Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-01-18
For the graph.
p e r s o NAL RITY.

Dear Sir:
The youthful persons and the youthful
spirit ofthe civilized world have assured
ly been for some time past misguided with
respectto the true direction in which to
look for meliorated condition OF society.
Those persons and that's spirit are too no
BILE to be inert in this grand cause, and
did it not happen that false pursuit is
constantly pointed out TO them, they would
long since have actuaized 10 social life
those purer and lofLer ideas which come
to every youthful soul. How sadly, how
vainly, are spent many of the best years
of human life in consequence Of the false
hopes held out BY political teachers. The
energies wasted in this direction alone ap-
pear to be sufficient, if properly applied,
TO redeem the world. Every public man,
statesman, lawyer, preacher, lecturer,
writer, is party to this grand mistake
Or at least if every one is not, the excep-
lions are so few as at present to weigh
little against the mass. However lie: US
faint not, despair not, for the little "Tele-
graph" is at work announcing the arrival
of new era | trust that Il voice is heard
in Vermont which will not long let us
slumher in deceptive security, or pursue
resnltIess work.
the physical and mental triumphs of
past times arc worth anything valuable.
something is still to come very superior
to such trilmphs A Lexington victory
lis not 10 be merely the prelude TO other
conquests of the like kind. A Bunker
HILL success is not to find lis termination
in a Bunker Hill monument; the granite
tree Of blood,sown roots. These events
are surely for some higher end. Our
youth are not for ever to fa!l Into tina,
worshipping of history which makes oul
infants antiquaries in petticoats, and oul
school boys better acquainted with Grceh
and Roman vices than with their own duties
and their own nature. This has not beer
found the best way to cherish virtue, and
none can expect much that is lifeful OIL
truthful TO come out OF it,
Faith on the internal source of good
ness and intelligence is that element il
our nature which should be cherished
instead of the commonly approved reli
ance on the outward recorded history o.
it. Public teachers, above all our public
writer's, should necessarily call the atten
ZION Of every individual, especially thu
hopeful and the Young, to their own indi
vidual publication aud amendmen;
Whether il be negro slavery or cotton
mill slavery, whether it be temperance o
n-Resislance, in short whatever ma
be the proposed object of reform, w
should be led TO see that the greatest goo
: any one can render TO the cause is by BIZ
coming in himself free from those enor
mites which he deprecales in others. |
7 | use no article whatever which is Ere
: duced By the aid of negro labor | proba
bly, liberae at once two or three person!
Al least | do SO in great degree; there
by accomplishing much greater actu,
good by my individual proceeding withot
;. loss Of time, than by making speeches, G
r merely holding up my hand at pub!
: meetings, could bring about after man
;. years ,exertion.
You will understand have nothing
e say against such public efforts. The
IS are not TO be neglected, but they are
,r follow, not 10 precede personal reform
9 ton. You observe very justly that Il
$ talking about practice is not the practic
will joyfully accept every good sayir
~ whether it Come from practical or tn
rs ortlicaI man. | will turn to the best a
le count possibly can aIlthat is offere
g but will require Of myself the true m
IT sionary position Of being, or of willing
ID the utmost TO be that which / recognizes
~ to others. Before can aid in the refc
Z nation Of other minds. my own must
he in some degree, if not wholly reform'
Before can ask the Shareholder TO lib,
ale his bonded fellow creatures M
:. learn to live happily without every arm
:. which can possibly have been produc
- Nv the sweat of the Negroes brow. L
dirty myself with Tobacco. il | consul
!, sugar, molasses, or coffee, or rum,
rice, or wear cotton have not an hen