III.

SAMUEL NASSY OF SURINAM.

Not all the Jews, who were by royal order expelled from Brazil in 1654, when the Dutch possessions in South America were ceded to Portugal, left their adopted country, where they, for a brief span of years enjoyed all the privileges of their fellowmen. Many were so much attached to American soil that they dared remain, despite the edict of banishment, in Brazil and elsewhere.

In Dutch Guiana, a thrifty colony was formed as early as 1644,[55] two years after the influx and settlement of Amsterdam Jews in Brazil under Aboab and Aguilar. These were undoubtedly the original colonists of Brazil. This colony soon increased by a second settlement of Jews hailing, likewise, from Brazil, who were undoubtedly persuaded to migrate thither by their Dutch co-religionists in Cayenne. The President of the West Indian Company, recognizing their influence as a commercial and political body, granted a most liberal charter of rights[56] in 1659 (September 12th), wherein freedom of thought, and liberty of conscience and worship were duly accorded to them through their able representative, David Nassy, a native Brazilian, who, by force of his personality, culture and intelligence, was destined to play a most important part in the political and social development of this and other colonies subsequently formed in the Guianas. So enticing was this generous programme, that already in the following year, 1660, 152 Jews of both sexes,[57] embarked at Livorno, Italy,[58] bound for the land of freedom, where they arrived in the ship _Monte del Cisne_, having set sail on the memorable 9th day of Ab (August) 1660, in order to build up their temple under more favorable auspices in another hemisphere.[59]

Among their number was the famous Spanish poet and historian De Barrios (see above), to whom we owe many important items of early American Jewish history. His visit to America was not a happy one, for shortly after his arrival his wife, Deborah, died in Tabago (West Indies).[60]

The continuous wars between Holland and Portugal caused the colonists no little grief and annoyance. The frequent devastations of the French, too, who were equally zealous and greedy for conquest, gave them so much anxiety that they decided to transplant the colony to Surinam--a plan which was carried out on May 15th, 1664.[61]

As the writer is engaged in compiling an extensive work on the Jews of Surinam he refrains now from entering into details concerning their early career. Suffice it to say that the spirit of their Dutch masters followed them thenceforth for more than a century and a half. The English government then ruling the colony, true to their traditional standard of tolerance ever since the days of Cromwell and Menasseh ben Israel, endowed them with equal civil rights and granted them not only full exercise of their religion, but excused them from public and military service on the Sabbath day. The document is a precious chapter in the history of religious liberty in America. It was published recently by the present writer.[62] Without further prolegomena, we desire to introduce one of the members of the famous family of Nassy, all of whom fully deserved the distinction of nobility implied in their name,[63] for their bravery and statesmanship.

History records the estimable services of Samuel Nassy, who but for some unlucky circumstance would have occupied the highest official position in Surinam. De Barrios, who probably knew him personally, remembers him in the following words: "_Del pueblo de Sariñam Samuel Nasi (sic) Señorea El coraçon con los dones y et estudio con la ciencia._"[64] Dr. Kayserling, in a recent article says: "Of great influence upon the free development of the colony, as on the condition of the Jewish inhabitants, was the activity of Samuel Nasi, a talented and scientifically trained man, who is designated as 'Citizens' Captain,' and was a candidate for the position of governor."[65] It is said that Governor Aerssens, with whom the Jews of Surinam had some little difficulty,[66] sealed a treaty of peace with the Indians, who molested the early settlers quite often, and in order to make it of a more durable character, he formed an alliance with the chieftain's daughter.[67] While he lived there was no disturbance at all, but almost immediately after his death, the savage tribes returned to their former aggressive attitude and made a furious onslaught on the colony. With the help of the Jewish inhabitants, who were headed by Captain Samuel Nassy, the Indians were promptly repulsed.[68]

Nassy soon acquired influence and prominence among his co-religionists in particular. He strove to introduce a few necessary reforms in ritual and ceremony--the first traces of the reform movement in America--especially in the abrogation of certain festivals which were perhaps too burdensome to the community. It seems, however, that in this he met with considerable opposition, although he had the sanction and support of the Rabbis in Amsterdam, with whom he corresponded.[69] The authority with which he was vested by reason of his executive ability and earnest zeal soon diminished with the arrival of the newly appointed governor, Heer Van Scherpenhuizen, the successor of Aerssens,[70] a fact which tended much to embitter his days and aroused sharp controversy between him and his rival. He had the satisfaction of being instrumental in his recall soon after his accession.[71]

Nassy flattered himself that his personal influence was necessary to the welfare and prosperity of the colony. And he was right. The Jews relied so implicitly upon his counsels and were so certain that he would be proclaimed governor, for he enjoyed the esteem of Jew and Gentile alike, that it was an unpleasant shock to them all when quite another person, comparatively unknown, was chosen in his stead. It is, therefore, not surprising that Samuel Nassy, seeing the loss of his public prestige, thought fit to betake himself to Amsterdam, unwilling to remain in a country which owed all its present affluence to his sterling honesty and wise management, and was yet so slow in showing its gratitude to the able statesman. His disappointment and dissatisfaction in not succeeding Heer Van Sommelsdyk as governor infected the whole Jewish community. The rupture which eventually followed between the Jews and Governor Scherpenhuizen resulted in the latter's removal.[72] This was chiefly occasioned by the unfriendly treatment of the Jews at the governor's hands, who, seeing in them only the partisans of his former rival, took care to harass them with unjust taxation. This exasperated them so much that they lodged a complaint against him with Baron de Belmonte and their "Citizens' Captain" Samuel Nassy, both in Amsterdam, and demanded the immediate recall of their prejudiced governor from the State-Council. Strangely enough, Nassy's influence was still powerful, for he was replaced, in 1696, by another governor, Paulus van der Veen by name, shortly after the petition was filed. Scherpenhuizen embarked for Holland. Having been taken prisoner by the French on his way thither, he arrived there only after several months. Hardly had he landed at Amsterdam, before he was arraigned by Samuel Nassy before the civil court and he was compelled to vindicate his conduct.[73] The record of that trial and defense, in which Nassy took a leading part, is still extant, published in 1697.[74]