Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-04-02

became kind Of retainer, and then began 10 per-
form particular services to him for the constant and
useful advice lie received, until their relations
ed precisely the same form they now bear between
lawyer and client rthis day-the lawyer giving to
the Client, tile bestservire aud instruction he could
bcstow, and the caiment, in turn, making the law
yer, sufficient peruhiary compensation, for his
diligence, fidelity. labor and loss Of time.
In concluding these remarks, it may be well to
have al;usinn to some Of the ubjScions. most fre-
qurnly urged against the legal profession, not by
the virtuous and intelligent; own, buthy ,l.e un-
informed, and by the shallow minded demagogaes,
who are continually prowling among the. people,
pike hungry wolves, to disorder the isck, andvhus
b. enabled to cnnsumn,aie their vile schemes Of
low-nindcd ambition. It is sud, THAT the oPpos.
tuniiies and inducements offered isiawyess7 76sr4Ie'
commission Of frau'ls and fals.hoods;, are aPrto
corrupt thrir minds and tempt them into these
crimes. This is false assumption. They have
no such chances and facilities. Every Important
Case that passes through The hands Of lawyer is
recorded in the Offices Of court, and there i, the
book forever ready convict him Of corruption orr
to acquit him Of ensure and blame Besides, he Is,
confronted in court BY the Judge, and by another
lawyer equally learned and expert with himself,
whse duty it is detect all his falsel,oods, anda
expose all his knayery. The idea that lawyers
have private agreement and collusion with each
other is simply absurd. Murder will ont; and So
will secret rascaliy, and as the Judge himself was
once lawyer, am sure he would have discern.
men enough to perceive the tricks Of bis trade, and
b"dness enough, in the discharge # his duty, to.
expose and punish them. The truth is almost any
other occupation affords wider field for cheating
and speculation than that of the practice Of the law.
The merchants especially, if he is a dishonest maa
invites him to any kind of thievery. for he can.
charge his customers with my amounts he pleases,
and collect them by the evidence furnished in hi,
own books, and in his 'ovn oath. Still the Lawyer
is made the scapegoat Of the sins Of all the pro-
ftssions. lie generally works harder for less
thanks, and dies poorer than the man Of any other
respectable calling rich lawyer is al,aost curl,
osity in America, and if the Attorney is so avaric
he must then be so liberal, on the other hand, "a
to give it away to objects Of charity ur it would not
COMFORT with his sagaciy to idly. spend iD but the
two principles Of human nature are ineonsistant, and
rreconciable and the man Of briefs stands acquitted
ofroguisness as he may feel acquitted in regard to
most NIL the charges bounteously hsaped upon
him.
But farmers! farmers !-Doctors! Devils, and
a should be elected to the Legislature the
lawyers, the upstart candidate for office, and this is
the cnchautors wand by which IN enlightened cl,ss
of the community is rendered obnoxious and odious
to the people, and cheated of positions, which it
would be an honor and benefit 10 the people them-
selves, for them to confer !, is truly saying rery
little for the rest Of the Legislature, to contend that
lawyers can shape the acts of the Assembly thsir
own benefit without exposure. Surely thefSfsSoh
cenlratcd duIlness enough among the othet mem.
bers to see n fact which would be 80 apparent-.o
perfectly manifest on the Statute Book. If the al,
ready detested and condemned lawyers were, only
once, detected in subscrving their own ends,
pledge my life, that they would never again have
the honor Of representing their out-rag. conslitu-
ency. If they even had selfish objects 10 accom-
plish and inter. sis to advance incompatible with the
interests of those they represented, they would b
deferred from f,lnsfng their own nclinations, and
t giving pr the
elerna! wrath If their constituents, which they
would most certainly. encounter.
It is -easy to talk, but defy my man to pon. to
b single instance whore the lawyers of the Eegis-
ature, Is body separate from the other members
ever betrayed their trusts 30 far a To procure one
simple net to be- passed exclusively for their own ad-
vantage. They hive had no inclination to do so.
common, to ADVANCE and uphold in SOUTH Carolina,
and that is the farmng interest South Carolina is
peculiarly agricultural State, with NO other per-
salt to conflict with the main calling of the people,
Nearly every lawyer too, who has been ube to make
little money has invested it in small farm, which
constitutes his sole wealth, and his only hope for
the support Of his declining age, when his mind and
body shall b. weakened and exhausted by the con-
ten ions and turmoiIs Of the FORUM Hence his
vcry selfslncss would prompt him in his Legisls-
ton, to guard the interests with which his own are
inscparabe, and to do no act to compromise the
farmer, because it would ineriiably compromise
himself
! shall say nothing Of the qualifications Of tho
luwyer for ofice--nohng of his energies and
abilities, for they are udmi,ted-nohng of his in
dnstry and vast at'anments, for they too are ad-
mitsed-no!hing Of his habitual wutchfuness,
and readiness iu business, Tor they arise from
bis daily occupation, and are also admitted
and nothing Of the necessity for iaw-maker's
knowing the Jaw, and making the study of its prin-
cipes and practical operation, the chief e.nploy-
ment Of his life But. in the end Of this chapter,
will dec are to my Fellow Citizens and Farmers,
that would never be induced, either by my pre-
judice, by the slanders and lies Of the envious
aud ambitious, to refuse my suffrage to lawyers ia
such but in my selection VI men for Office, without
regard to their occupations, should look solely for
these iratious-wisdom and learning, and
honor, virtue and truth.
NJ. TALFOURD.
nIHRCIAL.