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you suppose that I should ever have got into notice if I had waited to be hunted up and pushed forward by older men?
You young men get together and form a ‘Rough and Ready Club,’ and have regular meetings and speeches. . .. Let every one play the part he can play best,--some speak, some sing, and all ‘holler.’
Your meetings will be of evenings; the older men, and the women, will go to hear you; so that it will not only contribute to the election of ‘Old Zach,’ but will be an interesting pastime, and improving to the intellectual faculties of all engaged.
And in another letter, answering one from
Herndon in which that young aspirant complains of having been neglected, he says:
The subject of that letter is exceedingly painful to me; and I cannot but think there is some mistake in your impression of the motives of the old men. I suppose I am now one of the old men; and I declare, on my veracity, which I think is good with you, that nothing could afford me more satisfaction than to learn that you and others of my young friends at home are doing battle in the contest, and endearing themselves to the people, and taking a stand far above any I have been able to reach in their admiration.
I cannot conceive that other old men feel differently.
Of course I cannot demonstrate what I say; but I was young once, and I am sure I was never ungenerously thrust back.
I hardly know what to say. The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself every way he can, never suspecting that anybody wishes to hinder him. Allow me to assure you that suspicion and jealousy never did help any man in any situation.
There may sometimes be ungenerous attempts to keep a young man down; and they will succeed, too, if he allows his mind to be diverted from its true channel to brood over the attempted
