The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-02-06

the reason why. God makes men, aud men
make hlacksmiths tailors, farmers, horse jock
oys tradcsmen Of all aorla, governors, judges,
Sc The offices Of men may be more or less
important, and Of higher or lower quality but
manhood Is higher poI-4-''nn than office,
An occupation Is ne,eIun end Of life, II l.
an instrument put, ,Lrtu our hands, or taken
into our hands, ~ which 10 gain for the body
the means Of living until sickness or old age
robs Il Of, life, and We pass on 10 the world
for which this IL preparation However
thoroughly acquired and assiduously tollow-
ed, trade Is something to be- held nt urWH
length. can illustrate what mean by pa-
from the stall, with every hair in ila right
place his head up and name flying, and an
other lhat has been worked in the same har-
ness every day Tor three yeors, until the skin
IN bare on each hip and thigh, an iniamed
abrasion glows on each side Of the backbone
where the hard saddle-pad rests, severe
gall-malk spreads IL brown patclSundrr the
breast collar, aud an the other marks Of an
abused horse abound Now trade, or O
profession, will. wear into q man AZ a harness
wears into a horse, One can see the "trade
mark on almost every soul and body met IN
thr street 4 trade has taken some mrn by
the shoulders and shaken their humanity out
Of them. It has so warped the natures Of
others that they might be wet down and set
in the sun to-day thousand times without
being warped back,
Thus, Say, mans trade or profession
should be- kept a, arms length. II should
not be- allowed to iyrannizc over him, 10
mould him, to crush him. II should not oc-
cupy the whole Of his attention. So far from
this, it should be- regarded in its material
aspect. At least, only means for the de
vclopmcnt Of manhood. The great object Of
living !, the attainment of true manhood
the cultivation Of every power Of the soul and
Of every high spiritual quality, naturally in
hcrcnt or graciously supcrqddcd. The trade
is beneath the man, and should be kept there
Now, with this idea in your minds-and you
NAV be very sure that il is the correct idea.
Just look around you, and see how almost cy-
crybody has missed il. You and both know
physicians whose mental possessions, beyond
their knowledge N drugs and diseases, are
not worth s,tnkcrs fiddle We are ncquaint
cd with lawyers who are never seen out Of
their Offices who live among pigeon holes
and red tape, and busy .h"ir minds with
quirks aid quarrel, 80 uurcmitinglN, that
they have not thought for other subjects
They are not men at all; they are nothing
but lawyers. Often We find not more than
five whole men in town Of five thousand in
Mbitants Those who pass for men, aud who
FT5iEE d. got married aud h@ve families, arc
hundred to one fractional men, or exclusive
~ machines.
Elihu Burrilt cultivated the man that was
in him, until he slaughcd of whole black
smiths shop The trade would not stay with
him. It ceased to be useful TO him. lie
could get a living in a way that was bettc1
for him. The governor Of Massachusetts
was doubtless an excellent machinist I"hen
he worked at his trade but he used his trade
only as a means. II never became with him
AN end of life. il II bad. he wouldhaye been
machiuistnow, carrying on small establish
mcnt, or working for some corporation at
two dollars u day. While he secured bread
by it to feed his body, and roimcut to wear
he cultivated the powers within him to n
manhood that commands the high places Of
the land 1t is not necessary that YOU oe
learned blucksmilhs or governors, but it is
L., b,f,
calling, behind your calling, above your call
ing, outside Of your calling, ard inside of it,
aud let that calling modify your character no
more than it would were it your ncighbor's.
If | have made my point plain to you, you
can readily see that | attach very little value
to the distinctions in society based on cullings
and still less to those based ON Office. If "a
man be man, let him thank his stars that
he is no, justice of~thc peace. OF all the
appctitcs that curse Young men the appetite
for Office seems to me to be the sillest and
the mcancst. There is nothing which fills
me with greater disgust than TO see young
man eager for office An office seeker
for the sake Of honor, is constitutionally,
necessarily mean, | have seen men begin
at twenty y-one as prudential committees in
small school districts, and stick to office until
everybody was sick Of them Whether il
rained porridgc or potatoes, paving. stones
or pearls, their dish was always out. They
and their families had to be cared for. Office
always brings obligation and n certain kind
of slavery. 1t brings something more than
this--it brings insanity, A young man who
allows himself to get taste of it very rarely
RECEIVERS. 1t is like tobacco, or opium, or
brandy producing a morbid apptitei and
we need here in Massachusetts, new society
of reform. There should be a pledge Gu
culatcd and everywhere signed, promising
total abstinence from otiicc-secking. TO this
every Young man should put his name. There