Biographical Sketches of Jews Who Have Served in the Congress of the United States Michael W
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BIOGRAPHIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 517 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF JEWS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES MICHAEL W. ASH was born in Pennsylvania. He was a Rep- resentative in the 24th Congress, from that State, from 1835 to 1837, serving' as a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs. JUDAH P. BENJAMIN attained eminence as a member of the United States Senate, as Cabinet officer of the Confederate government, and as a member of the bar. He was born at St. Croix in 1811 and reached Charleston, S. C, about 1S1G. He received a classical education at Columbia (S. C.) College. After many changes of residence, he finally settled in New Orleans, La., and was admitted to the bar there. In 1834 he wrote " A Dig'est of Reported Decisions of the Supreme Court of Louisiana." In 1845 he was a member of the State Con- stitutional Convention; in 1847, a United States Commis- sioner; in 1848, a Presidential Elector for Loiiisiana; and in 1852 was elected to the United States Senate, and re-elected in 1859, resigning' his seat on the secession of his State. He became identified with the Confederate cause, and was Attorney-General and Acting- Secretary of War of the Pro- visional Government of the Southern Confederacy. In Feb- ruary, 18G2, lie was appointed Secretary of State of the Confederacy, which position he held until its fall in 18(15. He settled in London, England, after the war, and was made Queen's Counsel for Lancaster. During his residence abroad he wrote liis celebrated treatise " On Sales." He died in Paris, France, in May, 1884. EDWIN EINSTEIN, of New York City, was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, November 18, 1842. He removed, in 1846, to New York, where he has since resided. He. received a collegiate educa- tion at the Colleg'e of the City of New York, and entered Union College, but was not graduated. He has always been engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was elected, as a Repub- lican, from the 7th District, New York, to the 4(ith Congress. NATHAN FRANK, of St. Louis, Mo., was born in Peoria, 111., February 23, 1852. He wns educated in the public schools of .",18 AMERICAN JEWISH YKAIt BOOK Peoria and St. Louis, and at Washington University. He was graduated from the Harvard Law School in 1871. He is a member of the St. Louis bar and the author of " Frank's Bankrupt Law." He was the Republican nominee from the 9th District, Missouri, for the 50th Congress, but was de- feated. He was re-nominated by the Republican and Union Labor party, and was elected to the .list Congress as a Republican. EMANUEL B. HART, of New York, was born in that city, Octo- ber 2'.), 1811. He early entered upon a mercantile career. He went to the Spanish Main as a supercargo, and settled in New Y'ork as a commission merchant. He served for a time in the Board of Aldermen of New York City. He was a Rep- resentative in Congress from New York from 1851 to 1853. He was at one time a Lieutenant-Colonel of the State Militia. He was appointed by President Buchanan Surveyor of the Port of New Y'oi-k, and subsequently made an Excise Commis- sioner. He was frequently a member of the State and National Conventions of the Democratic party. .JULU'S HOUSEMAN, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was born in the village of Leckendorf, in Bavaria, Germany, December 8, 1H32. He. received a common-school and commercial education. He was engaged for thirty years in mercantile business and the manufacture of lumber. He held the office of Alderman in the city of Grand Rapids from 1861 to 1870 inclusive. In 1871 and 1872 he was a Representative in the State Legisla- ture. In 1873 and 187.) he was Mayor of Grand Rapids. He was elected to the 48th Congress, as a Democrat, from the .1th District, Michigan. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN JONAS, of New Orleans, La., was born at Williamstown, Grant Co., Ky., July 19, 183-1. He removed with his father to Adams Co., 111., where he received his education. In 1853 he removed to New Orleans, where he studied law and received a diploma from the law department of the University of Louisiana in 1855. He joined the Con- federate Army as a private of artillery, served as such and as Acting Adjutant of the artillery of Hood's Corps in the Army of Tennessee, until the end of the war. He was elected a member of the Louisiana Legislature in 1865, and served until reconstruction. In 1868 he was Chairman of the Louisiana Delegation to the Democratic National Convention. He was the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana in 1872, but gave way on the formation of the fusion ticket. In 187:.! he was elected to the State Senate, BIOGRAPHIES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 519 and adhered to the McEnery government, refusing to take his seat in the Kellogg Legislature. He •was elected City Attorney of New Orleans in 1874 and re-elected in 1876. He was a member of the Louisiana Legislature in 1876 and 1877, and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the House. He was a member of the Democratic National Committee from Louisiana, and was elected to the United States Senate, as a Democrat, to succeed James B. Eustis, taking his seat March 18, 1879. His term of service expired March 3, 1885. JULIUS KAHN, Republican, of San Francisco, Cal.. was born at Kuppenheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, on the 28th day of Feb- ruary, 1861. He removed with his parents to California in 1866, and was educated in fhe public schools of San Fran- cisco, having been a member of the class of 1878 of the Boys' High School. After leaving school, he entered the theatrical profession, which he followed for ten years, playing with Edwin Booth, Joseph Jefferson, Tommaso Salvini, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Florence, Clara Morris and other well-known " stars." In 1890 he returned to San Francisco and began to study law. In 1892 he was elected to the Legislature of the State of California, serving during the 30th session. In July, 1893, he was elected Secretary of the Finance Committee of the California Midwinter International Exhibition. In Janu- ary, 1894, he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of California. He was elected from the 4th District, Cali- fornia, to the 56th Congress. DAVID S. KAUFMAN, of Sabinetown, Tex., was born in Cumber- land Co., Pa., in 1813. He was graduated at Princeton College in 1833. Not long after, he removed to Natchez, Miss., and read law in the office of Gen. Quitman. In 1835 he settled in Natchitoches, La. In 1837 he emig'rated to Nacogdoches, in Texas, and in 1838 he was elected a Representative in the Texan Congress. He was twice re-elected and twice chosen Speaker of the House. In 1843 he was elected to the Senate, and from the Committee, on Foreign Relations, in 1844, pre- sented a report in favor of annexation, and took an active part in its consummation. In 1845 he was appointed Charge to this government, but that office was superseded by the final act of annexation. He was elected one of the first mem- bers of the House of Representatives from Texas, serving from 1846 to 1851. He died in Washington, D. C, January 13, 1851. LEWIS CHARLES LEVIN was born in Charleston, S. C, Nov. 10, 1808. He early removed to Woodville, Miss., becoming a 520 AMEETCAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK school teacher. Soon after a duel with an opponent, in which Mr. Levin was wounded, he left that town, and having1 read law, followed this profession in different States of the Union, viz., Maryland, Kentucky, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. In 1838 he took up his residence in Philadelphia, and was subsequently admitted to the bar in that city. He espoused the cause of temperance, and edited the " Temperance Advo- cate." He became known as a speaker and a writer, and to him is generally ascribed the formation of the Native- American Party in 1843. Its cause he assisted by the publi- cation of " The Sun," a daily paper, devoted to its interests. The new party won supporters, and as its representative Mr. Levin was elected to the House of Representatives three successive terms, serving from 1845 to 1851. His importance as a member of Congress was recognized in various ways, and he served as Chairman of the Committee on Naval Af- fairs. He died in Philadelphia, March 14, 1860. JEFFERSON M. LEVY, Democrat, of New York City, was born in New York. He is a son of Capt. Jonas P. Levy and a nephew of Commodore Uriah P. Lev3'. He was educated in the public schools and subsequently completed a course at the University of the City of New York. He studied law with the late Clarkson N. Potter, and having- been admitted to the bar of the State of New York, was associated with him in various important litigations. Although active in public affairs and prominent in party work, he has never until now held public office. He is a member of the Chamber of Com- merce, of the Board of Trade and Transportation, of the Real Estate Exchange, and of numerous clubs and other organizations, and was for many years vice-president of the Democratic Club. Commodore Levy, in 1830, at the sugges- tion of President Jackson, acquired Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and at his death Mr.