The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-03
DIR. TALMACE'S SERMON.
eY rAE REv. FRANK oE wIrT rALMAeE. 9. Q.

Chicago, April 26-In this sermon the preacher shows by argument and Illus tration the folly and danger of writing letters when the mind is influenced by anger or otherwise so excited and dis turbed as to obscure the rational judg- ment. The text is Daniel vi, 8, Now 1 o king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that 1t be not changed
 King Darius was about to be caught in a trap. The Jealous state officers, who | had long been plotting against the young prime minister had at last found a way in which they thought they could de- stroy him. "Ahan they chuckled. We will make the king sign thls young up- starts death warrant. He will not know that he is doing 1t. We shall play upon our royal masters vanity and ask him to send forth a public letter and sign it. so that the decree cannot be changed"
 This public letter, or proclamation, was singular document. It was dex- terously devised to exalt the kings su- premacy and was well calculated to please an oriental despot by making him appear to hls subjects as the exclu- sive source of all good. It prohibited every subject making any request of God or man, save 10 the king only for period of thirty days. These plotters knew that Daniel was in the habit of praying to God every day and they wer } sure that he would continue to do so in spite of the kings proclamation. lie would thus become an offender against the law and would incur the penalty, which was to be cast into the den of lions. NOW" they would say when the king signed the paper we shall destroy that prime minister We could do it by the sword, but we shall do 1t by the kings impusye pen" Their plot oper- ated as they expected, and Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. We know how the king lamented signing the let ter, but how powerless he was to recall his signature.
 How many people have had similar cause for regret! How often words written under nasty impulse have re- coiled on the writerl Spoken words may be forgotten but written words do not change. They may be used to condemn the writer long years after they were written; aye, after he himself Is dead. Never write an important letter until you have had plenty of time to think it over. Foolish would be that lawyer who | would quickly give decision upon any important matter. After hearing all the statements of his client the wise lawyer says: Wait until tomorrow, or next week, and I will tell you what 1 believe ] you ought to do. l do not wish to an- swer you without consideration. l wish to think this matter over very careful 1 ly." A prominent lawyer of the west once told me that when he was prepar- | fTV pOllrf he Qppnt Onp-hAlt | his time thinking of the arguments which his opponent might present and then great part of the other half plan ming how to refute them. And yet the strange fact Is that men and women often, In the moments of greatest mem tai excitement, will sit down and dash off letter upon the most important of subjects; without giving the brain time to cool or the ballast of judgment to set tie down in the right equilibrium they will hastily commit words to paper which will decide their whole earthly and perhaps their heavenly destiny.
 If He Had Stopped to Think.
 Do you suppose King Darius would have sent forth that decree or public let ter, which condemned his premier Dan- ie to the lions den if he had only stopped to think? Supposing the king after he had written that public decree had placed 1t under his pillow and slept upon 1t, what would have been the re- suit? Would he not naturally have scented a fatal conspiracy In that re- quest? And my brother, if you had only waited one or two days before you sent that important letter which did you so much harm would you have sent it? After proper reflection would you not have done exactly the same as Edwin M cir a. ton? One day something went wrong in the war department. Edwin M. stanton, with his mind burning at white heat, immediately sat down and wrote most vehement denuIciation. As soon as Le had written 1t he tok the letter over to the White House and read 1t to the Pres ident. MT Lincoln listened quietly until the reader was through. Then he gently said: stanton, that is a fine letter. That is the strongest letter I have ever known you to write. Everything penned In that letter Is absolutely true. But l would not send 1t today. I do not be- lieve in sending anything important like that quickly. Take the letter home and lock 1t up In your safe and let your brain cool Then at the end of wek take 1t out and read 1t again. Then, if you think best l will sign it and send it out over my own name." In less than one week the overheated volcano of Ed win M. Stanton's brain had cooled. Stantons common sense had come back. He saw the sending of that letter would be an egregious error. He took it out of the safe only long enough to throw it into the fire. 1 commend the example to you, my friend. When you write an im- portant letter, lay 1t aside for awhile until you have had an opportunity for mature consideration.
 Never write an important letter which you would not be wiling for the whole world to see. Many statements that are perfectly proper and rightly un- derstood by those who know us will not be rightly construed if placed before the eyes of the world at large. There are many thoughts that 1 might write to a friend or a brother which would be en- tirely misinterpreted If read by an ene- my or stranger. It is very important that one should never write a letter which would be capable of mlsconstruc- tion if that letter should ever fall into the hands of bitter foe.
 An Admiral's Mistake.
 Pertinent illustration; Some years ago an admiral of the United States navy was being bitterly assailed by his enepaies who took from the private war files a certain letter., Tn that letter he had dis cussed the principles which, in his opin- iony,' should govern promotion in the navy and insisted that courage alone did not qualify a man to be a commanding officer. Reminding the government how often, as in the case of the Franco-Prus- sian war in 1870, an act of discourtesy had precipitated conflict he pointed out that brave officer lacking educa-