Quote of the Day, or, A Challenge to the Millennial Generation

by

They stand now on the threshold of public life. They are in the leash, but in a moment they will be slipped. What will be their fate? Will they maintain in august assemblies and high places the great truths which, in study and in solitude, they have embraced? Or will their courage exhaust itself in the struggle, their enthusiasm evaporate before hollow-hearted ridicule, their generous impulses yield with a vulgar catastrophe to the tawdry temptations of a low ambition? Will their skilled intelligence subside into being the adroit tool of a corrupt party? Will Vanity confound their fortunes, or Jealousy wither their sympathies? Or will they remain brave, single, and true; refuse to bow before shadows and worship phrases; sensible of the greatness of their position, recognise the greatness of their duties; denounce to a perplexed and disheartened world the frigid theories of a generalising age that have destroyed the individuality of man, and restore the happiness of their country by believing in their own energies, and daring to be great?

Conigsby, or The New Generation (1844) by Benjamin Disraeli.

Will they? Will they believe in their own energies? Will they dare to be great? Will they restore the happiness of their country? Will they denounce the frigid theories that have destroyed the individuality of man?

Incidentally the book is great.

6 thoughts on “Quote of the Day, or, A Challenge to the Millennial Generation”

  2. I firmly believe that Gens X (of which I am a part of), Y and the Millenials will reform the way the country is run. The Boomers (of course this is a painful generalization) are way too beholden to the status quo and it will take people like Scott Walker to firmly come forward and say “enough” and try to fix things. In addition, my kids, millenials both, see things so completely differently than their parents. I suppose that this is something that happens every generation, but they see no excuses for not electronically transferring funds, and are not beholden to anyone. When I discuss my taxes with them they are appalled, which is great. Time will tell, but from what I have seen and from what is coming with regards to technology I believe that good things will come.

  3. Living up to this challenge, cheering their fellows on, we might hope for a generation of journalists, with a new integrity, who strive to live up to this (in caps, as found inscribed on the wall of the Tribune Building, in Chicago):

    GIVE ME BUT THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS AND I WILL GIVE TO THE MINISTER A VENAL HOUSE OF PEERS. I WILL GIVE HIM A CORRUPT AND SERVILE HOUSE OF COMMONS. I WILL GIVE HIM THE FULL SWING OF THE PATRONAGE OF OFFICE. I WILL GIVE HIM THE WHOLE HOST OF MINISTERIAL INFLUENCE. I WILL GIVE HIM ALL THE POWER THAT PLACE CAN CONFER UPON HIM TO PURCHASE UP SUBMISSION AND OVERAWE RESISTANCE: AND YET, ARMED WITH THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS, I WILL GO FORTH TO MEET HIM UNDISMAYED. I WILL ATTACK THE MIGHTY FABRIC OF THAT MIGHTIER ENGINE. I WILL SHAKE DOWN FROM ITS HEIGHT CORRUPTION AND BURY IT BENEATH THE RUINS OF THE ABUSES IT WAS MEANT TO SHELTER. —RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN

  4. I was pleased to see that the link for this book took me to a Project Gutenberg download. A little over 500 days ago I stumbled onto the volunteer page for processing books for Project Gutenberg, and it has absorbed a good part of every day since. You get to read the most interesting things. It’s an amazing group of people to correspond with, as well: equal parts literary freaks and code monkeys, possessed of an incredible store of arcane knowledge.

    http://www.pgdp.net

  5. Agree with the journalist part, Leif. It’s been a disappointment watching how many people have valued their connections to insiders over honesty.

Comments are closed.