Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-16
CHE freemau.
MONTPELIER. VT.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. l6, 1882.
To Our Youth Again.

To Our Youth Again.
In former letter l urged you to seek
thorough mental training on the ground
that there was great and increasing
demand for vigorous thinkers in our land,
and that the eyes of the people, east, west
north and south, are turned toward New
England for supply. There are other
and more weighty reasons urging upon
you the same effort for culture. We need
not only energetic thinkers, but those loyal
to truth and righteousness. The country
needs more conscience as well as more
culture. There is ringing call for men
and women imbue1 with the spirit of
reformers. There are yet wrongs and
abuses (thank God we have corrected
some) which will inevitably work our
ruin unless they are checked and put from
us. We need bold, stalwart men who are
not afraid of evil though intrenched
behind the dominant social or political
power, or even seated upon the throne of
royalty.
"Men who stand before demagogue,
And damn his treacherous batteries without wiukiug;
Tall men. sun crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking"
There are many circum stances surround
ing us here which are calculated to pro-
duce men of moral fiber and rugged
manhood. We arc removed from the
giddy whrl of business and pleasure in
which men are consumed, body and soul.
in our large cities. Great men have been
born and reared in crowded cities; but the
great mass of ilustrious men. who have
won the first rank among their fellows.
have been country brod. This is specially
noticeable SO far as great reformers and
sturdy moralists are concerned. In Bible
history let Elijah, Moses, and John the
Baptist witness to this fact. Moses, though
reared in court, spent forty years among
the mountains and in the desert, leading
shepherds life, before he was fitted for
the great work which has given him such
an enduring name among men. So Luther
and Zwinyli, Edwards and Garrison were
men reared among the mountains. 1t is
not mere fancy that men partake some-
what Of their surroundings, and become
morally like what is nearest to them. No
grander place to produce men than the
natural surroundings Of New England; !;
and she has produced generous progeny
of worthless. There is reason in all this.
A child Of the mountains is much with
drawn from men, and is in communion
with nature and natures God. Thus
contemplative habits are formed. One
thinks for himself, and by himself and
becomes independent in his thinking and
in his convictions. Again the country
furnishes an opportunity to commune
with God through his works. Many 4
farmers lad among the hills of New
England, taught to fear nothing save God,
aud to yield to no will save the divine
has turned aside among the crags and
mountains and in some cleft of the rock
seen the Almighty pass in his chariot OF
cloud, riding in awful majesty upon the
wings of the wind just as really as Elijah
saw his power in the olden time standing
at the caves mouth upon Horeb. And
then after the storm in the twilight of the
evening, when the clouds are gone, in the
holy quiet of Christian home by
fathers reverent prayer, or mother
tender pleading at the mercy seat, he ha.
been led to see n God of infinite love aud
mercy, even as he saw upon the mountain
God of infinite power and glory. Ant
to the still, small voice all that is stronges
and holiest in him has yielded. All these
surroundings have conspired to produce
men of character here among the hills o.
Vermont These men the world wants
and our country imperativoly needs
Training and culture will bring out ant
develop these men and women from oul
own farms and liresdes, if only they can
be stimulated to seek the proper culture
in the opportune time, Remember this
young friends; God has not given US thu
grandeur the mountains, the plenty of th
valleys, and the inspiration of heroic ant
Cody ancestors without putting upon u
very grave responsibility. He, Ms wei
rs the nation, looks to US for great things
shall we not bestir ourselves to meet th
Just and natural claim that is upon us
All this by way of enforcing the though
that there is present, pressing deman
upon you to be ready and well furnishe
when the exigencics of our nation and Ii
voice of God shall call you to life @
vigorous and heroic activity. At som
future date | will write in NOR
practical manner concerning the how {
this work of mental training.
Yours for every good work