The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-07-02
THE LEGAL FRATERNITY.
SECOND DAY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA.
BAR ASSOCIATION.
Judge Blackford, OF Virginia, Deliver
ed a Very Able Address Yesterday
Morning-Col. Jones Entertains the
Association With Traditions and
R~ecollecrions of the Bench and Bar.
Swell German Tonight.

The North Carolina Bar Association
was again in session yesterday, both
morning and evening at h Seashore
hotel on Wrightsville Beach.
Wilmingtonians are showing deep in
terest in the association, as is attested
by the large number of citizens, among
them many ladies. who are attending
the meetings.
Everything is being done to make
the visit of the lawyers to our city a
pleasant ne-as pleasant to them as to
our people and full Of profit to all.
The good such an association does for
it's members is unlimited. 1t gives them
a higher regard for their calling and a
just conception Of their duty. These an
nual meetings cannot but rebound to
the good of all.
Yesterday mornings session was held
at 10 o'clock in the spacious auditorium
Of the hotel and was called to order by
the president Of the association, Hon.
Charles NJ. Stedman, of Greensboro.
Several standing committees read re-
ports which were accepted and placed
on file.
The treasurer reported the financial
condition of the association in excellent
shape.
Several new members and firms were
admitted into membership and the total
number of members now is 36S.
Three memorials were read n unan-
imously adopted giving the history and
life of several members of the associa-
ton who have died since the last meet
ing. Judge Connor read the memorial
of Chief Justice Faircloth, of the state
supreme court. Judge Womack read the
memorial of r. O.. Burton, Esq, a de-
ceased member Of the Raleigh bar.
Colonel Bridgers read the memorial on
Francis Jones, Esq, of Dunn, n. G.
All of these memorials were express
deceased members, giving the work OF
their lives and history of their careers
at the bar.
Clement Manly, Esq, moved and it
was adopted that all visiting members
have the privileges of the meeting.
President Stedman then briefly in
troduced the orator for the morning.
He introduced him as "a distinguished
lawyer, scholar, and orator in a state
| whose sons from h earliest days of the
republic have achieved eminence and
| renown in the professions of law-Hon.
Charles NJ. B~lackford, of Lynchburg,
Va"
JUDGE BLACKFORD'S ADDRESS.
The speaker began by an amusing
reference to North Carolina and its
claims of superiority and then told OF
the great value of the formation and
maintenance of the various bar asso-
Citations n what a great power for
good inc for h uplifting and encorage-
| ment of the members of the a
Best lawyers are those whose ways
l nra n1non nIInnCnS hi0h and those a G.
Sociations do much good on that line
| It's best effect is in raising the aims OF
lawyers and raising the standard OF
their professional ethics.
The French statesman, De T~oQueville
wrote some years ago that the Ameri-
can lawyers were the aristocracy Of the
country, and the governing class. This
was accurately true then but vas
| changes have taken place. The wealth
| of the world has so increased that the
genesis of government control has pass
| ed from the hands of lawyers and is
now largely in the hands of others.
But the functions, both of framing
and constituting the laws are now and
ever will be in the hands of lawyers
and so they are h real rulers. The
| real n controlling power to accom-
| pliSh results is the lawyer. He is the
| power behind the throne. This sounds
boatsful, but the inheritance comes
| freighted with such responsibilities that
we cannot escape them. This is a gath.
ering of lawyers n it is appropriate
to speak of lawyers.
This is the thouSandth year since
Alfred the Great closed his reign. He
was the greatest of all law givers and
| workers the world has ever known.
Then it is appropriate to investigate
the principles and growth of common
law, which began with him; so 1 have
/ ~oIo2&o 49, ~xr o-oo aT1@ T-a,,@-4@ ~
the English Speaking Lawyer in Pre-
serving the Liberty of h English
Speaking People,"
Then followed a brilliant history OF
the development of the common law
showing that all through the ages, the
growth has been steadily and sure and
improving. Great acts and wills and
cases were cited, all showing how the
lawyer had always stood for the liber'
ty Of the people, against great odds al
times. He traced the influence of thosc
lawyers who have become great on ac-
count Of their real worth to the law.
The common law was born when the
people were in almost a state of barbar-
ism, when they / not have much
beginning till now it covers every land.
His conclusion was as follows:
$50 long as the bar will fearlesSly do
it's duty, so long is the liberty of the
people safe. and experience proves that
whenever liberty is endangered, the bar
will rise to it's defense and it will ever
be SO everywhere. The instinct of the
bar is to see that justice is done and
justice is the fruit of good, laws well
executed for the purpose of securing the
permanent interest Of all men and of
all commonwealth.
"Mr. George F. Hoar, one of the lead
ers of the bar of the United States, has
well said that the profession of the law
is a brotherhood to whose ranks belong
the great judges, the great advocates,
the great law-givers of all ages 1t is
this spirit of brotherhood which it is
our duty to maintain. It elevates our
aims n inspires to great achievements
the young and old alike. :
1t is this spirit of brotherhood which
makes us what this paper is written to
show, the constant n the true defend
erS Of liberty. h is a proud boast,
but if it is not true we would be false
to the traditions of the past and the
teachings Of he law we v%enerate'