Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-02-09

manuscript Of his book In his hands
for him to crlticlse before 1t was pub
llshed. Mr.. Franklin read the manu-
script and then wrote to Thomas Paine
the following letter.:
Franklin to Paine.
Dear Sir-I will not enter into any dis
cussIon OF your principles, though you
seem to desire It. At present l shall only
give my opinion that. though your reason
ings are subtle and may prevail WIN
some readers, yet you will not succeed SO
as to change the general sentiments OF
mankind upon that subject and the con-
sequence of printing this piece Will be
great deal of odium drawn upon yourself,
mischief TO you and no benefit to others.
would advise you, therefore. not to at
tempt TO unchain the tiger. but to burn
this piece before It is seen by any other
nerson. II men are so wicked with re-
liaion. what would they be without itT
He that spits against the wind spits III
h,a own face. B. FRANKLIN.
Reasonable and powerful letter that
But Paine would not heed the warning.
He sent forth his "Age of Reason" on
its mission of spiritual and moral ana
physlcal destruction. That book brought
down hurricane Of odium upon Thom-
as Paine. We hardly ever think OF
him except as the infdel, the BIAS
nbemer and the enemy of society. But
amid your excavations Of this book do
YOU recall the fact that Paine the In
fidel was also Paine, one of the great
leaders and most powerful factors In
the struggle for American liberty? In
the darkest days which preceded the
preparation Of the Declaration or In
dependence his pen was busy. de
published a book at that time called
Common Sense" 1t was q plea Tor
national independence. 1t was written
In simple language and was read every
where. Dare any man, facing the his
torical facts, declare that God did not
forge out Of the blasphemous pen OF
scoffing infidel golden wand to guide
the American people Into independence
hall of old Philadelphia?
Arnold as a Fighter.
Study the life Of Benedict Arnold
We deride and excoriate that name
We say: ARNOLD? Oh, yes, there is
one Arnolds name which we all hate
and that is the name Of Arnold the
traitor" But Benedict Arnold did not
attempt to betray West Point until
1910. or until the Revolutionary wal
was half over During all the prellm
mary struggle and during the three
wears of carnage his was a name tc
coniure with, and no man was Drawer
no man truer, to the American nag
than he. We find the same apparent
incongruity In the character or Cath
crime the Great of Russia, whom MS
tory regards as one Of the greates
and wisest rulers Russia ever had, al
though her own heart was a selhsf
heart of stone and her evil domestic
life the symbol Of all that Is base ane
impure.
| Study the life of Napoleon Bona
parte. Who will say that even hi
cruel. selfish life was not used by Go'
as a means of ultimate goodf Nine
de Stael denounced his inhumanities Il
these words: Ear from gaining assur
, ance in meeting Bonaparte oftener, d
intimidated me daily more and more
confusedly felt that no emotion o
the heart could possibly take effect VI
, on him. He looks upon human bein
as a fact or as a thing, but not as
fellow creature. He does not hate an
more than he loves. There Is nothln
/ for him but himself All other being
| are so many ciphers. The force of hl
will lies In the imperturbable calcula
|, tlon of his selfishness." And yet thl
man. thus characterized by the tal
sighted Frenchwoman, this self1s
monster, this human Frankenstein, wh
, conquered and betrayed millions 9
homes with no more compunction tina
cook would break a few eggs I
, make an omelet for breakfast, was th
, man who stopped the horrors OF th
, | French revolution and demolished IL
, euillotine with one stroke Of his swor'
, Dare we state that God does not
times use even the sins of his Jehr
) for a good purposef
e In your life and mine we may De u'
: ing good in a way. We may be nelpln
q some men. We may be giving emplo!
p ment to the poor. We may be kind
some people. But good deed bel
and there does not make us children
God. Jehu was able to avenge III
death of Naboth. In the rumbling
his chariot wheels we can see the tal
gaunt form Of Elijah the TishDi'
bending over a bleeding corpse an
pointIng his condemning finger at II
cringing and covering king and quee
while he says, "Thus saith the Lor
= In the place where dogs licked Il
blood of Naboth shall dogs lick II
blood-even thine" And Of Jezeb
; also spake the Lord, saying, The dol
shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Je
reel" But because Jehu was COZ
g missioned to fulfill Elijah's prophe'
I that did not make Jehu child
God. Do not deceive yourselves. n
all Gods instruments are his childre
:, Wicked men, to serve their own !
terests, may do things which full
u Gods purposes, but he does not
u ward them by making them his ch
B. dren. Let no man think that he
u necessarily a child Of God because
has done him service. Jehu execut
vengeance on Ahab, but be was mi
derer.
v A Rad Mans Usefulness.
IL We can find helpful lessons from
, bad mans life as well as from the Ii
II of a good man. Thus today, as we
:. the revolving wheels Of Jehu's char
Ia rushing on toward Jezreel, we lea
y that when success comes to q gre
'e strong life it generally comes sudd'
I ly. 1t Is not gradual coming. 1t IL
lg sudden change. A man wins fame,
Is a rule, suddenly. A man goes to VIC
y as youth. He works and labors ye