The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-07-01
Hoalh and Age.

and at each new period some new mower i
unlolded; new experiences are likewise ,d
ded; by which means not only are old pre
JUDGES frequently corrected, but the err Dr.
oil our former condcctexpOsed, CONDEMNED
and punished. During the earlier epochs o
our existence, we are impelled by dim in
Stincts with such impetuosity MS permits
small ,opFertunify f5t reAection-a time
howeVer, al length arrives wher the mar
comes to a pause. and reverts his contem
PlaIion on lae path which he has so far ira
serssd. Ho~ aact, ia the haste Of the
transit. has besn Ief(cp el and.pelglected;
hoy much inj6r6k (9 sasl low MANY
1As have bsak roonli6 M how MANY
wrongs inflicted aud ss,liSze2s Then fol
lows the usual eaelamation-ff t;ine
were to come over again, how diltuqr3
would have acted But all! it III,
nowl And so the man oomneilces IN
his swift career, hurrying alresh Onward, and
still onward, pursued by remorse and felr,
tunul he reaches the goal--lhe grave. ai
| Medisaiing tilese faessr we are rsoseetiues
tempted to believe, that il tias.pfudence o.
age could be added to the impulse Of youth.
great advantage might be gained for the
individual. But difficulty exists against
blending them in one and the same person.
Happy, however, is the man who benefits
by the dear-bought experience Of his elders;
who, duly influenced by the example Of
those who are not only aged, but.slsO good
and wise, has learned, without suffering,
what to avoid, and what TO pursue. The
counsel OF a sage mentor in parent, grand.
father. or greatHncle, cannot fail of being
advantageous in many important respecss;
but on the other hand, there are many coun.
terbalancing disadvantages. the young are
enIerprising-the old prefer safety to victo-
ry, peace to anxiety. In advising youth,
old persons accordingly regard rather the
dangers to be escaped than the object to be
attained. This, in the way Of caution, may,
must be well; but If il amounts to coercion.
even in the slightest degree. it cannot fail 20
have evil consequences. II, instead Of per
suading or guiding the Judgment, il should
substitute a control upon the voliton OF the
young, it will fatally preclude action. stop
ping itat its very source. We have not,
IN such case, combination, but mere dis
placement: young impulse is altogether pat
aside, and antique prudence takes exclusive
possession.
The caution Of age should be used for the
regulation, not for the annibilation, of the
imPulSiye instincts of the ardent and juve.
nile. Another danger, too, arises. An.
tique prudence may be obsolete prudence;
circumstances may have so changed, as 70
make it the reverse Of prudence at all. The
world Of commerce affords abundant nstan-
ces Of this, particularly in firms Of lorg
standing. A young man Of good abilities.
full OF vigor, becomes, for instance, by
right Of birth, junior partner in an oId-es
tablished business, and deems bis iortne
made. But in few years. ~ concern, 10
the surprise Of all, sinks and'As siishes. Tie
surprise is the greater. because, in the worlds
estimation, the house was always consider
ed perfectly safe. Ii meddled not with inoi-
ern speculations, il relied on an exceeding
ly old connection, it did no business that il
was not sure of-yet it failed. In fact,
though it risked no losses, it achieved 10
gains; and thus in the end suffered more
than il would have done from bad debts or
mistaken speculations. Meanwhile let MS
imagine, or rather simply state-lor we re-
cord facts--the position of the Junior in the
firm. What was it! Anything more dis
tressing could scarcely be conceived. From
the first he was powerless. He found an
established method--a system Of routine to |
which be was compelled to adhere. OF tn
enlightened understanding, and an entefpris- !
ing spirit, he at first attempted innovation,
and aimed at those sources Of profit OF which
more youthful firms availed themselves; but
was met so uniformly by the fixed habits
and rooted prejudices Of the older partners,
that at length he succumbed to necessity,
and fell himself for the sake Of peace, into
the customary channels. Had he commen.
ced business on bis own account--thrown
himself entirely on his own energies and Ie-
sources, and been at once inspired by hope,
and controlled by prudence, he would in
all probability have achieved brilliant sue
cess.
Youth is proveroially rash, but the aged
may show an equally dangerous rashness in
holding doggedly to old and worn-out no
tons. Accustomed TO tenerate what has
existed for generations withou: challenge,
the older class Of persons are prone 10 OPP
pose the slightest attempt at modification,
and they suffer accordingly. Many a wur-
ming, in the course Of events, is received; yet
ageis obstinate and persists in the old course;
not because it is right, but because it is old.
Tho association of IDEAS, sympathy, deter.
mination Of character, sense OF pride,
while it recognises the peril, and other like
motives, induce age to disregard the symp-
toms, and inspire it with courage to endure
maItyrdom, rather than incur the shame Of
a submission to change. Thus the invetsr-
ate controversialist will not confess proven
truth though convinced falsely appreherld-
ing as a defeat what, il candidly aoknowl-
edged, would be really triumph, he wins
a rrinous conquest and wears counterfeit
laurel. Can we take up newspaper with
out being made conscious Of the hideous
train OF disasters which have ensued in va
rious European countries from a rash and
unphilosophic persstency in what ought to
have been long since modified and accom-
modated to the spirit of the age! The en-
ergies Of France, outgrowing the routine oil
old dynastIes, require new electoral sys-