The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-01-07
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY, JANUARY Z.

THURSDAY Z.
Come, push on The world is moving
Press to your place in the restless throng
Life Is action ; grieving or loving
Only wastes tine-so move along.
ENERGY is, IN every sphere of human employ
ment, one of the most important attributes of sue
cess. In this stirring and progressive age the
man who lacks energy of character is sure to be
found tagging in the great race of life. While
his neighbors press boldly and Independently on.
overturning or ~trampling under foot the barriers
that cross their paths, undaunted by trial. un-
terrified by temporary defeat, stimulated by mis-
fortune only to redoubled e~xertion; the man with
out energy finds, as he plods feebly along, in
every riyulet that diversifes the even tenor of his
way an impossible food, and a roaring lion in
every lamb. Discouraged and disheartened, with
out a trial of his maiden strength, without even
an effort to overcome the obstacles that would per-
haps vanish at his approach, he hauls down his
colors and surrenders his arms.
Oh, coward spirit, Oh, faint hearted knight
in this tournament Of the busy world! Why
not don the arnlor of moral Independence, and
buckling on the sword of energy, dash foldly on
ward to the standing orderof FORWARD MARCH,
into the thickest Of the melee, with a strong arm,
and an earnest will, and a proud resolve to win
and wear the golden crown of victory That IS
the way to succeed. Show men that misfortune
has not quenched your fire, and they will be all
the more ready to lend you a helping hand. Blow
your own trumpet if you can find no heralds to
blow it for you, and be sure to blow it loud
enough. And above all, move ever quickly and
ever onward. Work tcork , WORK. There is
no greater foe to the heart, and mind, and pocket
than idleness.
A lack of energy of character is injurious to
the moral as well as to the physical success of a
young man. Without the strength to resist
temptation he falls an easy prey to the SHARES of
the tempter, and when once led astray upon the
descending road it is dificult-in many cases i'm
possible-to restrain him. Possessing only the us
inertie he is himself incapable of an effort. His
character, shorn of the vital power of energy,
presents no foundation for the work of the re-
former-no soil for the nourishment of the roots
of reform. His course is irretrieyably downward,
and the velocity of his descent hourly increases.
No one can foresee the depth of his future degrade
ton no one can foretell the goal of infamy at
which he may ultimately arrive ere his career be
checked by the stroke of the angel of death. An
excess of energy is far preferable to a deficit. The
young man whose mind is a spiritual chaos of tu-
multuous passions, continually boiling over with
violent and conflicting impulses, may indeed stray
far from the fold of virtue. He may plunge into
the current of dissipation, and, abandoning him
self to the pleasures of vice, assist the efforts of
the stream which watts him downwards to the
sea of ruin. Yet he possesses the strength to
turn, and let but the idea of moral conquest and
- H. .r.%.lIoJ ,,to o,I -, La oSMuo;n, &C b;s
mind, and change the direction of his efforts, the
very power that accelerated his downward pro-
gress will enable him TO bear back the torrentand
defy the opposing powers of evil. How many
thousands of such young men have been changed
into good and valuable members of society!
In these two characters, the one convulsed with
superfuous energies and the other torpid from
the want of them, we behold living pictures of
scenes in the ever varying, ideal voyage of human
life. In the one we see a stately vessel tossed
upon the waves of a stormy sea. But though the
proud ship be blown hither and thither by the
bowling winds of heaven, though her spars be
strained and her canvass stretched to the last
verge of endurance, and the strong hull tremble
and culver with the repeated blows of the furious
pillows, yet but a little movement of the helm is
CCXC W I'M W AA6h up w II VIM
BILE her to breast with the might of conqueror the
waves, and advance proudly and majestic
ally onward to her destined haven. In the other
picture we behold the same gallant ship reposing
calmly upon the unrufled waters of the ocean.
There is not a breath of wind to blow out her en-
sign from the gait, or steady her dropping, flap
ping sails. 1t seems at first thought that the
helm would possess a greater controlling power at
such a time than when the vessel is p~lunging
through the waves at the mercy of a tenn
pest. But we all know that it is not so. You
may shift it and shift it without avail for in
losing the wind the ship has lost her motive
power.
Thus it is with human life. As long as the
breeze of energy rufies the surface there is hope.
Only the helm of principle is wanting to turn the
Prov in the right direction and thus force the
winds that have buffeted her SO rudely to assistin
CARRYING her safely onward to the successful con-
summation OF her voyage. But if the surface of
is unruffled by a zephyr, the helm of
principle is a useless appendage to the gallant
ship. 1t may be properly placed, it may besolid
and strong and s~killfully fashioned, but without
the propelling force of the wind of energy even
the helm of principle is useless. and the good ship
Of humanity, palsied by Incidence and paralyzed
BY faint heartedness and despair, floats upon the
classy waters of life, until, becoming rotten with
~naction, the grass covered planks fall from the
iecaying timbers, and she sinks INCREASINGLY and
rrecoverably, beneath the surface of the waves.
Is it right, is it manly to yield thus to indo-
ence of disposition or to the promptings of a
raven heart? Push on, young man push on
,how the world that you, at least, are made of
terner stuff. Never strike to the enemy. but
out to the last in the confident hope that
omething will turn up in your behalf. If you
,ress forward with increased zeal and make the
most Of the experience of the past, there are more
.hances in your favor than ever before. How few
here are among the eminent merchants of the
rorld whoso lines IF life have haeu cast in an in