National Republican., 1884-05-09
JUDAH P. BENJAMIN.
Death Of the Ex-Secretary Of State Of the
COnfederaCy in London
A Sketch OF His Csroor-EHtracts from
HIS Speech on Leaving the Senate.

Mr.. Benjamin was born in st. Croiz, in the
West Indies in 1911. His parents were Eng
lish aud of jewish faith. In 1916 they emil
grated to Wilmington, N. @. Young Bonia-
min entered Yale college in 1925, and left
without having graduated in 1928. He was
admitted to tho bar in New Orleans in 1892
He quickly became conspicuous in politics.
first as q whig and subsequently as demo-
crat. He was elected TO the United States
senate in 1859, and reelected in 1858. On
Dec 81, 1860, he made memorable speech in
the senate announcing his adhesion to tho
state Of Louisiana, which had seeded from
the union. The speech has been referred to
as one of the most eloquent ever delivered
in that body. He began by expressing his
concurrence in the remarks Of his colleague.
Senator Slidell, who had preceded him, con-
tended against the assertion mado by union
sonators-that, of all Others, Louisiana had
the least right of attempting to Sc
code from tho United States, because
the latter had purchased hor ter
ritory from France, and claimed that
tho sovereignty of tho coded province was
not conveyed otherwise than in trust which
tho government covenanted to transfer to
them for their use and benefit as soon as
they wero capable of exercising it; that the
treaty promise to protect the slave property
of that territory had been openly violated by
the adjustment forced upon the south at the
continued:
"1f then, sir, tho people of Louisiana had
right which congress could not deny, of the
admission into the union with all the rights
of all the citizens of tho United States, 1t is
in vain that the partisans Of tho right of the
majority to govern the minority with des-
potic control, attempt to establish distinc-
tion to her prejudice, between her rights aud
those of any other state. Tho only distinc-
tion which really exists is this: that she can
point to breach of treaty stipulations ex-
pressly guaranteeing her rights, as q wrong
superadded to those which have impelled q
number of her sister states 10 tho assertion
Of their independence. The rights Of Louis
lana, as sovereign state, arc those of
Virginia-no more, no less. Let those
who deny her right to resume delegated
powers successfully refute the claim of Vir-
ginia to the same right, in spite of her express
reservation made and notified to her sister
states when she consented to enter tho union.
And, sir permit me to say that of all the
causes which justify the action of the south
ern states, l know none of greater gravity
and more alarming magnitude than that now
developed, of the denial of the right of
secession. pretention 80 monstrous as that
which perverts restricted agency, consti-
tuted by sovereign states for common
purposes, into the Unlimited despotism of the
majority, and denies all legitimate escape from
such despotism, when powers not delegatedare
fabric into the secure abode of lawless
tyranny and degrades sovereign states into
provincial dependencies. Few can
did men would refuse to admit that the
republicans of the north would have been
checked in their mad career had they been
convinced of the existence of this right
and the intention to assert it. The very
knowledge of its existence, by preventing
occurrences which alone could prompt
its exercise, would have rendered it most
efficient instrument in the preser-
walton of the union. But, sir, if the fact
were otherwise-if all the teachings of OK
perienoe were reversed-bettcr, far better, n
rope of sand, aye, tho flimsiest gossamer that
ever gistened in the morning dew, than
chains of iron and sbackles of steel; better the
widest anarchy, with the hope, the chance of
one hours inspiration of the glorious breath
r of freedom than ages of the hopeless bondage
and oppression to which our enemies would
reduce us.
1T was reserved for tho latter half of the
nineteenth century, and for the congress of q
republic of freemen, to witness the willing
abnegation of all power, save that of exact
ing tribute. What imperial Britain, with
the haughtiest pretensions of unlimited
power over dependent colonies, could not
even attempt, without tho vehement protest
of her greatest statesmen, is to be enforced
in aggravated form, if you can enforce IL,
against independent states. Great God
of recalling to American Legislators
the lessons of freedom taught in lisping child
hood by loving mothers; that pervade the
atmosphere we have breathed from infancy;
that 50 forms part of our very being; that in
their absence we would lose the consciousness
of our own identity? Heaven be praised
that all have not forgotten them; that when
we shall have left these familiar halls and
when force bills, blockades, armies, navies,
and all the accustomed coercive appli-
anoes of despots shall DO proposed and
advocated, voices shall be heard from this
side Of the chamber that will make its very
roof resound with the indignant clamor OF
outraged freedom. Methinks l still hear
ringing in my ears the appeal of the eloquent
representative (IIon. George II. Pendleton
of Ohio whose northern home looks down on
Kentucky's fertile borders Armies, money
blood cannot maintain this union; justice,
reason, peace may"
"And now to you, Mr.. President, and to my
brother senators, on all sides of this chamber
bid u respectful farewell With many oi
those from whom | have been radically sepa.
rated in political sentiment, my personal
rotations havo been kindly; aud have in
spired me with u respect and esteem that
l shall not willingly forget With those
around mo from the southern states, part as
men part from brothers on the eve of tom.
porary absence, with a cordial pressure of the
hand and smiling assurance of tho
around the family hearth. But to you
noble and generous friends, who, born be-
meath other skies, possess hearts that
beat in sympathy with ours; to you who
solicited and assailed by motives tho most
powerful thai could appeal TO selfish natures
have nobly spurned them all; to you who
in our behalf have barred your breasts TO the
fierce beatings of the storm aud made will.
ing sacrifice Of lifes most glittering prizes in
your devotion TO constitutional liberty; to
you who have made our cause your cause
and for many OF whom | feel | part
forever, what shall l. can | say? NOught
j know and feel is needed for myself
but this L will say for the people
in whose name | speak to-day: whether pros
porous or adverse fortunes await you, one
priceless treasure is yOurs--the assurance that
an entire people honor your names and hold
them in grateful and aileotionate memory,
But with still sWeeter and more touching
return shall your unselhsh devotion DO re-
warded. When, in after days, tho story oi
the present shall be writtenj when his
tory shall have passed her stern SEN
tence on tho erring men who have
driven their unoAending brethern from
the shelter of their common home, your
names will derive fresh luster from the
contrast, and when your children shall hear
repeated the familiar tale it will be with
glowing cheek and kndling eye their very
souls will stand a-tlptoe as thoir sires are
named, and they will glory in their lineage