Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-10-29

DR. CHEEvER's LrcTURE.--A good audi nc'
was gathered Gt the Melodeon last night 20 listen
to De, Cheevers lecture upon the life and eharao-
terofLord Eukine The lecture was one to be
remembered, iull Of earnest thought and abound q
ing in dry humor which raised many a laugh
We give below very meagre sketch Of the lee
ture, want Of space preventing any thing further:
Dr. CheevCr remarked that Lord Erskiuo was
born in 1888 ola Scottish family. His boyish educ
cation was at a school in Eiinburgh. lie entered
the Navy as Midshipman at the age Of l5. After
four years in the navy he returned aud entered the
army. Ia l777 instead Of being sent TO foieign
service his regiment was retained in the British
Kingdom, aud the two succeeding years ho
spent in the study Of English lltera ure, to such
good effect that even in the conversational chcle
tha; included johnson, Burke, Reynolds and other
bright aud shining lights, he shown as one Of the
brightest stars. lie then spent several years about
the Kingdom and at length, out Of curiosity, he
entered one Of the high courts while q case was
being tried before the Kings Bench. He listened
to the counsel and pleas, and there formed tie
resolution to go into the study aud practice Of law
himself He accordingly left the army and after
three years of close study he was admitted 10 the
bar, and in few months aiter, be delivered In his
first case the most eloquent aud powerful plea ever
given in England up to that time.
This period, when he wss in his prime and prom
iuent at the bar, was the most productive OF great
men of any in the worlds history. Two great rev
olutions-the French and the American-were
passed through with all their attendant results
It was period Of great events aud Of great con-
aicts Compromise was not then considered as
the great point in politics religion and oil moral
questions, but stern, plain right and wrong were
the criterion by which great questions were
proved. Compromise adopted instead of con-
science in our DAY is the bane Of our age; Il
is the mi'dcw upon our institutions, and II i5 that
which We have most TO fear, in church and state.
That which gave Lord Erskine his power and
his prominence among the great and good OF the
earth, and his legal victory in England, was his
stern, battery like opposition to all compromise
aud his impregnable position upon pure aid Sim
pie right. Tue speaker here reviewed the cir
cumstauces Of the trial Of Baiy, who was
arraigutd for fraud in bis management OF a
Hospital. ETskine, although but the junior
COUNSEL for the defendant delivered before
the Bench Of Judges, such a noble, powerful
plea as gained his cause, In spite OF the high posi-
tiou Of Lord Sandwich the plaintiff and contrary
to all eXpectatiOn. The bold aud fearless charges
and the scatb'1g iuY6ctives which Erskine hurled
at the high FENDER, the lecturer gave with thIil-
ling effect, until tho audience could almost see the
ermnied villain shrink before the tle OF righteous
indignation. This speech made the fortune of the
hitherto brieticss barrster, aud placed him in the
front rank of legal practitioners. The case Of the
trial Of the Dean of St. Essex, for libel, when Frs
kline boldly oouiruntt the overbearing Judge aud
demanded that the jury should have the right to
decide upon the me of case without mslruc
tiOn or " Tanny OF the Bench, was also reviewed
and described.
The impetuosity of high and grand passion
against corruption In power was what placed Frs
kline at the head Of the British bar. Let this age
scorn power and oppte sion Judge all things by
the liue Of right aud wrong. Ii a law is Just, lie
spect it-if u lu3t then, the more law, the less 50
credness. Oh! now, for such another man as
Ers kline to rescue a nob'er Constitution than thai
whi h he rescued from a ia worse fate than thr,
tned tnat. lie was one o' the most iai' hul and
earnest defenders of the British Constitution from
demoralization that ever lived.
skOssuth once said, aud the aphorism ought ia
last. that no nation could long live that acknowl
edged eedOm but as a pTiuiicge and not an inhe'
relt right Your constitutions mnst b interviewer
with the hearts Of the people its articles may be
twisted by diplomatsm as easily as a cOrksortw
may be made OF piece OF straight wire. The
Constitution cannot give liberty TO people-thai
is given them from God.
The speaker went on at some length with
sledge hammer blows upon the de3pOtsm which
is giving our country aud our Constitution up Il
the bebests Of oppression.
Erskine's tact and talent carried England safely
through all the danger that threatened her judi
oiary. These We're many but they had not even al
that time gone so far iu despOtism TO propose
TO try second criminal by tue same jnIy that had
just convicted first
Tue history of England in Erskine's time teach
es the evil Of despoism of precedents, and the
evils of forced Conservatism. Erskne was al
ways the defender Of the oppressed, and his rule
action was 10 do what is conscience required ,leav
| ing the consequences to God.