True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-12-30
sELF-RELIANcE.

l.
IN state OF confinement and dependent
upon its keeper for support, if set at lib.
er'y is helpless, and would in short
time sIarve. Suchis the nature of man,
more than any other portion of the ami
NAL kingdom,
We do not wish TO be understood, by
this, to say that man SHOULD pride himself
in acting independently Of his fellows, or
that he should refuse assistance from those
who are ready and willing to extend to
him the helping hand. We are connect.
ed to each other in this world by many,
and strong ties; and there should exist
in society a mutual confidence. Duty
and interest unite in requiring us to pro-
mote each others welfare. With the alb.
sOlute independence Of each individual,
society would cease to exist; as CON-
mon interest is the strongest tie which
binds the members of society together
What we mean to say is this: that man
should have the energy, Qor God has
given to him the capacity to think and
act for himself,
How observable itis in the daily walks
of life, the difference of energy which
characterize different persons, in sustain:
ing themselves; and we feel towards
them, in accordance with the view we
have Of their energy Of character, GOOD
helps those who are willing to help them.
selves" and SO does man.
Mental Incidence, is one of the great
crimes Of the age. Contrast with this,
the self-reliapce of Franklin, who when
dipping his candles, had the dreams of
the future floating before his vision, and
knowing, that 10 fulfil those high antici-
palions he must ACT for himself; every
moment was snatched from the grease Of
the chandlery, to anoint with the oil of
permanent knowledge bis immortal mind
and the light thps hastily snatched from
the dim candles of the close, hot shop,
by his indomitable energy, burst forth to
illumine the nation, and wise men kept
silent ia wonder a, the knowledge Of the
self-made, ,selfreliant !allow chamberlain
kings bowed their naughty heads before
the humble printer boy.
Webster had not as great obstacles to
overcome, in early life, as Franklin, for
he had the advantage of a limited educa.
ton ; yet, if Webster had rot possessed
great energy Of character, and firm reli-
apce in self, he never would have recei-
we'd the proud lille of "expounder Of the
American Constitution" a title never
awarded to another. He acquired this
depth of thought which enabled him to
weigh with gigantic power and convin.
cling logic, the greatest depths Of State
legislation. until the nation acknowledged
him to be the great American statesman.
Questions of policy expounded by him,
were considered forever settled, and but
few doubted the correctness of his conclu-
siops. Where did he acquire these trea.
sures of wisdom? Not in the halls Of
mpsty learning,a century behind the age
not by leaning implicitly upon the say
so of others but by close study, in the
hasly caught hours Of night, after spend.
ing The day in teaching country school.
While those who were Indifferent 10 men.
tai culture, sought recreation in the
pursuit Of triang objects, he knew that
knowledge and greatness could not be
obtained without labor, and by such labor
as Others could not perform for him. He
had no idea of becoming great by proxy,
The result was, that the country school.
master became the teacher of the nation.
Had he folded his hands together, and
said to himself 81 can't" he never
would have been the great Daniel Web
ster, the pride of our nation. .
Neatly all the great men of the age,
have been made BY similar means. It is
the principle energetically acted upon, of
selfconfdcnOe, that has elevated all who
stand high in the annals of our country.
Those who have been elevated by the
chicauery of party to the pinnacle Of fame,
have only exposed their own weakness
the more palpably, and when their party
support has been Withdrawn, they have
sunk back into the obscurity from which
they are never more TO emerge, q
What was it but The principle Of self.
reliance which stimulated the late Asa
Shinn-one Of the most eminent Diyipes
of the nineteenth centuly--.o surmount
the disadvantages resulting from the lack
Of an early education! Born ofpoor, but
respectable, parents, il was not until he
had attained the age of 1s years, that he
ever witnessed the phenomenon Of die.
tionary Of his native language; and ye,
by his indomitable energy, without the
aid Of the rusty classics, or Doctors of
divinity in less Than saven yeors ha bn-