ANNUAL ADDRESS. 125 



the organ of self-esteem, and in consequence, a large amount of 

 assurance and impudence, make their parents, (who become 

 blind, as soon as their children are old enough to see, at least 

 so far as their faults and defects are concerned), think that all 

 these fine qualities, are the unmistakable marks of genius, and 

 thej are sent at once, to explore the mysteries of the learned pro- 

 fessions, already too full of such order of mind. (Applause). 



I would not discourage these pursuits in the least, but I insist, 

 that when they are selected, in preference to agriculture, solely 

 because they are supposed to be more respectable, persons of 

 such dull discrimination and weak judgment, would never re- 

 flect much honor upon any employment they might pursue, and 

 the sooner they abandon the labors of the farm, the better it 

 would be, for that noble pursuit, they so much affect to despise. 



K a young man choses his vocation in life, consulting, first, 

 his usefulness to society, and then his taste and judgment, and 

 succeeds in finding one suited to his abilities and natural inclin- 

 ation, and pursues it with intelligent purpose to master it ; and 

 while he derives both pleasure and profit from the pursuit, re- 

 flects honor upon it, whatever it may be, agricultural, the me- 

 chanic arts, or the profession, he has made a wise choice, and will 

 not regret it; but if in ignorance of his qualifications, both na- 

 tural and acquired, he rushes into a business to which he is to- 

 tally unsuited, and follows it reluctantly and idly, for the sole 

 purpose of acquiring respectibility and honor from the business 

 itself, he will certainly miss his aim, and spend a life made up 

 of a series of failures and disappointments, and die in penury, 

 and, most probably, disgrace. 



All kinds of business have many representatives of this class. 

 This fatal delusion, this aimless and thoughtless chase after the 

 ignis fat uus of honor in selecting an employment, will terminate 

 only when every department of labor and industry shall be re- 

 garded honorable, if honorably pursued, whether it is famishing 

 the human agency, by which bountiful nature spreads the earth 

 with fruits and flowers, and golden harvests, or giving curious 

 form and fabric, and nice proportions to the crude material of 

 mechanic arts, or with financial precision, close estimate and un- 



