Gladstone, William E. (Four-time Prime Minister of Great Britain, 1809-1898)

Gladstone, the Grand Old Man of Liberalism, scandalized many by voting for the Admission of Jews to Parliament in 1847. He was out-spoken on the topic of Turkish irregularities in the Balkan Peninsular in 1875-76. In this letter, Gladstone responds to a request to use his influence with the Christian races in the East to secure favorable treatment of the Jews in the provinces. “I had, on various occasion publicly recommended the conclusion of a complete civil equality to the Jews, but there [is] a great difficulty in the way...” He describes the rumors he has heard of the efforts of the Jews of Sheffield to oppose the calls of the Christians of the East upon the English Government to offer them refuge during the prolonged crisis in the Balkan Peninsular:“...you know what human nature is. And I would ask you, whether there is much use in my writing to the East to ask for civil equality for the Jews of Rumania or Bulgaria or Serbia, if the same part perhaps, carries an account that the Jews of Sheffield are in active opposition to what the inhabitants of those countries deem to be their primary and vital interests.”