The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-28
TRIBUTE TO LAWYERS.
DIR. TALMAGE breaches OF ZENAs,
FOR WHOM PAUL SENT.

Deliver Them From Temptations
The Ethics of the Law and of the
Gospel - Lawyers Entitled TO One
Days Rest In seven.
WASHINGTON, June 27-Dr. Talmage's ser
mon to-day has a special interest for law
yers. and all who expect to be lawyers
and all who are the friends of lawyers.
His text is Titus 8: 10: Bring Zenas the
lawyer"
The profession of the law is here intro
suced. and within two days in the capital
CITY sos young men joined it. and at this
season in various parts of the land other
hundreds are taking their diplomas for
that Industrious profession, and is It not
appropriate that I address such young
men from moral and religious stand
point as upon them are now rolling the
responsibilities of that calling represented
IN the text by Zenas the lawyer.
We all admire the heroic and rigorous
side of PauTs nature as when he stands
coollv deliberate on the deck of the corn
shin while the jack-tars of the Mediterra-
mean are covering in the cyclone; as when
he stands undaunted amid the marbles Of
the palace. before thick-necked Nero,
surrounded with his twelve cruel hctors,
as when we find him earning his livelihood
with his own needle, sewing halr-cloth'
and preaching the Gospel in the inter-
stices. as when we find him able to take
tbe rbirty-nine lashes. every stroke OF
which fetched the blood, yet continuing IN
his missionary work: as when we ind
hin. regardless of the consequence TO him
self delivering a temperance lecture 10
Falix The government inebriate. But
sometimes we catch glimpse OF the mia
and genial side of Pauls nature. IL seems
that he had a friend who was a barflster
nv profession. His name was Ienas, ana
he wanted to see him. Perhaps he mao
formed the ACQUAINTANCE of this lawyer IN
The court room. Perhaps, sometimes,
when he wanted to ask some question IN
regard to Roman law he went TO TINS
zenas. the lawyer. At any rate, he had
warm attachment for the man. and he
nrovides for his comfortable escort and
entertainment as he writes TO Iltus.
1Rring Zenas the lawyer.
This man Of my text belonged to pro-
fession in which are many ardent support
ers Of Christ and the gospel. Among them,
blackstone the great commentator on
English law; and Wilberforce, the emanci-
major; and the late Benjamin F. Butter,
.Ittorney-general of New York; ana the
late Charles Chauncey, the leader OF the
philadelphia bar; and Chief Justices Mar
snail. and Tenterden, and Campbell, and
Sir Thomas More. who died for the truth
on the scaffold. saying to his aghast exc
cutioner: PLUCK up courage, man, and
do your duty; my neck is very short; be
careful, therefore, and do not strike
awry."
Among the mightiest pleas that ever
have been made by tongue of barrister,
e - l. .,v,l
Cbristianity-as when Daniel Webster
stood in the supreme court al Washington,
pleading in the famous Girard viii case, de-
nouncing any attempt to educate the peo-
DIe without giving them at the same time
moral sentiment, as low ribald and vul-
gar deism and infidelity;" as when Sam
uel l.. Southland of New Jersey, the leader
of the forum in his day stood on the plat
form at Princeton College commencement,
advocating the literary excellence of the
scriptures; as when Edmund Burke, in the
famous trial OF Warren Hastings, not only
In behalf of the English government, but
in behalf of elevated morals, closed his
speech in the midst of the most august
assemblage ever gathered in Westminster
hall BY saying: 4 impeach Warren Hast
ings in the name of the House of Com
mons. whose national character he has dis
honored; impeach him in the name of the
people of India, whose rights and liberties
he has subverted; 1 impeach him in the
name of human nature, which he has dis
graced; in the name of both sexes, and of
every rank and of every station, and of
every situation in the world, / impeach
Warren Hastings"
Yet, Notwithstanding all the pleas which
that profession has made in behalf of God,
and the church. and the gospel. and the
rights of man. there has come down
through the generations among many peo-
pie an absurd and wicked prejudice
against II. SO long ago as in the time of
Oliver Cromwell, il was decided that law
years might not enter the parliament
house as members, and they were called
"Sons of Zeruiah." The learned DR..
johnson wrote an epitaph for one Of them
in these words:
God works wonders now and then,
Her lies a lawyer, an honest man!
Two hundred years ago, a treatise was
issued with the title, "Doomsday APP
preaching With Thunder and Lightning
for Lawyers" A prominent clergyman Of
the last century wrote In regard to that
profession. these words: There is a so
ciety of men among US bred up from their
youth in the art of proving, according as
they are paid, by words multiplied for
the purpose, that white Is black and black
is white. For example, if my neighhor
has a mind to my COW, he hires a lawyer
TO prove that he ought to have my COW
from me. l must hire another lawyer to
defend my right, il being against all rules
of law that man should speak for him
self. In pleading they do not dwell upon
the merits of the cause, but upon circum-
stances foreign thereto. For instance, they
do not take the shortest method to know
what title my adversary has to my cow,
but whether the COW be red or black, her
horns long or short, or the like. After
that they adjourn the cause from time 20
time and in twenty years they come TO
an issue. This society likewise has a Pc
culiar cant or jargon Of their own, In
which all their laws are written,
and these they take especial care
TO multiply, whereby they have so
COMPOUNDED truth and falsehood that
IL will take twelve years to de-
eide whether the field left to me by my
ancestors for six generations belongs 10
me, or TO one three hundred miles of"
/ say these things TO show you that there
has been a prejudice going on down.
against that profession, from generation
10 generation. / account for Il on the
ground that they compel men TO pay debts
that they do not want 70 pay. and that
they arraign criminals who want to es-
cape the consequences OF their crime.
and as long as that is so. and IL always
VIII be so. Just so long there will be classes
az men who will affect az anu r.t. D.,