Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-08-04

/ liberal and reputable, as we'll as useful to the
public, when they conduct themselves with.
! honour and integrity. - Burr. o06l.
President Dwight in his travels, vol. 2S9,
speaks handsomely Of the legal fraternity. s.
entertain, says he very respectful opinion Of
the gentlemen Of the bar.'' The free and viz
tuous citizens of all civilized countries aud
particularly of these United States have prac-
tically shewn their estimation OF lawyers by ell
evating them to almost al the Offices of trust,
honour and emolument within.their gift TO be.
STOW. Nearly all our Presidents, Judges and
/ GovernouFs were bred to the law and practi-
TONERS at the bar. While CounseHoTs and
.4dcocates they possessed The same talents, sci
entitic, literary and moral excellencies, which
| were so ably and benefcialy displayed when
they became ECeeutire and Judicial officers.
| Their promotion was not the origin of their
greatness and goodness, but their greatness
and goodness were the origin of their promo
ton. lf young men, already unprncpled,
immoral and dissipated, become students at
law, the law is not chargable with their cor
ruptlcn and prodigality; and it is no reproaCh
to the legal profession, if it fail to reclaim those
who were incorrigible in all other pursuits and
whom even the divine power Of the gospel had
not reached. So far as my knowledge extends,
few who had confirmed morality in the COM
mencement Of their legal studies, have fallen
afterwards into vicious habits and become the
settled votaries Of iniquity. Some lawyers
become divines, and some divines become
lawyers but real pious lawyer, who has tall
ents and conduct sufficient to gain a comforta-
bic subsistence, no more need quit his profess
sion to practise his piety, than the farmer OF
the merchant. Some seem to suppose the mo-
ment lawyer becomes religious, he will wish
and strive to become clergyman. Inaptitude,
| instability, i'll success, or mutable and itn-
Grant disposition will induce many to leave a
chosen coutse, and sometimes there is wisdom
and propriety in the change but the fault is
not III the profession, but in the fitness in the
andiuidltal to follow it. lie has made an cleo
ton uncongenial to his feelings, and for the
duties OF which office he has no aptitude; or
the changeling may be one of those, who is
every thing by turns, and nothing long," and
has really no prediction for any thing. While
the lawyers salary in this county is not sup
posed to average four hundred dollars per an
NUN, and this scanty pttance is probably fair
general estimate, it would not be, without an
incompatibility between the practice Of law
some starving lawyers of a serious cast, or am
bilious propensity, should abandon an ungain-
FIJI calling land enter on i life much more pro-
ductlve Of riches, and, at the same time, at
tended with love and respect and high intel
lectual and peculiar domestic enjoyments.
BY those who feel the force of moral and re-
ligious obligation, anG realize the many and ex-
cellent properties and virtues that ought to con-
centrate in the legal character, the execution
of this responsible trust will be approached
and entered upon with solemnity and fears of
inadequacy. The variety OF attainment, and
the almost unlimited extent of requirement,
even for medlocrity of qualification, at times,
disheartens the most richly gifted and the best
accomplished. familiarity with the whole
circle OF the arts and sciences, and an intimate
knowledge OF the world seem absolutely nee
essary, in many cases, for the legal practition-
er. The knowledge absolutely necessary
} for every person to possess, who is TO practise
the law with credit to himself and advantage
f TO his clients, is of 50 very abstruse nature,
and comprehends such a variety of difficult
matters, that the utmost time, which the com
; pass OF life allows for the study is not more
than sufficient for the acquisition Of that branch
of knowledge only" Buffers preface to Coke
on I.ittleton, 1870.
Sour student shall observe, that the lnowl-
= edge of the law is like a deep well. out of
which each man traweth according to the
strength OF his understanding. He that reach
eth deepest, he seeth the amiablc and admir-
able secrets Of the law, wherein assure you,
the sases OF the law in former times have had
f the deepest reach. And as the bucket in the
depth is easily drawn to the uppermost part of
the water, Oor nullum elementum in suo pro-
prio est grave) but take il from the water, it
: cannot be drawn up but with great difficult
, tie; so albeit beginnings of this study seem
difficult, yet when the professor of the law can
dive into the depth, it is delightful, ease, and
without any heavy burthen, so long as he
! keepe hlmselte i'll his own proper element l.
Coke on Lift. II.
All valuable things in life are purchased by
unremltting labor: and by pcrscvering indus
try the greatest obstacles are removed or sur
mounted. Nothing is impossible to continued
exertion, and it ever brings in some way or
other, rich reward. 1t is now time to observe
how this important and arduous profession
ought to be followed, and what ought to be
: understood and pvactised and never prctermit-
. ted. The lawyer must irtermcddle with all
knowledge. g He must pr rinto the secret re-
cesses of the human heart, and become we'll
acquainted with the whole moral world. that
Y he may discover the abstract reason ofall laws:
and he must trace the laws ofpartcular States,
especially of his own, from the first rough
sketches, to the more perfect draughts from
the first causes, or occasions that produced
S them, through all the effects, good and bad .
that they produced" Such is the imperlec-
ton OF human language, that few written laws
are from antiquity; and it rarely happens that
many minds are united in the same intcrpre-
tation of them Therefore the lawyer must rea-
, son, read, colate, freely communicate his own
sentiments and as freely receive those of 9th
ers-be always open to conviction and ready
TO yield TO the reasons of others and form his
Judgment without prepossession for first
thoughts and preconceived opinions. Poetry,
history, ethics, natural philosophy, metaplvs-