The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-03-15
Advice to Young Men.

them out, so as to more torclbly exhlDlt
the duties which devolve upon them
Tho most of the young men of the South
have returned from struggle of four
years, on which they had periled all, and
in which they have lost all. Impover-
ished and disappointed, they have return
ed to find poverty and disappointment at
home.
: Poverty and defeat are apt to bring
dependency. Neuer despond. The young
men of the South must bear with manly
forfitude the evils that have resulted from
nm unsuccessful revolution. They must
be brave and cheerful, energetic and
hopeful. They bore themselves during
the unequal contest with manliness and
courage which have excited the admira-
ton of friends and foes. Now they must
not despond.
No selfreliant, virtuous young man
was ever known to fail. Let the young
men dare to carve out their own fortunes;
to meet the stern realities and sterner
duties of life with an unquailing devotion
to principle. With no cloud upon the
brow, no bitterness in the heart, no vim
dictiveness in the spirit, let them on to
the great battle of life. They must be
cheerful in poverty, hopeful in adversely,
patient under defeat, and firm and self
reliant in all circumstances. They must
guard against sloth. Idleness is the bane
of all good, the destroyer of all manhood.
1t paralyzes effort, prccludes exertion,
prevents improvement, blights genius,
annihilates talent, and forbids hope. 1t
fills the present with countless evils, and
darkens the future with visions of wretch
edness and ruin. 1t a foe to virtue and
the prolific source of vice. 1t palsies the
brain, and sits an incubus on the mind.
It sleeps while others toll, and languishes
while others flourish. 1t sows no seed.
cultiyates no fields and reaps no harvest.
1t acquires no knowledge, secures no
wealth. Yet idleness is seductive, and is
especially so at this time. Let us nrge
our young countrymen against tAe dan
gers of idleness. 1t IS thought that the
change from the constant excitement Of
war--from the sword and the battle-to
the tranquility of peace, is unfiendly to
industry The lack Of excitement is apt
to produce apathy and sloth. 1t will
never do for the soldiers of hundred
we'll fought fields, for the heroes of Ma
nassas and Shiloh. and the Wilderness, to
settle down to a life of Incidence. The
battle of life requires readiness of combi-
nation. celemty of movement, quickness
and perseverance of action. But idleness
binds the man, hand and foot, heart and
brain, and so fetters him with its ponder
Gus chains, that he can put forth no ex--
ertion, and gain no victory either in the
field ofintellect OF morals, or in the count
loss plains where physical labor wins
bloodless victories and gains unmeasured
wealth. Our young men are the hope Of
our desolated South land. They must
revive our trade, vitalize ourinstitutions,
increase our products, restore our pros
perity and rebuild our shattered fortunes.
Tho results of tho war have been very
destructive to the lives of our old men.
Many of them have been unable to sur
vive the loss of their children, the de-
struction of their property, and the de-
feat of their cause. 1t is to our young
mon that we must look in these times Of
disaster, and amid this almost universal
ruin. expect nothing from idIers and
loafers, nothing from drones and loungers.
The young mer upon whom we place our
hopes must DC steady of purpose, quick of
and persovering inlabor. Go
not to Ponpeii or Herculaneum, not to
Thebes or Palmyra, to find ruins; but go
to Charleston and Columbia, to Richmond
and Petersburg, to Vicksbnrg and At
lanta, and there listen to the question ::
"Why stand yc here idle ?"
Again, our young men are in danger of
forming habits of dissipation. Excite
ment they must have. The wild adven-
lures Of the war must. be substituted by
the oxcitcments of the drinking saloon or
the gambling house. 1t is strange that
any young man will venture whore SO
many have been shipwreclSed. Genius
has paled and Imagination has sickened
under the mouldering influence of intoxi-
cation. Drunkenness has been the shame
and dnnrad dation Of .nur canntrr the rnin