"
They were drowned. And the old Russian "zoological" nationalism was
satisfied by this primitive solution of the problem. But the political
wisdom of Czar Ivan's times has long since become obsolete.
A century later Russian statehood for the second time ran across the
Jewish problem when Smolensk was taken by Czar Alexyey Mikhaylovich
the Debonnaire, also an old Russian nationalist who was not conscious
of his nationalism. He could not make up his mind to settle it by
simply destroying the object which perplexed Russia's political mind.
After due deliberation, he decided to have the Jews deported. This was
a somewhat milder measure. Another century passed, and Russia
conquered the vast and rich territory which is included in the
so-called "Pale of Settlement." This portion of Russia was peopled
with many millions of Jews. It was not possible any longer to do away
with this large population by either drowning it in a river, or
even--as many are still planning in all earnestness--by deportation.
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