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Self Made Men

Self Made Men image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
November
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In the higber walks of gen'úne usefulness the proportion of those enjoying no nd_ vnntnges of family influence or hereditary wealth, who attain the loftiest eminence, is very great. Cali to mind the first twenty names that occur to you of men distinguished for ability, energy, philanthropy, or lofty achievement, and generally three-fourths of hem will be tliose of men bom in obscurity and depcndence. All iiterature is full of anecdotes illustrative of these encouraging truths: a single fuct now occurs to me which I have never seen recorded: I have often worshipped in a Baptist meeting-house in Vermont, whereon ai. its construcción some thirty years since a sUidious and examplary younL man was for sometmie cmployed ns a carpenter, who afterwardsqualficd himself and entersd upon the re&ponsinlities of the Christian Ministry. Tliat young nan was Jared Sparks, since Editor of the ioith Amerifcan jfieview, of Washington's voluminous Writfrigs, &c. and now recognized asone of the foremost scholars, historina and crilics in America. The great central truth which I would im ress on the minds of my readers is this - jremising a genuine energy and singleness of nirpose - the circumstances nre nothing, the VI a.n is all. We may be the slaves or toys of circumstancc if we will; most men perhaps are so; and to these all eïreumstances are alike evil - that 's, rendered so, if not by rngged Difficult}', then by f-oft Temptation . Uut hat man who truly rulelh his own spirit, - and such there ia, even atnong us - reodily dcies all material iufiuences or bends them to his will. Be hopeful, be confident, then, O friend! if thoii hast achieved this preat conjnest, and believe that all else shall folJow in duo teaeon.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News