Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-03-28
MONDAY. .M4RCH as. 1888


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At a meeting Of the Executive Committee Of Ber-
kelley County Temperance Society on the l5ti
instant, il was
''Resolred, That Col EDWARD CoIsroN be re.
ques.ed to furnish the Executive Committee, with
a copy Of his address delivered before the Bcr-
kelley County Temperance Society on the Goth
ult for publication"
In compliance with the above resolution, Col
CoLsToN has furnished us with copy Of his ad-
dress, which we request yon 10 insert in your pa
per, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
Editor Of the Gazette.
ADDRESS, &c.
The managers Of the Berkeley county tempe
rance society, have assigned me as their president
the duty of addressing you ladies' and gentlemen
upon this occasion, and my gre Attest regret is that
X had not d,volved on ono more competent TO do
justice to so noble cause. cannot decline this
call however, as my views of christian duty, de-
mand of me not only zealous, but active co opera
fion with those who are pressing forward the
greatest moral reform the world has ever witness
ed since the establishment of christianity. Ii
may be supposed, the disease is too inveterate in
its nature, and that intt importance has too firm a
t-hold in the land, to b., eradicated by means
so simple as temperance societies, and this may
perhaps prevent some good men from giving us
that warm, generous, and cordial support, which
the cause requires and its merits demand
In the commence ment Of the temperance socie-
ty, sceptcism might have been allowed, but
when the good already done, shows what may
her after b. Effected, such fears indicate want
OF knowledge, no less than want of faith. One
object Of this address Will be, to fix your atten-
tion on events, which have already done much,
TO sweep, not from our country only, but from the
world, ntemperance that vice Of ages, which
nnder the Spacious guise of hospitality, generosi-
~ OF temper, lib ralIty and social feeling, has
made an hundred times more recruits to the cause
OF vice, than ever could havs been made, under
IA, banners OF open undisguisod drunk mess
The searching Investigations Of temperance
societies, have like the spear of lthuriai, stript
tn monster of his comely DISCUSSES, and compell-
ed it stand forth, in all its native dcformity Al
ready it is supposed, more than one million of
people in the United States, under the infu-
ence of temperance societies; they number about
fly hundr thousand membcrs of whom about
two hundred thousand are in the single state of
New York, fifty thousand having been there adj
ded during the last year. Europe catching the
generous impulse from America, is every where
following our example, and whilst some who
think themselves most wise amongst US, are de-
riding our efforts they attracting the adnira-
ton, of the crowned h ads of the old world,
and have air ady enlisted In the same cause,
princes and prelates, lords and commons, philo-
sophers and philanthropists.
Not having seen the report Of our state tempe
rane society, cannot say what progress we are
making in Virginia, but VIC know il TO be cons-
derablc. In our own county, since June last six
active and numerous temperance societies have
been formed, and others are in contemplation
which will extend their influence to every corner
Of the county. That good has been done is with
in my own knowledge. More than one habitual
drnnkard has been reclaimed by the local soce-
ty over which have the honor to preside: more
than one excellent mechanic, nearly lost to him
self, his family and society, RETAINING from this
beastly vice, now happily supports his family, by
u.s. full industry. Several merchants in the cour-
~, have ceased TO traffic, in those fountains of
bitter waters, which have brought so much mis-
cry on our ;those liquid fires which otcninflict
on their wretched victims, almost the tormcnts
OF the damned, even whilst living surrolmcd by
the means Of grace. But in addition to all this,
who can tell the amount of evil we may have
prevented! And, will you still say, the means
OF the society inadequate TO its object First
unit, yourselves actiy sy with us, bring the whole
community to unite with us as they Certainly might
and then, if the great author of our being so far
change our natures, that children are born with
an uncomfortable fondness for strong drink, We
viii conf IS our means inadequate to the end. If
all will abstain from the use and manufacture OF
ardent spirits, evidently drunkenness must be cx-
terminated; and none should complain Of the in
efficacy of our mca ans, until they have given the
society all their influence with others, and fair
experiment themselves.
In war of determination, each victory but
makes the enemy more obstinatv, each foot OF
territory gained, but determines him TO d fond,
Accordingly We find, here as elsewhere, the
contempt, which viz wed the first operations of
the society with indifference, give way to seri-
Gus ald derided opposition. That host OF objec-
tons, so often triumphantly vanquished by the
able champions every where engaged In the
canse OF Temperance, is here again arrayed a
ganst US, aided by some local militia, which al
slough undiscpned, is calculats to embarrass us.
In the short space propose for tins address, it
would be impossible to answer 1.-THE of these OBJ
huf to untic t,xy he mos
nent, will b. expected OF me. A great difficulty
Is, to make people comprc he nd the full extent of
the evil; and ally when the statistics of intern
perance are first Examined, the result so tre-
mgndous, as 10 induce belief, that pious enthu-
siasm has given them too high a coloring. We
ran scarcely persuade ourselves, that an evil so
ovs,wheiming, has so long been tolerated in So
cicty, without exciting deep horror at its exis-
tenco, or one effort to stay ITS progress Let us
dc scend TO particulars however, and we will find,
that amount of disease, calamity and death, so
alarming in the aggregate, but little, il at all
Dv. r-rated.
The county of Berkeley contains population
oil about ten thousand souls, generally frugal, or
nerly and industrious; the lands fertile, divided
ihto small farms, cultivated for the most part by
M proprietors; the great mass Of the people in
nepehdent, but few wealthy, with no large town
hor hlaenuiaetory near them; presents circumstan-
.es Ss is'Orsole to temperance as can any where
DC iouhe' ana perhaps population tempe
ra'1 IN i@e' man any around them. Yet how ma
ny mere present. have had connection nor
dear friend, avictim to this seductiye. but dis
gushing vice! From long and general acquain-
lance with the county would say, that on an ave-
rage ten of our number annually victims 10
the diseases, exposure, and accidents occasioned
by incompetence Our population certainly does
not afford fair average Of intemperance. as il
prevailed in the United States, before tempe
rance societies commenced. Whilst our popula-
ton Them is the thirteenth hundredth part Of the
whole, am convinced our intemperance cannot
exceed the two thousandth part Of that, which
prevailed before the temperance reformation
According 10 this view, not less than 10000 have
annually persisted by this vice, throughout oul
country Behold the wretched children, tn,
heart broken women, the panperism, disease ans
Distress around you, induced directly or Indirect
y ny intemperanee, and reflect that this mass