New-York tribune., 1872-06-03

repeated about twelve hours -aler with greater
severity. exciting the grayest aprrehcDsions amoDg
bis friends and medical attendants. As his illness
continued, his physicians. Dr Ceccarini Ham
mond and Lusk held daily c0nmlto- ions, ut fort-
! saw that their efforts to preserve his life woli4
| be fruitess On last Tuesday, at Mr. Bcnncts
request, Archbishop McCloakcy visited him, AMI
administered the last eacran ne OF the Roman
Catholic Church. From that timo he Jailed rapidly.
the latter hours Of his exstenco being passed in
unconscious state. Ills wife, son. aud daughter.
who were teIegraphed tor IN the earlier
stages Of his illness, embarked at Liverpool for
New-York on Saturday, several hours before his
death and will probably arrive here within ten days.
The details Of the funeral viii not be perfected until
their arrival, but the body VII be embaned, and
probably finally inferred in the family plot at Green
wood Cemetery. The HeaH vas printed with
turned rules,p yesterday. and the Offices closed TO
tho transaction OF business out Of respect for tho
deceased rH rv fr
James Gordon Bennett was born at Eew-Miii,
little village near the market ow1 Keith, In BsnG-
shire, Scotland, in tie year 1905. HIS parents
Roman Catholics, OF French descent, and James
brought up firm believer in the ocC Ines OF the Roman
Church. to which he always polesyd at least shadowy
allegiance. lie a liberal Cathyio" he chaTao-
tcristcally described himself Just believing much
Of their mysteries and dogmas deem compatible win
the Scriptures and sense, and tOerating tbc
form and ceremony Of worship mere matter OF
taste way essential to ChristLll belief" He weIt
to school in his native place uu il he IA years
of age Then he sent 10 Aberdeen TO study for tbs
priesthood. Two or three years Seminary life
WINGED him that he had mistaken his vocation, aud ho
out into the world again without much knowlega
Of theology, but with smatcrng OF French and spau
ish and less romantic taste IN literature. Hs
read Byron and OF the most innocent Of hs youth
fu folies was the writing Of sentimental verse. Ho
read Scott. He became fascinated with the story "a
the exile OF ST. Helena. He read the Autobiogra-
ply OF Benjamin Franklin. then just reprinted
In Scotland, and this book seems 10 havo
fixed Ills destiny. without money or friends or even
a defnlte purpose, he SAILED for America in April.
lsl0 to seek his fortune, and landed at Halifax. Ho
had less than s25 in his purse. aud knew no better
way OF earning than by teaching bookkeeping.
Halifax had 10 for the young Scotchman, and aft.r
few months OF hardship. ho made his way along thu
coast Portland, and hence embarked for Boston In
schooner Ho wandered hungry about the streets two
DAYS without food looking for work. His first employ
ment was as salesman IN the shop Of man named
Wells and afterwards proofreader in the publishing
house Of Wells & Lilly, then the publishers OF The
North AmericQH RegieC. When the firm won't Into
bankruptcy, he to New-York about 1872, AMI
found work as an occasional contributor to
OF the newspapers journalism. however, In thoss
days was begnrly resource for occasional
contributors. We hardly doubt that even
then Slr Bennett must have displayed some Of hi,
rare natural aptitude for journalism, but there
was at that time paper in NoS-York which
knew how to make use OF e. and he glad acce
the offer of Mr. Edmund MOrford OF South Carolina TO
become Spanish translator and general assistant in tho
office Of The Charleston Courier. He liked the soutt,
liked Slavery liked the Chiyary and had hearty coz
tempt for abolitionlsm but he remained Only hit"
while I'm Charleston. Back again in NewYOrk we find hlI
announcing at No. l43 Fulton-st a Permanent Com.
mercia School which never had any pupils lcctmins
at the old Dutch Church in Annst 70 handful Of peopls
on political economy; and then trying tho newspapers
once more as reporter paragraphst poet aud general
utility man. In 1925 he bought The Sunday Courier
credit but he made nothing with It, and gave ~ up.
The next year he became connected with the Denocrao
National Adroeafe and when that Journal. having
changed hands, advocated the election OF John Quincy
Adams as against Martin Van Buren, he eftt andonet
the late NJ. NJ. Noah assoeiate editor OF Ihe
Enquirer, succeeding W. G. Graham, who had been
killed in duel. The new associate was at that tima
and has ever since been non-resstant on principle.
with supreme contempt the cowaroe Of the ducst.
He began to interest himself strongly In party polls
ties He Joined the Tammany Society He acquired
familiarity with all OF campaign tricks and de-
vices and he went to his work with honest bellies
in political principles any youthful enthusiasm for poe
tca men, his nobler impulses were soon oyerpowered
NV tho ipnoble associations which surrounded bin.
That cynical spirit which so conspicuous In hs
writings during his whole subsequent career was already
characteristic Of his STYLE He looked at all greas
movements, all conflicts OF principle, from tha
point OF view Of an outside observer, who found
it for his business interests 70 espousc either
one side or tho other. but had no real SYM
pathy with either, and privately mocked at both.
In 1928 he was Washington correspondent OF Ts
Enquirer and 1t was in this capacity that he made Ls
first decided his chosen profession. Beading Bor
ace Walpole in the library OF Congress- he
inspired TO attempt little newspaper correspondence
In somewhat similar yein and The Enquirer soon ap-
peared with series Of lively personal letters sketcnns
prominent characters without however, offensive free
DOM and tickling the public appetite with what was then
new sensation Tho letters attracted notice. and were
extensively copied Mr. Bennetts earnings at this time,
from correspondence poems police reports paragraphs,
aiding articles, and miscellaneous sketches ranged
from IS to s2 The Enquirer his suggestion,
was consolidated afterward with another paper,
and the result was The Courier aud Enquirer, which,
under James Watson Webb. became the leading Amer
lean newspaper Of the time For three years Bennett
was webb's most efficient assistant. But on Aug. ls
1884, The Courier aud Enquirer abandoned Jackson for
Nicholas Bidde the positive editor and his equally
obstinate assistant quarreled, and the paper lost
the services Of Mr. Bennett, and In losing him.
says Parton, "lost its chance OF retaining tho
supremacy among American newspapers 10 this day."
Even Bennett had not yet learned the difference
between newspaper aud q political organ.
Journalism, as he afterward made it, was as
yet unknown and 1t not until The Herald appeared
three years later that the business OF collecting and
publishing news was really understood When he left
Gen Webb he started cheap party paper Of the OLD
pattern, devoted to Jackson aud Van Buren. Itlyed
only thirty days.
TAsn ha carried the wreck of his savings 10 Phil.