Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-02-03
fF0r Me HraM.

For Me H,raH.
Give me enough, saith wiSdom for he fear
eth To ask for more;
And that by the sweat of my brow. addcth stout
hearted Independence"
Although the theme be threadbare yet
the writer of this would like to offer few re-
marks upon the condition and prospects of bus
mess in our community. Without being will
ing to admit, that we are in any wise unified
if we choose to carry on in our place, enter
prise equal to those Of other places; yet it is
very evident that at present we do not.
The causes of our inactivity, cannot of
course proceed from anything out of our peo-
pie themselves. In Newport as elsewhere,
we have men of Comparative at lcast) wealth ;
more numerous class of men in middling cir
cumstances and another, the most numerous,
who should therefore be a prominent class, OF
young men just commencing life. These lat
ter il is whom it most concerns, whether there
is or is not sufliciency of employment
Young men and old will all agree, that these
are the men who should be most active-who
should do the most to make themselves felt
Ii is to this class we wish to address our re-
marks. If the people of New England are
distinguished by any peculiar traits of charac-
ter, these are probably sturdy independence
and industry and to these must be attributed
their past success and present prosperity. Any
one who has visited the thriving towns and vii
lagos of Massachusetts and Connecticut, must
have been both pleased and surprised in view
of the activity which they exhibit they are
indeed the little rils, which taken together,
form the stream of National prosperity. Should
one of our young men for the first time visit
these places he would be surprised, that with
so small number of inhabitants as many of
them have, they should be of SO busy and in
dustrous a character and would on his re-
turn, express the heartfelt wish that Newport
also had business enough to employ her young
men under the impression that business keeps
the nen of these places active, whereas, these
u
not work, even there. 1t is because of the en-
terprise and energy of the inhabitants of those
towns and villages, that such activity is mani
tested. We in this case mistake cause for eff
feet. But our young folks say we would like
TO be employed-we are willing to labor, TO be
busy, but we have no means our elders dis
courage us from undertaking anything wha,so-
ever in the way of novelties, and we must do
as others are doing around us,-bc content
with mere living or migrate elsewhere.
Allowing the first of these objections, that
the older men in our place are overcautious :
'twould not be strange if they were, as they
have mostly attained their present mediocrity
OF afiluence, as the case may be, by prudence
and economy. But we are fearful that we
cannot consccntiously fully admit the latter
We think canddly that our young men are
lacking in the industry as well as enterprise so
characteristic of New Englanders. Much time
is spent in generalizing and nothing is done in
regard to particulars much is said about bus
mess in general and the causes of its decline,
while no young man employs the talents com
mitted to him, or endeavors by some small en-
terprlse consistent with his present means to
add to this store, and thereby be enabled to ex-
tend the same.
We all know that Jupiter helped the coun-
tryman from the mire only when he put his
own shoulder to the whecl,-so with you =
should you, with intense industry employ your
litt lie means, even should these consist of ac-
tivity alone, you would soon be able to com
mand credit sufficient for any purpose you
might desire. You cannot expect that our
Banks or monied men will be anxious To let
their money to men, who, engaged in no busi-
ness and with no definite object, say merely
that if they had credit or means they would
build up Newport, &c, &c.
Ii is absurd for men to spend their time in
wonder that they make no progress, while
they make no efforts to remove from their pre-
sent position. Anything visionary should be
avoided, and perhaps with our present view OF
things, much NAV be considered visionary
which is not really so. Even if il is consid-
cred such, if you think there is reasonable
ground of success, embark in the enterprise -
you are it may perhaps be said not fitted To
carry on such or such business, but fit yourself
for it,--count well the cost t,-cmploy every
talent your God has given you; think that the
man who raises two blades Of grass where one
grew before is bcnciactor, and that he who
employs two men where one only found en-
ployment before is as really bcnefcent; and
then by your energy, combined with persever'
ance destroy the bane Of our place, by Its only
aniidote-Indus,ry- we may with every
reason of hope look for the the time, wher
Newport shall no longer be distanccd IN Tho
race Of Commerce Ind Manufactures by thos'
even who now dsign no, to look upon her as
rival. CoMMoS SENSE.