The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-02-25
From the Petersburg Iniclligcncer.
DISCOURSE 10 YOUNG MEN,


+" the Young Men" of our city, which was
truly able and impressive. Taking for his
text the Goth verse of the 22d chapter of Pro.
verbs: Seest thou man diligent in bust.
nessa He shall stand before Kings he shal
moi staad before mean man;" he proceeded
to discuss the various points which the sub,
ject presented, in connection with Success in
Life. His admonltions were excellent, aud
listened 70 by crowded Church with tie
most profound attention. Such a discourse
is well worthy Of being published, and copies
of it would be amongst the most valuable pos
sessions OF familes-particularly of those in
which young children are growing up. We
regret our inability tn do more than speak Of
it in general terms. The hundreds who heard
it all admired at, and its good fruits, we hope,
will be practically shown in the rising gene
ration. As MT an irrelevant but suitable
appendage to this hurried and imperfect no.
tice Of Mr., Moore's discourse, we insert the
interesting subject from the Baltimore Ame.
rican:
Success in BuSiaeSS-The knowledge to
plan, enterprise to execute, foresight to de.
tect the practical and reject the visionary, and
honest truthiulness to regulate the whole, are
the elements that combine to from the success
lu man of business. Without the possession
Of the most or all Of these qualities, no man
can long conduct any business successfully.
There may be exceptional cases-cases in
which a long run Of what is called good
Luck" or 10 which q system Of sharp prac.
lice" and keen cunning make up the want Of
more solid qualities-that seem to contradict
the general truth Of our postulate. But they
are exceptional cases only, and very often
are exceptional asn in the ultimate success
they meet The man who has an inveterate
trust in his luck, at last finds himself betray-
ed into rashness bringing disaster from
which no amount Of gDoi fortune can extri-
cate him, and the utmost stretch Of keenness
still find itself osermatched, and meets not
only defeat but also obloquy.
The world is too much given to the fOrma.
tion of superficial judgments in summing up
its conclusions as To the causes that have con-
duced o. the success OF one business man,
whilst another, starting with equally fair
prospects, has totally failed. 1t credits the
prosperity Of une to good luck. or finds it in
an imaginary combination of fortunate cir
cumstanees, whilst the iI-snccess of the uther
is made matter nl confidence and attributed
u untnward incidents over which he is pre-.
sumed 10 have had no control /" Lucky dog"
and "pnor fellow" are paraphrased verdicts
in whirh .eli satisfied ignorance expresses its
Judgment on results that have intelligent pro-
ducing cause, the tracing out of which would
indicate that the law OF chances has as little
releyance to business matters as it has TO the
natural events Of the world. llasty conclu-
sions might lead u To think that this habit of
belittleing the successes of business men, and
complacently apnlogizing FOR the failures Of
others, proceeded from 4 charitable DISPOSE
ton % snlten the asperity If the judgment
against the unfortunate but we imagine the
wurld to be too rensori0us to permit this 10
be assigned as the true cause. Envy, per-
haps, would be, IN most cases, found the ex.
citing cause, and 4 desire 10 lessen the Just
estimation due to those who are the architects
of their own iurtanes aud the promoters of
the prosperity Of others, the object aimed at
\ The practice, however, whence ever it
/ originates, is an erroneous and hurtlul one.
( The general truth that success is the result
IL superior business qualification, of deter
mined and energetic labor, and of the faculty
uf combination and direction, should be every.
where recognized and enforced. To believe
otherwise would be 50 make tlrones uf our
Young men starting in life, aud TO multiply
indefinitely the Mieawbers nI society, who in
blind hope that " something would turn up, -
omitted the efforts tist we're necessary to
make that 3" something useful TO others aud
4 lao II So III.
I chimera that our men III wealth aud nr BUSH
ness cminence are only distinguished by ~.
pcriur gOud fortune that their prosperous
operations are mere lucky hits, their produc.
tive spcculatInns mere chances Ol tile game
in winch the winning cards are nn their side
There doubtless are cases Ol undcservrd sue.
cess and others nf still more undeserycd Tail.
ure. but these do mt furnish the rule. Ii
nearly every case u commercial Or business
eminence, twill BE- found on examination tina,
there has been upon the helm a bold aud com.
prehensi,e grasp. backed By the ,ignrapJ IN.
lelligence that gase determined dree,iun Ii
the course Of ctenfs. Tie history ii thy
great merchants wliu led our country Ii II,
present prosperity, and Of those WHO are n0,,
assisting 10 perprtuaiing that prosperity. ire
.
yale experiences would show 40 mere lnr.
tuilous connection oI circumstances had given
the impulse or furnished the momentum that
led them on from one point ol success "a
another. 1t would be found that thcy had
struck out boldly, planned largely, aud exc.
Cuird well aud thai the success M'iich TIL.
lowed their movements was but thc effect III /
rational producing cause. Tie path III wulch
they trod i open 10 all who have The ABILITY
TO follow il aud tie resolution 60 CnCIanicr
its difficulties but il is not TO be found by
depreciation Of the qualities necessary ID
ensure success, or an aticetation ol the bele
that the honors aud emolumcnts belonging Il
the prosperous business man are the gifts o
fortune, and not wrested from the unyirlding
laws which govern the commerce aud trade
VI tie world. Baiin5rs A1trisag