Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-10
EMPLOYMENT OF PARENTAL WEALTH

The mischievous, and truly American notion,
that, to enjoy u respectable position, every man
must bgfic, or preach. or pructiss, or hold an
office. brings to 3eggary and infamy many who
might have lived, under a juster estimate OF things,
usefully and happily; and cuts us off from a need
ful, as well rs ornamental portion of society. The
necessity of laboring for sustenance is, indeed, the
great safeguard of the wcrld-the ballast, without
which the wild passions of men would bring COM
munities to speedy wreck. But man will not labor
without a mOtiue; and successful accumulation, on
the Part of the parent, deprives the son of this
i'm pulse. Instead, then, of vainly contending
against laws as insurmountable as those of physics
and attempting to djire their children into lucra'
tive industry, why do not men, who have made
themselves opulent, open their eyes, at once, to the
glazing fact, that the cause.-the cause itself
which braced their own nerves to the struggle for
fortune, does not exist for their offspring? The
father has taken from his son his motive!-a mo.
tive cOnfessedly important to happiness and virtue,
in the present state of things. lie is bound, there
fore by every consideration of prudence and human
ity. neither to attempt to drag him forward with
out this cheering, animating principle of action
nor recklessly to abandon him to his own guidance
nor to poison him with the love of lucre for itself;
but, under new circumstances, with new prospects
at a totally different starting place from his own,
to supply other motiyes-drawn from our sensi.
bility to reputation, from our natural desire to
know, from an enlarged view Of our capacities and
ItiJON u'cito, uuc u InOTS Hlpn IN jlUtTdl eSllHndNc
Of our relations to society. Fearful, indeed, is
the responsibility of leaving youth, without mem
tai resources, to the temptations of splendid idle
ness? Men who have not considered this. while
the objects of their affection yet surround their
table, drop no seeds of generous sentiments, ami
mate them with no discourse on the beauty Of dis
interestedness, the value of the. mind,
and the dignity of that renown which is i echo
Of illustrious actions. a bsorbed in one pursuit,
their morning precept, their midday example, and
their evening moral, too often conspire to teach q
single maxim, and that in direct contradiction of
the Incubation, 80 often and so variously repeat.
ed 1T is better to get wisdom than gold"
Right views,a careful choice of agents, and the
delegation, betimes, of strict authority, would in
sure the object. Only let the parent feel, and the
son be early taught, that, with the command of
money and leisure, to enter on manhood withoat
having mastered every attainable accomplishment,
is more Gisgraceful than threadbare garments,
and we might have the happiness to see in the
irheritors Of ~paternal wealth, less frequently,
idle, ignorant p~rodigals and heart'breakers, and
more frequently, high.mindel, highly educated
young men, hOnoring, if not called to public
trusts, a private station.
With such a class orDamenting the circles of
our chief cities, we should soon see a modification
Of claims. The arrogance Of simple wealth would
stand rebukcd before the double title of those
who superadded intellectual distinction. Accom-
complished minds. finding the air of fashionable
assemblies more Tespirable, would more frequent,
iy ventured into them. Society might be lively,
various and inteIligent-an alliance of wit, learn.
ing, genius and fortune, on terms Of Just apprecia
tion. Meanwhile, the higher standard of public
sentiment in relation to intellectual pursuits would
thrill aloLg the nerves of literature and the arts,
to thousands, who now act in the belief that money
is the true and only Kalon. With the ulster rec
ognition of mental claims, and the increasing
hunors paid to letters by the teao, would follow an
increase in the many. Thence would insue rec
tilted perceptions as to mans true aims; a calmer
and Fighter mind; and a less blind subseryiency
to our tuo-besetting passions.--HiUhouSe