Benjamin, Judah P.

Autograph letter signed ("J. P. Benjamin") as Secretary of State of the Confederate States of America, 2 pages (10 x 8 in.; 254 x 203 mm) on a bifoilum of laid paper (watermarked G Wilmot | 1863), Richmond, 21 February 1865, to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, headed "Confidential" at the top; integral blank inlaid to an album leaf. 

Marshall B. Coyne (Sotheby's 5 June 2001, lot 17)

Autograph letter signed ("J. P. Benjamin") as Secretary of State of the Confederate States of America, 2 pages (10 x 8 in.; 254 x 203 mm) on a bifoilum of laid paper (watermarked G Wilmot | 1863), Richmond, 21 February 1865, to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, headed "Confidential" at the top; integral blank inlaid to an album leaf.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

One of the most prominent and objective members of Jefferson Davis's cabinet dramatically offers to resign if it will advance the cause of the Confederacy.

Judah Philip Benjamin was one of the most prominent Jewish Americans during the nineteenth century. He was elected to the U. S. Senate in 1852 and 1858. After his state seceded from the Union, he was appointed Confederate attorney general in 1861, then secretary of war later that year. Benjamin was blamed for several military defeats and he resigned from the position, but in 1862 Jefferson Davis, who had come to rely on his counsel, persuaded him to become secretary of state. Benjamin's many critics in the Confederate legislature were not pleased; indeed, that body had previously censured him for his plans to emancipate black soldiers who fought for the South. 

The present "Confidential" letter was written during the tumultuous period of early 1865, when the Confederate civil government—Benjamin especially—was as much under siege as its armies in the field.

"It is unnecessary to remind you that I accepted office with reluctance and have retained it solely from a sense of duty. Separated from my family for nearly five years past, my eager desire to see them has been repressed by the belief that my services were not without value to you; and I knew how impossible it was for any human being to sustain the burthen now weighing on you, without zealous and cordial aid.

"For some months past however I have doubted whether my withdrawal from office would not rather promote the success of your administration than deprive you of useful assistance. It has been apparent that I have been the object of concerted and incessant assault by those who have been inimical to me personally, as well as by all in Congress and the press that are hostile to you. These attacks have been regarded by me with entire indifference, except as suggesting the doubt above expressed. If our affairs were in a more prosperous condition, I should tender my resignation unconditionally, confident that if found desirable it would be in my power to return to you assistance in the Legislative Department of the Government. But in the present juncture I shrink from giving color for an instant to the suspicion of a desire to shield myself from danger or responsibility by abandonment of duty.

"I must therefore beg you to let me know your own conclusion with entire unreserve. Will your administration be strengthened or any opposition to it diminished by substituting another in my place in the Cabinet? If so, I will at once seek the sphere of duty above referred to, in which I know I can be serviceable in sustaining you in this great struggle. If not, I shall cheerfully continue the sacrifice of private inclination and family affection to the call of duty, at all hazards and under all responsibilities."

Predictably, Davis asked Benjamin to remain in the cabinet. But less than six weeks after this letter was sent, the Confederate president, accompanied by many in his administration, was forced to flee the capital city of Richmond. Benjamin remained with Davis for about two weeks, participating in a meeting of the cabinet in exile at Greensboro on 12 April. Striking out on his own towards the Atlantic coast, Benjamin escaped Union capture and made his way to England, where he quickly established an enormously successful legal practice.