University of Nebraska College of Law - Yearbook (Lincoln, NE)

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72 ,THE DIGEST thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and added f'The second is like unto it iThou shalt love thy neighbor as thyslff He could not put the duty due from man to God above that due from man to man, and said in substance there is no duty due one higher than to the other. God requires no more of you to him than of you to your fellow, you owe to the neighbor as high duty as to the Creator. I think I may Well say then that self interest alone is not a right guide to moral conduct. A most difficult thing is right and Wise living. ' One must be self-respecting and not self important, must maintain personal dignity, yet be not quick to take offense not intended, there must be some reserve, but not too much. The capable man who does not assert opinion, nor lead in difficulty cannot rise to his merit. Society cannot rely upon or trust one who has no confidence in himself. If one is diiiident and retiring, preferring study to mingling in affairs, the busy World Will go by not marking him out. Courage and the self-confidence it gives is indispensable to success in life. Egotism is less vicious than timidity and cow- ardice. Society is but co-operating activity, and you must be social and conipanionable, have and express opinions and be ready to lead if called, avoiding offensive egotism. Attain this iuiddleway if you can, but at all events have courage. Be truthful and honest. How can one trust another who is not both? A truthful man must be honest, save the rare fevv Whose conscience and self-respect are Wholly gone. A truthful man may be dishonest. I-Ie' is totally depraved Who can admit it. One may do wrong, but will argue with conscience to some Way jius- tify it. Manfred said, C' I have ceased to justify myself unto myself, the last extremity of evil. '7 A volume of philosophy is in that sentence. Only the utterly bad will not try to excuse his wrong doing, Loyalty is kin to truth. It is truth coupled With self-devotion, yielding self to duty. It is negation of selfishness and ingrati- tude, and goes hand in hand With truth. The disloyal to friend, humanity, or country is unworthy of confidence of friend, hu- manity or country, and not worthy or likely to succeed in life. Kindness is due from every living being to all living beings, for none can be free from duty to many others. The social structure

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Segal Ethics BY HON. J. R. WVEBSTER. It is with regret one leaves his students where the relation has been so pleasant. In parting I will say some words of counsel. You are like a battalion of recruits, I like one of an exhausted command being relieved. The retiring veteran would tell some advantage or peril of the field. The recruit is impatient to listen, anxious only for action. I venture some remarks on ethics that, remembered, will avail you in the active life you enter. Young men, as you enter life, remember that as there are three cardinal feminine virtues, cleanliness, Edelity, and tenderness, so there are four cardinal manly virtues, courage, truth, loyalty, and kindness. If you have these, whatever be lacking of full manly character, you will have other's respect. Without any one of these you will not. VVith these you will be respected because others will know they can depend on and trust you. ' Society is as truly an organism as is an animal or plant. No part is independent of any other. So in society, the Welfare of every-member affects the welfare and advancement of all. Soci- ety is an aggregation of individuals, none independent of many others. None can live to himself, none die merely to himself. Many must be affected. It ought to be the aim of each that others may be affected for good, made better, happier. You can not avoid affecting for good or ill those among whom you live. Twelve centuries before complete organization of the high court of chancery there lived the Great Chancellor who defined in one sentence the principles of equity, All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to themf' lVhen asked by lawyers the first duty, 4'The great command- mentfl as altruist, philosopher, and chancellor he recognized no first commandment. In his View two were equally great. I-Ie said the lirst law is 'cThou shalt love the Lord thy God with all

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LEGAL ETHICS 73 makes each dependent for much and on many. The more privi- leges one has the greater and more numerous his debts. There- fore, the virtues-courage, truth, loyalty, and kindness, are car' dinal and essential to social life. This much to all entering active life. I hope none have taken law as an easy way to get bread. That motive will make you fail or be poor lawyers. No one was ever a great lawyer who had not burned oil far past mianigiit, even to sunrise. The law is a jeal- ous mistress. Diversion of energy to other objects she revenges by lessening standing and success. Eminent success cannot be won without undivided and earnest labor. The law is a liberal profession and imposes special obligations. The lawyer is an ofhcer of the courts of justice, a priest in service of a sanctuary. He should respect the profession and vene1'ate justice. He should seek success not for its pleasure or profit, but to thereby serve justice. Look not on the court as a iield of combat. Do not work for mere reward. The highest reward if you love justice is the delight in your own heart in vindicating right. Love justice for herself and you will stand well with the public and the bar, and will not lack business. Never try to deceive court or jury. Do not suppress evidence or seduce witnesses. Remember truth is a cardinal virtue. You may argue on conflicting evidence what the fact is. From im- perfect observation or memory, witnesses will disagree. You -can point this out and argue truth is on your side. On conflict- ing authority you may argue better reason is on your side. This is as far as you can go. Let your argument on fact and law be honest, without attempt at misstatement or suppression. Never refuse aid to distress, however unpopular the cause or strong the adversary. Serve such as cheerfully as the knight of chival1'y. You cannot, as he, live on hospitality, and so cannot render all your service to distress, but if you see right denied to -one poor make as earnest effort as though for a large reward. lllhatever is worth doing is worth well doing, whether re- warded or not. You cannot afford to be slipshod. Do what you do well though gratis. Slovenly manner will detract from business, letters and papers should be clean and without erasure. Have your cases ready for trial when reached. Never permit surprise to Iind you unready.