Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-11
WEDNESDAY. MARCH IL. 1891.
Thu LAWYERS.

Inc man VINO unucTthhtS w oN'SN
his own case has q fool for client" ms
saying teaches us that if the men who take
pleasure in denouncing the lawyers as
class are sued or arrested for any reason
whatever they always find 1t necessary II
they ere WISE TO call in at once the services
of a limb of the law. To talk against law
yers is as improbable and as unjust as 10
talk against the jury system. Many and
many sn article have we seen intended 10
prove that that system was imperfect ana
undesirable, but we have never known o
man charged with Serious ohence
against the laws Of his country
who did not have sense enough 10
prefer TO be tried by his peers; that Is
by his country" as the clerk tells every
defendant in criminal case when he says
(Which country you sre"-that Is, the
jury. So as to lawyers. Whatever may oe
said of them when the skies are bright
overhead they are certain to be called
on when lowering clouds gather OF
n storm and tempest of condemnation
threatens an alleged offender with irrepa-
rable wrong. Especially is this true IN
CRIMINAL cases such as we have had here in
Richmond. With good lawyers to defend
him and jury of his own countrymentotry
him, an innocent man can almost always
count upon acquittal. Judge UNDERWOOD,
whom we might pronounce no lawyer at
all, would have been potent for wrong ana
injustice and oppression IN this city hso
he not been held in check by the bar.
Where il the man who would rather sub
NIT his case TO such judge than to a jury
Of his countrymenp
What county has the most influence IN
the Legislature of Virginia The one that
sends the ablest LAWYER to represent 1t.
The prejudice against lawyers has resulted
in some States in electing so few lawyers
TO the Legislature that it has been pro-
posed TO have q legislative lawyer, CORE
spending in some sort to an Attorney
General, to examine critically all bills
about 10 become laws and pass upon their
constitutionality and the accuracy OF their
phraseology.
But we need no such facts TO convince us
that lawyers are in peculiar sense
the guardians of the liberties of the peo-
pie 4; for If Legislature were elected con-
sisting wholly Of persons not lawyers, 1t is
Just as certain as anything can be that the
members of such body would have to
employ lawyers TO draft their bills. and to
tell them when these bills came into con-
fict with the organic law. How
knows law-maker not q lawyer
what the Federal Constitution means
by the phrase privileges or i'm
munitiesn.i What meaning do the words
"bill Of attaindern carry 10 his mind ?
What does he suppose the words " ez post
fdoto law ITO meani We have known one
of the brightest, sharpest businessmen in
Richmond to contend that these last
quoted words applied to pecuniary con-
tracts. II professional men of the
highest intelligence stand thus helpless in
the presence of constitutional provisions
20 plain and so well understood by the
lawyers what sort of guardians of the
liberties of the people would the average
man be? We need not answer. If the
liberties of the people have any guardians
worthy of the name these guardians
must necessarily be lawyers The excep-
tons England and this country furnish
only prove that the rule is the other way.
There has been but one Lord BACoS-but
one JEyFRTYs.
Whence came our laws? From the law
yers of EnPland IN large measure. The
common law is our inheritance. How
many of our statute laws originated in
that country we shall not undertake to
say. But we can say that, in our opinion at
least, the courts Of this country command
the respect of the people at large because
they pattern after the courts which have
made the administration of justice in Eng
land by her able lawyers not by-word and
q kissing. but the pride of all English
speaking countries the world over. The
purity Of the judicial ermine in all such
countries is the boast of their Inhabitants.
We dwell in the midst of blessings which
we owe to the lawyers.
We need not add that we have no good
words for the lawyers who are unworthy OF
the profession to which they are attached
as barnacles 70 a vessel at sea.