Excerpt from The Yale Literary Magazine, Vol. 10: November, 1844

Psnnsps there is not to be found at this age of the world any sta tion in general so responsible 'for its influence, and so dignified for its intrinsic worth, as that occupied by the American Lawyer. Viewed only as a tool in pandering to the reckless and unbounded passions of his fellow men, or in defending their grossness and corruption, he in deed presents to us a sickly and sorry spectacle -the appearance of one who deliberately sells his high birthright for a mess of pottage but regarding him in the position he truly holds, as the interpreter of man's actions and of man's relation to man - as one appointed to pre serve eu accurate balance of the scales of justice - as the sworn ene my to disorder and sedition, to vice and crime, and the ready defender of virtue, of morality and religion, our preconceived contempt vanishes to make room for an Opinion of candor and impartiality. We deem him the holder of one of the most dignified and important stations, to whose influence society is related. The clerical profession is of more limited and select influence, requiring none of that keen insight into the human character so essential to the Lawyer, none of that variety of information without which the legal profession would be but a frail tex ture, illy provided for the entanglements of dispute and litigiousness. In the latter profession are found in an extraordinary combination all the duties and consequent influences of the dispenser of justice, of the expounder and interpreter of human actions, of the valiant defender of religion and virtue, and of the man of letters. A stranger concurrence of duties never presented itself in any profession, and a greater array of qualifications for high and noble success can nowhere else be found requisite. In view of the dignity, of the rank, and of the astonishing influence it is felt to exert on our people, we have made this brief pre face to a few remarks on the prospects of the American Lawyer, and the necessity of comporting his character and action to their appear ance.

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