The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-04-27
Hard on Lawyers.

Ms EDIToR: In the Iast issue Of P,ncE Bouol
in article on the labor question, is the follow
ing:
: 1t is mistake to give the impression that at
the present time professional men as generally
support our system as oppose it, We know of
only two or three members Of the legal profession
who approve it,
do not know how many Of the legal profes-
sion approve Of the law. or how many disapprOve
of it: know there are some who do b2th
With the highest respect for the members of
the legal profession. and the admission tia, they
know. or ought 10 know. what the lar is.-for il
is their basiuess-l can not admit that they are
sny better judges Of wha, .jasstios IS and what Il
reguirss. than other Intelligent men. be they ne
eh&nics. farmers physicians. eleryymen. or mer-
chants and there are ST least hundred or more
Of these latter to one Of the former.
Legal authorities are often found in conflict
with each other Superior tribunals often reverse
the decisions of inferior ones Superior ones
often disagree upon vital questions. themselves /;
justice not infrequenty remains unsatis6ed be
cause Of some teohaloaI error in the proceedings
the criminal escapes, because Of some informality
or flaw in the Indictment, and Outrage stalks
abroad unchecked. as it did in San Francisco in
1851. chiefly f:om the skill of unprincipled law
yeTs in psrrsr1i4Q the law for the escape Of the
criminal A Iawyer. and {. s 0Ecer. was heard
TO say, as he sat ia his Office overlooking the
Plaza, where. bDt short time before. two men
had been executed. that 1, was sad thing. but
there was 20 other way that could see: Fifty
murders and serious outrAgss had occurred within
year, bat scareely man could be brought 10
justice. Some lawyer would take up the czuse
Of the criminal. and by some means. GET bin
cleared" And how is ii uow, in NeE York.
with the frequent iljuDc;ions Of some Of her
judges. issued. in the clear perception of every
one 10 defeat justice, unless it happen to he in
the line of the Interests of the officiating Judge,
Bancroft attributes the prosperity and domestic
eales Of the early New England settlements to
the absence of lawyers tf1
History and observation do not lead me to
form ny opinion Of the justice of any law be-
cause even lawyer may think it just He can
tell NE what the law is ! must use my own
judgment of its justice. The opinion of every
good nan. Of intelligence and integrity. must
have weight just IN proportion to his knowledge
Of the subject in hand
The very calling Of the lawyer. in the eonstitu-
ton of the mind, tebds to blunt his perceptions
Of justice. for MS business is to advocate the
cause Of his client. right or wrong When be
has bad czse-for one Is not often rejected
bsoSsse Il IS bad Il the retaining Zee Is liberal
he must clear his client. if be can. He resorts
70 ever means he c.n devise TO render the IaE
nugatOry. Between sOphistry. technioalities and
delays be wears out or ties to do So the patience
Of him who cries for justice, with jusiice Cd his
SIDE He Is trained ira school Of sophis,ry. !
recently read Of acass saers pPon a iudgmeat Of
$4,000. the party received but s40Oo-all the
rest going for la~ expenses and to lawyers
A few weeks since. Mr. De Berg known as the
originator Of the societies for the prevention OF
cruelty to animals made an attempt, through the
courts Of Brooklyn, 70 bring to justice parties
furnishing milk Of 50 bad quality as to be de-
el~ed by medical nes to be the fruitful source
Of disease among children BE was defeated by
the skill Of al pnpriDciPisd lawyer. who persuaded
The jury that II vas an attempt upon their in
rights Was the lawyer better judge Of
justice thzn the phikathropis;l P.