The North-Carolina standard., 1845-09-17
PUNCH VERSUS THE LAWYERS.

between The English pfess and bar, IN whlcn Inc
latter are ofcourse the losers II - al aoouI tne
system of law reports, as practlsed by the Times
and other leading journals, which has gwen deep
umbrage to MANY members of the legal protes-
sion who puffed according to their deserts, are
certainly not according to their individai desire
Punch says of il:
" Mr. Punch TO the gentlemen OF The Press
mGentlemen of the Fourth Estate: have not
been unmndful of the quarrel which mas lateiy
broken out between yourselves and the par.
even prophesy from it considerable public benefit,
if as late circumstances have given me to suppose,
YOU are beginning to be aware Of the importance
Of your calling, to feel your own strength as
public BODY to take COUNSEL by other corporations
how to make your own respected, and to submit
10 no further impudence or insult when you can
conveniently reprcss it, My soul rejoices In the
prospect of a war between the bar and the press
of these kingdoms. AS member OF the latter
profession am of course disposed imPartIalIy TO
stand by nv friends Yes in this row, or any
other where YOUR interests are fnenaced. there's
eudge in Fleet street, ready 10 make play for the
common cause.
al have Just been reading in Fraser's Maya
zine the biography Of great leader of the enc
nv, who.has lately passed away
:" Thus it is that the writer, barrIster evident
". eulogises the various qualities which raised
that eminent man, and complacently enumeratcs
MS merhS Tie couIu play DUI UOUSC
a manner so candid as defy suspicion. He could
detect an enemy's lies in n minute-his clients
falsehood or fraud he could keep out of view.
There's panegyric for gentleman For these
precious qualities he fifteen thousand year.
He obtains the highest post of the law He goes
TO the grave honored and followed by the Queens
minister and the bar. For artful lodging with
an air of candor; for dexerously reading an attl-
davit; for cloaking his clients lies and abetting
n I nf ho
muffled; let the porters wear Grape; let the bar
walk after the hearse with dishevelled wigs, and
the silk gowns march in taeTs; let the Judges
howl threnody led by the chancellor and the
chief baron and let Sir Robert and Sir James
sacrifice an under-secretarv on his tomb. Let us
all sit down and weep-cierks, lawyers, newspa-
pers, prime-ministers, lord-chancelors, and Tenn
pie poTters-we all feel it, we're all so deep in
aff1iction-we're so sincere and honest.
go, omnipotent, unfathomable Goddess of
Humbugl St1tues should be erected to you
through all our city. golden one before Sock
Ingham Palace, great braZen one before West
minister, rigid marble one in the centre Of AL
mack's and enormous leaden one in Exeter Hall.
But before the Punch, Office, we would have
the statue flung down, and the great Iconoclast
waving his baton over the ruins.
. " This however, for future consideration and
other ages R"turn we to the bar humbug and
muse, dear friends thereupon.
" Has it not often struck you, considering these
things, how cruelty the attorneys have been
dealt with by public repute-how, by ourselves
in novels, plays. and fictitious works-hence by
the public in daily life-that class of men has
come 10 be considered as dangerous, slippery,
wicked set of practitioners? When we talk Of
roguish lawyers, as talk we do-lawyers are sup
posed to mean attorneys-the bar somehow es
eapes seotfree; there's no stain upon them; they
get such large fees; they become barons and
ears so often; above all, they prate so ,nagni6
Gently and constantly about their own honor and
dignity that the public believe them they reap
the dignity, and the poor attorney comes in for all
the odum.
And yet these men are but The creatures of
the attorneys; they 60 where the latter bid them
they state what the attorneys tell them If
Quirk, Cannon, & Snap prescribe the tartfuI
dodge Sergeant Buzfuz performs it in court. If
an honest man is to be bullied in witness box,
the barrister is instructed 10 bully him. If mur-
derer is.to be rescued from the galows, the bar
Tister bfubbers over him, as in Tawels case; or
accuses wrong person, as in Courvoisers case.
Ii naughty woman is to screened, barrister
will bring heaven itself into court, and call Prov
idence to witness that she is pure and spotless as
a certain great advocate and schoolmaster abroad
did for certain lamented Qneen Caroline.
There they are, to be sold to the first bidder
these folks ofthe robe Other bona robus are sent
TO the spinning house for doing no worse and
these-these mount to the peerage and the wool
sack-these talk Of dignity and independence of
their profession forsooth-these say that a man
connected with their profession shan't report for
the newspapers. r.r ,
" It's dishonorable to do that They'l t1rn
man from their mess who reports in a paper
they'll expel man from their spotless society for
reporting in the Times or the Morning Chronicle
They do not expel a man for disgusting hy-
Pocrisy; for bearing false witness for the eartful
dodge;' for keeping fraud and f.sehood' out of
view-they load him with honor for it Each ,
OF the instances above mentioned had risen kIgh tol
rank and respect This is law adviser to min
lsters; that was minister TO the Crown; the 9TH
er went to the grave with 500 weeping reputable
gentlemen, who will have no connexon with the
press.
Very well. Let the press be warned, and {
suffer, as best it may this separation from the bar.
Poor Peri turned cut of Paradise, peep in and
see how the periwigged angels there innocentIy
disport .thenselvesl Peep in and see them at
their work; this one doing the artfnl dodge
that one screening the frauds of his client; an
other bowling over the fate of murderer who
gives him SO many hundred guineas; another in
sulllng timid witness or accusing an innocent
woman See all these things, o Pressl Send
your commissioners in the train of these spotless
men of law-and have your say There rs no
call for polteness, no truce or friendship hence
lorth between you. You are not worthy TO sit at
the bar tabe-dangerous society for dignifed and
independent gentleman Very we'll be you
A1nTT \ i