The Arizona sentinel., 1876-09-02
FOR DELEGATE TO CONGRESS,
HIRAM s. STEVENS
SELF-RELIANCE.

tain to civilized life, there is noth- ing of greater moment than to teach them the habit of self-reli- ance. Man is naturally a depen- dent creature, and can never be strictly independent no matter how much wealth he may acquire in money. houses or lands- The infant, at its advent into this world, is the most helpless and dependent Ofall animals,and with out a mother or 8 nurses uremit- ting care, would surely die. But by care and attention it lives and grows and soon begins to find out that it can help itself little and is becoming less and less depen- dent on mother or nurse. This is the child's first lesson in self-reli- ance; anew world opens to him and he feels that he is of some account himself. Now if this feeling is encouraged and fostered and the child taught not 10 call upon any, one else to do thing that he can do himself, as he grows up he gradually learns to rely upon him. self, and is thus prepared to be a useful and hOnored citizen and a leader among men. But, unfor
 tunately the training that boys and girls generally get in our day, is calculated to teach them any thing else than self.reliance. This is particularly the case in families who are well off in the worlds goods. Children are taught to be dependent on father, matter and friends for everything, and fre- quently young man attains his majority without any preparation for the great battle of life, think ing perhaps that father, and mo- ther and all the friends of his youth will be with him through life and help him and shield him from the rough and tumble of the world. Fatal mistake He does not think that in the course of na- ture these friends must pass away. He does not reflect that wealth sometimes takes the wings of the eagle and flies away. Up to this time all has been as a smooth sea. a favoring breeze and fair sailing
 But now what terrible change ! The pillows roll high, the gentle breeze has turned into a hurri- cane, he has no chart or compass and he sees his frail craft at the mercy of tue wind and waves, fast drifting upon a rock. bound and inhospitabie shore He thinks that an anchor might save him, but alas, he has no anchor {! That anchor that would have saved him is called self-reliance, and his ship was not provided with it. Men who have been taught self, reliance and who have cultivated the habit, are seldom Respondent Misfortune may come upon them in various shapes, their property may be swept away by fire ol flood, mercantile disaster may re duce them to penury, but they d( not despair, they are up and at i
 again, realizing that "the black est cloud has a silver lining.'
 But the man who has no self-reli ance, when friends and fortune forsake him, sinks lower and low CT. until he loses all confidence il himself and is powerless to rise Many men rely upon Providence and spend much time on thei knees, praying for every gooC thing to come to them. It is vel to have faith in the goodness c the Almighty. All good mel have such faith, but the prayer of the idle shiftless man will d
 him no good, for he will find tha the adage is as true now as 1t eV CT was, that "God helps thos who help themselves" Ther are too many people in this worlt