El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-19
TUDAH P. BENJAMIN, pronounced by

IT UDAH P. BENJAMIN, pronounced by
tn late justice Brewer OF the
United States supreme court, "the
brains of the southern confederacy, and
declared by Schouler in his History
of the United States" the ablest, the
most versatile and most constant of all
Davis's civil counselors," was born OF
English Jewish parents at st. Cro1X
West Indies, in 1911. Removing in 1918
to Wilmington, n. c., his precoclty at
tracted Moses Lopez of Charleston, a
wealthy Jew, who sent the boy to Yale
in 1927, but wishing to be Independent
he left in his sophomore year.
His parents had moved from VIII
mington to New Orleans and Judah
followed them He became a notary's
clerk, taught school at night, studied
law at every opportunity and was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1882. His success
was phenomenal from the beginning,
and he soon acquired an Independent
fortune He bought a sugar planta-
ton with the intention of setting down
as q planter. He made some wonderful
experiments in extracting the Juice
from the cane, which to this day are
used in the large sugar fields of the
south. but his venture did not pay; he
was compelled to give up the plantation
scheme, chiefly, however, through
floods which destroyed most Of his
property.
Failure His Real Beginning.
This failure as a planter was the
turning point in his great career. He
was compelled to return to the pracllce
of law Politics began to Interest hlm'
In 1914 he was member OF the LOUIS
lana constitutional convention. In 1S49,
&c presidential elector at large for
Louisiana. he cast his ballot for Gen.
Taylor.
Admitted to practice before the So
nreme court of the United States, ne
soon became one of the leaders or the
federal bar. Senator Vest records the
fact that judge Black was BENJAMIN
adversary in his first case ana ina
Justice Fields mad told Black when the
court took it's recess, after BENJAMIN
hod stated his case. "You had better
look to your laurels, for that little Jew
from New Orleans has stated your case
out of COURT
President Pierce rendered Benjamin
the position of associate justice OF the
supreme court of the United states
which Benjamin declined In 1852 Ben
ianin was elected United States senator
from Louisiana. He was twice re-
elected.
Helped Nominate Buchanan.
In 1856 Benjamin was one OF the
small group of senators VINO sucCeeueu
in securing the nomination Of Buchanan
for president Mr. Buchanan Offered
him the attorney generalship, which be
declined.
Benjamin's attitude in the senate CEN
tered almost exclusively around his
fixed belief that the duty of the federal
government was to protect slave prop
erty. All his important political
speeches in the senate were directly
concerned with the slave question Ills
speeches were powerful expUsitions of
the southern view. Henry l.. Dawes
has classed Benjamin with Sumner.
Beecher, Wendell Phillips, Yancey and
breckenridge as an orator and whose
productions were not less eloquent than
those of Fox or Pitt, Patrick Henry or
John Adams.
Referring to his farewell speech in
the senate, sir George Cornwall Lewis
was discussing it with some friends in
a London club. Going up to cord Sher-
brooke, Lewis asked the nobleman If