“Having heard that slanderous reports and letters have been sent to Quincy, Illinois, aiming at the character of Rev. Dr. Browne, member of the B’nai Israel Congregation, we, the undersigned, therefore declare that as a minister and as a gentleman Dr. Browne has always met with the fullest approval of the congregation, and the outsiders thereof. Several parties, though, on account of petty personal affairs, started up trouble in said congregation, still no one can or dare question that as a preacher, as a teacher in his Sunday-school, which was a model of order and decorum, and in all his duties, Dr. Browne stands as pure as any minister in this or in any other country. The slanderer who attempts to blacken the fair reputation of an honest and upright public man like Dr. Browne, deserves his unqualified contempt of every one.”23
Even after moving to another city Browne could not relinquish anger over his treatment by Heiman. Almost a year later he revived the unseemly controversy in his journal, the Jewish Independent. The article, entitled “Why I Left Evansville,” drew vitriolic response from Evansvillians who reversed their previous opinion and sent resolutions to the Israelite calling him “Meanest liar in creation,” “Most contemptible, self conceited fool,” and “Most abominable hypocrite.” Wise published them, but “with the utmost regret... not only because the words used... are unbecoming this journal and any religious community, but also we admire the talent and ability of Dr. Browne as an eminent pulpit orator, and know that he is no hypocrite, and there is no wickedness in him.” That said, Wise conceded that he did “sincerely mourn over the follies of our young friend, who possesses all the gifts to make his mark in the pulpit, and yet mistakes notoriety for reputation, and transient sensation for fame.”24
The incident, in addition to revealing Browne’s impetuous nature and unbending pride, reflects both the naïveté and the mercurial temper of the average congregation. While Browne unquestionably invited reproof, considering his previous strong support by the congregation, the vindictive tone of the Evansville resolution suggests that it was written by members not formerly in control. Such behavior, traceable to changes in the congregation’s lay leadership, was also often affected by financial problems. A sidelight worth noting is the fact that although the Evansville congregation engaged Browne at a generous $3000 a year, it offered only $1000 for his successor and was required to double that figure when no one acceptable applied. This suggests economic concerns as well as contention within the ranks of leadership.25
Although Wise defended Browne publicly, he was not blind to behavioral flaws in his young friend that might have added to his problems. In a personal letter written while Browne was still in Evansville, his mentor began with a sad report on Mrs. Wise’s health and then admonished in these words:
“Allow me to tell, if I had had four places in five years or so, and gone away quarreling from either, beyond a doubt, I would have come to the conclusion that the fault is in me. In this case I would have shelved myself for a year or two in a quiet retreat, to overcome my own follies, evidently in my way to success, and I would have given my attention exclusively to scientific pursuits and not let hear of me one word, until the old Adam be out of me. Can you not see the failure you have made? Starting out as you did, after five years, you have landed in Peoria. Are you blind to all that? Publish no cards, rather seek quietly to reconstruct your wrecked fortune, by good sermons without sensation or humbug, by diligent study especially of Jewish sources which you have forgotten, and by careful attention to conduct in society, where prudence, forbearance and moderation are as necessary as a good moral character. I am your friend who tell you what I have to say, others may persecute you. The world is cold. Now you may do as you please; I have done my duty as a friend. If you want to remain in the ministry you must build up a reputation not only as a scholar and orator but also as a quiet, earnest and peaceable man who manages well. This will take time, resolution and self-government.”26
Browne did not take Wise’s advice. His reason is unclear but it invites speculation. Although Wise’s reference to Peoria implies that Browne’s move there was a step downward in his career, some aspects of the city and the history of its congregation suggest otherwise. The feud with Heiman had taken its toll on Browne’s popularity, and despite the strength of his remaining support, he was left with a residue of ill will that clouded his outlook for a future in Evansville. Sophie was very young—barely nineteen—and presumably loathe to leave her parents; however, she and the rabbi retained a close relationship with them and visited often. He had established his reputation throughout the mid-west as an eloquent orator and progressive thinker, an advocate of biblical criticism and Darwinian evolution, and the offer of a position in the larger city with its proximity to Chicago beckoned enticingly. All known facts considered, it seems that Browne simply decided that it was a good time to go.
IV - PRESIDENT GRANT AND THE MAN WHO CHALLENGED INGERSOLL
Browne ignored Wise’s advice and accepted a call to the pulpit of Congregation Anshe Emeth of Peoria, Illinois, the oldest Jewish community in the state other than Chicago. Originally comprised of Western Europeans some of whom had arrived in the 1840s, Peoria Jewry had grown considerably in recent years due to the arrival of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Congregation Anshe Emeth, Peoria’s first synagogue, had established a religious school and a burial association in the1850s, and completed its building by1863. The rabbi who preceded Browne had remained there for ten years, an unusual longevity in those times that spoke well not only for him but—significantly—for the character and stability of the congregation. It was a congenial community, where Jews mingled freely with their non-Jewish neighbors as they did in Evansville and elsewhere.1
The Brownes settled comfortably in lodgings at 406 Jefferson Street and embraced the cultural life of the city. In the “First Grand Entertainment” of the Standard Literary Association, the rabbi recited Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and Sophie performed several pieces on the piano. Browne joined the local lodge of B’nai B’rith as he had probably also done in Evansville. Membership in the philanthropic fraternity was considered de rigeur for Jewish men of position. Browne was no stranger to the Peoria lodge, having spoken there while still serving as rabbi in Evansville. At that time he so pleased the local committee that it sent a series of resolutions to the Israelite declaring him “one of the foremost ministers in America,” and “a preceptor under whose guidance we can safely trust our noble cause, and our motto and watchword Progress be actually correct in the effect.” 2
The same emphasis on image is seen in the report of a lecture that Browne gave in Burlington, Iowa. It inspired Jews there to advise the Israelite that it “would be an honor for Judaism if our talented rabbis would occasionally make a tour, especially to places which are not so fortunate.... It creates a good influence....”3
These kudos aptly identify a primary goal of Jews in mid-nineteenth century America: acceptance for themselves and their religion in their Protestant-dominated land. Browne served Peorians well in this role of ambassador to the gentiles. Then a new role for rabbis, it soon became a major requirement for those serving acculturated American Jews. Peorians emphasized this yearning as they expressed to Wise their pride in having “the most able Jewish rabbi in the West,” thus permitting them to “feel with dignity our elevation among an enlightened community” and to declare, “This, Dear Editor, is what Judaism here and elsewhere long has sought—to have the right man to lead us in our synagogues, and represent us among our Christian friends....”4
The same dispatch reported that “the Rev. Doctor has created quite a new life” in the city, that religious services were “splendidly attended,” that a Young Men’s Social Club had recently been established “for literary and dramatic purposes,” and that the B’nai B’rith lodge was “in most excellent condition, numbering now fifty-one members, with a fund of