Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-04-28
Perseverance,.

Ir is an old subject, but one which
cannot be too frequently forced
upon the attention Of the young.
They should be made to realize that
perseverance and success are syno-
nymous terms; that no matter how
auspicious may be their surround
ings, they can never achieve en-
inence without perseverance,, and
that with it they can attain eminen-
ce however adverse may be the
circumstances of their lot. The
lad who forms the habit of over
coming difficulties becomes the man
who grapples with circumstances,
boldly confronts all obstacles, real
and imaginary, and by the momen-
tum Of his asserted will, as it were,
is carried forward to success; or, as
Montaigne declared three hundred
years ago, mans power and deter
mination to push forward increases
with opposition, just as "the fire
burns with greater fury when cold
comes to mix with it,"
Perseverance often recompcnses
for lack of native ability. DR..
Arnold whose long experience with
youth at Rugby enabled him to
speak with authority, declared that
''thc difference between one boy and
another consists not SO much in tai
ent as in cncrgy;" Samuel Smiles
adds: ''Provided the Ounce has
persistency and application he will
inevitably lead the clevercr fellow
without those qualities" Dean
swift, DR.. Chalmers, Newton, Adam
Clarke, Isaac Barrow, Chattcrton,
and Goldsmith, are signal illustra-
tions Of what persons with moderate
abilities can attain to by acquiring
habits Of perseverance in boyhood.
Walter Scott and the brilliant
Sheridan were both looked upon as
Ounces in school. In fact, so much
depends upon perseverance that
Voltaire, Diderot, Disracli the elder
and others, have argued that this
faculty was genius itself. While
this may be 4 rather sweeping as
scrtion, every boy and girl should
be taught that perseverance and
energy will do for them what genius
cannot. The possession of genius
is Of no value without the perscvcr-
ance to make it available. GAS for
the talk" wrote Washington Irving,
"about modest merit being neglec-
ted, it is too often cant term, by
which indolent and irresolute men
seek to lay their wants of success at
the door Of the public. Well ma
tured and well disciplined talent is
always sure of market provided
it exerts itself, but it must not
cover at home and expect to be
sought for"
The reputation Of being plucky,
determined, and indefatigable, is Of
cstimable value. 1t often dispels
at the start opposition to ones un
dertakings which would otherwise
be formidable. The very fact tina,
an enterprise has been undertaken
by some individuals is a sufficien,
guarantee to the public that it will
go through. Without stopping to
make further inquiries, the people
invest their money in it, with their
implicit confidence that it will yield
handsome returns. The public
sometimes confer 4 coveted boon
upon All individual out of pure ad
miration for his perseverance in
grasping after it. This is frequent
" the case in political life. Six.
teen times Marcus Morton ran fol
Governor of Massachusetts, without
being elected; finally the Opposition
contending that so much pertinacity
deserved success, voted for him on
the sixteenth trial in ls4O, and he
was chosen by one majority. -
Hearth and Home.