Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-04-05
WHERE LIES GREATNESS Z

/ ~@OS$
/ WHERE LIES GREATSESSi
lam aware thatmy views on this
all-important subject are not in accord
anee with the belief Of many; how
ever, feel at liberty in this age OF
"free speech and free press" 20 ex-
press them as best can. Were a
young man to putthe above interro-
| gatOry to a hundred men, nine-tenths
of them would answer, Greatness lies
| in labor. -
Now this article does not deny that
labor is essential to greatness, but II
does deny, and will endeaYor 10 show
that it Is not the chief requisite OF
| greatness. As shall confine my re-
marks 70 man, il perhaps would not
be amiss to inquire what is man, and
what are his functions? According
to the Scriptures, he is rational be-
ing, fashioned after the image Of his
Maker, and endowed with certain
abilities. According to chemistry, he
/ Is a shovelful Of earth and q pailfnl Of
water.
Be his composition what IL may, his
essential characteristics, above ali 9TH
er species Of being, are his erect posi-
ton, powers of speech, and ability for
reasoning. Now the first and last Of
these peculiarities are, beyond q doubt
inherent in mans organization.
Again: man was endowed with
these and other powers that he might
make all things snbservient TO his
physical, inteliectusl and moral
growth. II, as they would have us
believe, iDtell9etual greatness lies in
labor, then the positions once oecu-
pied BY Shakespeare, Milton, and New
ton, being open % all, are within the
reach of those who labor. II this be
true, we must have many Shaks-
peares and Millions; but, alasl where
Is the second Julius Caesar" or Para
disc Lost 2n ~
Unfortunately, for seme, this is not
the case, and this psper wiz attempt
20 prove thai superior intellect or
greatness lies behind man 50 10 speak,
Ia Him who created him. All that Is
required TO do this Is 70 show that the
dissimflarity existing among men not
only In outward resemblance but in
intellectual powers, originates in their
native constitution.
Now there are some 90 biguted or
prejudiced In favor Of old doctrines,
that reasoning is % them q oeiusion.
They claim that every man makes
himself, and are coDtented with their
belief. II perseverance, as they say
Is alone the donor Of greatness, we
must have many unknoXn Frank-
lins scattered through thU land, for
there are many men who are striving
as hard as he ever did to become en-
nghtened, but who wanting natures
strong aid, must live and die In obacr-
rity. Now all that is required 10 con-
vince Fhem Of their error and Of
the fallacy Of their theory is OBJ
servation. But as they do not wish
toput themselves to so slight trouble,
let US look st the subject from 3 gen.
eral standpoint. There are now some
thing over one billion Of human be-
inRs living upon the same food breath
ing the same air, and warmed by the
same solar body. And yet no one
claims that any two are alike either
In disposition, passion wisdom, or In
any Of the peculisrities Of man. How
has this great dissimilAritY come
about? We're all men created with
equal powers, ali the training thai
could be devised by the Ingenious
mind OF man could not bring about
such dlssimilitude. Bat / hear them
CRY. Circumstances alter cases. ~
Yes, I grantit; but they can not des-
troy-they only modify what nature
DEGREES and constructs. Il
They sell you circumstances make
men, when these rather offer oppor-
tunities for men to show their sbili-
ties. You may turn the stream from
lis course, but you can not prevent its
onward progress to the sea You may
allure a mathematical genius from his
Euclid for q moment with classical
only that he shall return
to his old love with greater zest. Re-
ally, circumstances work marvellous /
changes, yet they can not create !
they only effect. You may conceal |
q fire with ashes, but you do not ex- I
tinguish it,-yOu only make il the I
inside Just 50 q stranger in /
a foreign land will in time forget his /
own tongue; nevertheless his genius
for mathematics, poetry, painting, or I
whatever il may be, Is not destroyed. I
Do circumstances create this dis
Let US see. Let us go /
into 4 thriving village where the gen. I
eral circumstances are the same
Churches, schools laws, customs, /
news-rooms, and dranlshops are alike T
to ell. But lol this same dissimlIari- I
ty exists. There are moral, wicked, i
unintelligent, industrious /
and indolent people here as elsewhere. i
But they say the poor can not or do !
not, associate with the rlehJ and thus {
two classes are made. To some extent /
this Is true. Bullet Us 60 farther.-
Let US peep within private house
hold, governed by the same hand, and
watched over by the same tender
motherly care. Here circumstances
can not be brought to bear, for the
same mother nurses them Ia their
youth, watches over them in their
and advises them without |
imBsrtiaIity. But are they alike in /
every particular? Most certainly not,
and It would be idle TO argue it. Many
are the elergymenis sons who lead
life 10 dramshopsa and gAmb-
ling dens after all the Christian train
ing and good moral lessons they have
received. How is It? They have
turned their backs on noble eireum-
stances and taken the hand Of vice
and crime. They can not cry, "0hl 4
the way twig Is bent the tree Is ineliE-
ed, y for the twig was started upright
and no saplings Of vice were allowed
to take root nearit. go 1
There is NJ perfect man, consequent
" all men have more or less of those
passions which are AIKEN TO evil. These
are what bend the human tHig, and II
II they are stronger than his resolu-
ton, he is a vagabOnd. Since they
claim there are two classes, viz: the
rich and poor, let US enter the poor
mans hut.
There, in one corner. sits q studious
youth porfng over his lessons. In an
1ther part Of the room are his broth
IN quarre,iDg over q misdeal at
sueher, orspending their time in some