Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-03-22
no re or NOT no EE-A LAwYER.

TO ne Or MOI To Et.--A LAW \ ER.
~ ir DO" tdci r'ro co"rent ""ri''onn IN P"b'e
c,"m pOiicsri YUod 4" prCsentisSin,i, gutbusgue
perieui'S deSn "-QrINTIrIItN.
'sNu man has rish, to undertake the public 10
fence Of clcu,, who does not possess presence Of
MUD.
The above observation induced me. (savs Green
in his Diarv,1 rclinquSh the profession rf law
The same author, in subsequent part of his work,
SAYS II read Nomesqucu's interesting portrait of
himself in the Monthly Magazine for March, l799.
| Two traits touched me so nearly, that felt 4
sponsivr thill rs read them" ut has given me
! (savS Mnutosquru0 no high opinion ~ myself, to
perceive that there very few offices in the state,
| for which am qualified. am lost, when ask
myself what is the decision If the law; vet have
becm anxious to make myself master of the intrca-
cics of form; aud am the angry with myself.
because see men Of mean undeIS taudIn.. acquire
what I could not attain. In trcaiin. of topics pro-
found or difficult, | Obliged to reflect much. aS
proceed to prevent my ideas from falling into con-
| fusion"
This dfidcncc of Montcsquicu, compared with
the confidence of some young legislators and law
yers recalls Mr.. Popc's sarcasm:
Sind fools rvsh IN mhcre angei,icar 10 trent"
Rousseau, rs we'll as Montesquieu seem, to have
been disqualified for the bar
AZ mr. FAINT, me dcsoH Rosseav, M, jour, 7ue Ie
/
dcPru qu,mte dcmit'rc oprcs les a'etres. lie sGis
&C qViHtdW repo',dre Prcciscmc'u qu0ild Ia eh est
| piitS isIns.
The slightest opposition in arguments (sol
| Rousseau. onc day,) is sufficient to oveIset me.
! NV understanding does not serve till half
hour after that of others. am prepared to answer,
Precisely when the moment ofanswcring is gone by"
81. Piere's Studies Of Nature.
/ These PREDATORY extracts lead 10 the following
remarks OF acute writer in Campbrl's Maya
zine Tor 1928; to which earnestly invite the at
temtinn OF the parents of those who embrace tine
! profession of the law.
TIE EAR.
You. remark is Just, that our Bar is g.icvously
Ov rstocked and crowds of fresh member, flock i'm
every term, if for the sole purpose and certainly
with the effect, of starving another 1T an
nual crnoluments al the profession were collected
into common fluid, and equally distributed among
the corps. the proportion nj each would not exceed
Il miserable pittancc-The ordinary explanation
of this is that the profession of the law is like lot
triy. where the great prizes allure many conpcti-
tors This is true, {" certain extent, even in Eng
land; but, suspect, with this difference. that in
England every person, before he purchases a ticket
| assures himself that he has not only some chance
OF the highest prizes, but great chance for the in
termcdiary and smaller ones; whereas, with us net
more than fourth Of the holders of tickets have
| the slightest ground Of calculating upon either tire
| ono the other.
\ popular charm, should athcr say dcluson
attaches to the name OF a "Counseor;" and pa-
r"uiS, duped by certain vague and obsolete associ-
atinns. continue to peciptdte thcif sons into this
now than prrcariouS Career without the least
advcTtGuce to their substantial pro>p Of success
| aud i'll utter ignorance of the peculiar habits and
talents required to obtain it. II is common by
word with us, that no one who really deserves to
succeed ut the bar will fail.-This may be very
true; bot what complication of qualities, what Il
course of privation. what trials of taste aud temper
and pride are involved III that familiar and I-un
derstood assertion. young ban ristcr who looks
t. eminencc through his unaided merits, must
have mini and fame prepared by nature for the
endurance of unrcmitted toll. He must cram his
memory with the arbitrary principles of a complex
and IncOngfuous code, and be equally prepared as
occasion serves, 10 apply misappy them. He
must not only surpaSs his competitors in the art of
reasoning right from right principles-the logic of
common life; but he must equally an adept in
reasoning right from wrong principles, and wrong
ON right ones. He must learn To glory i'm a per
picking sophistfy, as III the discovery of immortal
truth. He must make up his mind and his face To-
demonstrate i'll open court, with all imaginable
gravity, t at nonsense is repcte with meaning, and
that tine ceaGest meaning is ndntcstly nonsense by
construction
Th, is what is meant by illegal habits of think
ing; and to acquire them he mu not only p e1art
his faculties by course of aSsduuus and direct cu-
tvation, bat he must absolutely lorswcar all other
studies and specuaons that may interfere with
their perfection. There must be no daliving with
HicrHfDre; no hankerimg after coupro hcmsve thco-
icS lnr the good of mankind; all such 'ti,ial fond
ccordS must be done away. He must keep to his
digeStS and indexes. Tie must see nothing in man
kind but great collection as plaintiffs and deien
dantS; and must consider revelation in their af-
aifS as comparable III interest the last term re-
port of point of practice III Banco Regis. As Le
walks the streets he must give way 70 no sentinrn
tai musings. There must be commencing will,
the skies" idle dreams of love, and rainbows
and poetic forms, and all the bright allu,iou upon
winch the fancy free" feast. fla thought of
love Htrudes, ii must he connected with the law of
marriage settlements, and articles of separation
from bed and board. So of the other passions, and
NJ oi the most interesting incidents and situations
IN Ie-he must view them merely with reference to
their legal effect ami operation" fla funeral pass
6 by, ne must, instead Of permitting his imagination
to follow the mourners to the grave, cons der how
far the executor may have made hinselfliable for a
waste Of assets, by supCrnunerarv plumes
aud hntbands, "beyomd thc-state and circumstances
of the deceased"
such Is part, and very small part of the prnba-
'in ay discipline to which the candidate Tor torcu-
'ic commence must be prepared to submit; and ifhe
can hold out for ten or fifteen years, his superior
claims may begin to be known and rewarded. But
success VIII bring no dnnutiOn of toll aud self de-
mai. The bodily and mental labor of successful
Oanister life would be sufficient if known before
hdn'' to appal the stoutest. Besides this it has
many pctuiiar annoyduccs. His life is PASSED i'm a
tumut OF perpetual contention, and Inc must com,
pounh win his sensibllity to give and receive the
hardest knocks. He has no choice of cases: he must
throw himself, heat aud soul, into the most unvro
missing that Is conGdcd to him. He must contend
with obstreperous witnesses; he must have LUNGS n