Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-26
MIR. Repiamip,s Career.

messed on Saturday evening, June 20,
an almost unique event. The English
bar had invited Mr.. Benjamin, 0. O.,
to dinner in his honor on the occa-
sion of his tetiring from the practice
OF his profession. Though liberal in
its hospitality, that body is not prone
to 60 out of its way to honor even the
most illustrious members; and to pay
this mark of respect to one who had
not entered it by the usual gates, who
had come late in lie to England to
repair his shattered fortunes and to
join profession which has all sorts of
portals and passwords calculated, if
not intended, to exclude outsiders, is
rare event and is, ia fact, without a
parallel in the long history of the bar
1t is the strange and brilliant ending
Of strange professional career. The
attendance OF the chief judges and OF
upward OF 200 members of the Eng
lish bar shows that Mr.. Benjamin has
in his comparatively brief career here
won the esteem and regard of men
from whom SO often in forensic con.
tests he must have borne away the
prize.
On Saturday little was said as to
the element Of romance in Mr.. Ben.
jamin's career, which is wholly want
ing in the commonplace histories Of
most successful lawyers. But it
formed a background Of interest to
the proceedings. In the brief speech
in which, with feeling and tact, Mr..
Benjamin acknowledged the warmth
Of his reception, he stated that he had
retired from practice just as ne had
completed the fiftieth year of his pro-
fessional lite. In that half century
how much variety, what diversity OF
incident, experience, and scene have
been crowded. If Mr.. BENJAMIN
writes his autobiography, as il is to be
hoped he will. what materials for a
stirring narrative he may draw from
his memory. When some of the Judges
who had come to do him honor were
children, he was already conspicuous
at the New Orleans bar. His earliest
published legal work, digest of the
reported cases of theLouisiana courts,
is dated as far back as 1884,
and his published arguments in
important commercial cases, such as
Lockett against Merchants Insurance
Company, made him known as long
ago as 1910 throughout the Union as
an admirable lawyer. In the Senate
he was equally successful as a power
full and dexterous, dabator. He at
tanned distinction ssas legal reasoner
before the Supreme Court at Wash>
ington, a tribunal which has always
preserved a high forensic standard.
For some time before the outbreak of
the civil war called him to play still
more conspicuous part, he was sought
after wherever acumen and learning
were needed; and one of the greatest
Of his forensic efforts was his argu-
ment before the Federal District
Court OF California in regard to an
important mining claim-the United
States against Castilleros. OF the
share which ne took in the struggle
between the North and the South, it
is enough to say that he showed no de.
ficiency 10 boldness or skill, and that
the disasters which befell his cause
were not attributable to any lack of
energy on his part. When all
was lost-when fortune had pro-
nounced her last word against the
Confederate arms-Mr. BENJAMIN
came to England to begin in English
courts the practice of the legal pro.
fession.
The experiment might we'll seem
foolhardy and hopeless even in the
case of a man Of Mr.. Benjamin.
energy and ability. He was pretty
we'll advanced in years. His profes
slonal antecedents we're not obvious
preparations for success here. He
had not been trained as a lawyer in
one of the States of the Union in
which the common law, with all its
incidents, had taken root. He was
not Massachusetts, or a Pennsyl.
Yania lawyer, accustomed to handle
English authorities and to apply
English rules of procedure. He was
trained in Louisiana, the jurispru-
dence Of which was formed of sues
cessive layers of Roman, French and
Spanish law, aud the courts of which
were accustomed, when the State
codes afforded no guide, to 20 in
search of general principles to Roman,
French or Spanish authorities.
Probably this apparent disadvantage
was an advantage in disguise.
However great the practical ineop
Yenience OF such state Of legal con
fusion, experience in such forum
was calculated to train lawyers who
we're more than mere tradesmen and
who possessed wide legal knowledge.
In this school Mr.. BENJAMIN. might
well acquire that familiarity with and
mastery over general principles, which
was the greatest of his gifts as an ad-
vocate. 1t was not an accident that
Edward Livingston, the first Ameri-
can lawyer to direct attention to the
subject Of legal reform, began his
work in that State. Nor was it a fact
of no consequence that Mr.. Benjamin
received his legal training in circum,
stances In which il was essential TO
obtain a familiarity With general ju-
risprudence. When he arrived in
this country the fame of his
ability had preceded him, and
sympathy with him as a politi.
cal exile and the representative of a
lost cause, smoothed his psth. The
late Lord Judlics Turner, Lord Hath
erly, and Sir Fitzroy Kelly bestirred
themselves to procure for him a dis,
pensAtion from the necessity of updoF-
going the usual period Of probation
before being called to the bar. Emf