The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-06-07
EDUCATOR AND SUCCESS.
Br James A. Garfield.
From an address before the students Of the
Speceriaa Business College, Washington
D. G. June %, 1859:

From an address before ihe students Of th
Specerian Business College, Washington
D. C. June 29, 1859:
l have a deep and peculiar sympathy wit
! young people who are engaged in any de
partment OF education. Their pursuits ar
to me not only matters of deep interest, bu
of profound mystery. It will not, perhaps
hatteF you older people when [ say that
| have far less interest in You than in thest
young people. With US, the great ques
tions of life are measurably settled. Oul
days 90 on, their shadows lengthening a;
we approach nearer to that evening which
viii sooa deepen into the night of life
but before these young people are thC
dawn, the SUNRISE the coming noon-all the
wonders and mysteries of life. For our
selves, much of all that belongs to the pos
sibilities of life is ended, and the very angels
look down upon US with less curiosity than
upon these whose lives are just opening
feel pr0founder reverence for a boy than
for man. | never meet ragged boy Of
the street without feeling that | may owe
him 4 salute, for | know not what possibili-
ties may be buttoned up under his shabby
coat. When l meet you in the full flush of
mature life, | see nearly all there is of you
but among these boys are the great men of
the fature-the heroes of the next genera
alton, the philosophers, the statesmen, the
philanthropists Of the great reformer5 and
molders of the next age.
Let me beg you, in the outset of your
career, to dismiss from your minds all idea
of succeeding by luck. There is no more
common thought among young people than
that foolish one that by and by something
will turn up by which they will suddenly
achieve fame or fortune. No, young gen
tlemen; things don't turn up in this world
unless somebody turns them up. Inertia
is one OF the indispensable laws of matter,
and things lie fiat where they are until by
some Intelligent spirit (for nothing but
spirit makes motion in this wOrld) they are
endowed with activity and life. Do not
dream that some good luck is going to
happen to you aud give you fortune. Luck
is an igajs Jataus-you may follow it to ruin,
but not to success. The great Napoleon,
who believed in his destiny, followed it
until he saw his star go down in the black
est night, when the Old Guard persisted
around him, and Waterloo was lost. 4
pound of pluck is worth ton Of luck
Young men talk of trusting to the spur of
the occasion. That trust Is vain. Occasions
cannot make spurs, young gentlemen. II
you expect to wear spurs, you must win
them. Ii you wish to use them, YOU must
buckle them to'yOur own heels before you
go into the fight. Any success you may
achieve is not worth the having unless you
fight for it. Whatever you win in life you
must conquer by your own efforts, and then
it is yours-a part OF yourself
Again: in order to have any success in
life, or any worthy success, you must resolve
to carry into your work fulness of knowl
edge-not merely Il sufficiency, but more
than a suftieiency. In this respect, follow
the rule OF the machinists. IF they want
machine to do the work of six horses, they
give it nine-hor;e power, so that they may
nave reserve Of three. To carry on the |
business of like you must have surplus |
power. Be fit for more than the thing you |
ire now doing. Let every one know that |
you have reserve in yourself; that you |
nave more power than you are now using. |
occupy, you are too small for it.
Let me suggest that, ip giving you being, |
God locked up in your nature certain forces |
md capabilities. What will you do with |
hem? Look at the mechanism of clock |
Take off the pendulum, and the ratchet and |
he wheels go rattling down, and all its |
orce is expended in a moment; but proper
y balanced and regulated, it will go on let
ing out its force tick by tick, measuring
lours and days, and doing faithfully the
ervice for which it was designed. implore
'ou to cherish and guard and use well the
orces that God has given you. You may
ct them run down in year, if you will.
Take off the strong curb of discipline and
morality, and you will be an old man before
our tweuties are passed. Preserve these
orces. Do not burn them out with brandy
r waste them in idIeness and crime. Do
ot destroy them. Do not use them un-
'orthily. Save and protect them, that
hey may save you fortune and fame. Hon
silly resolve to do this, and you will be an
onor to yourself and to your country.