to this
matter; and the language which proves itself to be of greatest utility
for general intercourse will be adopted without compulsion as our
national tongue. Our community of race is peculiar and unique, for we
are bound together only by the faith of our fathers.
THEOCRACY
Shall we end by having a theocracy? No, indeed. Faith unites us,
knowledge gives us freedom. We shall therefore prevent any theocratic
tendencies from coming to the fore on the part of our priesthood. We
shall keep our priests within the confines of their temples in the
same way as we shall keep our professional army within the confines of
their barracks. Army and priesthood shall receive honors high as their
valuable functions deserve. But they must not interfere in the
administration of the State which confers distinction upon them, else
they will conjure up difficulties without and within.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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