THE JEWISH CHRONICLE '

3

AMERICA'S JEWISH AMBAS-
SADOR IS:BACK.

An American Jew Who Declined
a Supreme Court Berth

Henry, Nlorgenthau, American
Ambassador to Turkeyi who has
been in Constantinople ever since,
hostilities began, returned to this
country on - aleave of absence on
board the Scandinavian liner
Frederick VIII Tuesday morn-
ing. He was met at the pier by
Irs. Nlorgenthau, his son, Henry
Nlorgenthau, J r., and two daugh-
ters, Miss Ruth Morgenthau and
Mrs. Maurice Wertheim, and by
a large committee of prominent.
citizens appointed by Mayor'
Mitchel, which included among
its members Jacob II. Schiff, Miss
Lillian D. Wald, Abraham.I. El-
kus, Jesse I. Straus, Adolph Lew-
isohn, Borough President Marcus
I. Marks, Louis Marshall, Chas.
Strauss, Rev. Dr. Stephen S.
Wise, Oscar S. Straus, Isaac N.
Selig-mat, Sylvan Bier, .Adolph S.
Ochs, Judge Julian W. Mack and
David de Sola Pool.
A formal reception was held in
his honor in the office of Dock
Commissioner R. A. C. Smith.
'the address of welcome was
made by Cleveland 'H. Dodge,
chairman of the cOmrnittee, who
briefly reviewed the splendid ser-
vices rendered by Nit-. Morgen-
than at the Turkish capital, em-
phasizing that the Ambassador
did more than his mere duty
there. "In. the resentgreatest
crisis of modern times," he said,
"in the face of 'untold difficulties,
you have brought to the duties
of your. post such resources of
courage, tact and diplomacy as to
win the applause of the civilized
world."
Mr. Morgenthau replied with a
brief slieech. "If I have had the
privilege and opportunity to serve
my country," he began, "I can
say that I have enjoyed the
chance to pay a part of that debt
which every successful man owes
to his country. When I first
took charge of my work my prin-
cipal charges were American in-
stitutions and missionaries, but
since then it 'has been necessary
to stretch out the Ai flag
into the shape of an umbrella, tin:
der which foreigners of many na-
tionalities have found protection.
It has been one of my duties to
see that no particular race or na-
tionality pulled too much of this
umbrella over its head."
When asked about the treat-
ment of the Jews at the hands of
the Turks, lie replied that they
are being- treated very well.

The appointment by President influence with the Buchanan ad-
At the close of the Civil War,
Wilson of Louis D. itrandeis to ministration till the Civil War Benjamin fled to the West Indies
the Supreme Court recalls the life broke out.
and later to England. All his
of Judah I ) . 1;ellia111111, "the brains
Benjamin's oratory was unex- American property was confis-
,of the l 'onlederacy,” which par=al- celled in the Senate. Ile was re- cated by the Federal government.
lels NIr. Brandeis' life in two re- inarkalde particularly for his At the age of 55 he found himself
markable particulars. Like \Ir. readiness in debate. Ile was often obliged to turn to the law again
Brandeis, NIr. Benjamin was con- compared with "the other Benja- to earn- a living. In 1866 he nat-
sidered for the .(44,binet post .of .Vt- min"—Disraeli of England—for uralized as a Itritish subject and
tornc\--Gyneral iater President his parliamentary skill and ora- became a law student. In June
Pierce offered to Make him Asso- torical ability.
he was called to the bar, the regu-
ciate Justice of the Supreme
l'nfortunatelv, Benjamin won lar conditions being waived.
Court. Benjamin, howev e r, de- renown in the Senate in defend- work' ow "The Law of Sale of
clined. I ler(' the parallel ceases, ing' slavery and secession. This Personal Property" appeared in
for Benjamin was a pleader for nn-Jewish position exposed him 1868. It soon became the author-
the "special interests - and stood to attack by the anti-slavery and ity both in the United.States and
out -as the greatest do tender of abolition leaders. Senator Wade England. Again he attained a
the system of the exploitation of referred to him as an "Israelite position of influence by reason of
black labor. For the benefit of with Egyptian principles."
his lucrative practice. A. few
our readers, we herewith present
Although not actively connect- years prior to his retirement his
a sketch of the life of the „great ed with Jewish communal con- income was said to have been
Confederate leader.
cerns, he was in close touch with over $200,o00 a Year.
Judah Phillip Benjamin was Isaac NI. Wise, and in 185-I pre-
June :in, 1883, he was tendered
born at St. Croix, West
sented to the Senate on behalf of a farewell dinner, as its retog-
August t;, ICI I, and ilk(' in Paris,
May- it, 1 5I. I lis parents, Eng-
lish Jews, had left London for St.
DR. STEPHEN S. WISE,
Croix, then an 'English posses.-
of New York, will address a
sion. A few years after Judah's
Public Meeting, to be held
birth, the .family moved to Wil-
night of April 4th at Arcadia
mington, N. C., which they also
Hall, Woodward Avenue and
Stimson Place.
left, locating finally at New Or-
leans.. I len.. 'the boy. worked
as a law clerk, studied law and
taught school and.was admitted to
the Lotqsianalbar Dec.
THE JEWS OF DETROIT
I l c m e t with success at onc e at the
must raise $100,000 for their
bar. I lis scholarly intere s ts and
stricken brethren who are
capacity showed themselves with
a "Dig-est of the Reported Deck
sufferers because of the war.
-•■■•■■■■■
sii ins of the Supreme Court of the
Late Territory of ft-leans and the
DETROIT COMMITTEE FOR THE
Supreme Co of I
RELIEF OF JEWISH WAR SUFFERERS
which he drew up for his own use
and WhiCli \\*:1 the earliest digest
of I a a l aw .
Prospering with his growing
law practice, he bought a sugar
Plantation near NeW 1 h-leans and
became a stu4ar planter. I ler(' he
again proved the schidarly, and
Offices: 314 Washington Arcade Building
scientific character of his mind
and personality- by. experimenting -
with the best methods of extract-
ing saccharine matter fro.ini the American Jewry a petition call- nized leader, by the British bench
ing for governmental action and bar. Attorney-General Sir
cane.
against Swiss anti-Semitic dis- Henry James presided at the
I it began to turn his attention
criminations recognized in a function,
to political life. .ther serving- in
treaty with the United States.
Benjamin died in Paris,
lay
various local offices, he was
Wien the Confederate govern- 1 188.1, after his life of unusual
chosen a member of the Louisi-
ment was organized, Jefferson breaks in fortune that would have
ana Constitutional Convention of
I >a vis apimiRted . 11enjamin
daunted a less heroic soul. Ile
and Is5•2. ..e was a \1 big
ictieral, February - .?5, 1861. left a wife and daughter. His
at first, but becaine a Democrat.
he was also ap-
Sept.
wife way Catholic. It is Jdenied
Forced by financial losses on his
pointed acting Secretary - of War. that he abandoned the Jewish
plantation, ()wing to inundations,
In November lie was made Secre- faith on his death bed.
to resume the practice of law, lie
tary of War, when he resigned as
entered on a busy career in which At torney-t ;corral. Nlarch 1 7,
Ills il'g,ti
talents Callle to he
1SG - 2, he became Secretary - of
kn own w id e l y , F ew important State and held this post' mill the
SUBSCRIBE TO THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
cases of those days were not han- Confederacy collapsed in 1
,
dled by him.
lames Schindel - in his "History -
In October. ISIS, he was ad-
the United States'' refers to
IF you wish to'keep in touch with Jewish activities in Detroit
mitte(d to practice hefore the.Sti- him as the "premier until the hit-
pRne Cfnirt of the Vnited States. ter end, sanguine and serene in
IF you wish to be informed about all matters of Jewish inter-
In IS:)'; he was elected U. S. Sen- hearing, thron:?li all mutations of
est in the United States.
ator from Louisiana ; at the ex- fortune and misfortune. -
years
six
piration of his term,
I le rendered the Confederacy
later, he was re-elected. l le was brilliant service along diplomatic
IF you wish an intelligent knowledge of all matters of vital
lines. He came near securing
out of the leaders of a group
concern to Jews throughout the world.
succeeded in haying Buchanan European intervention—particu-
larly through the aid of Napoleon
named President instead of
las, and as a result he had great

-