Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-07-04
A Valuable Law Book.


plimentary notice of a work of our
townsman, Mr.. Jas. S. Barton, from
the Nashville Union of the 10th inst.
1t might not be out Of place in this
connection to say that an extended
notice of the work was prepared for
the STANDARD when the book first
made its appearance, but Mr.. Barton
requested that it be withheld until
he had some expression as to the re-
ception his book would get away
from home. The notice below is from
good authority, and speaks in the
highest praise Of the work:
An unpretentious volume Of 1874
pages-"A digest of the maXims or
principles Of the common law, as adj
ministered and recognized, both in the
courts of law and equity"-by Jas. S.
Barton, of McMinnville, has CHANGED
to fall under our notice. Drawn to it
because it is the work of a Tennessee
lawyer, we gave it something Of a
careful examination. We do the au-
thor credit for doing a good work for
the profession in this compilation,
for it is only a compilation of legal
maXims. The author has carefully
examined all the principal writers on
legal maXims and the great value
of his book is in the arrangement Of
the work, superseding to a considera-
bic extent any necessity for a COM
mentary. All of the maXims on the
same subject are thrown together,
and it can beseen at a glance the bear
ing they have on each other, and the
relation they sustain to kindred sub
jects.
The Hon. w. F. Cooper says of this
work: at will enable all classes of
the legal profession to have a ready
access to those primary rules which
have primary connection, and will
thus lead to a more frequent consul
tatiOn and profound study Of the
, maXims Of law. The great difficulty
} which the lawyer has heretofore had
to contend with was the absence of
: systematic arrangement in even the
2 best collections. He might readily
| commit to memory, or retain with
} out serious effort, few leading max
( inns scattered throughout the body OF
the law. But to retain in his recol-
lection all bearning on even one sub
ject would severely tax the best mind,
and of course to retain even a mOder-
ate proportion Of those bearing on all
subjects would be literally impossi.
bic. And the practical difficulty Of
l gathering up for immediate use all
the maXims bearing on any one ques
> ton under investigation has beer
, well nigh insuperable with all the
aid heretofore afforded. Let the law,
yer try, as the writer has done, with
i the books before him, and with the
Il aid Of Mr.. Browns treatise, to com
y pile and arrange the maXims which
o may illustrate a given branch O
o study, and he will appreciate the la
g Dor which has been brought to his
q service in this little and unpretend
7 ing compilation.
+ "This has now been done for hin
n on all points, which he almos
v impossible task on single point
l. The author will be amply rewarded
e if, as he hopes, his modest toll shall
X lead his professional brothers to {
deeper study and higher appreciation
of these Laws of Laws"
After examining this compilation
we agree with Judge Cooper that, un
l. pretending as the work is, it is one o
h much toll, and is manifestly the re
o suit of a trained and methOdica
q mind laboriously applied. AS Judg
y Cooper says in former part of thi
l. note, this work is especially valuabl
a now; when case in point can b
W found on both sides of all questions
s. so that the student may go back t
he thefirst principles-eXamine the max
): inns of the law to see who is right.
es The maxims are arranged in alpha
ar betical order, and when in Latin tn
n translation is given. The book woul
If be valuable acquisition to any law
10 yer's Office, and the young man en-
is barking in the profession cannot we
ne afford to be without it.
Id The book is admirably provide
20 with full definition of all the abbrt
k viations found in it, and with a mo:
lie valuable index to titles.
I'd The ten finest buildings in thi
Id country, according to the majorit
n vote given in the Boston America
Architect. are Trinity church. 30.