Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-07-06

Fulton and Whitney, And, my lrlehus,
shall we who know how much honest
labor has had to do with making thls
nation what It is-are we today to de-
spise the calloused hand of the laborer
and the honest toiler In the natlons
Industries?
What Defeated Adams.
Another impressive truth emphasized
by our author which many OF us pro-
fess 70 know, but which most or us
need reminding of, is how little things
inevitably decide the policies OF the
men who control the destinies or the
nation. AS the falling Of stone may
change the course of a running brook
insignificant things may change the
course of our lives, and they do con-
tinually change them. Dr. Hale tells
rs that one of the great causes OF John
Quincy Adams defeat for the presl-
dency was the fact that he had INTRO
duced a billiard table into the Whlte
House. Many things less than a Dill
lard table have decided the careers OF
the worlds greatest men.
Study the life Of Abraham Lincoln.
How many little things decided that
careerl Take him, for instance, wheh
he was n little boy of eleven years OF
age falling into a deep pool In the
creek and nearly drowning and only
saved by the presence OF mind Oh d
boyhood companion not as large as
himself. who extended a stick to him
and pulled him out when he.was about
70 20 down for the last time, or take
that other most remarkable incident Oh
.incoln's life. when, after his defeat
! for reelection to congress IN 1879, nc
turned his face homeward without O
dollar in his pocket. His law practice
was gone. His political position was
zone. Everthing seemed to be agains'
him. At this critical moment Presi'
/ dent James X. Polk offered MIN the
governship Of the territory of oregon
Supposing he had accepted that posi-
t,on as he nearly did, what would
have happened to us as d nation
When the civil war broke out, wouic
lincoln have been standing in Edward
|. Dickinson Bakers shoes as the Onlte'
Stotes senator from OregonF Migh
NOT William II. Seward or S. L. Chas'
hive been delivering the inaugural au
. dress as president of the United states
IN 1862 Had the great forensic foe o
Douglas been removed from the stra
o teoic battle-ground of Illinois, VIVA
would have been the outcome OF ou
: civil strife? These are mighty ques
I tions and vet these are all dependen
;. upon the Eyes" or mo- which Aora
O ham Lincoln gave to President Jane
X Polk in 1S49 in reference to III
/. governorship of the far away Orego
@ territory.
And then as I delve into the aut'
n biographIcal recollectlons Of DR.. Hal
II and into the life stories Of other Anne
V loans I cannot but read strange sigl
n ~ the times as lolter by the toni
# stones of some Of the nations lnun
70 men who died in young manhood.
,e cannot but say to myself, "What wou
< have been the history OF TINS counu
d had the brilliant elder brother OF Rai[
n Waldo Emerson lived? Far more Dr
sc liant was he than the Concord sag
10 He was the Arthur Hallam or LA
II ward He had just entered the law, al
" all success was to be his. Yet he we
Q. out one cold night and made speec
r and pneumania set In, and IN Ie
nj hours he was dead. What would ma
g been the history Of the civil war
ch Seargent s. Prentiss had livedf he w
q the most brilliant orator the south eV
lis sent to congress. Yet he was cradi
n among the Maine pines. He was DO
nd only one year previous to Abraht
ar Lincoln. What would have been
in history of this country If Henry Ga,
3" brilliant son had not been killed 10
to Maxican war or IL Webster's brilllt
by son had not lost his life In the sa
Or international strife2 These are gu
nd tions which love to ask for ma
Of reasons. 1t Is to prove to you ana
Ely that no question in our lives Is too
significant to weigh carefully.
NAV think we are deciding an in'
his ulecant matter, but that seemingly
,uv significant decision may govern
tbe only the destinies Of our own lives,
nd. the destlnles Of many lives dlrectiy
our indirectly dependent upon US.
Ike. Another Lesson.
ent Another great lesson which we Ie
the Is that each generation has diner
art and a distinct work to do. When
Eli 90 back to the time Of Bradford
and Miles Standish, there we ind the 81
leir stuff of a Puritan life. The toui
the tions OF national character had 10
pom laid. There we found men VINO v
car. hewers of great rocks Of truth. l
les. were q hard headed set. They did
; OF believe In flowers and rainbows
nds annie blossoms. But they had a g
,un. work to do. Foundation stones
cut rarely beautifed by the sculptors
and OIL They must be laid In the
two Rut they are the most important ST
be. in the temple Of national life.
nor - broad hrimmed PuritanS