, 1841-04-17

OF E3IET SN1PP -NE"'"Af4, hS~'
Being a tuH exposition and emrpl!5fca-
ton Of the Credit System"
IrrsrGxEnLy omit the place of my birth.
that being 4 matter of some doubt TO mySeii.
inasmuch as from my earliest recollection
led n sort of miscellaneous life. seldom re-
naming long in the same place, and moving
about as occasion made necessary or con.
renient. Nv family. though poor. was OF
great antiquity. and withal respectable, since
have often heard my father say. not one OF
his ancestors had cvcr. TO his knowledge. de-
graded himself by following any re-rilar o"-
ccuDation. The on taintcl IiM5 Of the fam
iy tree was orr grandfather. who WAS !-no-
mineouslv bouIrl apprentice 10 Il coobier;
but thank Heaven. he Runaway before he
took a degree. and became distinguished as
ali our race have been. by "llvlng by their
wits"-an expressive phrase which distin-
ruishes the happy few from the miserable
many. who are Justly demanded 10 1--we by
the sweat of the brow. seeing they cannot
live by the sweat OF the brain. The con>e-
duence is. that the latter have 4 foolish pre-
iudic, against the former. arising. no doubt.
from an innate sense of in!erlority-
Nv early education WIS like my mode Of
life. rather miscellaneous. In fact. setting
aside n little slnatterin" Of reading and cy-
nbe RIM. that ] ohtaineA. at various times,
i consisted principally in the example and
preccpts Of nv father. As we rambled
about from town 10 town-tor my father
seldom remained long III one place. on nc
count. he said. Of the envy and I'll will he
excited by tie superiority OF has wits-he
would stop and call my attention TO Il tall OF
wafer. 4 little murmurinG river. 4 particular
noint of land. or SOM other mlttcr, and tell
me what a capital speculation he could make
ont Of il if he ONLY had the money. In one
place. he would erect a great mandatory
in another. make the river navIgable; IN 4
third. found a city; and II a fourth. cut n ca
nal that would enrich the whole %cuontrv. y
far as ! could Judge. ut that time. his sole de-
pendence was on these castles IN the ar
which he never realized. except IN the way
of now and then ~persuadIng so.ne poor dot
of a workingman, who had saved 4 little
money. to embark Itin some one OF his Spe'
citations. which | confess almost always fail
ed. for want. as nv father SAID. OF Il proper
credit system founded on paper money. But
tbouqh they failed. my father always managed
to take care ofhimself. which he affirmed was
the first duty Of man. and to save enou"t
from the wreck TO serve HIM TIL he could
hatch some other speculation.
When | grew old enough to think a little
for myself. and observe the ingenious de
vices bv which NV father wrought on the
creduliiy of these egrcoious ilochheads. th1'
sense Of Justice which | used TO believe IN
& ..-p tX.n,,ll YI-a ~ N
such mischievous receptions; and | remem
Der | once ventured TO express myself rath
er i~ngenuously on the subject. His reply
at once opened my mind to that new anC
sublime theory which has ever since beer
the governing principle of my life.
NV SON. said he, what do you sup
pose constitutes the superiority OF man owe
all other animals!1
mustered up my scholarship, and rcPli
ed
His reason, ST."
.Good-vou are right. 1t follows, then
that reason being his great characteristic
If was the design of Providence, that h
should live by bis reason-in other words
by his wits-and that, therefore. ii is hi
bounden duty TO make the most Of them.-
Do YOU understands
II think | do, sir. But he should nc
make use of his wits to deceive others. Ju:
tice-"
.Justice, Where did you get these quee
notions, boyw
3From nature, | believe, sir"
aNature is a son Of a-tinker!-and tn
sooner we turn it out Of doors the better
This is the object Of all education. The III
pulses Of nature are the mere errors of ignC
rance and inexperience, and what philoso
piers call a knowledge of the world-whicf
by the way, is worth all other KNOWLEDGE
consists solely in sharpening our wits. an