The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1851-04-23
TEMPTATIONS OF SOCIAL LIFE.
YOUNG MEN.

| ''What war so cruel, or what siege SO sore
| As that which strong temptation doth apply
| How fearful are the temptations of social
lie, especially to the young in years, the
bouyaRi ia Disposition, the contidng in spirit
the creduious, the sanguine, and the self
conf lent How few who rush wildly and
reckIessIy into The facinations of pleasure,
aud The delusions Of society," "know them.
selves" or understand their weakness, their
tastes, their infrmates! How few can real>
lze The full force and power OF habit, espc.
cialIy if their experience has been limited,
! it their principal organization be imperfect,
II their impulses are warm and rash, and If
with the ability to please, aud the disposition
TO enjey, they see only the bright flowers,
and are unconscious OF the thorns and bram-
bles that bese. the waysde OF lile Social
lre-unions, conducted ON correct principles
are every way commendabIe. They cheer
and gladden. existence, they call forth tho
better qualitesof the human heart,-they
promote friendships and associations that of
ten last for years and years. But how ma .
ny young men have been tempted to their
ruin, by scenes, habits, and amuse msns
which at the first, seemed perfectly harmless,
and every way unexcepiIonable! How ma
my have thus been won to extrayagance. dis
lslpalion, Intemperance, aud its many kindred
vices! They rush on, step by step, uncon-
sciously to themseves-firs neglect one
duty, then are femss in another frat excite
the surprise and regret ,and then lose the con-
Ifidence and respect Of their employers, and
thus are thrownupon the world compelled to
lCommence new sruggle ,and under circum>
stances requiring extraordinary activity and
aud s1perhuman eRergy! How few so situ>
Iated, IRE able TO wreslle with and overcome
the trials Of such time, and TO regln the
ioolhold .ha, they so recklessly threw away F!
| We recently had occasion to allude to the
dangeIs Of infdclity, and the pers of crmi,
nal association. May we NOT, with equal
1propSety, utter word Of ndmonlion in rsia-
lion to The iacinatons vof social life, the
pleasures and temptations Of impulsive con-
vyiality, The dangers of stimulants and ex>
cilements, however insduous. plausible, and
inppsrenlly unocent they may nj first appear2
Are there not at this moment, hundreds of
active. intelligent and promising young men,
! with bright and golden prospects before them
gradualy yielding the better and higher
/ principles q their nature, first TO The seduc>
lions of evil cpmpanionship, and second,
to the subtle facipalions of The wine cup and
its kindred cxciIementsY Our attention has
been directed TO this subject by more than
one kind hearted bu, wa,chful EMPLOYER
A reckless spirit is abroad among the young.
Many are sadly mistaken as TO true propne.
ty, gentlity, and manliness. They seem
10 imagine that species of foppishness, il
not ro%dyism--togelhet with smoking, drink
ing, chewing. staggering and blasphemy,
constitute not foibies bui accomplishments;
and that, instead Of delracting iromt the pol
ish and finish ofre6ned aud intellectual char
acter, they imhelliSh and adorn it. The err
ror is sad, deplorable, and iis consequences
arc often fearful, The 6rsl duty Of young
man, especially il dependent upon his own
efforts for success, ls. 10 secure for himself
a good moral responsiveness reputation Tor
truth, integrity and sobrety, His next, is
to win, deserve and retain the confidence of
his employer, And how caH all this be ace
complisledi Assuredy not by the course Of
folly and dissipation 10 which we have refer
red--by assuming fash character, and af-
feeling false confidence based upon reck.
lessness, emptiness and impudouce. Some
of onr young men fancy that they are accom-
plshing quite feat, when with cigars in
their mouths. and hats placed jaun'ily upon
lbeir heads, they swagger after nightlall, arm
in arm, through some leading thoroughfare
ol the Town, indulge in silly or Impairment
remarks at ihetop Of their voices, and MS
sumo an air at once Of insoIence and auda.
city. They belieye--or assume 10 believes
thai they excite admiration if not envy, when
in fact they only damage their rep1tation,.
exhibit their reputation, exhibit their folly !,
and provoke contempt We speak now in a
general sense, and il Is unnecessary 10 spec,
.ily particular cases. The foible is widely
spread II amounts TO kind of monomania
Let Us notsbs linisunders,and. We would
no, have theyemg q be sullen, morose and
81 Observation-Disclosures apd activity are o'sen'isl