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��LAWYERS AND POLITICIANS.
��criminations. The truth is that we are all dependent one upon another; each is important in his place, and each puts his own profession, his own trade, craft or calling at the head, and such pride is laudable, for every man's voi ation, be it legitimate, should be the highest in his own estimation. The writer is no very- keen observer, else he would have learn- ed that there are no totally depraved callings. Human nature runs about the same throughout all kinds of business. There are good and bad men in every de- cent department of life, and — thank God ! — the good are in the majority, and our friend ought to know it. It may seem otherwise at times; the day is not always bright, but the sunshine is much more plentiful than the thunder clouds; men may lie, but truth is far more frequent than falsehood. We have not the time, the inclination or the space to point out all the erroneous impressions con- ♦ veyed in the writer's article, but it seems a duty to call attention to one more, at least, now that we have given the matter any attention.
He classes all politicians with blear- eyed, drunken loafers and culprits, who escape prison, where they rightfully be- long, who give the police the greatest uneasiness, — " the despised of the com- munity, the forsaken of God, the hated and ignored of virtuous women." But what does he mean? A saintly teacher of ours, now beyond the river of time, taught us that Political Ethics, the Sci- "' ence of Government, was one of the grandest, broadest and deepest studies, and in later days, with the utmost defer- ence, we have revered the names of the noble statesmen, as we have been wont to call the politicians who have compre- hended the mighty fabric of our organic laws, and have marshalled the people into a peaceful union, under a republican Government and a Glorious Old Flag! Alas ! these men were professional poli-
��ticians, and, the gentleman declares, should be given the "cu*", direct." Yet Washington and Webster, Lincoln and Sumner, and hundreds and thousands of other great men were politicians. What would we be without politicians? Are there any politicians in Kamtschatka or Fegee Islands? Every great leader is a politician. Every loyal, intelligent citi- zen and voter takes an interest in poli- tics, and is in some measure a politician. Our presidents, our senators, our con- gressmen, are politicians, and the better politicians they are, the better qualified they are to serve their constituency to the best advantage. The wide scope of learning has divided men into special- ties ; the ministers preach to sinners ; the doctors visit the sick ; the editors prepare their sheets ; the blacksmiths fashion and weld iron ; but when the affairs of State and general government get entangled, and we are threatened with revolution and ruin, we look, for a helmsman, to somebody who has made politics a study and a business. Are these somebodies, "blear-eyed, drunken loafers," or are they the first men of the nation, essential to our welfare and prosperity? Ah, sir, do not denounce all lawyers, because you are so unfortunate as to have a tilt with a resolute Collector; nor all politicians, because you happen to meet at the ballot box, some petty ward-fugler, who never had the slightest conception of the sci- ence of politics. To good and true poli- ticians we must look for purification, for harmony, for peace, for prosperity, for good government, aud when we give the profession of politics the "cut direct," down goes our hope of union, of prog- ress, of civilization, of Christianity and all honorable advancement. Young men, if your tastes, inclinations, opportunities and circumstances will admit, become upright and able politicians, scholars, statesmen, leaders in the land.
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