The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-08-15
]. II. BENJAMIN.

The New Orleans Democrat gives us
tho following information in reference
to Hon. Judah p. Benjamin:
From gentlemen who have recently
called on him in Loudon, we learn
that his labors arc necessarily prose-
cuted In Ills Office for at least twelve
hours out of the twenty-four, and that
he still has few hours to spare for
enjoyment and recreation with his
friends, to whom he is always well
come as one of the most genial and
vivacious of companions. So far from
being affected by this intense labor his
physique exhibits scarcely percepti-
when he was leader at our bar, and
at that of the United States Supreme
Court, a Senator from Louisiana, and
the most brilliant and effective orator
and debater in that body twenty odd
years ago, or when Secretary of State
of the Confederate States fourteen years
ago.
His hair still maintains its raven
hue, unfroeted by sixty-seven years of
trial and labors; his flashing eyes have
all their old brilliancy, needing no aid
of glasses to perform their work; and
his handsome face wears still that win
ming smile, which is rarely preserved
by masculine countenances, and Is one
Of the happiest constituents of wo-
manly beauty.
The only perceptible change observ-
able in his manners is the greater
gravity and precision of his utterance
and In the restraint of a vivacity which,
in his middle age, might be properly
described as boyish in its freedom and
gayety.
extreme slowness and elaboration are
so vigorously enforced in argument as
frequently to run into the extrcme of a
stammering, cloudy and confusingly
involved style of speaking.
There is little danger of Mr.. Ben
jamin ever falling into this style. One
of his highest gifts, and the principal
secret of his wonderful success as an
advocate has been the marvellous clear
ness, force and dramatic power of his
statements and tho exquisite art of
epitomizing the facts and law of the
case he has in charge.
The recognition of this remarkable
power was happily expressed by the
late venerable Chief Justice of the
United States Supreme Court in a side
observation to brother justice, after
hearing Mr.. Benjamin's statement of
his case on his first appearance before
that tribunal:
"It appears to me, Brother c., that
your little New Orleans lawyer has
stated his adversaries out of court"
And so 1t proved, and these adverse
RIGS were no less distinguished coun-
sellers than Reverdy Johnson and
Caleb Cushing.
To even the present generation we
have thought it not embarrassing and
uninstructiVc to present this sketch of
tho career and the character Of one
who was so long identified with the
political, judicial and social history of
our State, and in whose splendid tri-
umphs his contemporaries and fellow
citizens have the right and so much
reason to exult and rejoice.
We have been impelled to discharge
this task by the strong manifestations,
communicated through old friends
who have recently visited Mr.. Benja-
min in London, of his sincere, earnest
and unchanged sympathy with and
devotion to his old friends in this city,
and to the State where he first en-
and achieved his earliest triumphs.
Time aud distance have indeed strength
ened these ties to the land of his
warmest affections, which so many of
his relatives claim as their home, and
in which repose tho dust of his parents
aud of many Of his dearest friends and
relatives. Doubtless no greater pleas
ure could DO offered to him than that
to which he looks forward with en-
thusiastic hopefulness of revisiting the
scenes and reviving the friendships of
tho days of his youth and manhood.