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Excerpt from Biographical Sketches of Distinguished American Lawyers
In the fall of 1807, he was admitted to the bar; and entering upon the practice of law at Lebanon, in Warren county, he soon found him self in the enjoyment of public confidence, and in the receipt of ample professional emoluments.
At the October election in 1812, becoming a. Candidate to represent in Congress his district, which then included the city of Cincinnati, after an animated contest with two competitors, he was elected by a large majority over both of the opposing candidates. The political principles with which he entered public life, and the manner they were acted upon in the high and responsible station to which he was now called, have been thus stated From his first entrance upon public life, John mclean was identified with the democratic party. He was an ardent supporter of the war, and of the administration of Mr. Madison, yet not a blind advocate of every measure proposed by the party, as the journals of that period will show. His notes were all given in refer ence to principle. The idea of supporting a dominant party, merely because it was dominant, did not in¿uence his judgment, or withdraw him from the high path of duty which he had marked out for himself. He was well aware, that the association of individuals into parties, was sometimes absolutely necessary to the prosecution and accomplishment of any great public measure. This he supposed was sufficient to induce the members composing them, on any little difference with the majori ty, to sacrifice their own judgment to that of the greater number, and to distrust their own opinions when they were in contradiction to the general views of the party. But as party was thus to be regarded as itself, only an instrument for the attainment of some great public good, the instrument should not be raised into greater importance than the end, nor any clear and undoubted principle of morality be violated for the sake of adherence to party. Mr. Mclean often voted against poli tical friends: yet so highly were both his integrity and judgment esti mated, that no one of the democratic party separated himself from him on that account. Nor did his independent course in the smallest degree diminish the weight he had acquired among his own consti tuents.
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