Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-22
AN ESSAY ON elementary LAW
IN SCHOOL.
Read by Robert N. FurlOng before she
Teachers Association.
TConcluded.l |

rH ICOncIuded.
Perhaps these questions could be
answered by some of the ex-legislators
who have represented this very dis
trict in past years. But l have only
shown the need of more legal learning
to insure better legislation. And is
there not also an equal need on the
part of those entrusted with execution
of the laws? Many of our officials can
not put o proper construction on one
third of the laws they are vested with
power to enforce. Can aught else
than poor government be expected
when such a state of affairs exist? Vol
umes might. be written without ex-
,hausting this branch of the subject.
Let us look at another individual
duty. All citizens, no matter how
humble their sphere in life, are liable
to be called upon ITO establish the
rights, to estimate the injuries, to
weigh the accusations, and sometimes
to dispose of the lives of their fellow
beings, by serving on juries.n On this
point quote the language of the COM
mentatOr: ''In this situation they
have frequently right to decide, and
that upon their Oaths, questions of
nice importance, in the solution of
which some legal skill is requisite;
especially where the law and the fact,
as it often happens, are Intimately
blended together. And the general
incapaeity, even of our best juries to do
this with any tolerable propriety, has
greatly debased their authority"
Should not this incapacity be re-
moved? should not this deficiency in
the education Of the people be inquired
into by educators? And should not
steps at once be taken to have law a
study in the public schools where the
people are educated? Bnt l am argu-
ing this question too much from sim
gle stand point. Having shown q
necessity for q better knowledge of law
among the people; having shown it to
be the duty Of every citizen to possess
some degree of legal learning; who
then will question its utility as .
study?
But let us see some of the advantages
to be derived from it; indeed there are
many. In this country, the very first
principle of our laws, the end and
scope Of the constitution is civil liber-
ty. It has been termed the corner
stone of the Republic,-the basis of
our laws. Paley, Christian, Blackstone
and other eminent writers on juris-
prudence. have defined political or
civil liberty to be "the natural liberty
of mankind so far restrained by human
laws land no farther) than is necessa-
nv for the good of society,""
Such being its meaning, how then
is the citizen who is ignorant of the
law, to know how far his natural lib
erty has been abridged by it, how far
his civil liberty extends? Can he en-
joy civil liberty in its highest degree
when he does not know its limits?
Must not his liberties be prescribed
within. a narrow compass, who does
not know what the law allows or de-
nies him, nor where It has drawn the
line of demarkation between right and
Truly, our happiness as citizens Of Q
free country. depends much, very much,
upon our knowledge Of Its laws. The
advantage derived from q practical
knowlede of law are almost inumer-
able. To know how to draw up legal
documents, or writings, such as are
used in the transaction Of ordinary
business is q branch Of education that
is eninently useful, and should by no
means be neglected, "a