Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-04-16

in the study of a science in the adornment
of which Erskine and Curran, Webster
and Grimke spent their lives.
The legal profession has had much to
bear in the hostile criticism provoked by
an unworthy class who inhsbit the vosti-
bulo Of her temple aud allure to their
meshos the unweary pilgrims who seek her
shrine for substantial relief. The artful
trickery of ignoble minds has been as
signed as an attribute of the profession
of the law, and its lower walks; that pes
tilential brood which swarms around the
base of the pedestal of honorable lame,
has, to tho casual observer, sanctioned
such view. But this is all unjust
there is an atmosphere near the sun in
which the great jurist Of twenty genera
tions dwell. They have been the fore.
runners Of constitutional liberty. They
have never hung upon the skirts of Gov
ernmental progress. Other professions
have have formed technical 6arricades
against the advance of popular freedom,
and questioned the divinity of the people;
but those who have drunk deep from the
fountains of that perfection of reason, "
England and American law, recognize the
voice oftho people as the voice Of God. 1t
is matter of record that the legal profes
sion has been the patient, the toiIing, and
the inspired hand maiden OF liberty. |
/ might dwell upon its services, aud recall the
circumstances, in historical order, which
ers of free institutions, il the neeting hour
assigned to me would allow. But these
things will ali suggest themselves to the
student of the law and the student Of his
tory. ] pause, however, to inquire
whether my brethren of the law have for
gotten the examples of the past; whether
the excited chivalry of the profession is
dead ? DO you stand by power with its
roles of purple, or do YOU stand by the
oppressed in RESTITUTION ? Is your mot
to the scoptrc of exaggerated and bloat.
ed authority, or is Il the farmer at his
nlow handle in Grand thouph humbl,
f demand for his rights as free man under
tho Constitution /? The mission of tn,
, law M the chosen anostle of freelom
, has oIwovs bocn 10 snccor the onpressed
% the feeble. the suffering. and the Door, anr
to minister. IN the SDlrlt OF the area
Master ,o those whom Christ blessed mn
on ibe MAINTAIN of Olives. Sir fo
me, NV wov is chosen. I shall turn m,
bncI, on tbe Establishments of cyecutiy,
mower. and thouph orison. thouph death
Iaasoil me in the halfway of duty. shal
follow the cxamnles md the precepts o.
old. and yindicate alike the dignity o.
my birth and the honor of my profession
by defending the privileges Of the peo
pie. To me this is n labor of love. NV
whole nature responds to its burning ap-
peal. Wherever the spirit of unlawful
aggression has been rcpellel; wherever tyr
amy has been deiied and resisted; whor-
ever honest, upright manhood. in what
ever condition found, has asserted its
rights to glorious sovereign equality,
there my heart has paid devout pisrim
age, and prayed for the success Of every
effort which tends to enlarge the liberty
Of the citizen.
But, sir, the blow has fallen, and turn
to survey for q few moments its ghastly
consequences. In defiance OF all law in cou
: tempt of the judiciary, in dorision of tn,
, teachings of history, and in scorn anC
mocl<ery of the holv principles of person
, al liberty, tho writ of habeas corpu
stands suspendcd. The will Of the Ex
rcp,ive has for mora than n wear been TIN