[Speech of John S. Wise at the annual dinner of the New York State
Bar Association, Albany, N. Y., January 20, 1891. Matthew Hale, the
President, introduced Mr. Wise as follows; "The next sentiment in
order was, by mistake, omitted from the printed list of sentiments
which is before you. The next sentiment is 'The Legal Profession,'
and I call upon a gentleman to respond to that toast who, I venture
to say, has practised law in more States of this Union than any
other gentleman present. I allude to the orator of the day, the
Hon. John S. Wise [applause], formerly of Virginia, but now a
member of the Bar Association of the State of New York."]
MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE BAR:--It may not be true that
I have practised law in more States of this Union than any one present,
but it is certainly true that I never did as much speaking in the same
length of time, without charging a fee for it, as I have done within the
last twenty-four hours. [Laughter.] At two o'clock this morning I was in
attendance, in the city of New York, upon a ghost dance of the
Confederate veterans; at two o'clock this evening I resolved myself into
a deep, careful, and circumspect lawyer, and now I am with the boys, and
propose to have a good time. [Laughter.] Now, you know, this scene
strikes me as ridiculous--our getting here together and glorifying
ourselves and nobody to pay for it. My opinion is, that the part of
wisdom is to bottle this oratory and keep it on tap at $5 a minute.
[Laughter.] The Legal Profession--why, of course, we are the best
fellows in the world. Who is here to deny it? It reminds me of an
anecdote told by an old politician in Virginia, who said that one day,
with his man, he was riding to Chesterfield court, and they got
discussing the merits of a neighbor, Mr. Beasley, and he says, "Isaac,
what do you think of Mr. Beasley?" "Well," he says, "Marse Frank, I
reckon he is a pretty good man." "Well, there is one thing about Mr.
Beasley, he is always humbling himself." He says, "Marse Frank, you are
right; I don't know how you is, but I always mistrusts a man that runs
hisself down." [Laughter.] He says, "I don't know how you is, Marse
Frank, but I tell you how it is with me: this nigger scarcely ever says
no harm against hisself." So I say it of the legal profession--this
here nigger don't never scarcely say no harm against himself. [Great
laughter.]
Of course we are the best profession in the world, but if any of our
clients are standing at that door and listening to this oratory, I know
what their reflection is. They are laughing in their sleeves and saying:
"Watch him, watch him; did you ever hear lawyers talk as much for
nothing? Watch them; it is the funniest scene I ever saw. There are a
lot of lawyers with their hands in their own pockets." [Laughter.]
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, another thing. We are not fooling with any
judges now. I know who I am talking to and how long I have been doing
it. Sometimes you can fool a judge into letting you have more time than
the rule allows; but with lawyers, enough is enough. We know exactly
when to put on the brakes with each other. We are not now earning fees
by the yard or charging by the minute, and when a man is through with
what he has to say, it is time to sit down, and all I have to say in
conclusion is, that the more I watch the legal profession and observe
it, the more I am convinced that with the great responsibility, with the
great trusts confided to it, with the great issues committed to its
keeping, with the great power it has to direct public feeling and public
sentiment, with the great responsibilities resulting, take it as a
mass--and there are plenty of rascals in it--but take it as a mass, and
measure it up, and God never made a nobler body in these United States.
[Applause.]