The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-02-20

benefit of her poorer subjects. The United
States has formidable Black Cancer, and
Mexico is bed ridden and waiting to be ia
ken out of the way.
Tho first question often asked when lit
tie stranger makes his advent into this world,
is how much does it weigh, and It is a ques
ton which in different sense is proper to
ask at frequent stages IN life. Wellington
hung lightly enough in the balance when an
infant, but before his active life had closed
| he weighed down half of Europe. Wash
| ington was light in the nurses arms, but if
| y"u wish to know how much he weighed
when this country was thrown in the scale
| against Great Britain, ask the history of the
Revolution or any American who loves his
country. Newton swung lightly on the
steelyards when life commenced, but before
he died went out and hung the Planets on
his steelyards. A Yankee asked of a Hoo
sier how much he weighed! The Hooser
replied, a hundred and eighty, but when Tm
mad l weigh tun. And it is true that
| whatever quickens the impulses of thought
or purpose makes a man weigh more in the
social scale of influence in which all men
must be weighed.
We speak of person Of high purposes and
strength Of will to carry them out, as a man of
substance, substantial man in society and
the country. A strange perversion is commit
ted sy calling man Of great possessions in
merchandise, lands or gold, man Of sub
stance, when in times like the present crisis
which has swept over the land, breath Of
suspicion removes all confidence from him,
and his merchandise and gold are swept
away from him in day.
What is this confidence of which We
speak? 1t seems out an idea, a shadowy
i .l.-s, a.f1n Gil hats
go.e through seven years war, without
such great shock to its prosperity, and
stagnation in the currents Of manufactures
and trade, as she has suffered in few
months, and all oecanso this shadowy alb
straction, confidence, has been destroyed
The North refuses to trust the South, the
East is afraid Of the West, and how mighty
and disastrous have been the results.
Men are often looked upon as great when
they occupy some high position, but what
sad instances have there been and now exist
of men occupying great offices withou. the
ability to fill them. These men Of no char
acter except the show which circumstance
lends them, who have found their way into
office OF trust and honor are like a bladder
blown to great size, but some pinhole Of
cidcnt brings sudden collapse, and their
greatness is gone.
The speakers great conclusion was, that
character is the thing Of greatest worth and
influence in the world. Ones position in
life may be humble and ob-c cure, but il
purity and nobility Of character be attained,
and truth and virtue made the aim Of life,
such a character will leave its impress in the
world, that may live when Emperors and
Kings are forgotten, and add its tribute on
the side of goodness and truth. which are
the salt Of the earth and the only undying
principles in the universe.
The man of Nazareth eighteen hundred
years ago, in the villages and on the hlsides
of Judea, and by wellsides in Sanaria taught
by his life and his words the lesson of love,
peace and good will to man, which, like the
symbol of the stone that cut out OF the
mountain wi bout hands, is filing the whole
earth. He disdained TO write word Of his
life or sayings. but he knew they were treas
ured up in the hearts of his disciples, and
would be sent forth 10 the whole world I'M
I'll they should be known and ielt By all.
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