The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-11-04

lUc oOuffc OF lCCturCS Dclulc lhc
MijdIcbury Lectur, Association for the
season of 1874 commenced last Fri
day evening with lecture from the pop
ular lecturer and writer, DR.. j. u.
Holland, Of Springfield, Mass. Academy
Hall was well filed. Nith refined aud
intelligent people who, 10 expecting
rare treat. we,e not disappointed. 1t was
high tuned, eloquent, and instructive,
delivered With n power which illustrated
his subject and proved that he had the
elements Of Personal Power" to an
eminent degree. The following is an alb
stract taken by the reporter OF the Kut'
land lie, cid:
The desire for power is the grand mo-
tive force in most Of the social aud politi.
cal changes in the world. This desire
for power is universal, and to achieve it
is to achieve honor. The forms in which
this desire maniicsts itself are Protcan.
The love Of power must have its basis 10
nature ; it is an unborn love. Honesty,
the lecturer announced as the first basis
of power all power must have basis,
and there is 20 sound basis except hon.
esty. The strongest temptation which
astails man seeking for power is to sac
rGcc truth, and this breeds rottenness.
Sooner or later everything not raised on
foundation Of truth falls. God and
nature ate against dishonesty, and actual
rectiiude furnishes the only basis Cd
which personal power can stand The
lecturer here drew the contest between
honest old Abe and the mere politician,
and said that history had made her rec
ord OF the two men. The mere party
politician has not the clements Of perma.
nent personal power. Dishonesty con.
tains in itself the elements Of its own de-
struction. The next element of personal
power considered by the lecturer was will.
A strong will is a prodigious element of
personal power. No man can be account.
ed strong who has not a strong will. The
man who said he would fight it out on
this line if it took all summer " now oc-
cupies the first place in this nation, by
mere force Of will, and was carried by
sheer impetus to the height Of political
power. Will is the backbone Of power.
Weak wills make way far strong ones.
Wills associated with benevolence enable
their owners to become leaders. 1t was
will that called into existence worlds, and
rolled them in their orbits, made the sea.
sons come and 60 in their appointed time,
and civilization to rise and fall. Will,
flowing through honest channels, is di.
vine power. Self.possession is the next
element of success. This element en-.
braces self-knowledge, selfmastcry and
selt.confidencc. Some men live and talk
at random. Every man ought to know
ust what and how much he can do. He
, should be able to hold himself in hand
so as to be thoroughly selEpossessed
which is power. No man can contro
others who cannot control himself. The
world cannot be moved by men who have
| not their passions under control. The
, man who is not master of himself is sin
ner. A man must believe in himself be-
, fore others will believe in him. Mer
, who have faith in themselves always have
{ and always will control the world. Cour
age and self confidence are very close,
allied. The test Of mani god, and w
all bow to the hero. A man who il
guilty Of cowardicc loses his power fol
5 good or evil. One courageous deed win
; in moment more than can be won in
lifetime. When the clergy cry gu
against intemperance, with force anC
< courage, the temperance reform will re
ceive its greatest impetus. Physical
/ intellectual and moral courage are al
prime elements Of personal power, which
for lack OF a better name, | will call mag
netism. This is the power which sway
y multitudes by n mere presence. Som,
! speakers conquer an audience oy merely
! appearing on the platform. The sccre
. of Patrick tleury's success was in him
! self. And 1t was magnetism which
! brought half the country to the feet o
! Henry Clay, ard that was the secret o
his power over men. knowledge, i
- rightly applied, is power. The mer
6 knowledge itself, without the power o
= applying or using it, is of no service
y knowledge in the abstract is no use, an,
held and not converted to power, is no
:, power. Mere scholarship is not educa
: ton, and never will be. When knowl
l. edge can be used for propulsion or di
/, rection, it is power Expression is
= form or manifestation of power. 1t i
=, largely voluntary matter, and one 0
=, culture and art. All power Of expression
y is some form Of art, and if man is no
master Of some form Of expression, wha
is in, must remain in him.
y EarnestDess and enthusiasm is earnest
t ness at white heat These element
d are the only ones that can take the plac
d OF magnetism. No talking machine ca
!. produce conviction ; the person must b
d in earnest, Human nature, like iron, t
IS be bent or shapcn, must be heated
C Character is one of the greatest ec
,. men,s Of personal power. Character
It the foundation fall success. Wisdom
}. goodness, purity and truth form the link
IT OF golden-chain character. There is n
:. higher form Of expression than character
% Man can paint no grander picture tina
+ noble character. Character is the high
!. est ana noblest form of selfexpressior
t Without character. the other element
|. ara useless and man has no power cx
It cept he has character. A noble charaC
ter is an element attainabe by all, an
n the only element without which all tn
d others are useless therefore the impor
j. lance Of character as an element Of powe
l. and success in life.
C Faith is the last great element. Hon
). esty is the basis and faith is the cap ston
d and crown of all the elements OF persona
!. power, Faith raises men into sel-mas
g terry. Faith in God who rules tn
IS universe, and IN the immortality Of tn
d soul and future, raises men up and give
t, them higher conception Of their posi-
hilitiaa ,p1 pouara Faith in 10