Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-05-02

the preacher shows by argument and
illustration the folly and danger OF
writing letters when the mind Is in
huenccd by anger or otherwise so -ex-
cited and disturbed as to obscure the
rational judgment The text is Daniel
vi 8, Now, o king, establish the de-
cree, 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 destroy him. "AhaH they
chuckled. 1--WE will make the king sign
this young upstarts death warrant
He will not know that he Is doing-it
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. 1t was deX-
terously devised to eXalt the kings su-
premacy and was well calculated TO
please an oriental despot by making
him appear to his subjects as the ex-
elusive source of all good. 1t prohij-
tied every subject making any request
of God or man, save to the king only,
for n period of thirty days. These plot
ters knew that Daniel was in the habit
of praying to God every day, and they
were sure that he would continue to do
so In spite of the kings proclamation.
He would thus become an offender
against the law and would incur the
penalty, which was to be cast into the
den of the lions. "Now," they would
say when the king signed the paper,
I'VE shall destroy that prime minister,
We could not do it by the sword, but
we shall do it by the kings impulslve
pen" Their plot operated as they ex-
pccted, and Daniel was thrown into
the den of lions. We know how the
king lamented signing the letter, but
how powerless he was to recall his sig
nature.
How many people have had similar
cause for regret. How often words
written under a hasty impulse have
recoiled on the writer! 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 him
self 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 sgive decisiS,
upon any importartrsHatter a.
hearing all the statements of his client
the wise lawyer says: wait until to-
morrow, or next week, and | will tell
you what believe you ought to do. l
do not wish to answer you without con-
| wish to think this mat
ter over very carefully" A prominent
lawyer of the west once told me that
when he was preparing case for court
he spent one half his time thinking of
the arguments which his opponent
might present and then a great part of
the other half planning how to refute
them. And yet the strange fact is that
men and women often. in the moments
Of greatest mental excitement, will sit
down and dash off a letter upon the
most important of subjects; without
giving the brain time to cool or the bal
last of Judgment to settle down in the
right equilibrium they will hastily COM
nit 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
letter. which condemned his premier.
Daniel. to the lions den if he had
only stopped to think? Supposing the
king after he had written that public
decree had placed it under his pillow
and slept upon it, what would have
been the result? Would lie not natu-
rally have scented fatal conspiracy
in that request? And, my brother, II
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? Would you not have
destroyed it? After proper refiec-
ton would you not have done exactly
the same as Edwin NJ. Stanton did un-
der similar provocation? One day some
thing went wrong in the war depart
ment. Edwin NJ. Stanton, with his
mind burning at white heat, imme-
diately sat down and wrote most
vehement denunciation. AS soon as he
had written it he took the letter over
to the White House and read it to the
president Mr.. Lincoln listened quietly
until the reader was through. Then he
gently said: stanton, that IS fine let
ter. That is the strongest letter have
ever known you to write. Everything
penned in that letter is absolutely true.
But | would not send it today. do
not believe in sending anything impor-
tant like that quickly. Take that let
ter home and lock it up in your safe
and let your brain cool. Then at the
end Of week take 1t out and read 1t
again. Then. If you think best, | will
sign 1t and send it out over my own
name" In less than one week the
overheated volcano of Edwin NJ. Stan
tons brain had cooled. Stanton's COIN
mon sense came back. He saw the
sending Of that letter would be an
egregious error He took it out from
the safe only long enough to throw 1t
into the fire. | commend the example
to you, my friend. When you write an
important letter, lay it aside for awhile
until you have had an opportunity for
mature consideration.
Never write an important letter
winch you would not be willing for the
whole world to see. Many statements
that are perfectly proper and rightly
understood by those who know us will
not be rightly construed If placed be-
fore the eyes of the world at large.
There are many thoughts that might
write to a friend or brother which