The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-04
ntatives of the South in Washington

sentatives of the South in Washington City.
 The selection of MT. Benjamin as the law officer of the Confederacy was not alone because of his recognized ability as a statesman, but from the fact that Mir. Davis, as did others who served in the United States Senate with him, knew of his remarkable attainments as law yer. This had been often demonstrated in the highest courts of the country, the only place where the merits of legal abil- ity and requirements can be properly l tested.
 Mir. Benjamin remained as the Attor- ey-General of the Confectionery until the resignation of Mir. Walker, Secretary of War, to which position he was trans ferFed by MT. Davis, and in that office he remained until the resignation of MT. | Hunter of Virginia, who at the time was | Secretary of State. Again MT. Benjamin | was transferred from the War Depart /. ment and made Secretary of state, hold ing this position in the Cabinet of Mr. Davis until the downfall of the Confed- | eracy.
 The very fact that he was selected ! above all others by MT. Davis as his | legal adviser Is an evidence of the es- ! innate in which his ability was held by ! the President, and that he was success l sively advanced, from a more trying ex- ecutive position to the Premiership Is | additional proof, not only of his execu- tive ability, and accomplishment, but of the confidence reposed in the integrity of his patriotism by the President and the confirming Senate of the Confectionery.
 l doubt if in a review of all the State papers that form the political literature of America or European governments, | s-la raeA.a N.- than those emanating from MT. Benja- min. Especially Is this true of his cor respondence with the Governments of England and France, urging the de-Jure recognition of the Confederacy by these nations. They evidence his thorough knowledge of international law and in the best diction of the English and French | languages, placed before the governments of Europe the strongest possible argu- ments for the recognition of the Confed- 'eracy as government de facto ct de jure.
 Of all men I have ever known, Mir. Benjamin possessed the gift of expres- sion to a degree of fuency in speech, surpassingly engaging His voice was soft and musical. and never In conversation, raised to note of emphasis that was at all harsh As he composed for the printer, so, In elegant terms, he would express himself fin conversation or in his extemporaneous addresses upon any lit- erary, scientific social or political topic. His conversation was the gentle. .ippling flow of beautiful stream with no rat ting rapids, no abrupt falls, no cascade over and through which he would att tempt to force his listeners by any strain of speech or labor of argument. Hence, in a company of applicative spirits he soon became the magister maximus.
 Socially MT. Benjamin was delightfully."- compantonable. When away from the exacting cares of his office, he would seek the associations of those whose congenial natures enabled him to relax the strain which had taxed his mental faculties dur ing the day.
 There were two club rooms, in the good city of Richmond whose hospitable doors were opened to the Confederate officials in the early days of our civil and mili- tary service; they were really delightful places of relaxation. The "'Powhatan," whose literary and unconventional social bon homie were its chief features, re- minded one of the London Club rooms in the days of Reynolds and Spencer High CT up on Main Street was :Worshams," where to dainty dishes of choicest viands was added a Monte Carlo annex that many Confederates will remember. At tie Powhatan," such dignitaries of the church as Bishop Gibbons, now the Car dinal primate of the Catholic Church in America. and other liberal minded cIer- symen' officials of the Confederate Gov ernment and other gentlemen were often 10 be found until the exigencies of war converted the club rooms into a hospital for the sick and the wounded of the army of defense. At 'Worshams" care and anxiety were thrown aside, while to the discussions of his sumptuous dinners and never failing wines, of the choicest vint- age, was added "a feast of reason and 8 flow of soul.' It was because of his visits to ''Worsham's' that a bitter and slanderous attack was made upon inc moral character of Mir. Benjamin by the Editor of The Richmond Examiner. whose cynical criticisms of the administration Of MT Davis. provoked the remark of General Lee that ''The Richmond Exam lrer in the rear of hls army ausad him more anxiety than any corps of his enemy in his front" Unfortunately for the ed- itor, but fortunately otherwise, he cou- pied the official position held by Mir. Ed ward Elmore of Moltg) nery with his at tack upon MT. Benjamin. This led to a duel which silenced the envenomed Den of the editor. to which I may refer in another paper.