The Portland daily press., 1895-06-22
BEGINNING LIFE AT 54.
Judah p. Benjamin's Career at the
Bar Of England.

ham Lincoln-The Grafton at Gettys-
burg-John Stuart.MiII and the North.
One day not long ago on fremont
street, 1 met New England man whom
1 had seen in London some twenty years
before. We had much to say to each other
of friends on both sides of the Atlantic,
and having compared notes for several
hours while walking around the city we
sat down to wait for luncheon, writes
''H. L." of Boston, to the Chicago Trib-
une. My friend took up the morning
paper and had scarcely had time to glance
at it when he handed it across the table
to me marking a special item as he said
Isn't that curious? Do you remember
how it was that we first met? Does the
d ispatch from Washington not help you
to recall something?'
The marked passage announced that
Congress had officially determined the
disputed question as to the exact text of
Presidetnt Lincoln's Gettysburg address
by incorporating copy of it in the bill
creating the Gettysburg National Military
Park. After thinking for moment
said: "Yes; I remember that the very
first day we met in London we wound
up the evening with conversation about
that Gettysburg speech"
Upon the occasion of this first meeting
was sitting in one of the Vice Chancel-
lor's courts in Old Square, Lincoln linn,
listening to an argument which the bar
rister with whom I was reading law was
making before the Judge. When my
man had finished his speech and resumed
his seat he asked me to make some notes,
while he proceeded to take it easy, after
the manner of lawyers Meanwhile two
TALL fine-looking men, who were evident
ly strangers in the courthouse, had taken
their places on the bench behind us. One
of them, seeing my barrister unoccupied
leaned over and said: 81 beg your par
don, but would you be kind enough to
tell me the name of the Judge presiding
in this court" They then kept up sub
dued conversation until the lawyer on the
opposite side rose to address the court.
You gentlemen" said my companion
twill probably be interested in the man
who is now speaking He is a country
man of yours, though I fear scarcely
compatriot-he is Judah p Benjamin. -
The strangers were Massachusetts, men
and at once fixed their attention on
Jefferson Davis ex-War Secretary. The
case on trial concerned some money trans
actions with Jews, and Mr.. Benjamin
was engaged against the Jews. He
seemed to put unwonted passion and en-
ergy into his argument and denounced
the Hebrews in language which was
quite beyond the latitude usually allowed
or taken. Finally the Vice-C Chancellor
leaned a little forward over his desk as
he said in the suave fashion of the equity
Judge Brother Benjamin, let me sug-
gest to you that your argument would be
quite as forcible if your language could
be moderated little This added fuel
to the fame of the lawyer wrath, and he
proceeded in more fiery tones to over
whelm the money-lenders with scornful
abuse
When he finished the two Boston men
smiled, as one of them remarked: "Judah
used to be very proud of being Jew in
old days, but he has had a grudge against
the money lenders for some reason, and
presume he is delighted to have this op-
portunity to get whack at them.
Court adjourned and we left the room.
My friend invited the Americans to
luncheon, and while we sat at table we
discussed the career of Mr.. Benjamin.
"We, of course, don't love him. said
the more communicative of the strangers
'fbut there can be no doubt about his
wonderful courage and ability He is
one of the very best stump speakers ever
heard Towards the close of our war
happened to be in the South, and in one of
the cities mass meeting had assembled
to be addressed by Benjamin, who was
calling for more troops. He made mag
niflcent speech, and the effect was tre-
mendous when he quoted from Enids
songs
ttTurn, Fortune turn thy proud wheel.
Yhy wheel and thee we neither love nor
hate,
Our boards are little but our hearts are
great.
Smile, and we smile, the lords of many
lands,
Frown, and we smile, the lords of our
own hands,
For man is man and master of his fate. -
1t is rather curious thing, by the way
that in such thoroughly commercial
country as England Mr.. Benjamin should
have become one of the first authorities
on commercial law. Professors of litera-
ture say that Edmund Spenser and John
Keats are the poets poets," and that
the natural power to appreciate them is
true test of a genuine love for poetry.
In a similar sense it was understood that
the capacity to grasp Benjamin's book
on "Sales" afforded good proof that
law student was in fair way to become
good commercial lawyer. 1t was Ger
tainly the very stiffest book I ever read.
except perhaps Kant's ''Critique of Pure
Reason and Dean Mansel's "Prolegom
ena Logica." Among the most accom-
plished students Of my time was young
half breed from one of the West India
Islands who WAC r,rpil in