The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-03-14
Deiusion about Genius.

Ii is a common mistake, especially with
young men OF ability, ID suppose that
| what they, cal! genius is sufficient for sue
cess in life. They sneer at the siudious
AS stupid book worms. -dertle the indus
,rlons as. mere ploadars,' and boast that
it is only necessary Is apply themselves
for "a f. " minutes in order to conquer the
most, difficult texks. We have seen. in
our time, many such. We have obssrv.
ed thenr. mnr-ovelr. in every walk of Lille.
We ave known them as quick working
iinecha1ics. as brilliant deciaimers in de,
chalmers in debating societies, as witty or
eloquent students in college. Blu, we have
lived long enough to notice that most OF
them have made shpwrrck of themselves
forever. The smart mechanic, disd amin z
tu, work all the week when four or five
days labor would produce as much as
others earned who toi.ed from Monday
morning till Saturday night, has generally
ness. aud ended, sometimes. in the peni.
,e",iary; but more frequently in the drunk
ards grave. The snowy orator has be-
come lazy lawyer. or good for nothing
editor, or po, house politician. The idle,
though able student has sunk into last
young man, and died before reaching for
", The victim of his own exccsscs. AS we
look back on those we knew OF those
classes. scarcely twenty years ago, we see,
alas! that almost general ruin has overta-
ken them.
That there is naturally difference be-
tween men, iii point OF abiity, we do not
pretend to deny. This difference is less
great, however, than is generally supposed;
faEd no genius. moreover. is sufficient OF
itself Without discipline and study. The
difference, ws say. is no, so great as is
usually believed. il Is true one person
may excel another in what is popularity
called elequence, but generally he is def
Glen. in something else. ss. for example.
i'll the purely logical faculty. A witty
lawyer, able TO keep jury in roar, may
n ot be as able 10 argue case in bank as
less feicitous rival. An excellent book
keeper, 10 whom long columns OF figures
are nothing, may yet have no mechanics al
faculty at ALI and good mechanic may
he poor accountant. Nature wisely
distributes her favors. generally bestowing
different specialiiies. TO speak, on diff
erent persons. Jefferson was u grea,
civilian, bul had no talent for war what,
ever. Wayne was a splendid general.
but quite an Indifferent legislator. Put
nam could head a charge gallan,ly; or
defend a post heroicaily. but had no bead
for planning "a complicated campaign.
In more humble lie we sAse si,nilAr proofs
OF this difference. There are women, for
h., 81, l., -,
stinct, who seem, indeed. natural born
d,aniua makers or taiiors.s There are
others who always bungle il they a,lemp,
such things.
q Every body, 10 fact. who is not all idiot,
has a fayorite faculty. or TO use the pro-
verbal phrase, "a knsck OF doing some.
thing. Now genius, in its tue accepia-
.ion, is a knaok OF doing many things; OF
in its narrower sense. is II knack OF excel.
ling iu' literature. politics. orwar. But as,
in the humbles, lie, proficiency, even in
facutysis only 10 be obtained by praciice.
so. in the hieher walks ofmiaJ. discipline
is absolutely necessa4y. 1hesboy. WHO is
put 10 le am siot,,.- cutter trade. because
ne is always moulding ignresin clay, new:
er becomes a sculptor unless he studies
hard. The youthful dabbef in water col.
sors never rises to be great painter with.
out long years devoted TO his art. The
lad, who makes capital college speech,
ends in becoming wordy decaim-
er. unless he learns 10 Abink. 1t was
not only his talent for painting. which
won for Raphael The title of divine bu.
Il l-. 4
ftering drawing and composition The
great Milton worked hard at poetry. for
thirty years, endeavoring TO psrfectshim-
self, before he began Paradise Lost
There snot famousn anne in history OF
which the same cannot be said. To rely
merely on what is called genius, is to in
sure failure, nay! is to cast away oppor.
!.tuni,es bestowed by Nature, il is, in TACT,
Ito squander. like spendthri'i. the for
tune, which. as it were, was given in ad.
vance at blr,h.--PhiladelPhia Ledger.
= Love and Fame.