Excerpt from American Portrait Gallery: Containing Portraits and Memoirs of Men Now Living

Instruction is often most effectually given by example. Not a few men, it is believed, pass their lives in obscurity and want, mainly because from the unfavorable circumstances in which their lives commence, they pass the period of youth under a vague but general impression that emi nence, in any important respect, is unattainable by them; and hence they form no fixed purpose to attain it. A better means of dissipating this delusion, rousing the minds of young men and lads to high and noble aims, and' stimulating them to the achievements of such aims, can. Hardly be adopted than holding before them the example and history of others who have pushed their way upward into affluence, honor and usefulness, from amid circumstances not less discouraging than their own.

Success, though sometimes apparently flowing from the caprices of fortune, is, after all, the surest test of real merit; and it is encouraging to every young man who, repining not at the accidents of his birth, looks up with a trustful spirit to higher Spheres of usefulness and fame, to know that others have gone before him with prospects no fairer than his own, and have triumphed. The success of others gives us confidence in Ourselves. What they have done, we may do; and thus the example of those who have successfully trod any of the diversified paths of life be comes the mental heritage of every aspiring spirit, more valuable than houses or lands. It is the capital which plumes the pinions of hope the stock in trade which gives confidence to the mind, when failure might else point to despair.

This work exhibits, as all biography will, that those who are most successful in obtaining honors, public respect and wealth, have not pur sued these as the end of their labors, but have obtained them as incidents to active virtues. When we make reputation, honor or riches the motives instead of the rewards of our conduct, we reverse the order which Provi dence has established, and fail of obtaining what we are perversely seek ing. When Solomon was asked what he most desired, he said, Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, nor riches, nor the life of thine enemies, lo! I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee what thou hast not asked, both riches and honor. He asked to perform well his duties, and the performance brought with it riches and honor as incidents of duty.

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