The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-08-27

he Wonderful Career Of a C0nfed- u
crate Exile. !"
A few days ago in an Article on the =
'ebuantepec route, We related the in =
i.lent of Buffers seizure of the bank =
,ox and appropriation thereof as con- =
tituting the whole property OF the =
hen Secretary Of State Of the Confed- :.
rate States. The contents consisted v
If Tehuantepec bonds, and the Con- 6
ederate Secretary, when informed OF =
Buffers exultation over his capture, =
with smile, that with the
loss of those bonds he would be left
without a dollar in the world. This
confession was made at dinner at
which dish of rusty bacon cooked
with cowpeas and washed down with
corn coffee composed the whole menu.
A gentleman over fifty, who had for
thirty years enjoyed an income Of over
$4,000 per annum, was reduced to
this condition in two years by his de-
votion to duty, to principle and to the
demands of honor and patriotism. 1t
was q grand sacrifice, worthy Of con-
spicuous record among the many other
similar examples Of self sacrifice and
sincerity Of conviction and duty on the
part of those who have been so grossly
maligned as interested and designing
politicians in the late war. 1t is .
grateful task, such as is more often
performed by the writer's Of romances
fand dramas than by sober historians
aud truthful chroniclers, to add to this
record Of disaster and misfortune an
other chapter in this gentleman's ca
reer, as refulgent with triumphs and
marvellous achievements as the prece-
ding one was dark with calamity and
disaster. In 1865 the impoverished
Secretary Of State Of the late Conted'
eracy, after tile downfall of the Con-
federacy and the dispersion Of it's gov
eminent, tramped on foot from Central
: Georgia to Florida, and escaped in an
open boat to Nassau with single ten
dollar gold piece in his pocket, which
, he gave to the negro who rowed the
!, small boat that so safely carried him
r beyond the reach of the pursuing foe
e In 1879, fourteen years afterward,
j, this fugitive becomes the recognized
head Of an institution of all others the
most exclusive and difficult in which
. to attain prominence and success, thu
= bar of England. One gratifying proc
o Of the reality of this achievement j
furnished by the fact, which we lear
p authenticity, that Mr.. J. P. BenJa
1t min, @. c., recently purchased a YER
d elegant residence in Paris, g'vln
,e therefor three hundred thousand franc
# cash. 1t is added that this large sui
., sum does not exceed one-half of h
yearly income from his practice in IL
" highest courts of Great Britain. l
" these courts the large pressure upf
!" his time and labor has compelled N
ct BENJAMIN to limit his practice. III
an briefs declined by him would doau
rs, his income. But, always accnstom'
ed 10 do we'll aud completely everyt'''l
We he undertook, he has forced to redu
ho tho amount of his labor within t
-, COMPASS of his wonderful capacity a
:. industry. We doubt if these have ev
been cqualed by any other asPirant
:" distinction and success at the Engl
-" or American bar.
Nv From gentlemen who have recen
ME called on him in London, we learn 4
ma his labors arc necessarily prosecu
the in his office for at least twelve no
sed ont of the twenty four, and that
fit. still has few houts to spare for
!, tn joyment and recreation with fret
,,,, to whom he is always welcome as
of the most genial and vivacious
companions. So far from being at
w. ed by this intense labor his physl
Tue exhibits scarcely perceptible cha
mo from that which it exhibited whel
let was a leader at our bar, and at tina
Ding the United States Supreme Cour
T. Senator from Louisiana, and the
tinp brilliant and effective. orator and
an y batter in that body twenty odd ;
.om. ago, or when Secretary Of State o.
49,, Confederate States fourteen years
). His hair still maintains its II
a. hue; unfrosted by sixty.seven yea
'''e'' trial and labors; bis flashing eyes
'roin all thei, old brilliancy, needing N
lat it of glasses to perform their work !;
. bull his handsome face wears still that
ment ming smile, which is rarely prese
'ulta- by masculine countenances, ana Il
> and of the happiest constituents Of wo
and ly beauty.
ching Inc oniy percei'lo'e '."p ~ y.
.dical ao'e III nls man:s sen;s 80 .,
- and in the restraint of a viz
u:u which. in his middle age, might bt