The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-05-26

his residence to the time of his return
thereto, to deliver the annual address to
the eminent body named. This event, as
trihing as it may in one sense seem, is sig
nifcant and has its lessons. The fact that
the lord chief justice of England can come
5000 miles and return, simply TO deliver
the address at bar association of an
American city, speaks wonders for the tri-
umph of man over time and distance. If
one of the old predecessors of the present
chief justice could rise from his ashes and
see his successor speeding over the Allan.
tic in little matter of a week TO deliver an
address before body of American lawyers,
he would not believe his eyes. What is
now matter of week was then matter
of months, and the whole legal and judicial
machinery of Great Britain would have
been thrown into confusion by the pro.
longed absence of its head. Now the
absence of the chief justice need not
and will not be felt. Crossing in
a steamer scarcely less elegantly equipped
than his own home, out OF sight of land
but four or five days and returning before
his most intimate friends had felt his alb
sence, this trip OF the chief justice Illus
trates and marks most ioicibly the new era
OF advancement in travel. But that he is
taking this great journey merely to address
the bar of an American city is another sig
niiicant fact. A half century ago ii was
not supposed in England that we had such
a thing rs real, genuine lawyer on this
side the waters. 1t was supposed that all
the learning and masters of the English
common law were to be found in circum
scribed quarter OF London. To have recog-
nized the American bar in so marked n
manner, as LORD CoLEmDGE has in this in.
stance, would never have been dreamed of.
Now not only are our lawyers recognized
| in Great Britain as LAYERS in fact as in
name, but our juiists are honored and
quoted and our report and textbooks of the
law rank side by side with CHIrTY
and BLACKSTONE ana BRoUGuAM and
weigh nightly aud frequently in determ-
nations of the most important cases in the
English courts. The visit of LORD CoLE-
RIDGE is a compliment to the progress, thu.
present eminent standing, the povt in
telligence and responsibility of the Ameri-
cln bar. 1t is a genuine and graceful reCog-
milton of the fact that in progress and cul
ture We have reached the best standards Of
Europe, for the condition aud scientific per-
lection and exactness Of the legal code ola
country are faithful and clear exhibit and
measure of the general intelligence and
culture of that people. But it is the
English chief justice who comes thus and for
this purpose, indicating that with all the
changes of empire and people and time, the
countries practically still are kindred. Ma
tions and people whom oceans separate are
still practically one, if they have the com
mon bonds of language and laws. What
CHIEF JUSTICE CoLERIDGE may say to the
lawyers on this side the Atlantic can be put
to practical use both here and in the speak
ers home, Notifications and changes In
the great body Of the common law have Ia
ken place from year to year of course both
here and In Great Britain, but the grand
foundations are unchanged and still foster
and guard that loveDf justice and liberty
that make the United States and Great
Britain the two most favored nations upon
the globe. The pending visit of LORD COL
FRIDGE therefore means more than the con.
ferring and acceptance of a mere compli-
ment by one body of lawyers to another,
and doubtless will have the effect of uniting
more closely in the near future the two
transatlantic branches of common law law.
yers and winning for our own brilliant
iurists and learned contributions to the
great body of legal literature a deeper re-
spect and more frequent reference than
they have ever enjoyed as yet.