Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-01-24
WEDNESDAY,, JAN, "a, 1856.
10 Young Writers.

.riouS number to young and inexperienced VII
tiers, it may be of~some advantage to such
wish 10 improve themselves in the.use OF tn
pen, to submita few.remarks FOR Heir c onsd
grafton and benefit. They should not enter
tain the notion. hat they can become polshe
! o. even respectable writer's at once, Muc
labor must be performed, hope inspired, an
patience exercised, before they ctn reach tn
! p9nt. Of sslf.reliaaee upon he use Of the per
II is important that they apply themsele
taa system of elise reasoning on ell subject
that come W thin the range Of their obserya
:. ton Or Investigations especially the subject
upon which they contemplate writing. TIT
great errer-ttat most young writer's ore liabl,
70 run'into, is that of collecting their mater
als from the productions OF others, and SO al
tcting and modifying ast 10 give thcmlan origi
nal cast. Passing over, fot the present, nuner.
7zzous objections TO such a. course, II should be
enough for all concera4dto know that il has
a most deleterious eirectupon file mental la
proyement Of those who adopt 1t. Those who
wish TO lie successful must originate their own
ideas, and submit their thoughts in their own
peculiar style
i The FIRST point Of Importance in on essayeon
siss in an intimate knowledge Of the subject
matter presented, Ms itis impossible for any to
speak or write with interest on a subject that
tley do not understand. And there are com
raratyely fewwho cannot successfully con-
: yeyto Others knowledge Of what they wtll
: understand; hence, the necessity Of infonna-
lion ON the part Of those who profess 10
teach When, subjects we'll studied and
well understood, the next item Of considera-
tion is to put il Together in a,lnanner that will
" b. instructive and :intetesting. A subject
may be very instructive and afsthe some time
90 destitute Of attraction that it fails to gana
reading, and when this is the ease, the labor
is fostbYt the author, and be public is not
beneftted;. therefore, MATTER aiIa MANNER are
slike claimants upon those who write for lie
press. - n -.sJ
These twp last named items claim separ-
ate and extensive notice. The subject mat
Ter fan es3ay should be Ione Of earnest soiic-
itude On The part OF the Writer, as no article
should ever he permitted to pqss through the
press by any means, unless Il isJin some way
and 10 some extent calculated 10 benefit the
pu5le. Fog when an unhallowed production
isonce published and goes out into the world,
il is no longer underline authors control; and
although fit was possible 10 "drink the worm
wood and gaIl' OF repentance over the bad ef.
fectS Of such publications, eysxtili 60 on in
the work Of moral deoth--they heed not the
authors voice of IamentaIOn, but continue TO
7tpeak and ID the same things. .....s>... =:
But improper subjects Of less offensive
character ARD often selected merely for perso-
nal Improvement and amusement and il is 10
be obseryedihat some subjects may be pro.
per and even profitable for one author, and
improper andtunproftable for another; in such,
| fssesthe authors are the only competent iudg.
es Il may not be offensive, however, to Offer
some remarks in aid of the Judgments of any
Whom It may concern on the subject. It's i'm.
lroper for any to write in yiudication Of pro.
Positions or principles WHICH they do not hon
tstly belidSe 10 be just or tenable, for il such
course does not have tendency to impair
the reasoning faculties of the mind, il must,
70 some extent, destroy mental stability, FOR it
1sPossihle for man 10 reason himself into the
. adoption ola gross error, which he previously
knew 10 be such and still doubts, bllt.vfll con-
'inue 10 yindlcate it simply because lie has
adopted ii. Whenever this is the case with
any man, he loses confidence in himself, and
Consequently his influence and energy ore
Dur ed ~ the same grave. Therefore, who
! tsser would write for their own perSonal bene-
81 OF that ofthc public, should adyocates,tcl,
principles and propositions Ss they honestly
believe TO totr3e. IL +" r.
Besides, il is impossible for any living au.
- thor 70 know what influence his productions
are destined TO produce after lie leaves the the.
atre Of active life. Bat all are taught to know
that their influence does not cease with their
nSturai ilife, for "the dead speak, '' and, as
ageneral rule, exert greater or more sal uta-
~ influence after death than they do during
life. vs. To instance but one case, which may il
tustrate the improprietS of improper produc.
tons, however innocent The motive which
prompted the original author OF the Mormon
bible: The clergyman who is said 10 have writ.
ter the manuscripts from which that book has
been subsequently composed, was probably
not extensively known beyond the limits OF
the dioeease in which the aborS and sutfe +.
ingss OIL life were humbly devoted Nor is
y likely that II ever entered his mind tina,
those manuscripts were 70 become active and
efficient instruments In the hands OF licentiou.
men, IN prostrating virtue and building up a
system ol,iee which has brought the foules
stain upon this government that has ever beer
tolerated BY the constitutional laws Of IN,
land.
But tothe manner Of preparing such sub
jects Is may be presented with profit to Ii,
/. public and honor 10 the authors. Nest youn,
writers are too apt TO become inpatient in lii
preparation oftheir compositions, and sink ii
despair, unless they can succeedin writing
respectable essay the first eHo,t; but the
should be encouraged BY The example Of 9th
ers. We are assured that the best writers Q
England OF America have ell passed through
rigid training IN the rt.many Of whom adopt
edihe custom Of transcribing their manuscript
II several times before they permitted them /
vs. An,s,e heEnye fka nuhlie. AMI fhose ,,, - =, :,