Thomas Jefferson as a Lawyer. sounder Whig never wrote, nor profounder learning in the orthodox doctrines of British liberties. Our lawyers were then all Whigs. But when his black-letter text, and uncouth", but cunning learning got out of fashion, and the honeyed Mansfieldism of Blackstone be came the student's horn-book, from that mo ment that profession (the nursery of our Con gress) began to slide into Toryism, and nearly all the young brood of lawyers are now of that line. They suppose themselves indeed to lie Whigs, because they no longer know what Whiggism or Republicanism means." After mastering Coke, Jefferson, who "hated superficial knowledge," proceeded to trace English law to its source. He read slowly, with much labor, but with some pro fit, the rugged law-Latin treatise of Bracton on the ancient laws of England, who was al so, a contemporaneous interpreter of Magna Charta. He then went back, and perused with the deepest interest the book of King Alfred's laws. He always read with pen in hand, made notes, comments and extracts. Fifty years later, he wrote to a friend, "when I was a student of the law, after getting through Coke Lyttlcton, whose matter can not be abridged, I was in the habit of abridg ing and commonplacing what I read merit ing it, and of sometimes making my own re flections on the subject." Even in those early years, Jefferson showed that he pos sessed an independence of mind, which pre pared him to be the author of the Declara tion of Independence. In speaking of this striking feature in Jefferson's mental consti tution, James Parton says: "His most re markable and rare quality is an absolute fearlessness of mind, a loyalty to truth, no matter to what conclusion the evidence may lead, no matter what an array of authors may have maintained the contrary. In a mind that is immature, or unformed, a dis regard for authorities may be a mark of van ity and presumption: but when an intelli
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gence is superior, trained to investigation, and patient of labor, it is a quality to which the whole of the progress of the human race is due. An independent, superior mind is the most precious thing that human nature possesses." As a student, Thomas Jefferson was a .shining example for the young man ol all time. Up at daybreak, he spent several hours before eight o'clock in the study of nat ural philosophy, morals and religion; read ing works on astronomy, chemistry, anato my, agriculture, botany, international law, moral philosophy, and mathematics. From eight to twelve, he read law and condensed cases; from twelve to one, he read politics. In the afternoon he read history, and in the evening he refreshed his mind with general literature, rhetoric and oratory. He contin ued this fascinating reading always until mid night, sometimes until two o'clock in the morning. Fortunately, he was blessed with a strong constitution, and had the good sense to take pk-nty exercise in the open air be tween studying, travelling, dancing and play ing the fiddle. When Thomas Jefferson was admitted to the bar in the year 1767, he was well equipped for the practice of his arduous profession. Few young men have commenced a legal ca reer possessing a mind so well stored with both legal and general knowledge. Colonial Virginia was not a very inviting country for lawyers. As far back as 1642, the Assembly had passed a law that "all mercenary law yers be wholly expelled." By "mercenary lawyers" was meant paid attorneys. Other laws on this subject were passed, at different times, even more stringent than this. The former lasted thirty-eight years, and termi nated in 1680, when the House of Burgesses passed a law. allowing lawyers to practise in the courts of the colony under certain re strictions and limitations. The fees of law yers were fixed by law at 500 Ibs. of tobacco for pleading cases in the chief court of the
