Paris, Charles Schiller, 1871.

Algiers, Imp. Bouyer.

On 24 October 1870, the French Parliament naturalized the Jews of Algeria, making them all 
citizens of France en masse. This decision was so much identified with Isaac Adolphe Crémieux,
initiator and chief advocate of the scheme, that it has been known ever since as the Decret 
Crémieux. Right-wing Catholic agitation followed, aimed at repealing the act, and by the 
summer of 1871 a parliamentary vote was pending. This "note on the proposed legislation 
relative to the naturalization of the indigenous Jews of Algeria"; represents an attempt by the 
the Consistoire central–led by Crémieux's principal associates, Chief Rabbi Lazare Isidor and 
Baron Alphonse de Rothschild–to influence members of the legislature to vote against repeal.

Their arguments are set out in nine compelling chapters; then follows a declaration from the 
Muslim notables of the city of Constantine, who had been asked to respond to the question of 
whether conferring French citizenship on the Jews "had excited anger and animosity in the 
hearts of Muslims", as the Rightists were claiming. 

NO is the unanimous response 
of the 21 
signatories, who include the muftis of the Hanafi and Maliki traditions, the cadi of Constantine,
and Ali ben Bahmed, tribal chief of the Hactaras and self-proclaimed caliph.On the contrary,
hey say they welcome the measure as opening the door to the future emancipation of the 
Muslim majority.

Together with this political pamphlet the present lot includes a petition and 3 telegrams.The 
petition, dated 1871 and protesting any thought of repeal, contains a one-page case statement 
and three pages of signatures of newly-French Algerian Jews. Of the 46 signatories, nine sign in 
Roman script and 37 in Hebrew.

Remarkable, too, are the telegrams, updating Jewish 
community leaders in Algiers on the progress of the high-powered diplomatic effort being made 
to save the Decret Crémieux.

The telegrams are as follows:

31 July, 1871: Vuillermoz, Versailles, to Alphandery, Algiers. "We have been having good luck. Letter by courier would be advisable".

9 August 1871: Valensi, Paris, to Alphandery, Algiers. "Arrived yesterday at 6:00 pm. Not a 
brilliant event but saw plenty of people, Let's hope to make things better. Let me know what is 
going on".

22 August 1871 (10:30 am): Valensi, Paris to Isaac Levy Bram. Algiers "The necessary steps have 
been taken. Definitive result still not known".

As to the lobbyists: Romuald Vuillermoz a liberal republican lawyer exiled to Algeria by 
Napoleon III, was the current mayor of Algiers and leader of the recent settler uprising against 
French military maladministration that briefly took control of the city, after which he had 
become, on an interim basis, the first civilian governor of Algeria. Valensi we take to be General 
Gabriel Valensi, theoretically the dragoman (interpreter) of the Bey of Tunis but in actuality his 
foreign minister, and the North African Jew most at home in French official circles.


Pamphlet: pp. 12, 11 x 8.5 inches. Light surface dirt on title.


Petition: pp. 4, 17 x 10.5 inches. Inconsequential marginal tears at folds; two tiny holes with no loss of text. Telegrams: Each 6.5 x 10 inches.

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פריט #170

(ALGERIA). Protestation contre toute tentative de Retrait du Décret du 24 Octobre 1870 sur le Naturalisation des Israélites Algériens. WITH: Consistoire central des Israélites de France. Note sur le Projet de Loi. AND: Three related telegrams.

מחיר פתיחה: $450

מע"מ: על מלוא המחיר והעמלה

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