The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-04
THE LATE OGDEN HOFFMAN.
Meeting Of the Now York Bench and Bar
Eulosics ON tho deceased Tho Funeral
Ceremonies.

Meeting Of the Now York Bench and Bar
Euiogics ON tho deceased = Tho Funeral
Ceremonies.
In accordance with the previous announcement .
meeting Of the members of the New York bench and bar
was held yesterday afternoon for the purpose Of aeopt
Ing some appropriate Of expressing their feelings
1t the loss which the legal profession has sustained In
the deAh of the Hon. Ogden Hoffman. The meeting was
held In the United States District Court room, which
crowded with lawyers and others who had come to pay
the last tbpts Of respect to the memory OF she deceased
On motion Samuel R. Belts Judge Of tbs United States
District Court, appointed President; and the follow
ing vics PresidentsJames j. Roosevelt T. J. Oakley,
?. IngrahAm and A. W. Bradford. Alexander Hamilton,
Jr. and Alexander Wallace, cfRoiated Secretaries
As the meeting thus organized, the follow
ing preamble resolutions presented by Hon. J. W
EDMoEDs
among them rsspeosed broher OF the profession the Bar
means xns S.sr.nss ter sss
Lessons which bis ME AID example lorcOly iusrsis
1hs. IN mourning ,Ss dssiA q Ogden Hoffman. do not
% 5 do from % US q
genius and Of usefulness.
wss % a I g Ss ss % nS Sa
corded e tm the freedom Of thought and integrity Of
oonics Of the profession he has been kind cour
eops @ H. ard giving no but WELD
pSS m s in
"a S % hs a
private lie he was evsr kind and sectonats freely sac
ricng every selfish consideration to the promotion Of the
As soldier. gallant, . CIVILIAN brilliant; as a man.
M I a % s p an s
may wei regard as precious
compsnion we viii cherish his memory because tie
PIE he has presented f., our Of the
# r. m s 5 % 9Ss %s s that T
Of administering justice amor men.
When the foregoing read Mr.. JOSEPH BLUNT pre-
sented the wing -
Resolyed That the members Of the bench and the bar vii
Resolved That the Of this meeting be signed by
In support Of these resolutions Mr.. BLUNT spoks sub
stantaly foowI little thought said he that when
vt the begr ming Of this week addressed note to the
departed, would be called upon at this time to
tend his funeral have been intimately acquainted with
the late Mr. Hoffman from his boyhood, and have known
hia in al the various relations OF e from the the time
he commenced the study Of the law TO his deceaae. He
was emphatbaiy gentleman-a without re-
proach and It il that much his eoq is that
quality of ia being gentemanA always respect
full and regardul Of the feelings that has endear
SeEe1atton co WHICH ne belonged those
be has left behind HIM to his loss. He was pat
,iot, and at the time he .ed the stud les of
his profession the country assailed its Atlantic
coast and northwestern border b} powerful foo who
threatened in the iu confidence that tnsy could make
The occupation OF q superior military force. When they
were making their preparations to cut off New Orleans
from consdsracy Ogden Hoffman quilted his pro-
fes&ion, and volunteered In the naval service of his
| country. His career is known, during that war
and the Asene war BY the testimony of our brightest
nava hero Stephen Decatur who became most sincerely
attached to him. After these endei he resumed
the pursuit Of his profession and admitted to the
He studied in the office Of of most eminent ju-
rsts, Jucge Duer then praccog In Orange county he
continued the practice or the law there Till having
county be to this city and SINCE that tme
unphs and the many noble qualities BY which hs WAS
distinguished have become familiar to you all In hs
xercise Of his profession he exhibited those high trait.
mat commanded the attention OF the court ss we'll the
| jury.
vsloe vbion was half suppressed with emotion spoke
| - follows:-I would ask leave to pay brief aud
feeble tribute, but sincere and heartfelt one, to
the memory of our departed friend. An inums
| cy OF nearly fifty years, amounting almost to
fraternity between US not only justi6es me- bu. calls
| Is oppressed. I knew Mr.. Hoffman in boyhood-a
bold aspiring boy, who when his country In arms
gave up the prospects bright before him, and which
presented by he of his father o. the bar
and joined the navy that he might be of the pre-
tectors Of institutions He the cherished and
favored aid of Commodore Decatur; and know, from
what heard his lustrious commander say that II he
had continued In the navy his career would have been
bright that of any officer in the service When peaee
was restored he returned to the practice OF the law 1t
has been stated that he commenced his Orange
county, and there is living witness in this court who
to this city. believe his first appearance in the
legislative halls was ~ representative from that county
believe because had the honor myself to Be
associate at that time and can bear wi only
the brilsncy OF his eoquenes but the influence he
sessed older minds than his own from the sagacy
and wisdom OF his judgment. Young - he was he
locked up to by such Elisha Williams and others
In the Legislature at that period not merely account
Of the sauvy Of his manners his high character for
honor but for his discrnination in public affairs which
secured to HIM that good opinion whh frequently takes
long life 10 attain. There are other crcumstAn in
his mind 1t WAS In that year that the Supe Court Of
this city was organized There particular reasons
why he shond feel strong desire n the success Of that
OF the udgee. knowledge Of that fact operated
upon his mind, and mace him only reluctant but
outely determined him to have nothing whatever do
with the success OF that BILL All this passed under my
own observation. Therefore, when say Mr.. Hoffman
was endowed with those qualities which made
he possessed those finer traits Ct character
that are frequently passed over in estimation OF
quality, is very apt to deny ths existence of others.
This in the of the famous John Phpot Cur
quent advocate, was not supposed to be profound
lawyer. don't mean to say that that the preva-
lent opinion with regard to our deceased friend, but
doubted whether he possessed the learning of
lawyer, in addition to his abilities advocate. ssy
emphatically there may have been others knew
Of law, who read more cases. but no man at this
time gifted with mind better constituted to make
those proper and nice distinctions which enable him
obtain right view OF 1t would be also great
mistake to suppose that he not . student He had
early furnished his mind with thorough knowledge Of
the principles Of his profession The constant practice
which his great abilities brought him into perhaps pre-
vented him from keeping up that study with the
same intensity as others; but he kept up with the
progress Of our profession In addition to all
this his mind was mbued with all the beauties of classic
learningmore than falls to the share OF
have gone through the That Of the
elements of his eioquence which enabled him to tower
shove men who had nothing than the ordinary gift
OF words. Let me speak Of him IS man. said knew
him from boy: we were paymates together. 1 nave
known him since in the various relations Of nfe and
FAY that more honorable candid, generous, liberia
and uDselfsh riend drew the breath life fhave
known him in the most trying situations, and know
that he always bore himself became Of the high
est character. have haraly been able to reaze the
tact that he has departed 80 suddenly not