Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-02-21
LETTERS TO The EDITOR
Success Not the True Standard of
Merit.

prevails. The yaTiegated landscape,
like grand panorama, presents to
our admiring eyes a scene of wonder
ful and ever changing beauty. In
the animal, vegetables and mineral
kingdoms we flnd an infinite variety
Of kinds, forms, classes and condi-
tons. And in the world Of action we
observe the various trades and pro-
LESSONS, the diversity of opinions and
changeful forms Of men. Some are
successful. while others fail. And men
present as marked contrast in their
lives as are found in the inequalities
Of the natural world Success is the
attainment Of the object aimed at, with
the consideration and praise of men;
whether the object be to gain wealth
or fame, solve a problem in science,
save ones country. or TO prosper in
any calling The opinion largely pre-
walls that success is the true stand
ard Of merit.
In proof Of the injustice of this de-
clsion, we have the authority Of Scrip
ture, the testimony of history and
the evidence Of our own experience;
for solomon said: / returned and saw
under the sun that the race is not al
WAYS 10 the swift, nor the battle to
the strong; neither vet bread to the
wise, nor yet riches to men of under
standing nor yet favor to men of skill,
but time and chance happened to them
all
And in proof of this statement he
declares: There was a little city and
a few men within it, and there came
a great king against it and besieged
and built great bulwarks against it.
Now there was found in it a poor wise
man, and he BY his wisdom delivered
the city: yet no man remembered
that same poor man."
And what Solomon observed mas
been the experience Of many thousands
since mic time. There have been patri-
OTIS, warriors. statesmen and philoso-
piers Of eminent abilities of whom
success has seemed to elude by some
fatality. not BY any lack of labor or
fol ethOught, but by circumstances be-
yond their control How often an ac-
cident has changed the fortune of a
battle, the fate Of an empire, yea, the
destiny Of nations. If the little cow
boy who acted as guide TO BulOw, Blu
ch-r's lieutenant had advised him to
,@l;e the rosie from above Frichemond
instead Of below Planchenoit, Napol-
eOu would have won the battle of Wa
terloo! For by any other road thSn
below Plan ,henoit the Prussian army
would have brought up at a ravine
impossible fer artillery, and Butcher
would not have arrived as he did to
change the tide Of battle. An accident
TINS became the cause Of Wellington s
glorious victory and Napoleon's hui
initiating downfall The web which
the spl Ter spun across the entrance tc
the cave where Mohammed lay con-
cealed saved the life of the prophet
This was a slender thread on which
to so much of destiny, and yet this
filmy faoric from a spiders loon
brought about a change in the religion
and history of near half the human
race. "NoX populi, vOx dei''-the voice
Of the PEOPLE is the voice of God, says
the ancient prOverb. But the errone-
Gus judgments of one generation have
often been reversed by the sober de
| cisiOns of another Men whose lives
were called failures by their contem-
poraries because their works were no
appreci; ted in their own time, in ;
| succeeding age obtained their true
| position in the ranks of great men
! Milton is an illustrious example. II,
received for his immortal poem, Para
disc Lost. only fifteen pounds sterling
! less than seventy-fiVe dollars. A co
| temporary critic Of some authorit.
said. The blind poet, John Milton
hath written long and tedious poem
and if its great length be a merit. j
! hath no other Yet, two hundred
years PASS and it is pronounced "th'
noblest poem next TO those of Virgil
and Homer that ever the wit Of MAI
produced in any age or nation Aft
| CT suffering much from political ant
! personal enemies. he finally died il
his old age. poor and forsaken.
In every age there have been thos
whose writes and achievements neve
received the consideration which the.
/ deserved. Socrates, the greatest hea
then philosopher, was condemned t.
death ON a false accusation and forcet
to drink the deadly juice of the hem
/ lock The exile OF Demosthenes ant
his final suicide to escape falling int
the hands of the enemy: the Danish
ment and subsequent murder of Gle
Gro: and the fail Of pOmpey the Great
Illustrate at once the ingratitude o
man and the fckleuess and injustice
! Of his judgments.
The solitary tomb Of Pompey on tn
shores of the distant Mediterranean
| bears this melancholy inscription, H
| whose merits deserve a temple 'cal
now scarcely find a grave" In tn
history Of the mechanic arts we fin,
that often poverty IS the portion o
! inventors. These men who toll witt
hand ana brain for The good the rae
| often receive but a small reward TO
! their self-sacrfhcing labOrs. ''Pool
| john Fitch" the inventor and builde
Of the first steamboat, was bette
/ mechanic than Robert Fulton who
! twenty years after, built the successful
one Fitch's boat. which failed, mad
/ six miles All hour against and eigh
/ miles with the tide. while Fulton's
| which succeeded, made only five mile
an Onr with the tide in ITS favor. I'll
l WhitncN who invented the cotton cir
I which has poured untold millions int
| the lap Of the nation, was basel
/ cheated Of his fame and money an
/ was g poorer man because of his in
/ ycltiGn. the Goodyear rubber paten
/ which has been applied to a thousan
uses brought only anxiety and distres
/ to its inventor. Napoleon declare
/ that success was necessity His
| tory aas shown that many have faile
! who deserved q better fate Thei
motives aud their labors entitled thcr
/ To the praise Of men. but they did no
I
! shall We ascribe no praise to Sparta
CTS. kossuth, Garibaldi, Columbus
Hudson. Raleigh. Fitch Whitney
! Goodyear Calico, Cicero and Demos
| themes, because in life they did no
receive q just reward for their labeTs
such - course would blot from tn
! records Of fame the few illustriou
names that were not born to die" Th
unjust judgments Of men unite wit
/ Revelation in declaring that man look
| eth Jt The outward appearance Will
/ God oolath at the heart The acct
| dents of lifa, sudden wealth. beugh
! position or circumstances of caste o
! rask as much Influence our conduC
/ towards men as our knowledge of thei
IectitUde and true principles Of char
/ actor.
with Him, there Is no Variabenes
1 nor shadow Of turning. the motive an
! the life shall speak for and eac
shall be judged for the deeds don
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