Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-04-30
An Admiral's Mfstn Ike.

Pertinent Illustration: Some years
ago an admiral Of the United States
navy was being bitterly assailed by
his enemies, who took from the privat
war files n certain letter. In that let.
ter he had discussed the principles
which. In his opinion, should govern
promotion in the navy and had insisted
that courage alone did not qualify n
man to be a commanding officer. Re-
minding the government how often, as
In the case of the Franco-P russian war
of 1870, an act of discourtesy had pre-
cipated conflict. he pointed out
that brave officer lacking education,
training and diplomatic tact might in
volve the nation in serious difficulties.
1t was therefore wise in making pro-
motions to consider the character and
antecedents of the man. The admi-
rails advice was sound, but his letter
was published at time when there
were other questions relating to his
own record under discussion. and it
created prejudice against him which
conduced to the premature termination
of brilliant career.
Our political history furnishes a still
more impressive illustration. A series
of letters written by prominent
statesman were secretly copied from
the business files of the man who re-
ceived them and were published to the
world at crisis of that statesman's
career, Just at the moment when his
rivals We're interested in having the
public put the worst construction upon
them. They were msconstrued and
misreprcsented and resulted, twenty
years ago. In the humiliation Of the
writer's political aspirations. PERTH
nent illustration the third: The impul.
sive letter written by George Washing
tons most intimate personal friend in
the army, Colonel Joseph Reed, to Gen
eral Charles Lee. That letter practical
" destroyed Joseph Reeds whole fu-
ture career My brother, with such
examples before you. ask yourself IL
you can afford to write any letter which
will not bear the test Of wholesale pub
licity. However sure you may be Of
your letters being safely delivered to
your correspondent, who will rightly
understand them, do not forget that in
the changes Of life they may fall into
the hands Of malicious and hostile per-
sons.
Furthermore, you should not write a
letter which cannot be rightly read by
the whole world at large because you
do not know how soon the friend to
whom you have written may become
your enemy. Oh. how easy it is to
snap the ties of friendship which bind
human heart to human heart. Broth
ers who once slept in the same cradle
and played in the same nursery and
were the subjects of the same prayers
can become so bitter in their hatred
that they will even fight mortal COM
bat over their parents graves. Friends
who once loved as Jonathan and Il
David may come to hate ench other as
Cain hated his brother Abel. Then the
friend who has now become the enemy
will nearly always try to destroy you
by the evidence of the unguarded let
ters which you have written in times
Of love.
When Friend Turns Upon Friend.
My father used to impress this
thought upon me by the recollections
of an awful night which he passed in
an ordeal of indescribable horrors. A
very near and dear rleative Of his was
his intimate associate for many years.
They were to each other as intimate as
brothers. They confided in each other
everything. Time passed on, and there
was Il rupture. The friendship was
broken. What did that relative dc ?
He Immediately took all the letters
which my father had written and hand
ed them over to the newspapers for
publication. The night that my father
heard of the dcspicablc act, as he has
often told me, was the most awful
night Of his whole life. He knew that
he had done no wrong. but he was
afraid that in confidential CORE
spondence of many years he might
have written something which in the
eyes of the world might be imprudent.
All that night he tramped the floor.
When the first ray of daylight told that
the dawn was near. he went out to buy
the morning newspaper which contained
the published private correspondence.
He read these published letters in the
street. When he returned, the first words
he said to mother We're. Thank God,
there is nothing compromising that I
have written. Thank God. Thank
Cod That is not the only illustration
which might be given where a friend
has turned upon friend. Then, my
brother, to either friend or foe alike
never write anything which may some
day not be able to stand the test Of
the public print.
Never write letter with n vengeful
pen. dipped into an ink we'll filled with
hatred. When one has been unjustly
attacked, it Is very easy for an in
jured man 10 say: Il wish l could see
that man. | wish l could give him a
good piece OF my mind. | wish could
tell him in plain. blunt language what
l think Of him and his actions. AS
cannot see him, l will just sit down
and write him letter" Then he hasti-
ly sits down and writes Demosthe-
Man philippe. Nitupcrations and de-
nunciations, contemptuous excoriation,
singing ironics, bitter epigrams and
whole verbal avalanches of invective
are gathered together upon the letter
sheet at the pens touch. Then he
PUSHES away to the post office and