Isaac M. Wise's The Israelite

Isaac M. Wise was a Rabbi that wrote several editorials in his weekly journal The Israelite. The Israelite held a strong influence in the mid-west and south during the 1800s and “exerted a powerful force in the formation of Jewish public opinion on Jewish and national problems” (1). Wise expressed his stance as neutral in regards to politics during the Civil War. Yet, it became obvious through Wise’s editorials that he was not a fence-sitter, but rather a Peace Democrat; Wise believed in neither the extreme abolitionist’s nor the extreme secessionist’s political views. For example, Wise primarily wanted to support peace in the country, but as states began to secede, blamed the North as the cause. On the other side of the fence, Wise maintained an image of anti-slavery. Wise said nothing or said very little when the topic discussed, “In fact, he avoided discussion of the question on a political plane, since it was obvious to him

A perfect example of Isaac M. Wise’s fluctuating opinion is from the editorial The Revolutionary Object of Extremists, “Wise defended the institution of slavery, but he simultaneously expressed opposition to extending slavery into the American West.”