Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-08-06
~ tiiH SlODI AM lkAC fiCE OF lHE LAM.
Ertr net from hs last NO. ofthe Southern Reviao

A w tiiE lNDI AM lhAC fiCk I'LL. LAM.
Ert,Se from hs last NO. Of the Southern Revia0.
Admission to the bar is far too easy. Any citizen
Oh twenty one years of age who can undergo
nnation which the act calls rigid but which is and we
Tear necessarily must be the reverscis entitled to
admission. young man of quick apprehension, vino
has read Blackstones Commenta aries and glanced at
our Acts of Assembly. may be licensed TO practice
IN our highest courts; and many trade uuon This
slender stock of knowledge; for after admission
IT Is too much TO expect hard study. unless there
Is business Tn require it-wth the distractions of
which, on the other hand, any thing like profound
elementary study almost altogether incompntibln
The tendency of this absurd system is the dcstruc
ton %. our youth in professional and often i'm a moral
point OF view. Ignorance can attract no clients
us inscparable companions idcness and low in.
dulgcnccs IL is true if half educated LAWYER has
q small Independence and some moihcr-wit he may
win popularity enough TO attain seat in the Iapis-
iatnre, when by cunning, so congenial to little
minds, he may raise himself even To the bench;
b"t the wretched figure he then makes, and the in
lures lie then commits, render him an object of
rdculc or ubhorrCnce. The only cure for this evil
Is long legal novicate -Four years study Mt least
shou.d be required ny law; for in less time is i'm
possible for any ordinary youth to have his mind
sufficiently imbued with the science TO convince him
OF The necessity Of future study it. lac wishes To be
eminent. Members Of the Legislature, in whose
power alone 1t Is 10 upply the necessary correction
should reflect these things. They should rcmeni-
Der that 40 ignorant bar necessarily creacs an un-
enlightened aud, perhaps, corrupt bench, than
winch there cannot be n rrcnter curse to n civil
zed country. Whenever the law is rendered vague
and uncertain, injustice and judicial des poi SIN ride
rough shod over the necks of the people. an Eng
land they pay more attention to this matter though
perhaps, they lean too mach To The other cXtrcrve
In continuation, will observe, that the bu-
sncss OF the lawyer Is la reason, 10 Discriminate
Ia persuade. The characters on which the
yGnng lawyer Is thus variossly TO operate, are
men OF business and experience, upon whom the
Choicest iowcrs OF rhetorick, and tho cuphony
ct well turned period alone, make little inn
preston; yet language is the ouly thing the
young orator has learnt. He is TO speak az OBJ
Jcct moving in the world--as thcy are scan ana
known by mon of the wprld--he - to DISCOURSE
OF things as they are, Yet lac knows not lng c-
thcr oi the world. the things al the world
HOW indeed, should h, when besides his parcn-
raj roof, and his school room, he has seen nothing
~ ~: lie IS To assume sometimes the tone of
superiority; tie rs speak IRE knowing than
tc men 10 whom he speas; yet how s ths pussbe Or
M wcr"arc mon, who, however ignorant they appear
IN the eye OF refinement, arc yet usually quick and
snarp-Sghtcd in matters of business, and who pride
themselves in what they call their experience:
are men OF this sort he easily influenced By
hun whom they cannot but esteem as n la,l?-
With SUCH therefore, hc viii not, Whatever his
taicn's may be-, have fair play. In sGch case
can any thing but future be expected \ total
failure Is constantly tho result and the Young
LAWYER, thus defeated and mortified rctrcs from
INC bar, IN the agony 1T impuicnt resentment. ana
deV"tcs tho rest of his If! TO i!eness ana pra-
sure; or, II he continues in his profession, he loses
by degrees, every spark of laudahe clnuiaiion ana
Contents himself with making motions of course.
Let nnr Legislature, then, which alone has the pow
en- apply the proper remedy.