The Irish standard., 1896-12-26
A GREAT AMERICAN LAWYER.
Skilled in His Profession and
Diplomacy and Kindred
rlatters.
Learned in Languages His Servi-
ces are Eagerly
Sought for.
Has Never Been Idiot Enough to
Listen to the Presiden-
tial Bee.

tiaI Bee.
| The following sketch of Frederick r.
! Coudert is taken from the New York
Times:
Among distinguished citizens Of New
York the senior member OF the firm of
| unique. Indeed, to describe MIR. f. Il.
| Coudert in that way is OF itself an un-
just limitation, for as public figure the
| impression he makes is completely in
diyiduai and due to nothing but his in
trinsic qualities.
| Frederic Rene Coudert was born,,on
{, this island March !, 1882 His father,
Charles Coudert, was not only an iInmi-
grant, but an emigre-that is to- say. a
Frenchman who had been forced out Of
France for political reasons. The polit-
ical reason in his case was that he had
been concerned in the futile attempt to
seat the Due de Reichstadt on the throne
Of France, and that on the failure of that
attempt he was fain to make his escape
! from his own country. He arrived at
New York in 1894, and sought his livli-
hood by opening a French school, which
very soon took a leading place. His eld-
est son. the subject of these remarks,
received from his father his early educa-
tion, including of course, a mastery of
the French language, to which he has
added an almost equal command of Span
ish, of which tongues both have been OF
grea professional usefulness to him, and
the former indispensable to his peculiar
success as public man. He entered Col
umbia at the age of fourteen and was
graduated in 1850, having paid part of
his college expenses by newspaper work
and translations- At graduation he stood
No. |, and was valedictorian, and imme-
diately after betook himself to the study
of law. The Columtian Law School as
yet was not, and his professional studies
were made in the office Of Edward San
u, y
Mr.. Coudert's admission to the bar was
as early as it could legally be, in 1858,
and not very long afterward ne formed
with Charles Coudert, Jr., and Louis
Leonce Coudert the firm which still ex-
lists and has done an ever-increasing pro-
portion Of the law business of New York.
The advantage of a knowledge of French
and Spanish have determined not the ma
.ture of the firms business-for it has
no specialty-but to some extent the
character of it's clientage. The extent OF
it's French business years ago necessita-
ted the establishment of Paris branch,
and Coudert Brothers are naturally the
counseiors of Latin-Americans who have
legal affairs in New York. The Cross OF
the Legion of Honor and the equivalent
Italian decoration with which Mr.. Cou
dert has been honored attest the import
ance of his professional relations with
Latin Europe.
His origin has thus had much to do
with his professional career. 1t has
equally been an advantage in his public
employments, for in international affairs
knowledge of French at least is indis-
pensable to enable a negotiator to carry
the weight to which his abilities and his
character may entitle him. Before an in
ternational tribunal barbarous French
accent would discredit the profoundest
81 Il, to1% J>n tf,,ac soH u1Sfh
Mr.. Coudert's French is naturally impec-
cable, and it has been of great advantage
to him in such 1abors as have fallen to
him as a delegate to the international
congress on the law of nations, as Amer
lean counsel in the fur-seal arbitration,
and finally as member of the Venezuela
Bounday Commission.
But Mr.. Coudert's Gallicism goes much
deeper than mere speech. He has dis
tinctly French accent of mind, a gayety
Of spirit and lightness of touch which
not only make him one of the. most
charming of after dinner and occasion
all orators, but enliven his most serious
and learned arguments. At the close of
Mr.. Coudert's argument before the tri-
bunal of arbitration in the Bering Sea
matter the president of the commission.
Baron de Courcel, in paying a very hand
some compliment to the advocate,
touched with needle the distinction
of his mind:
"Mr. Coudert. you have captivated our
attention by remarkable display of tai
ent, and we have to thank you for the
great ability, liveliness, and, may say,
humor, with which you have carried his
over this otherwise rather drearys field
Of questions of fact. AS a Frenchman,
allow me to add, have been happy to
notice and to see shine out in your nnan-
sner som OF the best characteristtcs Of the
French nation. :. 81 '4s 54 . !.
With his ancestral quali lities Mr.. Cou-..
dert inherited his relig don. He isa mem. 1 ].
Iber Of the Catholic Club and has been
president 81 the United States Catholic