Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-06-06

- mraeK Oh the GhalncaAlonS ~ AAI
49, 80 the advocate. read before
The Law Academy Of Philadelphia on
April lib, the Hon. William A. poT-
t.r. ore oi The leaders Of The Bar Of that
city, has been Published, and furnishes
ss.ne good readsng to lawyers and law
students, and also to the general public.
Judge Porter speaks with the weight Of
years, ofIong experience At the Bar
and Of services on the Bench, and urges
fOrcibly that the best legal adviser Is he
who prevents litigation and settles dis
puses already commenced, who encour-
ages the failing debtor to stand by has
integrity. and demonstrates to the hard
creditor how to reconcile forbearance
and safety, who prevents hasty dispo-
s;tiOn Of property to the injury OF chill
dfen. sustains the sanctity OF marriage.
enforces the Inviolabiliiy Of trusts, and
directs the course OF men engaged IN
schemes OF religion and beneyolence.
LAWYERS, too, especially in this coun-
try, are looked to for instruction to their
fellow-citizens in theIrpublic duties. and
they are called on 10 assist the Govern
ment in preserving peace and order
For these varied and important resPon-
sibiIIties, the good lawer must be SO
thoroughly educated that good books
shall be bis constant resource. Judge
Porter refers 10 Mr.. Rufus Choate's d.
arv. showing that amid all the dispute
tudes Of politics. The labors Of profess
sioral life, and the pains OF sickness,
that eminent advocate was unconscious
" strengthening himself by diligent
study OF the great masters IN literature,
reading Greek, Lain and French; Ho-
mer. Taritus and the great French and
English orators and authors, taking
half dozen lines Of Virgil to page OF
Williams on Real Property.
A lawyer must train his reasoning
faculties, for it is 10 their right use that
he will owe bis success and his clients
their safety; and TOR this there is no bet-
ter study than that OF the best treatises
on metaphysical sciences. He must
see how the great leaders ofthe Bar at
tanned their position by persistent en-
deayor and unwasering honesty and
fixedness OF purpose, and he must add
TO a knowledge of the leading cases a
precise acquaintance with the political
history of the time IN which they were
decided, and above all and always he
must study the principles OF the law,
for upon his knowledge OF these. the
foundation alike OF statutes and decis-
ions, depends the accuracy Of his ad-
vice. the soundness OF his arguments,
the success of his opinions But, apart
from his duties as en- adviser, the law
YER has wide field before him as an
advocate, and these are not always con-
vertible terms, for many great advocates
have been poor advisers, and few sound
LAWYERS have been able to meet all the
requirements of both branches of the
profession. In England this fact has
been so distinctly recognized thattheTe
are two distinct professions in The law
Afinrney and the RsIl6teEmMa
in this country, IN the
centres oil legal activity, -
such division Of labor increases re
usefulness aud improves the qualities
of the lawyer who follows one or the
other as bis special calling.
Judge Porter draws freely from his
large acquaintance with some Of the
greatest advocates of this country and
of England and he illustrates his state
ment that modesty, even 10 the fear OF
failure, is an almost invariable sign of
great oratorical success, by the example,
among others, of Mr.. John Sergeant, of
that city, as great forensic advocate as
the country ever produced, who always
spoke under strong agitation, yet he was
the wisest man in matters oflaw, Judge
Porter tells, US with whom he ever per-
sonally came in contact; he never saw
any man who relied SO little on the last
decided case, and SO much or the PTin-
eiples OF The La,Cs as science. No
greater tribute was ever paid by one
great lawyer to another than Mr.. Bin
ney's eulogy OF MIR. Sergeant; and, after
hearing his first speech and his last, al
an interval of fifty years, SO great an
authority as Horace Binney could hardly
find words strong enough for the praise
that was Justly due Mr.. Sergeant
Judge Porter sketches with great force
the distinguishing traits OF the leading
lawyers of his own acquaintance, Ia
ney, PinckneY, Clay and Reverdy John
son. He sat as Judge in Court to
which MIR. Johnson IN his eightieth year
delivered one OF the ablest arguments
heard there; his speech was bold, strong
and manly, every word seemed to fall
naturally into its proper place, facts
were arranged in their most natural or
der, and stated with admirable clearness,
the authorities cited were all pertinent
to the question, everything uttered bore
directly on the question before the
Courts it wonderful then that Mr..
Johnson was one OF the great lights of
the American bar Judge Porter en-
forces the necessity OF breyity as one
-s-sa---s rrErng requirements of all our
oral discussions, but he wisely says
that brevity is a relative term, and he
refers to the speeches in the Girard will
case, where Mr.. Webster's speech, al
though only one-third the length of MIR.
Binney's. was too long, for most of #
had little 10 do with the question at is
sue. He refers TO FranEliR's reputa-
ton and yet he is said never to have
spoken more than fifteen minutes: to
Jeferson's example, and he is said GEN
orally to have spoken but ten minuIes.
Mr.. Webster's FIRST great speech as a
constitutional lawyer, that in the Dart