The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-06-19

~ HORACE GREELY.

ly coming FORWARD, 10 tdke rank as the
future husbands and fathers, Legislators and
divines, instructors and governors, politicians
and voters, capitalists aDd laborers, artizans
and cultvators, of this vast country, whose
destinies are even yet so family imagined,
much less developed Not one is so hum
bic that he will not certainly exert an in
fluence-it may be an immense and imper-
ishable infuence-on the happiness and
elevation of his country and his race. The
humblest cottage maiden, now tOiling thank
fully as the household servant Of some proud
family, by whom she is regarded as nobody,
may yet be the mother Of future president
or, nobler still, of some unaspiring but
Goddirected man, who, as a teacher of
righteousness, an amelOrator of human SUI
fering, a successful reprover of wrong,
senSuality or SelfslineSs, may leave his inn
press on the annals of the world as lover
and server of his race. Nearly all our
now eminent men, cally-Jackson,
Clay, Van Buren,, etc, were not merely of
poor and humble parentage, but left orphans
in early life, and thus deprived of the sup
port and counsel which seems most emf
nently necessary 10 success in the worlds
rugged ways.
In the higher walks of genuine usefulness,
the proportion Of those enjoying no advanta-
ges Of family influence or hereditary wealth,
who attain the loftieSt eminence, is very
great Call 10 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 obscmity
and dependence.
All literature is full Of anecdotes illustra-
tive Of these encouraging truths; single
fact now occurs 10 me which | have never
seen recorded | have often worshipped
in a Baptist meeting house in Vermont,
wherein, at It's construction, some thirty
years since, a studious and exemplary young
man was for some time employed as a car
penter, who afterwards qualified himself and
entered upon the responsibilities of tie
Christian ministry. That young man was
Jared Sparks, since editor Of the North
American Review, Of Washington volun-
nous writings, &c, and now recognized as
one of the foremost scholars, historians and
critics in America.
propose here TO set forth few import
ant maxims for tho guidance and encourage
ment of those youth who will hearken 70
me-maxims based on nv own immature
experience and observation, but which have
doubtless in substance been propoInded and
enforced by older and wiser men long ago
and often. Still as they do not yet appear
10 have exerted their full and proper effect
on the ripening intellect of the cOunIy-as
thousands on thousands are toilsomely,
painfully struggling forward in the race for
position and knowledge, in palpable def
ance Of their scope and spirit will hope
that their presentation at this time cannot
be without some effect on at least a few
expanding minds They arc as follows -
/. Avoid the common error Of esteeming
college education necessary 10 usefulness
or eminence in life. Such an education
may be desirable and benefcial-io many
it doubtless is 50. But Greek and Latin
ore not real knowledge; they are only the
means Of acquiring such knowledge; there
have been great, and wise, and surprising
useful men, in all ages, VITO knew no Ian
guage but their mother tongue. Besides, IN
our day the treasures Of ancient and con-
temporary foreign literature are brought
home 10 every mans door by translation.
which embody the substance if they do not
exhibit all the beauties of the originals. Ii
your circumstances in life enable YOU to
enjoy the advantages of a college education.
do not neglect them--abOve all. do no;
misimprove them. But if your lot be diff
ierent, waste no time in idle repining. in
humlllating beggary. The stern, self re
speeding independence Of your own soul is
worth whole shelves OF classics. All men
cannot and need not be college bred-not
even those who are born to instruct and
improve their kind. You can never be
Justly deemed ignorant, or your acquire
mems contemplate, if you embrace and
fully improve the opportunities which are
fairly offered YOU
ii. AVOID likewise the kindred and per
nlcloCs error that YOU must have a profession
must be clergyman, lawyer, doctor. OF
something Of the sort-in order TO be infiu-
ential, useful, respected-or, to state the
case in its best aspect, that you may lead
an intellectual life. Nothing of the kind is
necesSary--very far from it, If your ten
denotes are intellectual--if YOU love knowl-
edge, wisdom, virtue, for themselves-you
will grow in them, whether you earn your
bread by profession, trade, or by tilling
the ground. Nay it may be doubted
whether the farmer or mechanic who devotes
his leisure hours to intellectual pursuits from
a pure love Of them has not some advanta-
ges therein over the professional man. lie
comes to his book at evening with his head
clear and his mental appetite sharpened by
the manual labors, taxing lightly the spirit
or brain while the lawyer, who has been
running over dry old books for precedents,
the doctor, who has been racking his wits
for remedy adapted to some new modif-
cation OF disease, or the divine who, immured
in his closet, has been busy preparing his
next sermon, may we'll approach the eve
ming volume with senses jaded and palled. |
There arc few men, and perhaps fewer
women, who do not spend uselesSsly in sleep,
'r play, or frivolous employments, more
lime than would be required to render them
1t thirty well versed in history, philosophy, |
ethics, as well as physical sciences, DC.
III. Neither is an advantageous location
.ssential 10 the prosecution Of ennobling
tsdies, or to an Intellectual life on this