Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-11-30
Victories of Peace.

victories OF renee.
For two years and a half this nation
has been celebrating the triumph of
sword and gun and battery. We have
sung martial airs and cheered return
ing heroes and sounded the requiem
for the slain In battle. Methinks II
will be healthful change If on this
years Thanksgiving in church and
homestead we celebrate the victories
Of the plow. the hammer and the pen,
for nothing was done at Santiago or
Manila that was of more Importance
than that which In the last year has
been done In farmers field and me-
chanIc's shop and authors study by
those who never wore an epaulet or
shot a Spanlard or went hundred
miles from their own doorsill. Come
up, farmers and mechanics and liter
ary men, and get your dues as far as |
can pay them.
Things haze marvelously changed.
Tine was when the stern edict Of gov
ernmcnts forbade religious assemble
ges. Those who dared to be so unloyal
to their king as to acknowledge loyalty
to the Head OF the universe were pun
ished. Churches awfully silent in wor
shin suddenly heard their doors swung
open. and down upon the church aisle
score of muskets thumped as the
leaders bade them Ground arms"
This custom OF having the fathers, the
husbands. the sons and brothers at the
entrance Ct the pew Is Il custom which
came down from olden time, when 1t
was absolutely necessary that the IA
ther or brother should sit at the end OF
the church pew fully armed to defend
the helpless portion Of the family But
now how changed. Severe penalties
are threatened against any one who
shall interrupt religions services, and
at the command Of the high
est official in the United States. we
gather together for thanksgiving and
holy worship. Today would stir your
souls to joyful thanksgiving while |
speak OF the mercies Of GOd and In un-
way recount the con-
quests of the plow, the hammer and
! he pen.
Most OF the implements Of husband
ry have been superseded by modern
inventions. but the plOw has never lost
its reign. 1t has furrOwpd It's way
all the ages. Its victories have
been waved by the barley Of Palestine,
the wheat Of l'cIS the flax OF Ger
many. the ricrsialks Of China. the rich
grasses CT Italy 1t has turned up the
mammotl of SibPria. the mastOdon OF
Egypt and the pine groves Of Thessaly.
Its iron foot hath marched where Mo-
ses wrote and Homer sang and Aris-
totle taught and Alexander mounted
his war charger. 1t hath wrung Its
Golfer on Norwegian wllds and ripped
out the stumps OF the American forest,
pushing its way through the savan-
mas Of thu Carolnas and trembling In
the grasp OF the New Hampshire yeo-
American civilization hath
kept st ep with the rattle Of its clevises,
aud or its beam hath ridden thrift and
plenty.
IGo not wonder that the Japanese
md the Chinese and the Ph9nicians
so particularly extolled husbandry or
that Cincinnatus went from the consul
ship to the plow or that Noah was a
farmer before he became q shiDbuilder
or that Elisha was in the field plowins
with twelve yoke Of oxen when the
mantle fell on him or that the Egyp-
tians In their paganism worshiped the
OK as q tiller of their lands.
To get an appreciation Of what the
American plow has accomplished
.ni-o ,rn,, into tho rrnntarn rUildprnpSS-