LOVERS OF LAW | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 10, 1881

LOVERS OF LAW.

SOME people have strange ideas of the use of laws, either human or divine. A lawyer in Chicago who believes that Guiteau, the most execrable of assassins, may be cleared on technicalities, has expressed a willingness to assist in his defense—not because he cares anything for Guiteau, but because he loves the law!

But it is not the law as a terror to evil doers that he loves; not the law to protect life and property; not the law to uphold government and conserve human rights. Oh no; it is the law full of catches and quibbles that enables the thief and the murderer to escape the claims of justice. In this sense he loves the law. But such love of the law is an advertisement to every degraded villain that, however vile his life may be, however great his depredations upon the rights and lives of his fellow men, he is sure to find able defenders

among those who love the law which he holds under his feet! Wondrous love of the law. Would it not be well for some of these men to learn to love the law as a praise to them that do well, and not as a defense to evil-doers? Is it a victory of law to set the murderous renegade at large to further prey upon his fellow-men? If this is the highest use of law—and such it is in the estimation of some of the legal profession—then it will soon become necessary to find a substitute for law to give security to life.

The man is mistaken. He does not love the law. With all his legal acquirements he knows neither the meaning nor object of law. Such ideas as he expresses are calculated to bring the law into contempt, whereas it should be respected by all classes. To be respected it must be made worthy of respect, which few seem anxious to make it at present.