The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-07-24
Remarks OF Geo. 4. Ralhbnn, E.a.

1919.
Law is universal When the Su-
preme Architect of the universe
created matter, He impressed upon
each particle certain qualities that I'D
here to it in every form it may take OF
combination into which it may enter,
so when He created things having life,
He established certain physical laws
by which that life, whether animal OF
vegetable, sentient Or insentient, is
controlled, and a breach of which is
followed by disease and death. He has
also revealed the laws by which man
is to regulate his moral life, leaving
him to make for himself such further
regulations in regard to his conduct
toward his fellow man as should tend
to the peace and harmony of society.
In the natural world, like causes al
most invariably produce like effects
we notice the succession of the seasons;
seed time and harvest; sunshine and
storm the rain and the dew falling
like blessing, and the tornado sweep
ing over land and sea, like the breath
of offended Deity, leaving death and
destruction i'm It's track.
1t is from a knowledge Of these laws
that the farmer has faith to sow his
seed knowing that, though buried out
of sight, il will in due time spring up
and produce fruit after its kind, that
the rain and the dew will nourish it,
that the warm air and bright sunshine
of suminer will ripcn it for the harvest;
it is from u knowledge of other but
similar laws that The mechanic acts
from the time the crude ore is torn
from its bed in the earth till the fin
ished locomotive speeds over the iron
way, almost annihilating time and dis
tance, or till the steamer ploughs ma
jestically across the restless ocean,
i'reighted with the hundreds of lives
and with richest merchandise suffi-
cient to load fleet of the argosies of
old.
Human nature is unhappily, or per-
haps it were better to say happily, so
constituted that differences of opinion
are constantly arising between people
in all ranks and stations, and, when
men began to multiply upon the face
of the earth, to congregate in commu-
mites, cities and states, it was found
necessary to establish some central au-
thority having power to fix the rules
which should govern the citizens in
their social and business inter( curse
hence we have what is called ''munici-
pal law" as distinguished from divine,
or revealed, and natural law, being the
rules of civil conduct prescribed by
the supreme power in state.
AS communities enlarged in numbers
and in extent of territory, increased
i'll wealth and diversity of occupations
these rules of conduct multiplied and
it becoming impossible for the govern.
ing power to administer the laws di
rectly, the right and authority to de-
eide the various controversies con
stantly arising among men as to theil
respective rights and duties, were dele
gated, and in every civilized country
are delegated, to judges, who are sup
pose to be learned in the law, and who
are the deputies or representative OF
the supreme power of the state in the
Interpretation of municipal, or the
common or statute law of the land, tC
protect and enforce the rights, or re-
dress the wrongs of individuals, by de
Gliding between those who may hon
estly or dishonesty differ in opinion
and to protect the peace and well be-
ing of the people at large by Furnishing
those who may be guilty Of crime.
The judges sit in courts at stateC
times to hear the allegations of tn,
contending parties by themselves o
their counsel. Lawyers are made nee
essary by the constantly accumulatin!
mass of statutes and decisions, now S
great that a life time of labor is no
sufficient to render man familia
with more than a few of the subject
embraced IN them.
And here let me say word for tn
honor of the profession. 1t is the Gus
tom to scOff at and deride the gentle
men of the bar, to crack stale jokes
such as that they have the devil fo
their patron saint, and the like, and,
aknave is to be introduced upon tn
stage, or into n story, .he is clothed i
the garb of an attorney. Yet the rel
ton of attorney and client is one +,
quiring that the most perfect conf
dence should exist. The attorney
bound by oath to keep the bushes
communications of his clients secre
nor can he be compelled to divulg
them he is sworn to act with all du
fidelity, and his derilictions from dut
are punished summarily and severely
There are black sheep in all fiocks, bu
it is safe to say that less rascality
developed in the legal profession, con
sidering its numbers, than in any othel
for the reason that its entrance is MOI
strictly guarded and the punishment
for faults more severe; hence, and fror
the educational and other influence
surrounding them we find the ores