Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-10-11
From iha Student and FSmiy MISCELLANY
CHARACTER AND ITS FOUNDATION.

1t is recorded of Francis l.. of France.
that after his disastrous defeat in the bat
tie of Pavia, by the Emperor Charles V
of Germany, he announced the catastro-
phe to his mother in the following terse
and magnauimous manner: 'EUerY thing
IS lost tut ney Homer" 1t was a saving
worthy of braver aud a better man :
Similar to this has been the reflection and
expression Of others amid the caamities
OF human life: OF mcu who amid the ruin
OF their fortunes, their prospects, and their
hopes, have wiped away their tears, and
who, nobly rising in the consciousness of
integrity above their misfortunes. have
said, 4" have lost every thing bnt nv
character ;" and with that consciousness.
such men are less, far less to be pitied
than they who have risen to wealth upon
the ruins of their reputation
No man can be said to be in abiect pc
nury who is rich in whatever things are
lovely and of good report; while on the
other hand, neither wealth, nor learning.
nor science, can dignity man without
character This is the best capital with
which to begin life it affords the most
reasonable hope of success in passing
through it, and will yield the sweetest re
hections at the close of it.
If it were granted at your own expense
and under your own directions to lay the
foundation and raise the walls of some
magnificent structure, which should at
tract the admiration of the world, defy
the assaults of time, and hand down your
name to future ages, what an object of
ambition would thus be placed within your
reach But how much nobler In itself.
how much more valuable to you, and how
much more enduring, is that which is pro
posed to you by the will of God, in the
foundation and construction of your own
character
BY character we mean the prevailing
and habitual qualities and dispositions of
the Dlind, which express themselves in APP
propriate conduct, and distinguish their
possessor from other men 4 mere occa-
sional act however splendid an instance
of good conduct it may be, does not con
stltute character, even though 1t should
be repeated occasionally at long inter
vals. \ miser. for instance, NAV. under
some very peculiar circumstances, be in
dnccd to perform an act of even munifi-
cent liberality, but it is not his character
to be liberal.
Acts are sometimes done by men so un-
like their prevailing disposition, that we
are astonshed at them. as phenomena
which exceedingly perplex us when we
make inquiry into their cause Even good
men, under the power of temptation, oc-
casionally do things which are very unlike
themselves, and contrary to their charac-
ter which. however, still survives the
shock of these alterations A fitfui yir-
tue is of little value and vet it is all that
some men have. Their minds seem to be
ever in an intermittent fever. in which
their cold and hot fits are in constant al
ternation.
It's EGundatioa This word is sugges-
tive: the foundation of building is laid
IA the earth How much labor is bcstow-
ed In digging and throwing out the soil,
and getting trench ready to receive the
materials which are to compose the fabric
How much material is lodged out Of sight
that is totally forgotten by the ignorant
observers of the structure Who for IN
stance, in passing ST. Paul's Cathedral,
and admiripg its lofty dome and gilded
cross, dreams of the masses Of stone on
the building must soon have been a heap
of ruins Yet there IS the foundation.
vast and deep, though buried, hidden. and
almost forgotten.
SO it is with character. The fouuda
ton must be laid in the mind, and heart,
and conscience and memory. There must
be digging into the soul throwing out
of much that is in the way of what must
be introduced q making room for much
material to be laid there; and a careful
and labOrious deposit of suitable sub
stratum Something strong broad, firm,
must be buried and hidden in the soul -
\ lofty superstrncture of character eau
no more be raised. which shall stand aud
be permanent, without this, than a tower
ing building can be permanent one. that
is erected upon the surface of the ground
aud not beneath it.
The soul, not in it's intellectual aspect
and capacity merely, but in its moral and
immortal one; the soul with its affections,
passions, and propensities the soul the
seat Of will and conscience the soul, as
the ground in which the basis of charac
ter Is laid must be a subject of serious
consideration Many men carry about
their minds with less solicitude than they
do their watches. knowing and caring al
most as little of the faculties and power
of the one as they do of the mechanism of
the other This must not be with those
who would fern good character
OF what materials, then. must the foun-
dation of character be formed ? " hat is
the mighty granite which must be depos
tied for character that is TO stand for
eternity Science Literature The
Arts2 No These may do for the intel
lectuai but not for the moral character =
1t is 2orinciple, moral principle. that must
form the basis OF this mighty foundation
Moral character canuot rest on astrono
my, geology, chemistry, magnetism =
These things are admirable, useful, noble.
sublime but they can more do for the
basis of character. than jewelry, or dia,
monds, or the telescope, or the galvanic
Extract from lecture delivered In BirmIng
ham. England 10 an audience of about 1000, the
m 7.io7ifv of whom were young men.