Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-27
BACKBONE
Rev. Mr.. Gray's sunday Evening
Lecture.

Lecture.
The following synopsis of Mr.
Gray's Sunday evening lecuture was
u~navoldably crowded on of yester.
days issue of the SENTINEL:
Judges, 4-l0. Thou Shalt Say No.n
lew years ago a great anxiety per-
vaded Massachusetts, over the election
OF a United States Senator. The wisest
citizens felt it to be a critical hour
In the midst of the tumultuous feeling
1t was announced that MIR. Summer
would address a public meeting. A
vast crowd assembled to hear him,
lie said: Gin these trying times a
Senator from Massachusetts, needs
three characteristics. The first is
backbone. The second is backboue.
The third is BACKBONE" We are
crowded into a busy world; its diverse
views, its multiforin tenn ptations, its
numberless dangers, its great adyant-
ages, these lash and foam in places
where many seas meet. Every man
needs the threefold qualities that con.
s'N'NS . 6ooo odGhD Ill 1UGS6 ara
self-reliance, decision, purpose. God
never intended that strong Characters
should be developed by clinging to
others. A man must boldly face diff
culties to win victory. Peril is the
very element in which power is devel.
oped. Ability and necessity dwell
near together" said Pythagoras. Bee.
thoven said of Rosini, ''that he had
| tho StnfT in him To Ia ,, p,nlo. -~-l
musician If he had only been well
hogged when a boy" Shelley tells US
OF certain poets, that they
:" Are Graded into poetry by wrong
And learn In suffering what they teach in
song"
1t is against difficulties that we are
to mount up toward the sky. Men
who are helped into all the triumphs
OF life, never win the greatest wealth
of ALA self reliant manhood. And
yet you business men who started in
poverty, and by industry, economy,
n foresight, have made at length a
success, you feel that you must pro-
tect your children FROM the hardships,
and failures, and anxieties that have
crowded themselves into your lite.
What made you a man? Was it not de-
ptLutiiCC ou yOuI OWL RESOURCES! 1 on
failed, and gathered up and started
again. Yon measured chances, as
sumed risks and acquired judgment
in these very difficulties and failures.
Poverty, disaster, obstacles, fears
these were the schoolmasters that
trained You into capacity for work.
Yet you say, nv children shall not 90
through what | have gone through.
Do you expect that you can set a flower
out of the summer house of your
home upon the mountain, and that it
will rival the strength of the oak that
has been nursed by the storm and
handled by the tempest? You have
read history to a poor purpose if you
think manhood is 10 be won in the es-
cape of difficulties. The greatest tri.
umphs OF art, literature, science and
discovery have been won by men who
had no help but their own energies.
Archimedes said: "Give me a stand
ing place and will move the world"
Goethe changed the postulate into
Make good thy standing place and
move the world"
The next element of strength in a
good backbone is decision.
There are moments in every life
uth ODloi AuilititS are DItNt1bCOy
when risks must be taken, chances
weighed, conclusions arrived at, all in
a moment. 1t was characteristic of
Napoleon that his mind acted like
lightning, and never with more pre-
cision than in moments of the greatest
confusion and danger. He said he
beat the Austrians because they did
not know the value of five minutes.
A mind needs to be developed into
that self control by which it can o n
template circumstances, weigh proba-
bilities, form sudden decisions with
GOODNESS and precision. Added to
these a man needs a carefully consid-
cred purpose.
The lecture concluded with an appli-
cation of these thoughts to moral
necessities and culture, and the need
OF strength to say no.