The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-09-08
]. P. BENJAMIN.
IFrom the n. o. Picayune.l

,lecining health, the formation of a new
,m by the admission OF Mr.. III. G. Miller,
coupled with the promotion OF j. +. Ben
iamin, in England, as Queens Counsel, de
mand more than the ordinary notice which
psualiy follows the mutations around us.
Mr.. BENJAMIN was tho original founder
of the firm. His career as q young lawyer
and counsellor may without exaggeration
he said to have been sudden and meteorlc
in its brilliancy, though far more perma
nent As a profound jurist and pleader, in
his riper years, contestiGg the palm with
Roselius, Qfymes. Maznreau, Hunt, S0ule,
his reputation at our bar was second to
none, and his firm enjoyed most lucrative
practice. In his political career, he illus
trated the principles of the South in the
great sectional controversy, which led to
the attempted establishment Of a new gov
ernnient, ip which Mr. Benjamin, ct every
sacrifice, throughout bore conspicuous
part. In its fall sharing its disaster, he
stands nearly alone now, OF all prominent
mon q voluntary exile from the scene o!
his earlier legal triunphs and labors, and
separated perhaps forever from communi-
ty who would have overwhelmed him with
retainers if he had returned. Learned ID
his profession, gifted by nature with the
most persuasive eloquence and amlable
manners, possessing methodical and I'M
firing industry, be presents the extraordi-
nary characteristics of n mental phenome-
non. When he selected the London bar as
the arena Of his future forensic abilities, 1t
did not alarm his admirers, and not u single
person expressed the opinion that he would
fail. Like youthful devotee, he started
in the race, unawed and unembarrsssed,
among the giants of the law to master
system Of jurisprudence essentially differ
ept from tue civil law, which he had prac-
tced for over third of o century in this
country. What does he do--wait for eli
epts and retainers Not at all. In less
than year he produces book on sales.
intended to instruct the bench aud bar OF
England On that topic, so able and so nccu-
rate in its details that there is not an . er-
ratum and required, the perusai of which
drew from the Chief Justice Of England a
high compliment, paid in person, to his
agest. La two years he is elevated to silk
5ovn and made Queens Counsel, in one
seventh the time usually required to obtain
such perferment. We append with pleas
presa comment extracted from an English
paper:
A double sadness is created by the re-
Fiction that, while Mr.. Bradford, also re-
spected and admired. retires, from the firm
here, in some measure caused by his health
succumbing to the severe labors of the pro
fgssion, Benjamin, firm of purpose, though
broken in fortune-Benjamin, saddened by
the disasters OF fratricidal war he abored
TO avert, but entered into, when begun
with all his soul, commences new career
and, like John Paw ,5onos,~iuvioIs..se, .e! Il
and full of courage, he g hes just begun the
fight" There is an air OF real romance
about his life, in thus struggling against
fate, determined to win the eminence tc
which his extraordinary talents entitle him
in strange country, with strange laws
and among whose people he was compare
lively unknown and stranger. This dis
tinguished jurist, whom the Chief Justic'
of the Supreme Court at Washington pro
nounced, some years ago, the best lawyer a
thai bar-.his 's Admirable Crichton,n fol
whom any judicial honor awaited him il
his adopted State, an age when, uuder or
binary circumstances, he could have retired
from the bar rewarded and respectfully ;
revolution, is suddenly shipwrecked anC
cast upon distant though not untriendl,
shore, with no support but his intellect, Dt
ttuSt Jul III NOt uNI III
To rise, as he will, under these c::..cumstan
ces, vi mark bin. is possessed Of no ordi
mary faculties, aud ENGLAND aud English
men will yet be proud that Benjamin trust
ed to their liberali;y and generous appreci
alton of transcendeut talent aud cast hl
lot among them.
A little paragraph in the legal paper
has just carried back the memory to til
hottest days of the great American strug
gle, and recalled some Of those personal il
terests which have, since its close, bee
echpsed by the grave political issues thf
formed the legacy Of the war. Mr.. j. I
Benjamin, of the Northern Circuit, ha
been appointed by Yr. Justice Ifannen,
Queens Counsel for the country Palatir
of Lancaster. Mr. Benjamin, of the Norti
err Circuit, may not be known under til:
description to any considerable section
the public but Mr.. Benjamin. of ii
Southern Confectionery, was toerably We
before the eyes of this country during IL
civil strife in the United States. He WI
throughout those four years OF anxious
Dor and desperate conflict, the right han
man of Mr.. Jefferson Davis, in the very d
ficult task of administering the political :
fairs of the Confederacy. lie shared Il
fortunes 9th President, when, after I
fall of Richmond, he made that now histo
zeal attempts at escape; and exempted fro
the protracted legal torture inflicted up'
his chief though excepted from the al
nesties which permitted other prolnlne
Southerners SO easily to re-enter the ranl
of civil life-he has manfully devoted hi
SELF in an exile that is now voluntary,
the pursuits for which his brilliant care
in his own country had SO excellently pl
pared him. Weniay be well assured tn
Mr.. Benjamin's experience OF business, i
breaking in to hard labor, and training
that wide observation and sympathy whi
the statesman has the best opportunities
acquiring. will not make him the less VIC
thy Of the distinction just bestowed upt
him. Nor have VIC TIE slightest fear th
the Country Paatine of Lancaster viii
any unpleasant manner remind Mr. BeDl
min that the valiant struggle of tie Son
against the stern unreason OF the Mo-
made its people endure some weary al
wasting years Of idleness and dependenC
Lancashire suffered without rancour: it
perhaps, question whether her sympathi
were not at least evenly divided betwe
the eombatants. In any case, the irwin,
bic fairness of Englishmen will secure N
Benjamin against whatever prejudice /
remarkable ability may fail to dlsarm,
the memory of his resoute and fearle
STRIVING against destiny, during four yea
NJ 4