Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-02-22
m HOLLANDS LECTURE.

one an intelligent and cultivated AUDIENCE
and of such goodly proportions las to number
as to shcw that on a better night the Hall
would have been crowded, greeted Or.
Holland in the Town HallFriday evening His
subject, Ia different one, by the way from that
which owing to misunderstanding had been
publicly announced for the lectere)was "SeB-
help" His remarks on the subject grouped
themselves around the following propositions.
/. The power Of self-help is the character
istic attribute of tmdn, among the animals,
and is the god-like element Of his c~onstitu-
ton.
.. Every man is gifted with individuality
a characteristic turn Of mind, which lndI-
Gates the line Of life to which he is called,
and in which he can excel.
5. That the maxims and ~counsels So much
in vogue in the present day, by which many
young people are urged into walks OF lie to
which they have no call, arc most pernlcious.
4. That q man can never be q well made
man, who is not q seB-made man.
5. That TO be a seli-made man, is not ne
c~essarily to be professional ora public man
c. That 10 man has a right to be in q
profession in which he occupies an inferior
position, If he can fill & superior position IN
some other calling.
=. That d man without q title 5 lct-cr
than q title without d man.
The lecturer in discussing these successive
points, declared lis belief that some anti
dote is needed to the influence Of that class
Of modern writers, who with the ayowed
purpose Of stimulating the humble to rise,
harp upon sucL mazims as Where there's
L viii there's q way, Labor conquers all
things, and Nothing is impossible 10 him
who wiis"-which he pronounced to be
among the largest lies palmed upon human
:v-and thus with the aid Of foolish parents
AMI teachers, crowd young men into callinGs
for which they are untitled, and FL tie pro
iessious with fifth rate ministers and lawyers
and physicians, who might have made first
rate farmers and mechanics. lie illustrated
the effect OF this, by the figure Of a horse
show, at which the truck horses and the
family nags should be entered for the pre-
MUM on sTeed. Each, admirable in It's
class, and with a view TO It's proper work,
would be ridiculous under such circumstance
He declared the American track to be
shamefully full Of truck horses. entered
for speed. he took up the professions
separately, expressing his opinion, that with
all their purity Of motive and conscientious
faiJhfulness to duty, full half of our clergy
men have mistaken their calling, and that
it is q better thing to be q first rate christian
lawyer or blacksmith, than q third rate
minister. lie gave a beautiful and touching
description Of the true physician, and CON
trasted him with the medical martinets who
prescribe the naas Of Z drug for the uane
Of a disease, and are ready to lay down the
lives Of their patients. Il not their own.
rather than depart a hair from the regular
practice, and the Bob SIwver5 and Ben
Aliens, who are yearly poured out Of tile
medical. schools. As for the Law, the lecturer
evidently considered it 70 be even more
overstocked with men who have mistaken
their vocation than the other professions.
lie alluded to the popular %supposition that,
the road to political distinction and public
Office lies through that profession, and t- the
fact that our youth are consequently, 30
great proportion, educating 70 De dema-
goCues. The greed Of small men Tor Office,
ind tie ease with which they obtain it .u
this country, he declared to be one Of tie
greatest Of the crying evils Of the day, lie
touched also upon some Of the faults os our
systems u Education, and insisted, il fine,
that scholarship may exist without power ;
that power Is TIE true measure Of manhood, .
that only ~ mana9o4 should men be
measured, ana mat Fac work 70 wa&
God calls a nan can be menai OF mean.
The lecture was enli7ened with ayt Illus
t%rations, with pungent a~potAe-4a and co.5t
touches Of humoI-was forcibly aIG plea.
antly delivered, and was listened to with the
utmost interest and qualification 70 its clos.
1t was worthy Of Timothy T~itoomb,' ana
in fact, much in tie vein @! th9ea popular
and useful lucubrations, tie Ti;c5mtL Letters
no; specially profound o. startling, repeat
Ing many a rruism, and presenting homely
Truth in straightforward phrase but withal,
fresh, vigorous, interesting, and calculated
10 give . wholesome jog to many a mind.
P0ey and novelist though he be, there Is
nothing Of the dreamer about Dr.. Holland.
The purpose to be Of practical Service to his
hearers and readers, in their every day life,
Is We believe. outweighs in
his mind the wish to amuse or to please. lie
is doing good service in his day and genera
tion, and he VIII not fail Of 4 right hearty
welcome from a rousing Burlington audience
whenever he can visit US again.