Dr. Holland's Lecture

It is to bc cxpected that an attnck upon tlic gene-rally rccoived opinions of men, will bo met with violent opposition - Especially is tliis to bo expeeted when the old maxims, the so callcd " wisdom of tlio ages," are pronounoed false. - There are tucnin every cominuiiity, siuull men usuaily, holding important positions, wbo faucy thcuaeelves to be living witnesses of the truth of such proverbs as the distinguisheá Iccturer denoimecd. - I view of some adverse criticisma which have been made, founded, as we tliink upou a misapprehcuaion cf the lecture, it may not be ainiss to present a brief abstract of it. In the main, the propoaitionsadvanced aro eminently truthful ; ai.d they were preaentcd with an clegance of style, witb a beauty and clcarness of diction, and with an impressive, graueful eloquence, which are not nften surpassed. Tho power of "Self Help" distingnishes man from animáis. All forcea are of this power. It is the inainspring of industry. In this age tbere is a great deal of talk about self-help, self-culture, self education. In uil t Li Is?, there is a measure of truth ; but, in tho main, it aso fallacious, so mischievous that it is quite timo tliat the idea is combatted. Teachers instil into the minds of studeuts the not ion, that thcy eau rise to any position which tliey eliooso, in any profession ; and en force their instructiou with sucl) maxima as the following. ' Whcre there is a will there is a way." One of the larest lies ever palmed off upon humanity. All men can not be rich. Look at the Tnultitude iu this country who will to be President. "' Labor conquer all things." - Another lie. Putan ass to carry an elephant's burden, and bis back will bo broken. ' Nothing is impossible to him who wills," a motto whith ho had seeu over the door of a school house in Massa cliusetts. Led on by such allurementa, tlie young choosö profesgioua for which liave no natural fitness, and, as a eonsequence, a largo majority fail. Every well made man is a self-made man. ïhere is no procesa by which a man can be manufactured ; no mili iuto which you can put a boy, and turn out a man. There are many self-made Governors, Congrcssmen. Judgos, and office holders of all kinds; but foiv self-made men. The expression is usuaily applied to educated men who have not had tho ordinary advantages of education, in contra-distinction to college-made - It is probably a faet that a majority of well-made men aro collego men ; but most of the latter are mere machines; men who pray by rote and teach by rule, who prescribe the name of a drug for the name of a disease, md often lay down their lives, but oftcner those of their patients. The characteristic of self made men is iudividuality. Whether in college er out, they choose, they reject, they grow from the center. Power, in its qu.ility a;id degree, is the measure of maiihood S$holarship is not. Mere collcgo-inade men can teil what they have learned ; but their learning is too ofteu a dead weight upon thetu. They are fine ornamenta] men, makc very i espectable candidatos for rcspectablo offices, very fashionable presoribers for fashionable diseases, and unexeeptiouablc preachers for very exceptionable congrogatious; but they are not the men to board with. In the slat)g phrasG of the day " they can't keep a hotel.'' Solf-made men may be abrupt, may scare and horrify you by their disregard of established opinions ; but it is at their table you lovo to sit; they aloue can satisfy you. They produce whatever is ïiew. Every man's natural ability is adapted to Rome purpose. Every man has indi viduality, and may be a self made man ; but the fact ia there is little individuality in tho world. We aro all soldiers of the King of Fashion, and march in battalious. Individuality is suppressed. Every man is respectable, and grows in power, when in h.s place ; neither is truc, when out of it. " He who aims at the sun will shoot higher than be who aims at the earth." Another of those beantiful maxims. Bettcr shoot a gray gquirrel from a Virginia fence, than firo away at the sky. The maxiin is applied to choke of business, rather than to excellence in that for which ono ia fittcd. - Doubtless, it is a f;ict, that there are more men in the professions cf law and medicine than the world has nced of. - He spoke with more hesitancy of the christian miuistry, as it was a delicate subject. Most of thi-i class are actuated to ;i choicc of their profession from a sense of duty, r.itlier than a sensc of fitness. He believed them to bo tho least corrupted and least corruptible class of men; but of them few are self-made men; füw are a power in the world. It seemed to him that it woull be a more christian thing to bo a first rato farmer, mecbanio or tradesman, thm to bo a fifth rate minister - a mere inoiitii-picce of a eer tain school. He spoke with lcss deiicaty of tho othcr protessions. They are usuaily chosen from different motives ]$oys who '' aim high" coiumnnly expect to bo lawyers or doctors; yet thero are few first rate men in these professions. Think how delicate and sanred the dutics entrusted to the physician, how rare the qualitics of mind and heart capablc of fulülling them, and thon think of the men turned out by our medical schools - Bob Sawyers- and marvel tiot that a Professor distinguished alike at the dis secting and tho breakfast table bas said, that " if all the drugs were thrown into the sea, it would be all the bettcr for man. and worse for tho fishes." It roquiros raro ability for a good lawyer. Place thooe of vour acquaintance under ono of these lieads, and judgo for yourselves : those of eniinenco : tboBe of rcspectability ; those of mediocrity ; and thoso oí inferiority A man has no right to bo in a poflition whero ho is inferior. - Whnn Eve, our respectcd Mother, did that thing whioh bronghfc sin into tbc ■world, the lccturcr fearcd tliat slio did also tliat thing wblch brouglit lawyers, doctors, and ministers. Duriug tbo mil lennium they will be little necded. Ho deprecated the prizes set up in uur cliouls. Mwiliood ia the liigbcst prize. - The child is not taught tliat n eelt mado Governor s not a self made man. Hei less. Tbeve is uo dangor so threatening to our country, even in these times of war, as the ambition of small nieu for office, and the ease with which they gaiu it. All -truc self-making must be with reference to self-hood. Colleges treat men in masseg. All are put tlirough the samo text books. The man who puts himself to what he craves, in or out of college, has an advantage over the rou Vinest. Nearly all men inake themselves after they kave culiege. They drop the booka ' vrhich do not aid thein. In the conflict ; o( life it is a question of brains and power - wlmt a man can do. V hen a man finds tliat to which he is adoptcd, thcro he can find lita manhood. It is better to be a ohristian than a philosopher ; better to be a man (begging pardon of the ladics) than anything cloe. Mauhood is the measuro of man. Th(,re is no work to whieh God puls you tliat is nicuial or mean. Mueh dirtier work is done in politics aud the profeuïions than bootblacking. 'J'hc loss of individuality is the greatest calamity. He who has found his place is the happy man. Q.