Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-04-05
.a.. .Ban re.iaent r.urers. The division of

flSlIylnS nOSeIly, is lulpdileu W VIZ P'o~eE.'"o
in Court, very different to the stale hum drum
and Dead Sea prospect which the Courts OF the
Southern Circuit in South Carolina now exhibit,
by reason of the large Districts which constitute
it prohibiting Circuit practice. The good old
social system of Circuit riding gives the people
an opportunity Of seeing, hearing and becoming
acquainted with the mishtiest intellects of the
land, which enables them to select Counsel from
a greater number of able lawyers, and for a
cheaper fee, as competition at the Bar results as
as much in advantage to :he public as compeli-
tion in anything else Where Circuit riding is
done The lawyers are better skilled in their pro-
fession, because they rely more upon memory
and less upon facility of reference to books.
Every travelling Attorney strives with renewed
energy to master his profession, that he may cs-
tablish reputation among strangers. as well as
at home. The riding system causes litigation
TO be conducted with more dispatch and eficlen-
cy, and the practice of the Courts to be regu-
lated with more uniformity in the settled fnrrl,
manner and order of doing business. An itine-
rant Bar is every whit rs advantageous TO the
administration of justice as an itnerant judcia-
ry. and Lawyer should learn the varying Gus
toms, or common law Of the County by travel
ing as well as Judge. The notion which seems
10 prevail in certain quarters, that the Attorneys
of small judicial Districts must necessarily be
petlfoggers is simply absurd. Let them seek
practice in other Districts, by Circuit riding,T'
is done in England, and in every other State OF
this Union. have yet to learn that the riding
Lawyers of other States, or those of the smaller
Districts in South Carolina, are in any wise in.
ferior to the resident practitioners Of Edgeheld
or Barnwel Comparisons are odious. but
believe that most of our Judges have been
elected from the smaller Districts.
The practice of Law is 4 calling of immense
responsibility, because it regulates more or less
nearly every right of every individual in society
ut one time or another 1t should, therefore, be
kept as pure and free from corruption as posi-
ble; bu, large judicial Districts have tendency
to increase its impurities, and to poison the fouu
tain of Justice AT its source-,he Court House
The pursuit of Law is the great highway to The
Temple of Fame in this country, and Lawyers
are generally as ambitious Of political distnc.
ton, as they are Of professional eminence. THE
leading Attorneys of large Judicial District
are almost invariably the leading politicians OF
Sucn z DlStrlct aiSV. IL tiicll ioNc VI i'Ht Pi''
dominate over the love of money, as is often the
case, professional relations are unconsciousy y
made TO subserve political advancement. They
do and leave undone MANY things at the expense
of their clients, which would never enter the
brain of distant or circuit practitioner. f,a'
that they do not identify themselves with the
interests of their clients as they ought-thal
they sometimes decline eases, or give improper
advice to parties designedly, and consent TO as.
sail IN honest man, who is Il political enemy, oil
refuse to unmask 4 scoundrel, because he is c
political fricnd-that they compromise cases
when they should not, or delay the hand of JUS
tce in the hope of compromise. ! am unwil'
ling to charge all this as literally true, but dc
allege, that the Lawyers of large Judicial Dis
tricts often fail to do their mhole duty, and ,ha,
they are fettercd at every step, whether in theil
offices or in the Court House by their political
aspirations. The evil is seriously aggravated IN
those overlarge Judicial Districts, which likewise
constitute election Districts of commensurate
extent because, for reasons that will be assigned
in future number, it is much more difficult tor
a Lawyer to win and maintain high political dis
tnction in such District, than it is for.him C
do so in a smaller one, or in larger one that is
politically sub-disided, like our Parish Districts
or the Judicial counties in England and New
England Lawyers are minor Judges" in the
strictest sense OF the phrase, and they are very
powerful Judges too, whether for good or evil
to prevent, create, or conduct litigation. The
injury they do TO society in a large Judicial Dis
trict, by the imperfect administration OF justice
on account Of their political dependence, is one
of the many causes which unite TO engender the
turbulent character Of our people. Clients &C.
casionaly discover that justice has not been don,
them, and hence they are disposed 10 curse Law
and Lawyers, rs we'll us to right themselves b,
their own strong arm, especially when they re-
member the delay, trouble. and expense attend
ing litigation or even 4 voluntary observance o
the Law in our large District. Language o.
this sort may seem unkind to the Bar. but sterr
truth requires that shnuld rcigiousv speaE
what honestly think neither suppress nor vii
fully misrepreSent, and in future paper | sElal
vndicate the Bar of Edsefield from many fou
and unfounded caumnies which have beer
heaped upon its members as u class, by design
ing demagogues in the country
Whenever men congregate in large masses
with view TO remain together for any length %
time, say fortnight, dissipation, vice and crime
are apt 10 follow as 4 natural consequence. Th
proposition has n living witness of lis truth il
every city on the face of the earth, and it i,
more correct of 4 rural than Of an urban pOpu
la,ion, because the former being habituaed ,c
solitude and restraint, are more excited BY ming
ling with vast assembage Of strangers, anc
more ready to yield to The temptations Of in
AL, h,l ,bn
our present abominable Militia system. on nc
count of the facilities which it affords for dissi
patton and crime ut Regimenta and Battalion
musters, can appreciate the force of what an
going to say. At every Court in our eXtensr,
and populous District 4 crowd of several hun
dred persons always assemble ut the Conr
House, and as before stated, about half o
them are compelled to tarry at the village, sine,
they cannot return TO their homes, which ars
from tvelrc to forty miles distant from the Cour
House. Those who 20 home ut night, still
throng the village 6y day, aud add much to tn,
turbulence of The heterQg enouS gathering. Gu
people only assemble at their County seat, OF
Court weeks, Saledays and some other State
occasions. The Hotels ut Edgefic!d. are there
fore few in number, as they are mainly depend
ant on regular boarders for Il support The con
sequence is that the village Hosts are generally
unable TO entertain all Of their distant guests
during Court. Many of our wcrlhicsl cilizen
at nearly every Court, have no alternative but t,
sit up aIl night, because they cannot lind IL plac,
on which to lay their heads. have seen then
by dozens, up at all hours of the night, or cover
ed with cloaks and some without covering lyin!
on the floor, or across chairs, around the fires %
the Hotel or Bar Room. The men that arr
fortunate enough to obtain beds are kept awak,
by the midnight reycs of such as must main
tain their feet and drink, gamble or carouse, tt
quell their gloomy feelings and wear the inhos
pitable nightaway. Others, and particularly til,
distant poor, many Of whom are required Il
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