Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-12
THAT BANK BALANCE.
More Evidence Showing the Absence
Of ANY Confederate Deposit
at the Bank Of England.
Interesting "Reminiscences of
Judah y. Benjamin's Career
at the English Bar.
Nem orloana slnlo..l

while the Confederate bond bubble
is gradually dying away, it is interest
ing to learn other facts which 20 to
show how baseless is the reported
great balance oftheC onfederacy at the
Bank Of England. Mr.. B. j. Sage has
some "reminiscences of his visit to
Europe which have a bearing on this
subject, and which he thus details.
Seeing, in Europe two or three
years, say from 1864 to 1867, / had
some reasons for being informed on
Confederate funds. Necessity re-
quired expenditure to keep pace with
accumulation; and at the sad ending
of our struggle, there were no funds
except under control of trusted per-
sons, such as Collin j. MoRea, Henry
Hottie aud Captain j. D. Bullock. /
presume they made proper disposals
Of the small amounts remaining with
them. | do not think Mason aud
Slidell ever controlled any Confeder.
crate funds. 1t was rumored that
McRea had semething-the result Of
remittances and the turning of prop
erty into money. Some OF the Con-
fednrate means was in suit in England
afterwards, but | do not now recOllect
with what result. | attended, at re-
quest, two meeting Of Confederate
bondholders at the London tavern
said nothing except privately-but
gave the opinion hat the Confederate
bonds were and would remain worth
less.
From my conversations with Mr..
Benjamin in 1866, | should think
these were nearly his views, though
he had much better chances of knowl-
edge than / had, and probably did not
tell me all he knew. He mentioned
many rumors afoat. One that the
leading x-Coniederates in Europe
had had a division, leaving the little
Migrants out. lie knew nothing of
such; was studying hard for the bar,
with some signs OF what young hunters
know as the buck ague;" seemed to
have some m%isgivings about the i'm
pediment of n-citizenship, as he
had been an American citizen and
high official. His circumstances, |
know, or had reasons to believe, were
Strengthened. He told me his only
income or means of living, and sup
port of those dependent on him, were
three hundred guineas a year for
writing two or three leaders a week
for a London daily.
II fully believed him, for several
reasons, one of which was that | was
contemplating an art gallery as one oil
the lions OF New Orleans, in which
should be portraits of leading Confed-
crates; and / had got his consent to
let cur old friend, B. +. Reinhart.
paint his He then assured me pri-
vately that he was unable to bear any
unnecessary expense whatever. Owing
to his being both my townsman and
compatriot, as well as an admirable
man, [ felt great interest in his failure
telling him, indeed, that while he
was old enough to be my father, he
was young enough to be my son; and
often pedicted, among our friends, that
with his yigur, energy, ability, youth.
full ardor and elasticity, as well as hi
gifts, taking manners and antecedents
together with the Confederate sympa.
tbies then possessing England, he
could but succeed.
Il have ever since 1865 taken thu
London Law Times Reports, contain
ing the decisions of all the courts o
England, and having them now, il
about thirty bound volumes, | can
with peculiar pleasure, retrospect tina
wonderful mans professional career
from his first case to his present yer,
wide practice in the highest courts O
the Kingdom. Judging from the Re
ports referred to, | should say be ap
pears as often as any other barrister il
the House Of Lords and the Judicia
Committee of the Privy Council-th,
courts of the last resort.
"Mr Benjamin does not seem to b.
a man ofgenius, but his quickness o
apprehension, his super excellent lega
and business sense, his great memory
his power Of clear and concise state
ment, with his unsurpassed logica
force, make him very potent in advo
cacy. Add to this his most pleasin
face and address, his silvery voice an.
charming manner, and we have som
Of tho leading reasons for his success
to say nothing of his extent of knowl
edge, his power of philosophical anal
ysis and his critical acumen, in whic'
perhaps he does not surpass the othe
great leaders of the bar.