The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05
LEGAL PROFESSION LAUDED.
JOSEPH CHOATE ADDRESSES THE
CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION.

The Occasion the Annual Banquet,
and 800 of the Leading Attorneys
of the City Present-NO NObIer In
teIIectuaI Pursuit Open to Man
No Higher Moral Standard to he
Found in Any Walk of Llife--NIain-
tenance of the Side That Is Wrong.
Chicago, ILL.,, Feb. 4.-rhe annual ban
ouet of the Chicago Bar Association was
held tonight, Joseph H. Choate, the eel
ebrated New York lawyer, being the guest
of the evening. Fully 500 of. the leading
attorneys of Chicago were present at the
banquet. and Mr.. Choate, who delivered
an eloquent address upon the subject of
"Our Profession was frequently inter
rupted by applause. and given an ovation
as he closed.
He was introduced in a neat speech by
President Follansbee of the bar associa-
ton. and, in responding to the toast, spoke
as follows: 81 maintain that in no other
occupation to which men can devote their
lives is there a nobler intellectual pursuit
or a higher moral standard than inspires
and pervades the ranks of the legal pro-
fession l do not, of course, mean to say
that among tue JU,OO 4dWSCAS WAAOaA NV
census counts in our 100000 of people
there is not much base allow-I speak of
that great body of active and laborious
practitioners, upon whom rests the re-
sponsibility of substantial litigations and
the conduct and guidance of important af-
fairs; you will look in vain elsewhere for
more spotless honor, more absolute devo-
ton more patient industry, more conscien-
tious fidelity than among these. am not
unmindful of that ever mooted question::
How we can, with the strictest honor
maintain thes side that is wrong, and
the suggestion that as only one side can
be right in every law suit we must half
the time, be struggling for injustice. But
that vexed question has long been set
tied by the common sense of mankind.
1t is only out of the contest of facts
and of brains that the right can ever be
javolved-only on the anvil of discussion
that The spark of truth can be. struck out.
we love the law because among all
the learned professions ii is the only one
that involves the study and pursuit of a
stable and exact science. Theology, II As
true was once considered an immutab4e
science, but how has it changed from
age to age and even from year to year.
We are broad TO believe everything and
every word within the four corners of
Holy Writ was absolutely inspired truth.
But now upon unhappy times have We
fallen in which the props of our faith
are being knocked from under US day by
day.
And, then as to the medicine, how it's
practice and its theories succeed each 9TH
er in rapid revolution so that what were
good methods and healing doses and saw
ing prescription a generation ago are
.,.is-, rFr~4arIa
and all the past is adjudged TO be en-
pircal.
Meanwhile, the common law, like a
nursing father, makes void the point where
the fault is and preserves the rest, as it
has been doing for centuries, and We are
busy applying to each new case as 1t arises
the same principles, the same rules of right
and justice which have been established
for many generations. We prese rye the real
fruit and throw away the rinfl. The tech
nicalities which have too Ion g enerusted
the law have been stripped away, and now
like Lord Mansfield, our jue ges try to
solve every case by common sense, and the
sense of Justice and the sense of honor,
which, in their highest manifestation, con-
stitutes the most eminent ana valuable jul
dicial qualities.
I'VE hear sometimes that the American
bar has degenerated, that it does not equal
dts predecessors in power and in character
the demands which each generation makes
upon it is always adequate. Times change
and men change with them. The intense
pressure of modern life and business leaves
It's mark upon our profession, upon
every other vocation. What once could be
said in three days must now be said in two
hours
What once could be done in. few
months must now be done in day, and
for one, l do not hesitate to say that for
skill, efficiency, utility and power, the ser
vice which our profession lends to the
community to-day has not been surpassed
In any form or generation. 1t must be so.
There is one respect in which the
American bar has far outshone not only
us brethren in England, but in every other
country of modern times. 1 mean in its
great shares in the conduct of shaping
FuDhc affairs. l believe that with one
consent the common judgment of man
hhd would point 10 Hamilton, Webster
ana Lincoln as the three American law,
yers whose actual public services had
most largely contributed 10 the formation
ana preservation of the constitution on
whose continuance the hopes of civil lib
efty for all coming time depend
But at all times especially in this our
gay, great public Guties await US So
ieng as the Supreme Court exists to be
attacked and defended-tnat sheet anchor
Vi our liberties and of our government
50 long as the public credit and good faith
4 81 uns great nation is in peril--so long as
| ue rght of property, which lies at the
lool OF all civil government, is doubted,
"u' the three inafienable rights-iife. lib
H and pursuit of happness-which the
ueldIation of Independence proclaimed,
oId the constitution has guaranteed alike
o9'iilst the action of Congress and states,
are n jeopardy so long will great public
'Nlce be demanded of the bar. Let us
t#a%snlfy our calling. Let US be true TO
Inc great occasions and respond with all
oar might to these great demands. so that
"HSh our work is done. at least At may be
oo'p mat we left our profession as useful
'ni as spotless as it came to our hands. -
Hl"in f. Uhl, ambassador to Germany.
btrauon"