DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0183
POLITICAL INFLUENCE. 167
she confers on her consular agents. My Coptic
Christian knew her on the last account, and told
me, in confidence, that he thought America had
need of a consular agent in Hebron, to protect her
citizens travelling in that region. I was the first
American traveller who had ever been there, and
years may roll by before another follows me ; but
I fully concurred with him in the necessity of such
an officer; and when he suggested that there was
no better man than himself to hold it, I concurred
with him again. Little did I think when, years
before, I was seeking to climb the slippery rungs
of the political ladder, that my political influence
would ever be sought for the office of consul in the
ancient capital of David ; but so it was ; and with-
out questioning him too closely about his faith in
the principles and usages of the democratic party,
the virtue of regular nominations, &c, taking his
name written in Arabic, and giving him my card
that he might know the name of his political bene-
factor, I promised to speak to the consul at Bey-
root in his favour; and he left me with as much
confidence as if he had his commission already in
his pocket.
A more interesting business followed with the
old rabbi, probably induced by what had just
passed between the Christian and myself. He
told me that he had lately had occasion to regret
exceedingly the loss of a paper, which would now
be of great use to him ; that he was a Jew of Ven-
ice (I can vouch for it that he was no Shylock),
she confers on her consular agents. My Coptic
Christian knew her on the last account, and told
me, in confidence, that he thought America had
need of a consular agent in Hebron, to protect her
citizens travelling in that region. I was the first
American traveller who had ever been there, and
years may roll by before another follows me ; but
I fully concurred with him in the necessity of such
an officer; and when he suggested that there was
no better man than himself to hold it, I concurred
with him again. Little did I think when, years
before, I was seeking to climb the slippery rungs
of the political ladder, that my political influence
would ever be sought for the office of consul in the
ancient capital of David ; but so it was ; and with-
out questioning him too closely about his faith in
the principles and usages of the democratic party,
the virtue of regular nominations, &c, taking his
name written in Arabic, and giving him my card
that he might know the name of his political bene-
factor, I promised to speak to the consul at Bey-
root in his favour; and he left me with as much
confidence as if he had his commission already in
his pocket.
A more interesting business followed with the
old rabbi, probably induced by what had just
passed between the Christian and myself. He
told me that he had lately had occasion to regret
exceedingly the loss of a paper, which would now
be of great use to him ; that he was a Jew of Ven-
ice (I can vouch for it that he was no Shylock),