National Republican., 1883-02-15
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE TRUE JEW is NOT sTINGY.
To me EdyDr


WASHINGTON, d. G., Feb. 1d--Sir: In your
sketch in this mornings issue of the life and
services of my distinguished knsman, Judah
p. Benjamin, you pay noble tribute to that
taily worthy man, but in doing so you strike
an unjust and cruel blow at the race of
which he is q prominent factor and whose
interests he has more deeply at heart than
his personal welfare To characterize the
jew as "stingy" is to judge him
by standard which looks no higher
than the second hand clothing ped
dler. There are grades OF society and
ability in all sects and races, and to judge OF
the whole by the lowest form is surely unjust
The true jew is never stingy He is ever
ready to assist those who need and appreciate
assistance That he does not respond when
called upon to encourage lazy, shiitloss, beg
gars--and most bcggars are undoubtedly OF
this class to pursue their course oil useless
ness-cannot be wondered ut when 1T is re-
membored that the business of the life OF such
gentle is to persecute, hoot, and scott at tho
jew. 1t must not be forgotten also that the
jew is socially ostracized; that the vox populi
| is perseoute him |" "pcrsocute himW ex-
cept, perhaps, when his ducats are wanted to
assist some charitable or other enterprise.
Then the voices are turned to fattery and
men fawn.
The spirit that prompts such treatment is
the same that gave birth to the question,
i" Can any good thing come out of Naza-
reth ?"
Our prominent Jewish merchants cannot
| be called stingy, and we have many instances
| in this city of generous lsraelites, A. ). Solo
mon, esq, being most prominent one.
| My ancestors wero Jews, and the Christian
religion, which they adopted in tho seven
| teenth century, teaches me to render justice
to whom justice is due. Respectfully,
FREDERICK BENJAMIN.
WHEN WAS JOHN HOWARD PAYNE BORN?
| TO he Editor.
WAsnINGToN, Feb. 1i.-Sir: In your issue
of to-day you publish an article from the
New York Critic. headed, "When Did John
Howard Payne Die" with statement that
| "Mr. Corcoran will erect n monument in
| America over Payne's remains with the fol-
lowing inscription:
| John Howard Payne,
Author of Home Sweet Home,
| Born June 0, 1902,
| Died April 10, 1852"
| Mr.. Worthington, who asks the question in
| the article, says:
| Permit me 70 suggest the possible incorrectness
of the date Of Payne's death as thus stated. was
| present at the eXhumation of the poets remains
| in Tunis, on Friday, jan. o, 1883. On the
| tombstone that has covered his body for thirty
lie died at the American consulate in this city,
after n tedious illness April 1, 1852.
What Mr.. Worthington states as inscription
on the tombstone when Payne died is in ac-
cordanco with what was written by an Eng
lishman, Thomas w. Knox, in his "Tunisian
Life" but, in addition, Knox says on the
tombstone is, "Ho was born June g." and not
on the ninth, 1892. So the data above would
be wrong for birth as well as death.
Knox says Payne's grave is in foreign
cemetery at Tunis and shaded by n pepper
tree, whose growing roots have cracked the
masonry above the feet of the gifted writer
There is no monument beyond the broad slab
of marble which covers the grave, and bears
the following inscription:
In memory
Col: John Howard Payne,
Twice Consul Of
The United States of America
for
The City and Kingdom Of Tunis,
This stone is here placed
Byagrateful Country.
He died at the American Consulate
in this city, after tedious illness,
April 1st, 1852.
He was born at the City of Boston,
State of Massachusetts,
June Sth, 1872.