Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-03-26
VI. Odkiy's Treatise on The .1rt Of saying "No.'
"My son-lcarn betimes to say "No."
Miss EpoEwonTu


Our opinion is not n jot weakened by the
probability that many Of our friends will dis
sent from il, when we assert, that no art re-
quircs, in greater degree, the attention Of
young man, on his entrance into life, than
that of SAYING "No." A man who is afraid
to Use this little word is n spaniel in society
he studies TO please others, rather than to
benefit himself, and of course tails in both
objects in short, he deserves not to be call
ed man, and is totally unworthy of the
place he holds in creation.
Is he rat onal being who has not nh opili.
ion of his own ?-No. Is he in possession
of his five senses who sees with the eyes,
who hears with the ears, Of other u eu p
No! Does he act upon principle who sarri.
fees TRUTH honor, and Independence OH the
shrine of serviliiy Again aud 0gain we
reply, No!
| Nothing, indeed is to us more gratift ing
| than 10 belold man relying boldly on the
powers which nature has bestowed upon him,
and spurning, with proper consciousness
of independence, the suggestion OF those
who would reduce him FROM the rank he
holds as q reasonable creature, to the level
Of a couriier aud time. server. Nothing is
to us more gratifying than to hear from the
|
| free spirit-tlat finishcr to all dispute te-tlint
kuock-down blow in all arsurnents-ihat
strong, forcible, expressive, incontrovertable
osyIIable-No!
Yet, alas! how many do we find who nre
either unable or unwilling to pronounce this
most useful, most necessary response! How
niany do we see around us, who are in the
! daily habi, of protesting to know things OF
which they are altogether ignorant, of ma
king promises which il is impossible TO per.
form, of saying Ito excuse for once n son
expression) the thing which is not,-soely
because they will not call to their assistance
the iniallblc remedy for all these evils, ,whicl
is TO he found in the two letters upon which
we are offering brief comment
Ii is dreadful TO reflect upon the evil,
which this neglect must inlallbly produce
Ii is dreadful to look round upon the friend,
aud relatives whom we see suffering III,
most appalling calan,ies from no othe
misconduct than n blind aversion 10 mega
tiyes. IL is disgusting To observe the flexible
indecision of sOme-the cringing seryility o
others. Forgive us, reader, hut we cannO
help soliloquizing: God save tho King o
Club, and may the Prince of the Blood b,
early instructed in the art of snying "No."
Look into the pages of history You will
find there innumerble examples in supper
of our opinion, Pompey was imporlune,
to give battle 10 Caesar; he complied. Poo
devil he would never have been licked a
Pharsalia it he had learned from us the ar
OF saying "No." Look at the conduct o
his rival and conqnoror, Cesar! You re
member the words of Cusca 81 saw Mari
Antony offer him crown, aud he put it b.
once but for all thar, to my thinking, b,
would iain have had H." Now this placi,
"pulting hy" was not the thing for The Ro
mans; we are confident Julas Cnsur woul,
never have died by cold steel in the Seuate
it he had given them good, decisive, insu
perable "No!" Whatever epoch we exam
inc, we find the same reluctance TO say "No
to the allurements of Pleasure aud the man
dates of Ambition; and, alas we find !
productive of the same consequences. Ju
venal tells us of all unfortunate young man
one Cai,s Silius, who was unlucky enougI
to be smiled upon by the Empress Messali