The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-09-11
THE PINIlooK PETTIFoGGER.
[FrOm the southern watehmaI

| tuCo tHHt Has uetH uuequaheu W tnhb VI any
other craft or profession.
This arises, partly from the necessary SUI
periority of their mental training, and partly
from the intimate connexion existing be
tween the practice of the profession, and the
observance and enforcement of human rights
The mental training is the result of stubborn
necessity. He who would practice law sue
cessfully, must understand the principles of
the science both in its general principles and
its abstruse details. II he does not under
stand the Law, he will soon cease to prac-
tice. 1t is with him question of bread. A
man may be humbugged upon question of
Theology or Philosophy; he may be deceiv.
ed in the practice of medicine, but let him
lose law suit in which he has embarked
both his money and bis feelings, through
the incapacity Of his counsel, and he realizes
the fact that he is imposed upon; he feels it
in his pocket and in his heart. Hence it is,
that the Lawyers bread depends upon his
success, and his success upon his learning.
We are indebted, principally to members
of the Bar, for our system of Government
and Institutions Of the country. The Bar
has filled our Legislative halls, furnished ex-
ecutive officers and supplied military leaders;
and its wisdom controls, to greater extent
than any other influence The popular mind.
1t is to be regretted and ismented that a
profession so learned in its attanments, so
noble in its aspirations, and so salutary in
its influences, should have its fair escutcheon
blurred and soiled with the names, conduct
and character Of horde of low and hungry
reptiles wearing the human form whom !
have denominated "Pinhook Pettifoggers"
A great number of young men possessing
merit and mind, both with and without
means, have accumulated honors and for
tunes in the profession. Others, without
sense or merit, seeing their success, after
having themselves failed in every enterprise
of life, at thirty or thrty-ive, without any
mental training, and with a large family,
take it into their heads to "study Law
They read Blackstone and the Statutes" for
three or four months, and are admitted to the
Bar. When you talk to them of the crowd.
ed condition Of the profession-the length
of time it requires TO master its subtleties,
and make support by its practice, they re-
ply,"O, can make support in the Justices
Court in my Deestrict"
Being destitute Of principle, they endeav-
or to obtain Justices practice by stirring up
dirty little controversies among the neigh
bors. They start up one at last between
two irascibe men and ndustriously per-
egrnate from one to the other, telling each
with great indignation how outrageousy the
other has treated him. They occupy the
eneviable relation to the parties which Ran
sey Sniffle occupied to Billy Stallings and
Bob Durham in their celebrated difficulty
Ultimately, after much trouble and effort,
the suit is commenced, and the plaintiff
gives to one of these gents his note (Which
is insolvenO for five dollars. 1t is needless
to say how he looks, talks and feels at the
idea of obtaining "fee." "Ths increase of
my practice" any cases." professional re.
nown," "Forensic laures," &C., are common
place expressions with him. He feels more
important than Coke did when his argument
settled "The Rule in Shely's case;" and he
thinks that Webster's speech, in the Girard
College case, is stale production, compared
with his effort before thes Justices Of the
Peace, whose magisterial dignities are sup
ported by the projecting roots Of some aged
oak. His client, under his advice, sues on an
open account for about twenty nine dollars
and seventy five cents, the aggregate OF
which is made up of various items, such as
pint of whiskey, quart do, | peck Of taters,
teacup of salt, pan of meal, II lbs soap,
half days work of son, hire Of blind horse
l day, to sundries, &c, &c. As matter Of
course, the defendant pleads set off of thir-
ty dollars made up of items, similar to those
| III tHe pIuiil.n hccOunt. lucy o"" P'"'o
their accounts by their own oath, and swear
the others account into fits. They close
and plaintiffs counse! informs the defendant
that he has the "conclusion," and says to
him "go on and make your speech" to which
the defendant replies 81 We got nuthen to
say, but swore to my account, and hisen's
onjest." After a labored argument from the
counsel the court gives judgment in favor Of
the defendant for twenty five cents and "cost
of suit" The plaintiff, in II perfect rage at
the result, goes to his Lawyer to know wha,
to do, reminding him frequently that he said
that he was "surtin to game the case" The
Lawyer delivers a TRADE against the "fool
corte" for its "ignerrunce," ind tells him he
will "sascerrare" the case, and show the
court that they "can't run over him and all
aw in that way" The next court day,
the remainder of the plaintiffs struck" Is
sold to pay the cost, nbd thus the case ends.
IL can readily be seen why it is that vul
ger prejudice exists in the public mind
against the legal profession. It is because
the pin hook Pettfoggcr is made the stan.
dard by which the profession is judged. A
number of men have been admitted to the
Bar, pho ought to have been rejected. They
cannot sustain themselves at the practice,
and some of them, in the name of chicanery,
have perpetraied high crimes and misdemean-
ors, and thus reflected disgrace upon the en-
tire profession. A higher toned, more noble
set of men never lived than most of the
Lawyers, and | believe that they are the
H., ,ia.s yyboaa dnilv o,cnnat;on Il oor