Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-03-15
YOUNG MEN.

ill he had dcnc with the lvcusts.
YOUNG MEN.
All ack1 owicd-,c that young men
firm very important class in society,
and that on them rests a great deal
OF responsibility. They will soon be
ca!!cd upon to assume all tho duties OF
lille, both public and private, and in
the If hands will rest mainly tho future
"cittrc and destiny Of this nation.
10 bo prepared to perform tho du-
ties that will hereafter dcvolvo upon
them, they must have suitable char
actcr, amt that must be founded whiIo
they arc young men. The enemies Of
u nation, as we'll as its friends, under
stand this. Catalina, in attempting to
accomplish his design oi ovcrthrowing
tho Roman republic, first began to
corrupt the young nan, knowing well
that i! he succeeded in that step, the
way would be we'll prepared to achieve
his wicked object.
That they acquire the requisite char
acter, which their ago and country
demand, they must appreciate its high
value; rs our efforts to obtain an OBJ.
jet depend very much on the estimate
we place upon its worth. Character
is worth moro than anything elso-
it is the choicest treasure q man can
havo. Tho man vino has noble char
actcr, although he may not havo q
dollar in tho world, has q far richer
treasure than tho man in tho posses
lion ofmillioIs, whose cliaract,r;> Is bad. =.
1t is good character that makes 4
man happy, ii ;ial, useful, truly
respected and honorcd. When John
Milton was poor and neglected, after
tho restoration Of Charles Tic Second,
ard vas offered hy that dissolute
monarch q lucrative Office, and his
wife urged him to accept it, because
OF worldly advantage, he silcnced her
by saying: "You arc in the right !;
you, as OTHER women, would rdo in
your coach dut my aim is TO lice und
die an honest man," lie understood the
value OF character, and these heroic
wo.ds should be treasured up and
adopted by every young man.
1t should be borro in mind that
Il worthy character must.he the result
OF individual exertioi. It cannot bo
i'herited by young men from, their
parents or pu: chased with money. In
this country u young mans father
may be wealthy and honorable, and
disposed to do ali he can for his son,
80 lar as money and influence will 60 !;
but all will avail very little towards
laising him to true responsibility and
usefulness without his own efforts -
Hence many, not rclying sufficiently
on their own excrtions, but on their
fathers, for character ard standing in
III tho world, tiEd, when too late, that
thcir ability and success depends moro
on what they arc themselves, than on
what they have, or on what their re.
lations arc CT possess.
Itis clearly evident fact that o
very largo proportion Of our young
men arc doing nothing towards form
ing the character that they should
Their friends see this and lament over
it; they see that their tastes and
habits are oil in tho wrong direction,
and tremble for tho terrible result
In the large majority of cases, the
canlzcf is intemperance. This is tho great
evil to which they are exposed, and
by which they are ruinod. There are
othor evils, but this is tho. giant one,
and leads directly and indirectly to
them all. Tens Of thousands are ru-
ined every year by this vice, and bring
not only disgrace and wretchedness
on themselves, but on multitudes of
others related to them. -
Recently, in conversation with a
gentleman, having a rare opportunity
for observation in this respect, no re-
marked thero is moro drunkenness
among young men now, than at any.
previous time within his remem brance.
His observations. in, this regard, 1--WE
believe, =, corresponds with that of
others generally, Even boys are Of
ten Aeen' .frequenting liquor shops,
and reeling,in the streets. This state
ofthings is alarmiug--it' .is ssapping
the very foundations of society, and
blasting and blighting our young re-
public. - '-s.35 -.:.3t;sS
=, q