Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-05-14

The telegraph yesterday ndyised III oi
the death OF Charles OConor. This
illustrious jurist, who must have been
almost an ootogonarian, deserves more
than passing note at tho hands OF
Democratic journalist. lie began HE IN
the city Of Now York rs newsboy, this
somowhat plebeian avocation being re
deemed by the fact that, amongst other
papers. he sold those Of his own father.
who was gifted lrishman, and who
published, in the then future metropolis
of the American continent. a paper
largely devoted to the interests OF his
conntrymen. iie gravitatcd towards
th6 law, and he rapidly became dis
tinguisbed advocate M well as a line
constitutional lawyer His abilities were
varied aud profound. Amongst the cases
in which hc became notably famous
was that in which the wife OF Edwin
Forrest sought divorce. lnto that
cause celebr, he threw the whole force OF
his impassioned soul, with splendid re-
aults to his professional fame aud IN
come. Since then he has been engaged
in innumerabe causes, in which the
Jumel will case towers above the rest.
At the close of the war, when MIR.
Jefferson Davis was II prisoner OF state
in the Fortress Monroe, he engaged Mr..
Charles OConor az his principal counsel.
Ii is now generally recognized fact
that the government of the United
States dreaded trial at law in which
the tremendous abilities Of MIR. Charles
0'Conor, reinforced by the contemporary
debates which clustered around the for
nation of the Constitution of the United
States, formulated AS that sublime in
strument was, as a successor to the arii'
cles of Confederation, should be the
leading points at issne AS result,
rather than try him, with such eoun-
sci as Mr.. Charles OConor, and with
the memoirs of Jefferson and Hamilton
in easily accessible shape, the govern
ment of the United States released Mr..
O'Conor's client from duranee vile.
When in 1872, in one oi tl,oso mo-
ments Of madnoss not inirequent IN the
history of the Democratic party, the
Democracy nominated MIR. Horace Gree
ley for President of the United States,
Mr.. O'Conor declined to surrender his
manhood TO such base partlzan uses.
Rather than do so he permitted his name
to be used as roliy'ng point for few
select Democrats who preferred rldiculc
to dishouor. Those Democrats who
gathered around this old Roman in 1872
may rightiully claim to be weighed rather
than counted.
Some years ago Mr.. OConor was sup
posed to be at deaths door, but his sur
prising vitality preserved him ior while
to his friends and country. lie main
tanned to the last splendid intellectual
aud physical virility. Asan orator he was
impetuous, warm and cogent. He was to
an extraordinary degree equipped with
the legal and classical knowledge which
ornaments debate and overbears opposl-
tion. In person eremarkably resembled
the late Eugene Casserly, Of this State,
although ho was incomparably the lat
ter's superior from all points oi view,
physical, mental and moral. Although
mere money was a matter OF indifference
TO Charles O'Conor, he probably leaves
large fortune TO his family, so great were
his opportunities for accumnlating
wealth and so modest and mostonta-
tious were his habits of daily life.