The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-02-20


| with others simply because they are respect.
able citizens and not lawyers. The people
will select hereafter, as they have done, if
they desire wise rulers, the men who, in
their judgment, are the best qualified to
serve them-men of the ablest talents, the
broadcast cultures, and the soundest attain
ments. knowledge Is power. The best ed.
uc;.ted man. other things being equal, is the
most useful man, and will exercise the great
est and most important influence upon the
community.
Until quite recent date nearly all the So
called men of liberal education adopted one
or the other OF the learned professionalism
ology, medicine or law. Clergymen, as
rule, while standing among the foremost Of
the orators and influential men of the coun-
try, rarely permitted themselves to NEEDLE
directly with public affairs, accept office, or
interfere in any manner with political par
ties. Physicians confined themselves to
the practice Of the healing art, and, with few
exceptions, had neither the taste nor the in
clination to step beyond the limits of their
own calling. This left the lawyers clear
field for public favor, and, as by the nature
of their profession they were constantly lv-
ing before the public eye, studying and ex-
pounding the laws, familiarizing themselves
with the science of government, and prac-
sicing the arts and graces Of o ratory, many
of them gifted with genius and eloquence.
it can scarcely be subject Of surprise that
the people selected them as the fittest per-
sons to make laws, control by their talents
and gifts Of speech public assemblies, and
take the lead in every great crisis. The fact
that they have not only in our own country,
but in all other highly civilized lands, taken
the direction Of public affairs, made the
laws, filled the judicial stations, and shone
conspicuous in the highest offices of trust
and hon or, is SIMPLY because by education
and training they were best fitted for the
work, and every body conceded the fact. In
later days, with the decline of the bar in
learning and influence, and the large num-
Der of educated, trained, and discipled men
found in the ranks of journalism, commerce,
railroad enterprise, the practice of agricul-
ture. and the mechanic arts. the lawyers
have necessarily some strong competitors for
pu bile favor, and cannot always challenge
successful comparison with their new rivals.
But it must be remembered that lawyers
have always been the most intelligent, val
ued, trusted, honored, and faithful of our
public servants. We can name but few real
ly prominent or distinguished men in the
history of our country and its civil affairs,
whose fame is part Of the common heritage
of the land, that were not lawyers. Without
abiding to the long array of iurists who
have adorned the bench, we could fill col
unn with the names of lawyers honored in
their day and generation as the leaders of
great parties, the statesmen whose wisdom
guided the ship of State safely through the
breakers, whose gifted tongues and profound
legal atralnments made their names house,
hold words, and who are remembered to-
day with pride and veneration. It will not
do to say these men pushed themselves in to
power and place or were not chosen because
of their superiority to the majority Of their
fellow-men. The people caese them because
they were fitted for their work.
No man can succeed to fame at the bar
ithout industry, ability and learning. A
really successful lawyer is man Of ac-
knowledged distinction. No one but law
yer comprehends how difficult it is to attain
high rank in his profession. No class Of
men are held to stricter tests by their breth-
ern, and when they acknowledge among
their members leader, a chief, or a distin-
guished man, the community may safely ac-
cept him on such warrant. So long as civil
ization makes men wiser, better, and hap
pier, SO long will lawyers continue to de-
fend the rights and privileges Of their fell
low.men, maintain justice, and exert their
talents and eloquence for the common veal.
1t is for the bar itself to say to what extent
hereafter its members shall control and ia
fluence our national affairs. There can be
no successful prejudice raised against them
because they are lawyers. But the time
has also passed when men shall be chosen
for high stations because they are lawyers.
The word does not imply what it once meant.
The lofty standard by which the bar once
judged candidates for its honors has passed
away. The gateways CT the profession have
been thrown down, and an army OF unwor-
| thy aud useless men have rushed into the
fold. The noble old name of lawyer has
lost its significance, and the public fail to
associate 1t always with personal morality,
industry, or learning. Hence, to certain
extent, the public have grown weary Of
| lawyers simply because lawyers have beer
untrue to themselves. And when member.
of the legal profession are found thrustine
themselves into high stations without til,
qualifications necessary to adorn it, and m Ell
Of that character multiply and abound t.
the exclusion of business men OF genuine
abilities, it is natural the profession sfloul,
suffer in the estimation Of the public.
Let the bar 60 back to its high old stand
ard Of honor, morality and excellent;y; lie
its members be enriched with learning, &C
curate powers Of reasoning, the graces c
| OiOquChCO niu oIatOly -iACh sISAU W NJ Su
grave questions involving lifes berty, an
property. Such men are as. necessary a
justice itself in our Republic AMI the peopl
will always give them PLACES Of honor an
power, because Of all men they are best fiji
ted by training, educatioa, and habits Of lift
to serve them the most faithfully and usefu
| ly.-Clepeland Herald.
There are in the Virginia penitentiary IL
convicts under the age OF 20, ia Of whol
are males and N females. Eight of the To-
mer and three of the latter are serving OIL
sentences for murder. The youngest Of lh
males convicted for that crime was IL veal
and the Oldest Is. The ages Of the CIR
serving out sentences for murder ranged, ,
the time Of conviction, from Is to 16.