The Van Buren press., 1875-07-20
TUESDAY. JULY 20. 1875.
We Need Energy.

Energy Il one of the necessary requisites
to success aud without it there Is not the
smallest prnhahilitr Of such an cyentnation
If this be true in the case of the individual, Is
1t not equally so Of communities which are
but aconfregation of individuals? Ii matters
not how great may have been the advantages
OF how boundless the attainments, ifthis spir-
1t tof energy be wanting. neither the one nor
the other can be Of any benefit. For instance,
take the young man who has been to college,
and. under the compulsion of the school
room. has stored his mind with useful knowl-
edge, and fully and thoroughly prepared him
self to do battle In the professional walks of
life. lie comes home, and seats himself in his
office. and becomes the vericst suggard, not
putting forth single solitary effort to attain
practice In the profession which he has cho-
sen. Pray tell us how much service all hi.
learningis to him, while he Is wanting in the
energy that can alone make it valuable to
him? On the other hand, take the youth that
has had but few advantages and whose little
information has been CLEANED within the four
walls of a district t-scIool room. Watch him.
as he mergcs to manhood; see with what gi-
ant strides he outstsps his more learned COM
peers In lifc's toilsome race; note how stead
lily and unwaveringiy he ascends the uncrr-
tain ladder Of fame. People look at him with
astonishment. and say. . Isn't he lucky ?"
The crowd vas mistaken. Luck had nothing
to do with 1t. The secret OF success was his
unconQucrabte, indomitable. persistent, OBJ
stinats energy, and nothing else ever made
A. f,L ,lor Iii
and write 1t in letters of gold upon the tablets
Of your minds, that success in life, depends
not se much upon the amount Of knowledge
you possess, as upon the dctcrminatcdness Of
your energy to put 1t, much or little though 1t
may be, to a practical use,
As We said above, If energy Is actually nee
essary to the success OF individuals, 1t Is
multitudcs of individuals. Now. arc we, as
q people, energetic? DO we 10 all that we
can to advance the interests of our town and
county? Ds We enter heartily into every and
any project that has for its object the advan
cling Of the interests of our community? Is
there not, rather. a marked tendency to HAS
terly inactivity and sluggishness? DO we not
miss In our efforts to make them assume tan
gihle shapes? Is there not. at times. al in
harmony Of action that initiates against the
successful eventnatien Of any enterprise that
may be projected? Is there a possibility OF
prosperity in family where the house is di-
yidcd against itself? We remember little
circumstance that occurred when we were
boy that will aptly illustrate the efficacy Of
united energy and effort, as well as show
how the union Of the labor Of the many, less-
ems the excrtions of each individual. We
were living In city Of $4,000 Inhabitants. at
the time OF an alarm Of fire. Down the
street, with fearful rapidity, came hose ear
riage, with fit, men hold OF the ropes. We
jumped In and took hold, and were hurried
on with the rest to the scene Of the conhagra
itta. Not ono Of all that fifty men seemed to
b. eaiiing a pound. but rather appeared to be
exerting themselves to keep ahead OF the
swiftly flying carriage That was the result
Of united cucrgy aud labor. If our people
will unite their energies in enterprises having
for their ultimation the good Of our town and
county. they will be surprised to find how
little they will be required to pull on the
ropes Of the car Of progress, as well as how
they will have to exert themselves to keep
ahead oft when 1t Is once started on Its way.
In the first place, then,let our people be cncr-
getic, and then let them be harmonious in its
exercise, and Van Burcn will be thrifty and
prosperous.