The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-06-16
Some more About the Lawyers.

remarks concerning them. We can see no
reason for their sensitiveness. We consid-
cred that we were remarkably easy upon
them We might have abused them
and used deservedly severe language in
condemning their past action and their
present conduct. We might have justly be-
rated them for their unprofessional conduct
in striving to degrade their profession for
the benefit OF few seedy and worn out poll
ticiaus. We might have rebuked that &C.
centric individual, who claims to be the
father of the bar for originating such rep
rehensible document as that which he
caused to be circulated among the legal
profession and in every paper in the
State. Wemight have held up every lawyer
who signed the protest as a disgrace to
the legal fraternity. Yet we have not done
it, as our pity at their ludicrous plight,
has caused our sense of the ridiculous to
overcome even our desire to tell them of
their wickedness The poor lawyers are so
ashamed of finding themselves caught in
their own traps. that they are really deserv-
ing of pity. And truly their condition,
though laughable, is pltiful in the extreme.
legal talent of North Carolina caught in
trap like so many naughty little boys
They who have been regarded as keen,
shrewd men, now stand in the udicrous po-
stion of men who are too weak-mindcd to
be able to get out of the scrape they have
gotten themselves into They, who have
assumed such airs of sharpness and wisdom
in advising Others, are now shown to be in
capable of advising themselvesl Instead of
grave aud reverend professors of the law,
they APPEAR more like sulky school-boys,
who have been detected in robbing some
ncighboring hen-roost Oh, what a come
down is here, my countrymen We do not
wish to add to the mseres of our down
cast legal friends, nor do we wish to make
them feel more ridiculous than they do now,
even were it possible. but we cannot refrain
from pointing out to them how foolish they
must appear to the people of the State and
to those with whom they have put on such
airs of wisdom. How their former clients
must be laughing to see their whilom legal
advisers in such ludicrous fix We feel
the more grieved at this as we fear that our
legal friends will never regain their lost
prestige and that their regulations as smart
lawyers are forever ruined. Such sudden
squelching of legal talent was never before
seen, nor were there so many lawyers before
known whose legal minds seemed to be so
utterly helpless as those of the protesting
lawyers. TO think too that this should
happen during the visit of Chief Justice
Chase, when each of them were so eager to
appear to the greatest advantage! What
chances of future emlnence have been hope
lessly crushed What dreams nf legal fame
and greatness are now rudely dispeled !
Oh, cruel Fates to thus destroy SO many
sweet buds of promise Alas, for the fame
of the Democratic portion of the Bar of
North Carolina! They, who were to have
astounded the Chief Justice with the unex-
pected effulgence of our legal constellation,
are now unable to raise a sparkle. Instead
of the imposing array of talent that was to
awe the Chief Justice into respectful admit
ration, there appears flock of bewildered
and stammering gentlemen who appear
more like parcel of bashful school-boys
than bright ornaments to the legal profess
sion. We are compelled to express our be-
lief that the Chief Justice will not be suf-
fciently impressed with their personal APP
pearance, or cnraptured with their legal
profundity, to recommend any of them as
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
Alas, their appearance is not imposing.
Their sef-confidence, too, seems to have
departed for, while visiting tile Court yes
terday morning, we observed that it took
three lawyers to make one speech one to do
the talking, one to hold his books, and one
to find the place for the other two, and it
wasn't much of a speech, either! Another
legal lamp was perambulating aimlessly
through the hall with imposing looking
bundles of documents protruding from
every pocket of his linen buster, and he was
evidently at loss to know on which side
of the case his gigantic intellect was to be
let loose. Next to this latter gentleman sat
the noble presence of the father of the bar,
and from all appearances there was a heap
of trouble on the old mans mind" He was
evidently in much better spirits than his
precious family, or better spirits were in him,
we can't tell which. We wish our neigh
Dor of the Friend Of Temperance had been
present, as we think he might have found
material for an article on the evils of intem-
perance. Those who were not employed on
either side, were lolling back in their chairs
with their feet on the desks in front of them,
apparently endeavoring to draw bead-sight
on the Chief Justices nose In fact, we
saw only one lawyer who behaved as legal
gentleman should, and he couldn't help
himself, as his pants were so tight he
couldn't sit down. We are amazed at this
want OF decorum on the part of the bar, and
can only excuse it by the superstition that
their present trouble has rendered them
reckless of appearances. We feel it our duty
to demonstrate with our legal friends at thus
early giving up to dependency. They
should reflect that they are not the first men
who have made fools of themselves, and that