The mountain Democrat., 1863-10-24
m TeUNTlIN DEMOCRAT.
RIoausAt and True.


u...haSs. the orator Of the West, pays
- SoIIowing beautiful tribute to the le-
ga .L~r sir, to . profession which is
,I;c,,s n history. 1reioice that l have
els e.s 800 Of the days Of my manhood in
s,,,dv of science In the adornment
-L;ch Erskine and CurraD, Webster,
o. on SImkis spent their lives. The legal
Asoesssio0 ~ Ass bad much to bear in the
rs;tic;sm provoked by an unworthy class
n" inba6it the vesti6EsS e - - ~~rFAes
VA allure to their meshes the unWary
az AS:.v;na Who seek her shrine for substan-
RtrSiieE The artful trickery Of ignOble
aSS has heen assigned as an attribute
- shs profession Of the law, and Its lower
~.Tka: that pestilential brood which
S~.rms around <he Sase Of the pedestal
oThnnorabIe fame, has, to the casual OBJ
S.-s~r sanctioned such q view. But this
= N unjust. There is an atmosphere
n..r the sun in which the great jurists Of
twsntv generations dwell They have
S.sn the forerunners Of legal liberty
Thrv have never hung upon the skirts Of
-overnmental progress. Other profess
IONS have formed technical barricades
.~.inst the advance of popular freedom,
.Sd questioned the divinity ofthe people;
Int those who have drunk deep from the
tornta;ns Of that perfection Of reason" "
Enelish and American law, recognize the
voice Of the people as the voice OF Cod
II il matter Of record that the legal pro-
fesSion has been the patient, the toiling,
and the inspired hand-maidcn of liberty.
Imieht dwell upon its services, and re-
call the circumstances, in historical order,
which will forever commend its fame to
the lovers Of free institutions, If the feet
, ing hour assigned to me would allow
But these things will suggest themselves
to the student Of the law and the student
Of history. Ipause, however, to inquire
whether my brethren Of law have forgot
ten the examples of the past; whether
the exalted chivalry Of the profession is
dead ? Do you stand by power with its
robes of purple, or do you stand by the
oppressed in destitution Is your motto
the scepter Of exaggerated and bloated
authority, or is it the farmer at his plow-
handle, in grand though humble demand
Tor 0aS TbkDtS % ucc tuuu uuueT tue
Constitution The mission Of the law, as
The chosen apostle Of freedom, has always
been to SuccOr the oppressed, the feeble,
the suffering. and the poor, and to minis.
Ter, in the spirit Of the great Master, to
those whom Christ blessed upon the
mountain Of Olives. Sir, for me, my
vay Is chosen. ] shall turn my back on
the Establishments Of executive power,
and, though prison, though death assail
me in the pathway Of duty, shall follow
the examples and the precepts of old, and
vindicate alike the dignity Of my birth
and the honor Of my profession, BY de-
tending the privileges Of the people To
me this is labor of love. Ny whole ma
ture responds to its burning appeal -
Whenever the spirit Of unlawful aggres.
sion has been repelled; whenever tyran
ny has been de6ed and rested; whenever
honest upright manhood, in whatever
condition found, has asserted its right to
glorious sovereign equality, there my
heart has paid dcvout pilgrimage, and
prayed for the success of every effort
which tends to enlarge the liberty Of the
citizen.