New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-10-17
Counseis to tine Youus.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

HORACE GREELEY.
Three millions of Youth, between the ages Oh
pix and Of tweaty.one, ara now rapidly con"S 10
ward to take rank as the future HUSBANDS ano la
Tiers legislator. and divines instructors ana gov
ernors politicians and voters, caPi'aiiss anu IA
borer. artisans and cultivators OF tins vast couh
try. whose destnies even yet 80 ialntiy INA
eined much less developed. Not one Is 50 num-
Sle ,bst he will not certainly exert an influence
il may be an immense and lmperishaDie influence,
a, ,he happiness and elevation of his country and
his race. The Lumblest cottage maiden, now toll
;ne thankfully as the household servant of some
proud family by whom she is regarded nobody,
NAV We, be the mother of u future President-or,
nobler still, of some unaspriug but God-directed
man, who as teacher of righteousness, an anne
Ecrater of human suffering, successful reprover
Of wrong sensuality or se!hshness may leave his
impress on the annals Of the world as a lover and
server of his race. Nearly all our now eminent
men, politcally-Jackson, Clay, Van Buren,, etc.,
were not merely of poor and humble parentage,
but left orphans in early life, and thus deprived
of the support and counsel which seems most en-
inently necessary to success in the worlds rugged
ways
In the higher walks of genuine usefulness, the
proportion Of those enjoying no advantages Of
family influence or hereditary wealth, who attain
the Hottest eminepce, is very great Call to mind
the first twenty names that occur to you OF men
distinguished for ability, energy, philanthropy, or
lofty achievement, and generally three-fourths OF
them will be those of men born in ebscurity and
dependence.
All Literature is full of anecdotes illustrative Of
these encouraging truths: single factnow occurs
to me which ] have never seen recorded have
often worshiped in Baptist meeting house in
Vermont whereon at its construction some thirty
years since stvdious and exemplary young mah
was for some time employed carpenter who
afterward qualified himself and entered upon the
responsibilities of the Christian Ministry. That
Young man was Jared Sparks since Editor of the
North American Review, of Washngton's voln.
minous Writings, &c. and now recognized as one
of tho foremost scholars historians and critics III
America.
I propose here to set forth few important
maxims for the guidance and encouragement OF
those youth who will hearken to me-maxms
based on my own immature experience and obser-
walton, but which have doubtless in substance been
propounded and enforced by elder aud wiser men
long ago and often. StI,as they do not yet appear
to have exerted their full and proper effect on the
ripeAing intellect of the country-as thousands on
thousands are toilsomey, painfully struggling for
ward in tho race for position and knowledge, In
palPable defiance of their scope and spirit will
hope that their presentation at this time cannot be
without some effect Ga at least few expanding
minds. They are as follows:-
l. Avoid the common error oil esteeming col
lege education necessary to usefulness or emincnce
in life. Such an education may be desirable and
bene6cial-sa many it doubtless s But Greek
and Latin are not real knowledge; they are only
means of acquiring such knowledge there have
been great and wise, and surprisingly useful men
who knew no language but Their mother tongue.
Beside, in our day the treasures of ancient and
contemporary foreign Literature are brought home
to every mans door by transatons, which en-
body the substance if they do not exhibit all the
beauties of the originals. If your circumstances
in life enable you to enjoy the advantages of col
lege education, do not neglect henl-abovc all, do
not misimpreve them. But if your lot be different,
waste no time in idle repining, in humliating beg
gary. The stern, sel:respecting independence of
your soul is worth whole shelves of classics.
All men cannot and need not be collese-bred-not
even those who are born to instruct and improve
their kind. You can never be justly deemed ignc-
rant, nor your requirements scontemptible, if yon
embrace and fully improve the opportunities which
are fairly offered YOU
III. Avoid likewise the kindred and equally per
nicious error that you must have profession
must be Clergyman, Lawyer, Doctor, or some
thing Of the sort-in order to be Influential, useful,
respectea-or TO state the in its best Pect.
that you may lead an intellectual life. Nothing OF
the kind ID necesssry-very far from it. If your
tendencies are ntellectual-ifyou love knowle dge,
Wisdom Virtue for themselves-yoa will grow in
them, whether you earn your bread by profession,
trade, or by tilling tho ground. Nay, IL may be
doubted whether the Farmer or Mechanic who de-
votes his leisure hours intellectual pursuits from
pure love of them hiss not some advantages there
in over the professional man, He comes 10 hi,
book at evening with his head clear and his mental
appetite sharpened BY the manual abols, taxing
lightly the spirit brain: while the lawyer, who
has been running over dry books for precedents
the DOCTOR who has been racking his wits for Il
remedy adapted to some new modification of dis
ease, or the divine who, immured in his closet has
been busy gearing his next sermon, raay well
approach the evening volume with iacutes jaded
and paled. There are few men, and perhaps fewer
women, who do not spend uselessly in sleep,
play, or frivolous cmployments, more time than
would be required to render them at thirty well
versed in Historical Philosophical, Ethical as well
as Physical Sciences, sc.
III. Nei,heris an advantageous location essen
tial to the prosecution Of ennoblng studies, or to
an Intellectual life On this point misrepresentation
is very prevalent and very pernicious. youth
born in some rural or but thinly settled district,
whore books are few and unfit and the means Of
intellectual culture apparently scanty, feels with
in him the STRINGS of spirit ofiuqury craving
TO acquire and 10 neutrality-suspicious. for an nta!lec-
al condition above the dead level around him. AT
once he jumps to the conclusion that change of
place is necessary tho satisfaction Of his desires
that he must resort not to the university or the
seminary, at least 10 the City or the Village. He
fancies he must alter his whole manner of life