Litchfield enquirer., 1834-01-23
Er.ract from Gn Address on Ln'emperQnce.
 fcONcLuDEnA

we ought neither to censure one another, nor tO entertain too tnw an opinion Of ourselves, On account of having IN our constitution that. which exposes US tO the evil under cOnsldera- ton. For it can hardly be doubted that de- sire t0 appear friendly; or a disposition to contribute tO the entertainment and cheerful ness of fOthers-mapy things, indeed, in them
 selN es by no means unamiable, have been the Occasion (innOcent, though not the less to be reSretted) )Of-intemperance and ruin, in ihOus- ands of instances. And hence the conclusion, that. though in,emperance may be reckOned among the greatest evils that af1ict eur race. it Is ROt to be regarded as the worst of crimes. ThOngh the parent Of a thousand vices. and the cause of numherless diseases-though the scOurge of degraded humanity. the curse of our country, the body servant of death; still. there are sins not few, which'cry loudly for more explicit nal.diction. The incorporate man, therefore. is tO he regarded and treated as the must unfortunate Of human beings, aad not as the most sinful; he Is to be pitied, not despised; he is deserving of eammisrratioG. but not contempt. He needs admOOiiipn and advice-he needs your prayers, your ertrea- ties, the aid of yOnr counsel. and your exam pie, but not abuse. He is n lost. wandering. deluded and unhappy child of God-he is your hrother. Then let us treat him as such.
 Taking it for granted that the nature, ex- ltent and cause of iRtemperance are sufficient ly we'll understood, shall now proceed to speak of the remedy. And here. perhaps, there may be a variety Of opinions amOng those who are alike interested in the great un- dertak;ng which, trust, has been suspicious Iy commenced. dare not promise myself the pleasure of finding my own sentiments at perfect agreement with those of persons more ,.A self All. however, can agree in this--that something can and ought to ba done to re- move the great and crying evil among us.- And tt is possible that the views now 10 be submitted, for the consideration of the friends of Temperance, may add tO the deep interest already felt on this subject. .Es ln the first place, then, we cannot reasoRa- bly suppose that any considerable benefit can ever result from the adoption of coercive measures for the suppression of intempsrance. go further--much positive injury may he done, and has been done, by the adoption Of measures ofthe kind alluded to. 2' f Uncharitable denunciations against she un |. fortunate victims of iniemperance. such as ap- plying hard names and epithels to individuals, admits of excuse on no other ground than the ignorance ofthose who employ them. It is to be lamented. that any should have been be- trayed, by the warmth of their zeal in this good cause. into an error oathis kind. Many, RO doubt, who might haze been reclaimed by persuasiun, or jndcious and friendly rebuke, have been hurried into the vortex of desiruc. tion, by unreasonable servility on the part of those who would be extremely sorry to occa- sion the injury of their fellow beings.
 While upon this topic, it may not be amiss tO notice that indiscriminate condemnation of the incorporate. which has taught them to consider themselves as irrevocably doomed to infamy and despair. They have been too of- ten held up to view as objects of derision--as beings beyond the reach of tnercy-as ire clamable sinners. And it seems tO have been imagined by not a few, that the only method of curing the great evil, is, tO convince the iD- temperate that their case is hopeless one! l have not so learned human nature. All efforts t0 compel people to aid in carrying into exc cutiOn such plans as have been devised fOg ef- frcting the desired improvement. are injud- cious. Instances have been known in N hich worthy members of community have been classed with the enemies of this cause, be-
 cause they did moi feel disposed to put their names tO a pledge of abstinence. or because they did not feel it to be their duty to become members of a Temperance Society. This kind of treatment. if persisted in, will greatly rrtard, instead of accelerating, the progress of the reformation.
 There is, doubtless, such thing as an in. temperate opposition to intemperance. There may have been too much rxcitement-iOO much declamation. among the best friends and ablrst advocates of Temperance meas ures. Not that we would say or do any thing to cool the ardor of those whO are engaged in this good work. We would not destroy their zral--we would only have 1t tempered with prudence. We would not deprive those who publicly advocate this rauss of the implements of their warfare. They may cause the light ming of heaven to play arouOd the devoted heads of the intemperate--they may avail themselves of the earthquake and the fre- but we would rntreat them tW raise no artif- cial storm. We would have them ever mind ful of the fact, that kindness Is the only con- sistent language of the intelligent ref"rmer. and persuasion the means contemplating of the purposes of benevOlence. We would have every philaDthrorist look cooIly upon the monster to lee destroyed contemplate its hideOusness with philosophical composure, and bring into the field against it that moral power which cannot be resisted.
 Bangor-The growth of Lowell. extraor- dinary as it has been during the three years past. is surpassed by that of the Mefrop- olis of Down East during the same periOd.- The population ofBangor in 1880 was some thing over $500. Six months since it was n