Year: 1861

For the IITCHFIELD ENQUIRER.

 COUNSELS TO YOUNG MEN.

 NEW SERIES.

 No. ".

 There is another disuasye against the indul- gence of a quick and violent temper, which I must not omit to urge. It is the personal dan ger, to which it may expose you Resentment begets retaliation. Anger stirsup anger. Vio- lent and insulting language is almost certain to be hurled backed with interest. He who gets into quarrel, is as likely to come off with broken head, as his antagonist; and it is but poor consolation, that he has given back as hard blows as he has received. A man who in the boiling heat of lis blood, sends challenge and fights, to avenge insult, is as likely to be kill ed, as he who offered the insult.

 1 l exhort you, my young friends, as you would avoid the pain and remorse, which indulged yio- lent passions produce: as you would shun the terrible inf1iction of remorse of conscience as you would escape bodily injuries from antago- nistic violence; as you would keep yourselves free from guilt and harm ;-brng your own spir- its under subjection, with the least possible de- lay and rule them with steady hand. Once more. Seyfgore1nmaem is essential to seHf-respect and to secure respect and confidence, in all the social intercourse of life. How can any man respect himself, who is not the master of his own temper; who suffers even slight prov ocations to throw him off his guard? He is sure to say great many things unworthy of 8 man of sense, of which he will be heartily asham- ed in his cooler moments

 The late John C. Adams was once asked what he most lamented in his life He answer ed, My mpulsiye temper and manner of speech, which prevents me from returning good for evil, and induces ne in the madness of my blood to say things am afterwards ashamed of" There you have tie confession of great man, directly to the purpose l would have you eftectually guard against the like self-reproach, by habitnal selfgovernment. One thing is certain, that when man is excited, he will be tempted to more railing and folly, than discretion in his speech. appeal to your own experience, when you have been thrown off your guard. Tell me, 1 if it does not always detract more CT less from your sclfrespect. fso, how must it bo with the lockers on. Do they respect and conf,la in 8 man of quick and violent impulses, as in one who is always cool and selfpossessed. It is i'm possible. They may regard him as a ran of talents, but everybody feels that hs is not safe man.

 Ton have noticed, prssane, that men who keep perfectly cool, have all the advantage in the world, over those who are easily provoked snd excited Listen, for example, to debate be- tween two politicians, and you will be stracI. with the great advantage which he who is self collected. has over his opponent of the opposite i temperament. lie may not have the best fthe argument, but he has all the powers Of his mind at command and So he triumphs. So it is in tie heat of contested election. Those who are calm and rule their own spirits, though they make the least noise, carry great deal tue most weight with all candid persons. He who falls into & passion. inevitably wcakens lis cause, ly leaving an impression on rm;nds tlat he feels eornared. and has 10 way to get oat but by violently breaking through the meshes-of his op- poncnt's arguments.

 You may sometimes observe the same thing in courts of iustjce. Many good cause has been lost with the jury, by 8 lawyers being iai tiatel and thrown eff his balance, in the progress of the trial. He don't manage it with half the skill and ability he would, if he had perfect com- mand of his temper; and I think you will some times shrewdly suspect, that when an advocate. with cool head, has bad cause, his object is in one way or another, to irritate the opposite counsel, hoping thereby to gain the victory. Or go into the great council of the nation, and see who are the men that have the most weight there, and to whom the country looks to calry her safely through any perilous crisis. They are not the violent extremists on either side of Ma son < Dixons line, but the Senators and Rep resentati1es, who looking calmly at the interests of the whole country, in a dignifed manner, dis cuss the most exciting questions, and who make their appeals, not to the passions, but to the reason and patriotism of all branches of the great American family. Statesmen who csn govern themselves, under the bitterest provocations, are tho men to be trusted, and not the fiery hot-spurs whatever their abilities may be.

 1 I have room only for one thought more more. As when the walls of city are broken down, the way is opened for every vagabond to come in over the ruins So my young friends, if you do not keep up the defences; in other words, if you do not govern your own temper, and tongue you will always be in the power of every miseEa- ble scape grace, who may choose to annoy you' for the very purpose of showing you oil to the most advantage. Keep yourselves entirely above their reach. It is shame to come down to their level. as you must, if you answer them according to their folly. It takes respectable man, a great while to forgive himself for soiling his hands with them.

 TIE OLD MAN OF THE MouST.1ss. SELECTED FOR THE ENQUIRER. FRUITS OF DESULTORY READING.

 There is no fault to be found with external | T. IT