1810 July 13

Fallacies Ch. 1. Authority worshippers

8 13

. Lawyers interest sinister

In any such /the/ question as what the law ought to be ought them the members of the fraternity of lawyers to be excluded from the benefit of being heard? Nothing would be in itself more unreasonable or more compleatly destitute of all support from any /every/ thing that has been said above. On every question of that class, for the production of specific and relevant arguments, the experience acquired by the study of his service[?] and the exercise of their profession will afford them facilities such as can not in the instance of any other wort of person be with equal reason expected /be looked for/.

But which /what/ ever be the side which on the occasion in question it happens to him to advocate the greater the facility he can not possess /has/ for bringing forward whatsoever specific and relevant arguments the nature of the case affords, the stronger will be the reason for regarding his opinion - his mere naked opinion, real or pretended, - as unworthy of all regard /not worth notice/: accompanied by specific arguments, it is superseded by them[?] and rendered of no use: unaccompanied by such arguments, the production of it in lieu of the only proper and satisfactory /legitimate/ arguments, is on his part a virtual confession that on the side which he advocates the nature of the case affords none. /no such arguments are by the nature of the case, afforded./