North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-05-31
LETTER OF THE LATE JUDGE GAsToN's.

IIF Ia e
We take very great pleasure, says the winning
ton Herald in publishing the subloined letter. al
dressed many years ago by Judge castor 10 MS Is
teemed friend and pupil, VIM. b. meares, ESD
this place. The letter is dated IN ISOo and mas new
er been in print. Mr.. Meares was student In MT
Gastou's Law Office at that time and the Intimacy theT
commenced rpened into warm friendship whlcH
continued through their lives, They are both now
numbered with the dead. but the excellence OF thelI
characters remains. The letter was written on the
eve of the commencement of the practice of the law
by Mr. Meares, and is model of purity and STYLE ell
evated thought and judicious advice 1t should De
memorized by every young practitioner ana student
of the Law here elsewhere.
We acknowledge our obligations to the friend. who
kindly permitted the publication OF this admirable
document at this time.
NEwBERN, June 23d, 1903.
At the moment, my Dear Sir, when you about to
bid final alden to my office, and engage in the pur-
suits of an arduous and honorable profession it is
possible for not to feel my anxiety for your well
fare strongly excited Before had the pleasure of
your acquaintance, had formed from the information
of respectable men, favorable opinion of your char
The esteem and intimacy of nearly three years
has rPened into sincere fendship-an ardent attach
ment. 1t is the attachment which now prompts me
to be somewhat diffuse in my parting advice, and
know you will excuse my tediousness account OF
the motive by which it is occasoned.
My fond hopes have often anticipated the day wheh
! shall behold you admired the eminent lawyer
loved and revered as good and great man wheh my
my pupil. And this may well be. indeed IL II
should not happen in all probability the fault may De
YOURS Your talents and amiable dispositions, prop
erly cultivated and directed, WILL with the blessings
of God conduct you TO this proud emlnence. "A very
few wears will decide whether these expectations are
to be realized or not Upon the of the neat f0"r
or fire gears Of vOur life it depends whether you be-
come all that my heart wishes, or sink down to the
obscure level of the multitude. Would that could
impress this idea deeply upon your mind! Would
that could make you sensible of the immense value
of your present time and of the infinite Importance
of fully improving Twill not attempt to convince
you by arguments, but adopt motto which my knowl
edge of your heart assures me is more efectual.
entreat you by the affection you bear meas proof
that it is sincere and ardent as believe it-as the
only proof which / ask wish that you will take
this assertion of mine in its complete extent,
and pursue that conduct which religious belief of it
would. dictate. | will mott cannot think you will
refuse this my last request my last in the capacity OF
your preceptor, my first and only in the capacity
Of your friend and equal. Trusting, therefore, that
you firmly determined to devote the next four or
five years the best uses, will proceed assis;
YOU with some directions for the furtherance of the
objects of this determination.
The qualifications which combine to make the IL
lustrious lawyer principally four. lst An init
mate and thorough acquaintance with legal science.
I'd. facility in expressing his thoughts clearly, cor
recty, agreeaby-and in so arranging and combining
them in argument, Illustrate convince, persuade.
Sd. Unremtted attention to the interests Of his eli
qualities, firmly believe to be yours-the others
know you acquire.
l. From experience can assert that the knowl-
edge of legal principles and distinctions is very
escent To prevent the loss of what has already been
acquired and much to add TO the stock of your
acquisitions, it will be necessary to devote por
ton of every day to assiduous study. In reading
you will be careful to trace every doctrine if possible
TO its elementry principles, and to discern the nice
partitions which often divide that first appear
exactly similar. The first books which recommend
your serious attention Plowden's and Coke's
reports. You will find in these wonderful mass Of
law learning, and although you may occasionally be
wearied with their minute subtilties, you will certain
ly derive from them clear knowledge of elementary
principles. Coke upon Littleton with the valuable
annotaons of Hargrave and Butler may be perused
with great advantage. You cannot be too familiar
with it. Your attention should afterwards be turned
TO the approved treases legal Subjects in reading
which you will take always consult the cases
referred to, in which way the Modern Reporters will
become familiar to you. All Of these treatises
not pretend to enumerae. None should be neglected
which of established reputation. l will mention
however, few of them which you have yet read.
Roberts Essay the Statutes of Elizabeth against
fraudulent conveyances to the injury of creditors and
purchasers, will amply reward your pains. Roberts
Essay the Statute of Frauds, 3d. Chas. ID. Mar
shall on Insurance, Abbot on Shipping, Swinhurne
on Wills, Rosser on Legacies, Easts Crown Law,
Francis's Maxims in Equity, and Wyatt's Practical |
Register in the number of those would recon- |
mend to you. In every instance, when you can, ex-
anime the and see how far they warrant the po-
sitions they are brought to support. With our Acts |
of Assembly and the State Reporters presume of !
course you will keep up an intimacy.
One mode of improving your mind which recon-
mend, is to attend carefully the decisions which
from time 10 time may be made in the Superior Courts
where you may happen TO be, and to record these de-
clsons with the leading features of the cases. the az
gunents, and the authorities relied on in book kept
for that purpose. If you do this with correctness and
care 1t will be eminently beneficial you. Ii will
seldom happen that so many occur in day that an
hour or two in the evening will not enable YOU to
write them down at length. At first you must study
great eXactneSs, and be not discouraged by the la
bour and In little time the task will become easy
Another and more effectual mode, after you coin
mence practice, and which ought to be adopted for
oher Important reasons, is to study the law points Of
every case In which you may be concerned with the
strciest diligence. The knowledge thus acquired
VIII remain with you longer than any obtained by or
binary reading. Make out plain BRIEFS and at first
pretty full ones. State the legaIpositons of which
you mean to avail YOURSELF in proper ORDER and set
Io"h the authorities by which they supported.
In searching for the authorities content Yourself
win the dica that are furnished by the abrid gements
out always ascend TO the original sources. These
orels, for while, at least, you should file and pre-
serve. r.
VI the means to be used for improving yourself in
eIocutlon little can be said which your good sense
"ni not OF Itself suggest Ii is sometimes asserted
mat IN thls respect nature everything-but it is GER
IAN mat art can effect much The instructions given
lnder the tolmer head will avail much TO the end of
winch we are now considering He who perfectly
Understands his subject will seldom fail to make him
Yell we'll understood by Others He who conceives
;eary and strongly will usually express himself with
'esPlculty and strength. The reading of classical
uthors Will aid you in forming a classical style. In
making the reports before recommended, and in wri-
ing 70 clients and friends in the selection of the