Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-06


by the finer qualities, and you VIII
find that the permanent occupation OF the
higher stations il impossible unless FOUNDED IN
q life Of purity with its record OF high proies- |
sional and personal honor. Complete fidelity
to the client and to the interests committed 70 |
ones charge is not tine fulfllment OF the |
lawyers obligation. There Is like obiigauon |
to the country and the courts and to the science
of the law itself, to be faithful, candid and up
right under any and all circumstances.
While it is unmsnly to initiate and make one
self q mere copyist, yet it is natural and COM
mendable to single out those who STAND pre-
eminent in the profession. study their faculties,
observe their methods and practices, and, with
out slavish imitation, adopt certain lines OF
their conduct adjusted to your own intellectual
powers and environment. Those who come
after you will adopt the same course In their
turn, and this increases the obligation that you
owe to so act and live as rather to advance than
lower the high standards Of professional honor
and obligation that have come down through
generations Of great and good hwyers
COURAGE ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS.
Courage, said the speaker, was an essential
element in the composition Of the great and
useful lawyer. Not the courage that borders
on pugnacity or shows itself In unnecessary
aggressiveness, but the high courage, that CO.
existent with the gentlest nature, the sweetest
courtesy, IL undaunted and unyielding In the
assertion of its Just rights. The history OF civil
liberty WAS emblazoned with the deeds OF cour-
ageous lawyers. who, unawed by the force and
threats Of despots and the mandates OF truck
ling tribunals. have in the advocacy OF the
rights Of the people, rallied them to successful
resistance and marked another step In the
progress Of freedom throughout the earth And
frequently in popular governments there were
times when prejudice and frenzy would break
over the barriers Of private right. and then IL
was that the sublime courage Of the true advo,
a., IaI tr,1 mt nratndlce. nQtreQ
and violence even, in the support OK the rign'
and the protection Of the weak.
IF there be one thing" continued Judge
| Shepard, shat / would specially commend TO
| you as q necessary element OF success 1t wouid
| be diligence and that not the ordinary, but
the extraordinary diligence as 1t is sometimes
defined in the law books in treating OF tne
| relative rights and duties Of persons under
| certain circumstances and conditions some
one has said. believe it was Cicero himself
in the course Of suggestions to advocates, 'ns'
| diligence Is the virtue in which all others are
comprehended' Without going to that ex.
| treme think can truly say, IN the light OIL
nv own observation, that without diiigence
there 10 no such thing as success. Inc lawyer
who relies too much upon the inherent justice OF
his cause and upon his own genius, transcenden'
though it may be, without its dllgent prepar'
alton in all the various stages, from commences
ment to Anal does injustice to his client. Ialli
short Of his obligation to the law itself ane
rarely fails to be rewarded according 10 nj
deserts."
/ STORIES THAT WERE rABLKs.
I. tickled the popular fancy, said Judg'
Shepard, to read of, and especially to listen to
the multitudinous and marvellous stories o
great causes won, of the heights Of eloquenc
in reasoning invective and pathos attained II
the impromptu efforts of transcendent geniuse
who have iliumined the dull pathways OF tn
| profession as brilliant meteors flash thel
sudden glare across the duller rays OF light tina
come from the steady stars Of lasting glow
But in the main these were the veriest tables
The great arguments that had affected TN
growth and development of the law, as well a
the grandest orations that had been delivered
had been the results of the closest diligence II
preparation and arrangement. searching In
vestigation, laborious ANALYSIS. profound 70
Election. had brought the choicest ma.erial 70
gether in the best arrangement, ana genius ma
; been the lightning flash that Las fused then
into one composite mass best adapted to tn
purposes of iss possessor.
This genius was the gift Of heaven to the IA
vored few. by which they might. if they onl
would, rise above the level Of their fellows
While we admire this gift let us not forget tn
genius Of hard work that il within the reac
Of US all, and whose monuments fill tho pleasant
!. fruitful earth on which We live, and withou
whose achievements it would else be sserii
and rnattractive. 80
"Mv friends" concluded the speaker. 18th
future is largely in your own keeping. Prov
, dence sometimes, in ways inscrutable to Ill
!: seems to aid and at others to thvart numa
effort and ambition, but in the main success
: failure is matter Of our own free agency. L
: faithful. be courageous, be diligent, and az
: yancement Is sure, though it may be slow.
. proportion to varying capacities and opportr
I mites.
But we have feet to scale and climb.
1 vslo
}; The cloudy SUBMITS OF our time"
!, THE PRIZES ANNOUNCED.
Judge Shepard's remarks were frequently Il
(; terrupted by applause, and 1t was sever
+ minutes before Mr.. Jere NJ. Wilson could pr
!; coed to announce the winners Of the prize
= Mr.. Wilson said that high as had been u
;, attachments of preceding classes, those OF Is
+ were not behind them. While he congratuiat'
+ the classes of 1893. he wished to remind the
l. that their path would not be one OF roses,
n a hard. uphill one. No other profession was
= difficult as that OF the law, and the successf
:, LAWYER was not one who slept late or went
" bed early Genius was we'll enough. but 1t aio
\; never made a successful lawyer, Tor 70 II mu
ell be added hard. persistent work.
:. Mr. Wilson then announced the prize WHINE
g. as follows: Faculty prize Of $40. for the be
:. ESSAY on legal subject by members OF 4
a; senior class to Mr.. A. Leftwich Sinclair
L. Virginia, who, 1t was also announced, had won
a. prize of "Smiths Leading Cases.. present
1. for the best essay by both the senior and pc
E. graduate classes. Mr.. Sinclar's essay W
d Contracts Against Public Policy" Messrs.
L. J. Dolan and Frank Trenholm were honorab
a; mentioned by the judges, John B. Larner al
IS, sydney I. Thomas. Mr.. Peter L. Cole OF N
Jersey won the post graduate essay prize
d, s25, his essay being Trial by Jury. /
y, Junior class prize Of $40 for the best grades
lis recitations and examinations throughout
to year was won by R. Ross Perry, jr. The sem
ng class prize Of s100 was won by Charles
ut Walker and the second prize Of $50 by Jan
ng A. Henderson. William ID. Baker and Willii
ed T. Reynolds tied for first place in the pr
mt graduate competition. SO each was award
q $50.
of
M DEPENDED ON THE PUMPS.