The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-05
MEN LEARNED IN LAW
MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN RAN
EULOGIZED BY CHOATE
=" Long as There Is Al Supreme
Court TO He Attacked and De-
Tended, While Public Faith and
Credit Are at Stake, Great Sery-
ices Are Demanded.

CHICAGO, Feb. 4.-The annual BAN
quet of the Chicago Bar association
was held tonight. Joseph II. Choate, of
New York. being the guest of the
evening. Fully 500 of the leading at
torheys OF chicago were present at
the banquet, and Mr.. Choate delivered
an eloquent address upon the subject
or our Profession" In part. he said:
We love the law. because among all the
learned professions it is the only one
that involves the study and the pursuit of
a stable and exact science Theology. II
Is true, was once considered an immuta
Bile Science-but how has it changed from
age to age and even from year to year.
we are bred to believe that everything
ana every word within the four corners
OIL HOLY Writ was absolutely inspired truth
But now upon what 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 medicine. how its prac
tice and its theories succeed each other in
rapid revolution so that what were good
methods of healing doses and saving pre-
scrlptlons a generation ago are now con-
ueinned as poiSOnS and noStrums and all
the post is adjudged to be empirical
Meanwhile the common law makes void
the part 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 principIes
the same rules of right and justice which
nave been established for many genera
tons We preserve the real fruit and
throw away the rind. The Technical Iities
which have too long encrusted the law
have been stripped away and low. like
Lord Mansfield. our judges try TO solve
every case by common sense and tho
sense OF justice, and the sense of honor
which in their highest manifestations
constitute the most eminent and valuable
judicial qualities
We hear sometimes that the American
bar has degenerated. that it does not
equal its predecessors in power and char
acter and influence, but this | utterly
deny. To the demands which each genera
ton makes upon it. it is always ade-
Quate.
There is one respect in which the Amer
lean bar has far outshone not only its
brethren in England. but in every other
country OF modern times. l mean in its
great share in the conduct and shaping of
public affairs. l believe that with one
consent the common judgment Of mankind
would point to Hamilton, Webster and
Lincoln as the three American lawyers
whose actual public services had most
largely contributed to the formation and
preservation OF the constitution. on whose
continuance the hopes of civil liberty Cor
all coming time depend.
But at all times. and especially In this
our day. great public duties await us So
long as the supreme court exists to be at
tackled and defended-that sheet anchor
or our liberties and of our government
so long as the public credit and good
faith of this great nation in peril-so
long as the right of property which lies
at the root OF all civil government. Is
secuted and the three inalenable rights
to life to liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness which the Declaration of indie
pcndence proclaimed and the constitution
has guaranteed alike against the action
of congress and Of the states are in jeop-
ardy, as long Will great public service be
demanded of the bar.
Edwin F. Uhl. x-ambassador to
Germany, spoke to the toast of In
ternatiOnal Arbitration"
The other tOasts of the evening were
Lawyer in Civics." which was re-
SpOnded to by ex-senator Villas, OF
Wisconsin, and Lawyers Ideals" &c
which Edward G.. Mason, of Chicago
responded.
Among the distinguished guests from
out of the city present at the banquet
were Adlai h. Stevenson, eX-vice presi-
dent; James p. Ewing. minister t.
Belgium; Judges Woods, Jenkins anC
Showalter. of the United States sircui
court; Judge Woods OF st. Louis; eX
Senator Villas, of Wisconsin, JudG
Dyer, of Milwaukee; Judge Samue
Williamson, of Cleveland.