Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-03
"CLEAR GRIT"
Some Extracts from Rev. Robert Coll
yer's Last Lecture In New York.

We say that we have in Chicago $780,.
900 inbabitants-we claimed 100000
before the census was taken. Now
among these there are not few firstrate
men and good many that think they
are but amt. Laughter Now every
man in Chicago that is somebody is q
poor mans son. Every man who is
doing any sort of work in Chicago To-.
day, was raised poor mans son, and
had to fight his way to his place; not
one of them, as l can ascertain, was a
rich mans son. and had good time
when be was boy, except that all boys
should grow as strong as steel Jar,
fighting their way to an education aud
then. when they are ready, plung.ng in
to life with that traditional half dollar
and a little bundle tied up in red hand
kerchIef, as | have observed all rich men
start. Laughter tell you that in
five and twenty years, when most Of us
that are now in our middle ages have
gone TO our reward or retribu:ion, the
men of mark in this country will not be
sons of those whose fathers can give
them all they wish for, and ten times
more than they ought to have, but will
be those who are brought up 10 farm
houses and cottages, cutting their way
through thick set hindrances of every
sort; and all the brown stone houses of
this metropolis, and all the white stone
houses in our metropolis, will be as moth
ing to bringing out the noble man. |
do not remember any preacher of com
manding power who was not the son of
some man that had no fortune to give
him, or very little. Taylor, Fox, Bun
yam, Wesley, Parker, the two great
Beechers, Bellows Applause none of
these were rich mems sons. They had
this fine hardness of grain to begin with,
and l tell you the reason SO many noble
vessels drift on the lee shores is the want
of hardness and compaetness.
If l will have clear grit and hold my
own for all time, l must commence by
eating my porridge. Franklin said, 3" so
long as can subsist on sawdust pudding,
you may stop your subscription to my
paper any time" The subscription was
not stopped. Now this was true Of Sid
ney Smiths noble and beautiful career.
He went into the Salisbury plains and
dined on potatoes day after day, and
week after week, rather than barter a
single atom Of his manhood. The down
trodden masses found in him a champion
10 fight their battles, and he stands to-
day as one of the noblest Englishmen of
the last generation, because, when he
was a young man he could be CONTEXT
with his porridge, and this, as we can
easily gather, must be one true reason
why MIR. Greeley, long years ago, was
able to establish his great journal, and
become the power he has been and is to
day in the nation. To exchange his por
ridge for chicken IN those times, | sup
pose, was never allowed to come ss p
temptation under that old white coat Of
his. Applause. remember that
John Bryant, of Princeton, ILL.,, told me
that when his brother, William Cullen
Bryant, adopted Spartan habits--omit
ting Of course, stealing--he would take a
pisce of bread and cheese with water for
bis breakfast, do something that had
work in it before he came down to his
newspaper office, work in his Office all
day. aud then 60 back at night to the
same sort of supper. / have no doubt
that William Cullen Bryant owes his
long life to being contented with his por.
ridge. Said Lincoln to friend that
came to the White House: Il should
be glad if you would stay and dine with
me, but have no idea of what we shall
have for dinner, because when Mrs. Lin
coin is away | just browse around."-
And this was the reason for his being
the man be WAS. And SO, turn where
you will, you encounter this truth; that
to make much or sure Of yourself, you
must make sure you are clear grit; first
of all, in being able to say no to these
good servants bur bad masters, your pas
sions and appetites, and it is not hard to
see here again the line between the false
and the true.