Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-07-30
Our trap Boob,
THE DOORS OF GREAT DEEDS.

The greatest personages Of our country
spring up in obscure places. tits so more
or less, in civilized Europe. But among
US our free Institutions will make it par
ticuhrly the.Al tligh birth, nd in
herited wealth az both powerful. \ In so
ciety they are always regarded with re-
spect. There, however, their potency
ends. Talents, ability, skill genius need
no such aids TO fortune. Their embrace
is oftener fatal than suspicious. Merit
wants the stimulant Of necessity. The
Incidence of conscious power must be
overcome by the good of poverty. Hence
it is that our great men appear in out of
the way places. In the beginning of our
career we took our Presidents from the
long established aristocracy Of New Eng
land and Virginia. And they were able
and good men. But the succession was
broken long since The rude western he
roes and pioneers. Jackson and Harrison,
were harsh though successful innovations,
while men like Taylor, Fillmore, Polk,
Buchanan and Van Buren,, self-exalted
from the vale oflhumble life, have by their
adorned the posi- once filed by Wash
ington. 80
In New End ire the traditions
of the past ard to SO tenaciously,,
even the brillial Fs Of Everett, Win
throp and their S,fs have not sufliced
to make them sd II opponents of two
humble mechanic Wilson and Banks
for the honors oe 5S.hate. Some may
say that this is &c result Of the Free
Soil agitation, ft must be borne in
mind that thessRS IN first triumphed over
the great Wing leaders under the lead
and auspices Of ct Democratic party
The rise Of Webster eclpsed all the Clio
ries Of the Bosto eistocracy. His mag
nifcent intellect Timmed their radience
entirely.
Thus it is becoming more and more the
truth, that the ster0px original intellects
strengthened and. rendered vigorous and
fearless by the contentious of labor, are
really the mastersaQf the age. Yet while
the fact is patent Is everybody. it is sci
dom acted upon practically. We are as
little disposed "a do justice to the strug
CLING but drt1ceV ~ genius as out faith
ers were before US. In searching for por-
tents of the future we do not scan the
small purple clouds just looming above
the horizon, but look only at those which
have risen high, forgetful that those who
have attained any great elevation gener-
ally follow the popular current rather
than undertake to lead it. The man Of
genius and daring ambition, filled with
the hxedness Of great purpose, wastes
not his time or energies in trumpeting
forth what he is about to do, as that would
never excite anticipation, and challenge
criticism. Heis generally an obscure per
son, driven by Necessity or the hope OF the
future, to concoct some scheme of advance
ment. A man unaccustomed to such mat
tiers goes at it in somewhat the same style
that laborer would to a job of work for
which he is paid by the day. The neo-
phite concentrates his whole soul on the
enterprise. It Was in this way that Char
Eyre" and Mrs. S1oeee hers Of g Uncle
Toms Cabin"
Great events produce their own lead
ing spirits when they are not produced by
them. And American affairs seem espe-
cially formed to give scope for the display
Of energy and enterprise. The man who
becomes great here must be active indeed
if he does not wish to be eclipsed by new
fayorites, and pass out Of the public mind.
The country is so vast, its politics SO vari-
BILE, its developments so remarkable, that
to person Of ability the opportunity is
seldom wanting for making a successful
demonstration. II is only the master
minds that profit by the occasion; but the
country is so full Of talent. and has such
numbers of aspiring men ever ready for
such chances that there is no lack oftry-
ing.-.N .Ame7ican.