Morris tribune., 1882-08-03
Judah p, BENJAMIN.
london Letter to the Atlanta Constitution


doubt if there is at the south one
man familiar with his countly's history
for the last thirty years who is not proud
of the career of Judah P. Benjamin. In
inquiring for his chambers, l learned
from middle temple barrister that Mr..
Benjamin was regarded to-day as the
greatest lawyer at the English bar. He
is in court all day till 4 o'clock in the af-
ternoon, then until 7.30 o'clock receives
the solicitors in his chambers. After
this he goes home to dine at his club
in the west end. His only leisure is on
Sunday and an occasional evening.
Short of stature, thick set, with strong,
bright eye, he is a man of simple, nat
ural manner, relating his adventures,
-everses and successes with the charmil G
ease, grace and naturalness, mingled
with subtle playfulness of
! good reconteur. He said, in talking of
| his adventures after the fall of Richmond,
| that the confederate government left
Richmond in body. He and Mr.. Davis
| were together on their way to the trans
| Mississippi department, and Mr.. Davis
| left the party to meet his wife, en- route,
| and it was in her camp that he was cap
tured, The friends, did not
know that Mr.. Davis was in the
wagon train which was transporting Mrs.
| cuIiously to see what it meant. Mr.
| BENJAMIN continued his Journey alone,
| and hearing of the capture OfMr. Davis,
gave away his saddle and bride, and Sc
curing an old tree threw over it a sheep
skin, and under an alias, playing farmer,
at length reached the gulf coast. Here
| he took small boat, and coasting ar
round until arriving at point near Key
| West, he embarked in a small sail boat,
| open and without deck, for Nassau.
Here the small, Quaint-looking,
black and bright eyes glistened. as this
remarkable man related how, when the
| gulf stream almost carried them out in
to the open sea; when battling with a
headwind, and out Of sight of land for
100 miles was the distance), and with
zone bushel of raw, sweet potatoes to
feed three men," when, almost without
hope, at the last moment, the wind
changed, filed their small sail, carried
enabled them to effect a landing just at
the extreme northern point of the Ba-
hamas. He landed in England in Sep.
TENDER, 1900. In June, 1860, ne was ad-
mitted to practice in the English bar;
his admission was granted by the
benches of Lincoln's inn, in six months
instead of three years, as the rules gen.
orally require, on the ground that he
was an old member of the bar of a
country governed under the system Of
the common law, ana the TACT JnaJ ne
was political exile. He published
his Benjamin on Sales" in 1868, having
in the intervening years supported him.
self and his family by writing leading
articles for the newspapers. The first
year he made about e300, the next year
about e4OO, and in the fourth year, he
said my income was 81 600. 1t rapidly
increased after that" At the present
rate of Mr.. Benjamin's income he will
in few years, if he is not now, be the
possessor of vast wealth. 'My books
gave me my. practice" and now, won.
derful to relate, 81 have" said he, Cup
on looking over my cases yesterday, just
one-half of the cases from the realm ii
e., the whole of England, Scotland and
Ireland) before the house of lords on
the appeal" Mr.. Benjamin's daughter
married French officer of the staff and
his wife and daughter live in Paris.