The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-02
The Civilian Leaders Of the Confederacy
BY John Goode, Of Virginia.
Sometime Member Of the Confederate Congress Of the Virginia
Secession Convention Of the Congress Of the United States and
President Of the Virginia Constitutional Convention Of l901-2
BY John Goode, Of Virginia.

Institutional Convention Of 1902
/ To address the court, jumped up, anu In
shrill. sducaking voice said:
If the court please, desire to take
Judgment on delivery bond
Mr.. Pope could not restrain himself.
but Selling n law book and throwing
| 1t at the young mans head. exclaimed:
.klil hin, plaguc-on him: Kill him"
Tho last time ever heard Mr.. Ben.
janlin mako speech was on very
exciting occasion at the African Church
IN tho city OF Richmond. The commits
siOners to the Hampton Roads confer.
ence had returned and reported their
failure. They had made known tho
fact that the United States authorities
declined to accept any terms OF ncgo-
tiation except unconditional submis-
sion. A great meeting was called to
consider the situation, which was adj
dressed by Mr.. jefferson Davis, Hon.
Judah p. BENJAMIN and Hon. Gustavus
a. Henry, the eagle orator OF Tonnes
see. Tho audience was wrought up to
a very high pitch, and 1t seemed as
IL the members were willing to go at
once to tho trenches to meet the enemy
and pour out their life's blood as a
flee lbation to liberty The speech
or Mr. Benjamin still fingers in my
memory, and will continue to do 80
until my brain shall fail to perform It's
! functions.
Tributes to Bciljn,nin.
In an article entitled Judah p. BEN
ljanin, Statesman and Jurist," published
by Max j. kohler, of New York city,
the writer says: "Odious as compari-
sons usually are and unscientitc as
Characterization In superlatives Is COM
monty found to be. venture to de-
scribe Judah p. Benjamin as the most
distinguished statesman, orator and
lawyer that American Jewry has pro-
iduced. II Is primarily as q statesman
that Benjamin will live for posterity,
| for the lawyer seldom lives in history
apart from the Jurisprudence he may
have aided In developing, while tho
| fame of the orator is most evanescent
and fleeing. and rarely Is more than
a memory for subsequent generations
| A few OF the many sober characteri-
cations of Benjamin as a statesman,
published now, when time has given
| us fair perspective. are therefore OF
particular interest. Mr.. Justice Brewer.
of the United States Supreme Court. re-
Gently said of him: Benjamin was
called the brains OF the Confederacy.
and In ncuteness of intellect he prob
ably surpassed most men OF his time
/ Mr.. James Schouler. in his History
LOT the United States said of him:
5I,'Contemporaries have said at the out
get that Toombs. OF Georgia, was the
brains OF the Confederacy; but that
! title. az events developed, belonged
lrnther to Attorney General Benjamin.
the nblest, most versatile and the most
constant of all Davis's civil counselors.
Concerning his position as a lawyer,
lit will suffice to say that he was re-
garded as the ablcst lawyer OF the
South already in 1852, when he was
elected to the United States Senate. that
he was offered the attorney general
ship OF the United States by one Prcsi-
dent and nominated to seat on the
supreme Court bench by another, and
Ihad become one or the recognized lead
ers OF the American bar the year be-
fore he began life at the bottom Of the
ladder at the English bar In 1865. from
which he retired in 1882 as It's ac-
iknowledged leader. in the possession
OF an income of over 100000 year
A and the author of one of the ablest law
jtreatises of our English Jurisprudence
The late J. l.. NJ. Curry. one of hi:
most scholarly associates at the helm
Eof the Confederacy, in writing of hin
in 1901, says: In the supreme Cour
of the United states he could htly bt
compared with Writ. PinckneY, Carte,
and Choate. and II learned Scotch Judge
Lord Shand. told me some years agt
In Seville. that he stood at the hent
or the English bar"
The bred Scott Case.
He is included as one of TIE world
masters of oratory in both Professo
Guy Carlton Lees THE Worlds Bes
orators" and In Mr.. Justtce Brewer
The Worlds Best Orations." Mr.. Curr
says of him: Ills magnificent speed
IL the Senate In reply to Seward OF
the bred Scott decision was a master
piece OF polemic discussion, and place
him in the foremost rank OF tho par
liamentary orators OF our time. Calf
land courteous in manner with vote
as musical as silver bells, with a mar
velo,s llcidity of statement and powe
OF analysis. with minutest acduaint
ance with every detail of facts an
principles, with merciless logic expos
ling sophistry In precise languag,
charging Misrepresentation, evaslo
. and pervcrslon. every sentence raple
thrust, bringing blood, holding aud
, tors, friend and foe, In breathless at
, tcntlon, he added a new lustre to tn
, great council chamber. where. for fft
+ years. has been the theatre OF orator
and craftsmanship"
Henry J.. Dawes has we'll classed hi
n With Sumner and Beecher, Wende
Phillips, Yancey and breckenridge, 8
i having stirred multitudes. aroused pal
! sons and fired the public heart J
4 terms not less eloquent than the loft
) est productions of Fox or Pitt, OF Pa
1 rick Henry or John Adams.
q DR.. Leo adds concerning him the 70
II lowing "A master OF easy. fluent Ent
i fish, he WAS at his best when. In philt
a sophical discovery, his rounded periu
t and se1uent thought. eminently fttin
i him for this department OF orator
L Prominent as he was. as a lawyer,
\. an occasional orator, he WAS yet MOI
d brilliant, and 1t Ia in this manner tn,
y he Is best remembered In his natl,
Il state"
One OF tho most important OF h
carly cases was connected with q not
!. rious international question betwee
+. tho United States ana Great Brutal
known AZ tho 'Creo,o Case.'' "A vessl
- while engaged In tho coastlnR sla,
= tulf 4 4 t%s1