Thomas Jefferson as a Lawyer. from the wreck, which is worthy of their at tention and preservation. In searching after these remains, I spared neither time, trouble, nor expense." The manuscripts which were old and worn he wrapped in oil skin; others were bound. By referring to Hening's Stat utes at Large, the most valuable work on the early history of Virginia, it will be found that many of the early laws and old docu ments were copied from Jefferson's collec tion. When Thomas Jefferson practised law it was a much more complicated, artificial, -and knotty affair than it has gradually become during the one hundred and forty years that have elapsed since the time when the young Virginian appeared at the bar in knee breech es and silk stockings. In our day a lawyer cannot have too much learning. He needs a great variety of knowledge covering a vast range of subjects, in order to cope success fully with his rivals at the bar. But in Jef ferson's time there was no place to display much legal learning or vast stores of knowl edge. The General Court, where he prac tised with great success, was composed of the Governor and five members of the Coun cil, the latter being a selection of wealthy and influential planters, appointed by the king. Certainly, not a very formidable body before which to display the learning of the law, and the grace of oratory! The Governor usually knew more about fox hunting, card playir-g and punch drinking than the "knotty ques tions of the law." One of the most im portant services that Jefferson rendered, di rectly to his State, and incidentally, to the whole country, was the revising all the Colo nial and British Statutes at the time in force in Virginia, and reducing them to one code. In speaking about this matter, it has been justly said that he "divested them of their aristocratic features and feudal barbarism; and by abolishing entails, and rights of primogeniture, decreed the equal distribu tion of estates among children—the true
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agrarian law of republics, beneath which the masses of wealth soon melt away." The Puritans were the Spartans, the Vir ginians the Athenians of the New World. Thomas Jefferson was by birth and education a Virginia aristocrat. But his energetic mind would not allow him to live the life of a luxu rious student of letters—a life of lettered ease. It was the peculiar distinction of Thomas Jefferson to discharge with unsurpassed abil ity every duty to which he was called, from the time that he first practised at the courts of Virginia, to his last years which were de voted to the great work of estabishing the University of Virginia. It was said by Ed mund Burke that the "law is one of the first and noblest of human sciences, a science which does more to quicken and invigorate the understanding than all other kinds of learning put together." Hence it is that all the greatest American statesmen,—Jefferson, Webster, Clay, Calhoun,—studied and prac tised1 law. Thomas Jefferson was a born statesman. His early studies, his practice at the bar, and his universal reading were but a preparation for his true vocation. At the early age of twenty-four, he was. elected to the Legislature of Virginia, and although one of the youngest, he soon became one of the distinguished, members. It was the pol icy of Virginia to call young men of prom ise into the public service very early in life. The wisdom of such a policy was shown in the memorable case of Washington. Jefferson practised law for seven years— 1767 to 1774, when he was called from his chosen profession to the larger field of na tional politics. He displayed the same qual ities at the bar that he afterwards showed as a statesman: he was learned, patient, labori ous, painstaking. He prepared his cases with the greatest care, studied them thor oughly, and was perfectly posted in all the le gal points bearing on the case in hand. At the bar he was more distinguished for his close reasoning and clear argument than for
