Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-05
1coMMUNIcATED.j


Mr. Editor-An article ar paragraph in your
,aper few DAYS since, from the pen If CORES
nundrnt, seems to have been designed TO awaken
an nnweicome amount Of odium against rever
end gentleman in toun, for the part which he
took m the exercises at the Anniversary of the
Temperance Society.
Every man has, no doubt, a right to his opini-
ems, and in this land OF liberty, perfect right
in respectful language, to publish them TO the
world. This right your correspondent has exer
c,seL under the conviction, ii is hoped. not only
that he vas in full possession OF all the circum'
stances of the case, hut that he had no purposes
Of an untriendly nature towards the reverend gen
tlenan to crafty. Yet it is believed that the
state of the case was>hot rightly understood, and
that, consequently, an injury NAV have Deen H.
fhctrd ON an ndyidaai-unwittngiy, indeed
which he ought not to bear.
Every one knows that motion may be made
in public meeting, and sides taken, tor the mere
pur,ose of discussi,n to elicit remarks, and just
so far as practicable, to throw light On subject,
in relation To which there may be doubt. lhe
parties enlisted do the best they can to establish
the respective sides, Of course, and are not Other
wise responsible for the ultimate decision OF the
meeting ON the question, than as they may have
been able to convince that meeting by train OF
So i'll reasoning that the views which they ex-
pressed were most nearly according TO truth
Now this was the state of the case in the present
instance. a motion was put into the hands OF
the reverend gentleman, tor the purpose OF throw
in all the light upon II which ne was able To ga
Their. II was a question Of dou6f-was asitatins
in various places, ansrin various puoIlcations'
from one extreme OF this and other lands to the
other; aud. as it was one oil high interest ahd
deep importance. as every rejecting mind must
- Sad O ma nj
that he would not be found wanting The pub.
Tic vote demonstrated, concusively, that this eS'
pcctation was not disappointed.
There is, however, one point in relation to the
matter, which stands IN need of explanation.
and the want Of which at the time may have in
duced feeling in the mind Of your correspond
ent which otherwise had not existed. II IS this:
the question actually discussed which ought
TO have been SO expressed IN the Feso'u'
tion-wss not that it is an immoraiity TO fraUic
IN ardent spirits. but that 1t Is an immortality to
traffic in taem as an article Of drink. Much
Of IL il used, aud necessarily used-perhaps one
fourth Of all that is solL-fUr ohcr rrrpo5e, than
those of llxury and personal qualification; and
the gentleman was certainly not 10 BE- understood
as affirming. even as iusinuating. that this was
immoral, or IN any degree impropet; nor had any
one supposed it Who had listened. as did the
Wri'er Ot TINS. tn his lutlu anu ttutN ihDressNe
tram of reasoning. What his real rie~s are on
the subie. I discussed, 10 not know. having. on
~ acc asien. ever exchanged word with him con-
crrnIng ~; bu,, be they What they may. should
o. vastly mistaken II he we're not found fully
abe "a sustain them. in any. meeting. and
hef,re anv auditory that might be selected
Mr. do | suppose that he would be deferred by
fear uf pubic o,um The truth is. that an en-
IiIhtened puahc are not Often wrong in their lie
ci,ioa: and though interest. or prejudice. or pas
sim, may bias them Tor moment. yet. whenever
tie matter is rightly understood. by temperate
Oh. uss,on and the exercise Of sober reason, 1t Is
generally found that they come righi al last. even
though the charge involve in il public aPprorat
Of VIA, before was publicly condemned. And
hence m own conviction is, that, whenever that
pubic are convinced, by increasing light and
growing knowledge, that the traffic in ardent spi-
ritz as article Of drink, is in Itself Wrong. con,
silerations Of interest will not induce them long
tn continue IT. That such period may arrive,
ard speedily, to mt, at least. is not unlikely,
though the matter is DOW, certainly, sub judice,
and requires more light. ZERO.
ALErTER TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH
CAROLINA.