Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-08-18
SELF-EDUCATION.
BY WILLIAM WRIT.

And this leads me, gentlemen, to anoth-
er remark, to. which invite your atten-
ton. 1t is this The education, moral
and intellectual, of every individual, must
chiefly be his own work There is pre-
vailing and fatal mistake on this subject
1t seems to be supposed, that if young
man be sent, first to grammar school,
and then to college, he must Of course be-
come scholar; and the pupil himself is
apt to imagine that he is to be the mere
passive recipient ofinstruction, as he is Of
the light and atmosphere which surround
him. But this dream of Incidence must
be dissipated, and you must be awakened
to the important truth, that, if you aspire
to excellence, you must become active and
vigorous co-operators with your teachers
and work out your own distinction, with
an ardor that cannot be quenched-a per-
severance thats considers nothing done
whilst any thing yet remains to be done.
Rely upon it that the ancients were right
|-Quisque sue fortuna taber, both in NOR
ais and intellect, we give their final shape
to our own characters, and thus become,
emphatically, the architects Of our own
fortunes How else should it happen that
young men, who have had precisely the
same opportunities, should be continually
presenting US with such different results,
and rushing to such opposite destlnies I?
Difference of talent will not solve it, be-
cause that difference is very often in ia
vor of the disappointed candidate. You
shall see issuing from the walls of the
same school-nay, sometimes from the b.
som of the same family-two young men,
of whom the one shall be admitted to be a
genius of high order; the other, scarcely
above the point of mediocrity yet you
will see the genius sinking and perishing
in poverty, obscurity and wretchedness :;
while, on the other hand, you will observe
the mediocre plodding his slow but sure
way no the hill of life, gaining steadfast
footing at every step, and mounting at
length to eminence and distinction, an or
nament to his family, blessing to his
country. Now, whose work is this p
Manifestly their own. They are the ar
chitects of their respective fortunes. The
best seminary of learning that can open
lis portals to you, can do no more than af-
ford you the opportunity of instruction,
but it must depend, at last, on yourselves,
whether you will be instructed or not, or
to what point you will push your instruc-
ton. And of this be assured speak
from observation certain truth There
is no excellence without great labor. 1t
Is the fiat of Fate, from which no power
OF genius can absolve youth. Genius un-
exerted, is like the poor moth that futters
around a candle till it scorches itself to
death. If genius be desirable at all, it is
only of that great and magnanimous kind,
which, like the condor of South America,
pitches from the summit of Chimborazo,
above the clouds, and sustains itself at
pleasure, in that empyreal region, with an
energy rather invigorated than weakened
by the effort 1t is this capacity for high
aud long continued exertion-this vi gor-
Gus power of profound and searching in
vesti ganon-this careering and wide
sweeping comprehension of mind-and
those long reaches of thought, that
Pluck bright honor from the pale faced moon,
Or dive into the bottom ofthe deep,
Where fathom-line can never touch the ground,
And drag up drowned honor by the locks.
This is the proves and these the har-
dy achievements which are to enrol your
names among the great men of the earth.
/ But how are you to gain the nerve and
the courage for enterprises of this pith and
moment ? l will tell you:-As Milo
gained that hoe signo vinces: for this
must be your work, not thatof your teach
ers. Be you not wanting to yourselves,
and you will accomplish all that your
parents, friends and country have right
to expect.