The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-07-27

reference to himself, he is rcrarl, .bI. o.
another account. He refuses to allow
his pious wife the privilege Of joining q
Society, the Importance Of which to he,
sex she most de-psyfesls. That Ia shoulc
scruple to diminish his own freedom BY
assuming the pledge, and yet force his un.
generous law upon his wife, and contrary
to her principles, make her servant to
his prejudice, is in my view an enormous
sin against consistency as well as against
humanity, and religion. Could ! look in
TO his heart, l might learn the hidden mo-
tive by which he is erned,-But, God
seeth the heart!
The second case is that Of an old profess
or of religion (Christian?) who, being a
grocer sells every description Of ardent
spirit. He says that he knows this prac-
tice to be wrong, "that he laments the
evils produced by intcmperance, and hopes
the time will come when those evils and
their causes will have been forever remov-
ed" "Bm' (oh how many soul in
torments has owed its damnation to that
detestable bmp)-" But have a fam
lily to support" said he, " and my Gus
toners all buy little rum now and then,
aud if were to refuse to sell it, they
would all leave ne, and should lose my
business, and now what shall l doi"-
"Do" Man,-proiessor Of Gods holy
religion, nominal disciple of Jesus Christ !!
Suppose you cou d make your fortune by
selling your sons into slavery, or letting to
hire your wife and daughters for the wag-
es OF prostitution, ,-uhat ,Uould you do2-
Suppose that by skillul course of knav-
ery, sure of coLcealinent, or by murder
whose preparation could never be reveal
ed, you might make a living, what would
you do? 1t is not the opinion OF olmankind,
or the support ofyour family that you are
TO regard, when tempted to commit a
crime. The law and will of God are to
control YOU And now let me ask you,
whether the AL seeing Eye does not look
down upon you, blazing like the sun from
heaven? Does it not follow you by day,
watch you by night, and glare upon you
in your dreams' Does lot the Demon of
the Rum-barres haunt you continually -
stick in your throat when you pray, un-
nerve your arm as you liit the sacrament
al cup to your lips, and spread darkness
before your eyes as you look forward to
the hour of death? What will you do'
The third case is that Of young man
Of high and nagnanimou5 principles,
whose history, while it is recorded and
admired in heaven, is disgrace to the
whole community Of professors Of religion
and temperance in Hartford. He was
| i,f, Il Il
by a large and increasing circle of custom
ers, and doing a GOOD business. He sold
rum. But the temperance cause excited
his attention,--he examined its principles,
became a convert tfr- thom, and with a
neral energy that has seldom been equal
led in this cause, he renounced his traffic
in spirit. and rather than help the poison
circulate even by ridding himself of it, he
STAYED in his casks, and let the earth drink
up their contents. His rum-purchasing
customers at once left him,-thev wou' !
rot buy Of such fanatic in humanitv -
And not only they, but his JeDr erance
customers, in like manner, deser. led him i;
for such is the immense profit on ardent
spirits, his rivals who cop' inued to sell
them could underseN him few mills on
every other article, ,-Jn sugar and tea,
and coffee, and mciasses; and the most
noisy advocates of Temperance, nay, ev-
en- those who beforehand advised the
course ofconduct which he pursued, could
not afford to pay, as tax in support OF
Temperance, few moro cents year on
articles purchased of the Temperance tra-
der, than they would have to pay to those
who tratIicked in ;ntempcrance, and whose
reduction of price was the fruit Of their
iniqui,ous business. This may sound
strange. 1t is strange, but it is true, that
Temperance men, knowing all the circum-
stances of this case, knowing that without
their custom this young trader must fail,
and knowing too that his failure, as well
as their neglect of him and patronage OF
rum-sellng groccrs, would expose them
to the contempt and derision OF men con-
sistent in doing evil il,-descrted him, "a
bundoned bin to his fate, and for pecun-
iary consideration too paltry to affect the
comfort of almost the poorest citizen, left
him to starve in his business, while they
encouraged the dealers in "liquid dam
nation" He failed, of course; let justice
say whose was the fault.
These are correct accounts of three
cases in Hartford, Connecticut, the capi-
tai of that land of steady habits, which
claims the highos, sent in the Now En-
gland synagogue of moral elevation -
Comment is needless. We cann.t how
ever help remarking, that whiio the tenn
pc' ate in general are ..ound guilty of such
conduct as the tsird case records, il must
DO expected that young men Of lofty prin-
e'Ples will act like him in the first case,