Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1842-10-29
From 'The MdicaiOr.'
COUNSELs TO THE YOUNG,
By HORACE GREELEY.

forward, to take the rank as the future husbands
und fathers, Legislators and divines, instructors
and governors, politicians and voters, capitalists
| and labUrers, artisans and cutlvators, of this
vast country, whose destines are even yet SO
family imagined, much less developed. Not
one is so humble that he will not certainly en-
EFT an nllncncc-t may be an immense aud
impcrislIablc influence, on the happiness and
elevation of his country and his race. The hum
blest cottage maiden, now ,oiling thankfully as
the household servant of some proud family by
whom she is regarded as nobody, may yet be
the mother ofsome future Prcsident--or. noblcr
still, OF some unasplrlng but God-dlrected man,
who as a teacher Of righteousness, an amcliora-
tor of human suffering, a successful reprover of
wrong, sensuality selfshness, may leave his
impress on the annals of the world az a server
of his race. Nearly all our now eminent men,
politcally-Jackson, Clay Van Buren,, etc,
were not merely poor and of humble parentagc,
but were left orphans in early life, and thus
deprived ofthc supportand counsel which seems
most eminently necessary to success in the
worlds rugged ways
In the higher walks of genuine usefulness,
the proportion ofthose enjoying no advantages
of family influence or hereditary wealth, who
attain the lonicst cmincnce, is very great Call
TO mind the first twenty names that occur To you
ot men distinguished for ability, energy, philan-
thropy, or lofty achievements, and generally
thres-fourths Of them will be those of men born
IN obscurily and dependence.
All Literature is full Ot anecdotes ilusra-
tive of these encouraging truths: a single
fact now occurs To me which have never seen
recorded have often worshipcd in Baptist
struction some thirty years since studious and
exemplary young man was for some time en-
ploycd as carpenter, who afterwards qualified
himself and entered upon the responsibilities
OF the Christian Ministry Tha, younr man
was Jared Sparks, since Editor of the North
American Review, OF otWashingtJn's voluminuus
Writings &c and now recognized as one Of
the foremost scholars, historians and critics in
America
propose here TO set forth few important
maXlms for the guidance and encouragement of
those youth who will hearken to mc-maxims
based on my own immature experience and OBJ
servaton, bat which have doubtless in sub
stance been propounded and enforced by elder
and wiser men long ago and often. Still, as
th,N IL, b,,,,
full and proper effect on the ripening intellect
Of the country-as thousands on thousands are
tollsomely, painfully struggling forward in the
race for position and knowledge. in pa lpabe de,
fance OF their scope and SPIRIT will hope
that their presentation at this time cannot be
without some effect on at least a few expand.
ing minds. They are as iolows:--
]. Avoid the common error of estimating a
college education necessary TO usefulness or
cminence in life. Such an education may be
desirable and bcnefcial-to many it doubtless
is so. But Greek and Latin are not real knowl-
edge; they are only means ofacquiring such
knowledge ; there have been great and WISE
and surprisingly useful men who knew no Ian
guage but the mother tongue. Beside, i'll our
day the treasures Of ancient and cotempo.
rary foreign Literature are brought home to e.
vcIy mans door by TRANSACTIONS, which emhody
the substance IT they do not exhibit all the beau
ties OF the originals. 1t your circumstances in
life enable you 10 ENJOY the advantages of a
college education, do not neglect thrm-above
all, do not mlsmprove them. But your lot be
different, waste no time in idle replnng, IN hu-
initiating beggary. The stern, sell-respectng
Independence Of your own soul is worth whole
shelves of classics. All men cannot and need not
be college. hIed-not even those who are born
to instruct their kind. You can never be jus
ly deemed ignorant, nor your acquaintance con-
temptlble, it you embrace and fully i'm rove ,,e
opportunities winch are iarly off led you.
2 Avoid likewise the krired ,l eoually
pcrnclous error that yor must nave probes
slon--nust be C.ergyn an, Lawyer, Doctor,
or something a. the s'ss,r-in order to be maa-
entail ns''ul, res ,,ected-or, to state the case
III It's best spect, that you may lead an intel
iec'ual lie. Nothing of the kind is necessary
very tar from it. Ifyonr tendencies are IN
tellectual--if you love knowledge, Wisdom,
Virtue for theuselves-you will grow in them,
whether you earn your bread by a profession,
trade. or by tlllngt the ground. Nay it may
be doubtful whether the Farmer or Mechanic
who deyo,es his leisure hours To intellectual pur.
suits from pure love of them has not some