The Caucasian., 1910-07-31
GREAT MEN
Jefferson Davis and Judah P. Benjamin.
Monuments to Be Erected to Their
Memory in New Orleans.

JSISlSoI LAWS dlId Juudtl L, DSHJdlIlll.
Monuments to Be Erected to Their
Memory in New Orleans.
New Orleans States: The decision
reached by Mrs, Behan and members of
the Jefferson Davis Monument Associa-
ton, Mayor Behrman and Councilman
Frawley to make Havana avenue with
its broad neutral ground the site of the
monument to the late President Of the
Confedetacy, is happy idea and will
meet with public approval The name of
the avenue, which is ultimately to join
Audubon and City Parks, as a further
mark of honor will be changed to JEFF
ferson Davis Parkway and the monu-
ment will be made to face Canal street
where it will be visible to thousands
daily.
It occurs to the States that the neu-
trail grounds on the opposite side of
Canal street might appropriately be
made the site of a monument to another
great leader of the Southern cause
the right hand of Mr. Davis in the
great crisis of the war and the brains
of the Confederacy," as he was popu-
larly designated We refer to Judah P,
Benjamin, one of the most remarkable
men of his age. and one of the most in
tellectual his splendid race has pro-
duced.
Mr.. Benjamin's parents were English
Jews, who left England TO settle in New
Orleans, but were diverted to the island
of ST. Croix after reaching America.
There their brilliant son was born. The
family came subsequently to New Or
leans and from here young Benjamin
went for three years to Yale. Without
graduating he returned to New Or
leans, studied law, was admitted to the
bar and made rapid progress to emil
nence in the profession. He became in
ttrested in politcis and filled so large a
place in the public eye that he was sent
to the Senate in 1852. becoming quickly
one 0 fthe great leaders and most fin
ished debaters in that body.
When the storm of war broke Mr.
Benjamin resigned to follow the for
tunes of the Confederacy, and through
the favor of Mr. Davis, who regarded
him as one of the giants Of the day, be-
came successfully Attorney General,
Secretary of War and Secretary of
State in the Confederate Cabinet. It
was in the last named office that he was
able to perform his greatest service to
The Confederaey. When the Southern
government tottered to its fall, Mr..
Benjamin, broken in health and ifnpov-
erished. escaped from the Florida coast
in an open boat and made his way to
the Bahamas, and thence TO England.
He landed there penniless and without
friends, but his will was unbroken and
he decided to begin life anew by master
ing the English law He was admitted
to the bar at the age Of SIS. At first he
had bitter struggle for clients but his
wonderful grasp OF the science OF law,
his rare skill as pleader and his ca
pacity for work soon told, and he was
carried forward by leaps and bounds
until he was made queens counsel and
became the most successful lawyer APP
pearing before the House of Lords.
The life of such a man ought to be an
inspiration to mankind To the mem
bers Of the Jewish race, upon whom he
shed such lustre, it ought to be particu-
|larly a labor Of love to inaugurate and
carry to success a subscription move
ment to make the monument possible.
Nothing could we'll be more appropri
ate than that we should have statues,
facing each other at the intersection of
two Of our great bouleYards, of the two
great men who struggled and suffered
together III the cause Of the Southore
of the head Of the ill-starred govern
ment and the other his closest eoilfdant
and adviser.