Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-21
ROO1 ROC YOUKG MEN.

The professions are crowded with young
men who could be very useful and valuable
citizens if engaged in Agriculture or the
mechanic ar,s, but who become dwarfed
in intellect and enfeebled in body and cor
rupted in morals by having nothing useful
TO do and no prospects for usefulness. If
these young men, who are rusting out in
che professions, could be induced to go
actively to work on farm or in some me-
chanical pursuit they would not only con-
tribute to their own prosperity but would
do much by their example, thrift and in
dustry to popularize the produc-
tive pursuits. Mr.. Maclaren, in
an exceedingly interesting article
in the Encyclopedia Britannica estimates
that there are four millions of square miles
Of useful soils and minerals on the Ameri-
can continent, each capable of affording
sustenauce to 200 persons, and that then
there are six millions of miles of very fer d.
tile soil, each mile capable of supporting
400 persons. The natural resources Of
America, if fully developed, would afford
sustenance to a number of human beings
five times as great as exist at present on the
globe. The Commission Of the land Office
in the report of 1867, thinks the unoccu-
pied domain Of the United States will
supply homes and sustenance TO over five
hundred millions of people. In view ofthe
vast mineral and agricultural wealth await
ing intelligent minds and strong arms for
its development, it looks like crime against
the age 70 see SO many young men seeking
easy Ia,ilioDs and wasting their lives in the
fruitless attempt to live without work. How
much grander would they appear wrestling
with the forces Of nature, subduing the
earth, Harvesting the water courses, extract
ing the mineral wealth and working up the
raw material of the country into more
valuable forms? How many Iistless hands
are swinging idly day by day that might
add untold millions 10 the wealth of the
world? The idea prevails in certain circles
/. that even failure in professional
40
eminent success in industrial pur-
suits. The SCORER this suicidal opin-
ion is abandoned the better. The names
that go spar king with the greatest brillian-
cy down the river Of time belonged to the
men who toied with their hands as well as
with their intellects. Sir Christopher
Wren, Stephenson, Arkwright, Fulton,
Howe, and our own reyered Strickland
spent their lives in mechanical industries,
and we think it viii be conceded that not
even the giants in the professions will COM
mard more the respect or awaken more the
gratitude Of posterity than these men.
The honor is as great to span the Niagara,
or The Mena strait as to be Chief Justice.
Indeed, It is in no way discreditable to the
legal profession to say that the intellectual
qualifications required for the first are more
rare and more elevated than for the sec
ond.
Let our young men look to the tendepcies
of the times. The rulers Of men in the
next century will be those who are most
distinguished in industrial vacations. IT'LL
itarianism gathers force and power with
each decade. Tom Scott, The railroad king
of 1870, may be the controlling mind Of
1880. ..,r .-..~--..5 -s.r.,
Honest, industrious independence is the
true typo Of a gentleman. The false stand
ard cree ed by 'fshy aristOcracy" is as
cor,emr lille as it is degrading to its devo-
tees. D.sTaceful to work! How highly