Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-06-24
sELF IMPRnYEnIENr.


In this country there are no person. who do
The facilities of all are not equal indeed. Those
who have wealth, and are not obliged 3 labor
daily for their own support, enjoy many pecul-
lar advantages. They have at their command
both time and means which they may devote to
their improvement. But yet the advantages
are not all with them. They have peculiar dan
gers well as facilities They are subject to
peculiar temptations. There are many quail
ties of character, very valuable, which they are
quite likely not tocultivate The necessity of
labor for support tends TO develop a spirit of
self-reliance which is of great consequence
They who are brought up in the possession of
riches are not accustomed to have this spirit
And taking men as we find them the wealthy
do not seem to improve themselves mentally
and morally more than those whose circumstan-
ces are more humble. a wise man would as
soon risk the condition of the laboring classes
as that of the wealthy, !. e., if he were young;
and had in view his own Improvements The
son of farmer or of mechanic, brought up to
toll, is as likely to become man Of virtue and
intelligence, every way worthy Of respect, as the
son of a millionaire. His respectability viii be
his own too, not that of his purse.
The times now passing are fitted to show what
may be done by men of no more than ordinary
talents, but of industry and energy. Every
body knows that Thomas Ewing was once a
salt-boiler; Thomas Oorwin teamster; Elihu
Burritt blacksmith; Abraham Lincoln a rail-
splitter; Andrew johnson a tailor. The pro-
fessions of Law, Medicine, and Theology, have
in them many men who have raised themselves
to stations of honor and usefulness requiring
education Of no light degree, and all by their
own efforts. And was not Benz. Franklin
printer boy2 Was not Horace Greeley the same?
Did not Gen. Banks come from the common
people, laborer? Was not Gen. Grant leath-
er dealer?
1t is the peculiar genius Of American institu-
tions that they acknowledge no class of wealthy
aristocrats who are to mOnopolize all the op-
portunities of improvement. We put no bar
riers in the way of any mans rising. There is
stimulus here to encourage and develop tai
ents, and push every man to make the most of
himself When the aristocrats of Europe taunt
us with reproaches for having rail-splitters for
Presidents, and the like, we reply by pointing
to the democratic nature of our institutions.
We say that one man is as good as another so
far as birth and blood are concerned. We scorn
to have titled class among US, whose cattle
stables are better than the dwellings, of the la
borers. We leave to others the boast of having
been born under the heel Of aristocracy We
are proud of the institutions which recognize
merit in whomsoever found. Any true Ameri-
can may and will blush with shame to find it
objected against the nominees of the Baltimore
Convention, that the one was arail-splitter, and
the other tailor. The objection is Just fit to
crat. 1t is thoroughly un-Americun, and ought
to condemn any one advancing it to contempt.
But l am wandering from my first design.
And yet all that has been advanced bears upon
that design. There is every encouragement to
every man to make the most of himself in
America. Hence there can be no excuse for
those who do not strive to cultivate their talents
to the greatest possible extent. Young men
and young wOmen-even those who are obliged
to labor to obtain a living-have some leisure.
There are hours every day which they may de-
vote to study in some way or other. If in
stead of using leisure time only to secure pleas
ure and enjoyment, they would devote it to
their own improvement, they would gradually
secure fund of intelligence which would ele-
vate them greatly in the scale oftrue worth, and
in many cases prepare them to occupy positions
much more remuneTative than they would 9TH
erwise attain. Has not Andrew johnson been
paid a thousand times for acquiring an educa-
ton? Nor does the remuneration lie wholly in
the prominent stations which he has occupied
or may yet occupy. If he were still tailor he
would be worthy of respect and honor for his
efforts to develop his powers. He lods tailor
till his talent and industry made him something
more. To be sure all men cannot even by tai
ents and industry, attain positions of eminence.
But these are not essential. True worth does
not lie in them. The self-improvement Of
which speak is in itself a good thing and
worthy Of effort for its own sake. 1t is not rec
ommended merely as a stepping-stone to some
prominent position
If there were general disposition to make
the most of facilities for self-improvement, the
result would be general elevation of the stan
dard of intelligence and virtue in the commu-
nifty. This would be one of the greatest bene-
fits conceivable. A people who can appreciate
education and intellectual pursuits, is better,
nobler people than one who can appreciate moth
ing but wealth or some low kind of entertain
ment He who makes the most of himself con-
| tributes what he can to the general improvement
of the community. His reward is ample, and
is two fold. He is rewarded in being noble and
excellent himself and also in doing something
| to make others so. Every hour, then, which a
young man has at his own disposal, is golden
| opportunity. He may learn something in it. of
permanent value. And though no one hour
will be, by itself, of very great consequence,
yet in the aggregate all of them viii bring him
to intelligence and honor, if rightly improved.
There is no excellence without labor. Indus
try is the great key that opens to men the gate
of advancement Some men are willing to live
at the foot of the ladder all their days, without
50 much as single look upward. Other men
are disposed to climb. The climbers only use
the opportunities which all alike possess. OF
course they get up in the world. The others re-
main beneath B.
Correspondence Of the Journal.
From Co. H, 65th New York Chasseurs.
HOSPITAL OF 6rH CoRPs, Ist DIVISION, }