New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
" THE BEST WISDOM.r
SOME VIEWS ON DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER
From william Winters address before the Staten
Island Academy

From William winters ADDRESS before ue slaen
Island Academy.
older. who have lived longer and travelled further are
usually ready enough with COUNSEL but 1t Is Your
Others. Honor and truth We take for granted. Il
would be vrtuous,' said an old philosopher, though
no one were to know it, just as ! would be Clean.
place precept need not be opened here Yet there IS
one word of counsel which now more than ever-n
this Pagan age of denial and democracy-ought 10 %
spoken to the youth Of America. BE yourselves. ana
never abandon your noble aspirations! lou eanno.
have Affiliations with other persons. But IL is not I'm,
perative that those affiliations should be numerous ana
you have it within your power to make them select
Yon are under no obligation TO initiate Others or 10
do Others do You ought never TO permit y0n
minds to be inundated with the ignorance the crid
and the vapid chatter OF commonplace persons ~
not too much reverence the past. Old burdens tlss
have rolled from the shoulders Of weary and dying men
Is your life that You must live il is not theirs and
now that they rest from their abors let their wor
follow them. Neither must you suppose yousee zen sn
Joined to assume the burdens that other persons nass
s crieySnces who have them Do allow ySr
lives encumbered with the vices, the errors, the
foles and the weakness Of failures and Of fools. y
fools should exist and suffer but they must not y
permitted merely because they exist ana sun.' ~
drag you also into failure and foy hr' c eer
For it is only the temporary and the eXpedent tsm
Is greganous. In every great moment Of lfein s.gy
time Of insight Inspiration crshe human S Se1
is alone The object Of education Therefore snyl s
be the development and buIiing of an original NOPE
adequate character-not simply preparation ior ny, 10
dustrial pursuits but an armament Tor ey ~,
transitOry The soul Of man i immortal r v,ns,.
views am aware, commonly entertained. reO ~
never weary Of declaring that education must be s
Bile and NOT visionary An effort 70 worry he sPS I
,, MING 4. on 5 s't Msn part 81 the ali
over and has been So at periodic intervals tor ss
years remember us perMeoas , eS'senSe
as opposed TO what was called practical 10Y
affairs meaning Thereby cotton IRON l fGs snc ' sancs
is9O-in the newspapers OF York-that epaen1ji ,
commonplace burst forth with uncommon rScssess
lence, and varoms individuals in every esse ipssoalc
OF wealth thar apprsed MS that Isb an
training Is superauous because II aims TO na Gfs fr
fSuD%ent wholly Mn dear In o sScf friend d wn
comedian used to tell In his inmt c"dS1se SaS d.
who once was addressing the. pupil; al "a "who
school. 81 knew little boy he saw %s face in
always obeyed his mother always %r" never
stole an apple And where do on THINK ' l,e5 ont AZ
Is nowf, 10 this inquiry s NJ ~. ye'e ee sdt the a.
msted orator, mot in heaven Hes 6,en IN Of II.
That the mental r. drift it, OF tn9se Gc chief end
man is 10 get himself employed in store .,a men
what Joseph Jefferson calls the sDs fact Is s
that the sensitive feeling s all one side 0ot sIs,
given them wealth. mas siN ven and nv This 0ses
thew know that the province Of cdlcaton thsn
train young people for business ont % et The
nnon fe-of which business + ONLY an inciueh" .,uays
best wisdom OF the wisest OF mariana ,Tnrtary 10
Taught that lesson. Make your bnsne. srt m your
vour mind and not your mind snhseryeu. y shA
business @The world Is too much Win L, vatthcN
Wordsworth. DO not defer to the world s''" "
Arnold: - .,.,
No gifts from chance have conlucre~
They winning room 10 see ana heHr,
And 10 mems business not too near
Through clouds OF tndividnal STRIFE
Draw homewaM TO the general hie