BONAPARTE, NAPOLEON. French statesman, general.
"The Jews provided
troops for my campaign in Poland, but they ought to reimburse me: I soon found
that they are no good for anything but selling old clothes..."
"Legislating
must be put in effect everywhere that the general well-being is in danger. The
government cannot look with indifference on the way a despicable nation takes
possession of all the provinces of France. The Jews are the master robbers of
the modern age; they are the carrion birds of humanity... "They must be treated
with political justice, not with civil justice. They are surely not real
citizens."
"The Jews have practiced usury since the time of Moses, and
oppressed the other peoples. Meanwhile, the Christians were only rarely usurers,
falling into disgrace when they did so. We ought to ban the Jews from commerce
because they abuse it... The evils of the Jews do not stem from individuals but
from the fundamental nature of this people." (From Napoleon's Reflections, and
from speeches before the Council of State on April 30 and May 7,
1806.)
"Nothing more contemptible could be done than the reception of the
Jews by you. I decided to improve the Jews. But I do not want more of them in my
kingdom. Indeed, I have done all to prove my scorn of the most vile nation in
the world." (Letter to his brother Jerome, King of Westphalia, March 6,
1808)
(1) Every big and small Jew in
the peddling trade must renew his license every year.
(2) Checks and other
obligations are only redeemable if the Jew can prove that he has obtained the
money without cheating. (Ordinance of March 17, 1808. Napoleonic
Code.)