Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-02-22
o. S. MURRAY, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.

and receive information and correspond
for this Journal, and make such arrange
ments as will enable friends here and there
10 join heart and hand in this good cause.
I $4,000 is therefore needed at once BY
the committee, and they feel confidence
of obtaining it; for they view contribu,
ton to the object as policy Of insurance
on lives and property Contributions can
be made to any of the officers of the soci
ETY., who will transmit them to the Treas.
urer, Robert carp, Esq, of Philadelphia
or they can be transmitted direct to the
! Treasurer.
ADDRESS
OF the Executive Commtttee of the Amer
lcGn Temperance Union 10 the friends
of " Total Abstinence" IN the Western
Hemisphere.
RESPECTED FRIENDS THE title of
our society, the American Union, is de-
signed in broader sense than is generally
applied 10 It. The society in whose name
we act, is not national but a continental
society. There is no sufficient reason for
limiting its sphere Of operation or its
membership, unless the diversity Of lam
guage shall prove an impeachment to our
united action, Our interest in this SUBJ
Iect is not national, but human. We have
the same physical structure, the same
sensi6lltlcs, the same temporal and eter-
nal interests. We are equally interested
in the welfare of our fellow men, in the
peace, purity, prosperity and happiness Of
the communities in which we respectively
dwell Alcohol is poison to the Cana
dian, the citizen of the States, and the
South American-to the civilized man
and the savage. 1t burns the body beneath
the interropical zone; nor is its fire
quenched amid the SHOWS of the frigid
belt. 1t must paralyze industry, prevent
economy, elfeeble and disease the frame,
benumb the moral faculties, destroy fire
side happiness, increase public crime and
taxation, alike everywhere. The advan-
ces of the arts and sciences, the improve
ments and changes in government, are all
frustrated in their benefcent results, alike
everywhere just so far as men resort to
intoxicating drinks. Total abstinence is,
therefore, alike important to US ALL Here
and greet, and work together, despite of
all political and religious differences
That we may properly direct our efforts,
and present ourselves to the public in an
unambiguous light, it is important that we
briefly review the history of the Temper
ancc Reformation, and exhibit its present
aspect and position Not to speak of the
steps by which they have been reached,
we consider the most important results of
the former labors of our various societies,
10 be the establishment of certain great
principles. We hear on every side, that
intemperance is increasing, that the re-
formation is at a stand, and that its friends
are relaxing their zeal and energy Now,
although we have been most interested
observers of this whole bject for years,
we find, for ourselves, much more diff
Guilty in determining such points, than
many who are almost indifferent. We
believe the reason 10 be, that it is one Of
the false habits Of the human understand
ing to make too hasty and too broad con-
clusion from scanty facts. A man per
forms journey in a steamboat or stage
coach, and sees more men intoxicated
than he has seen on a similar journey be-
fore. He returns home, and whether a
friend or foe. pronounces the cause retro
gade. Upon this whole subject we have
only to say that we place no reliance up
on any other kind of observation than
that which is thoroughly, carefully and
philosophically made. The entire tenn
perance statistics of the last ten years, we
know, would form a glorious document.
1t would embrace the number of distlIIe-
ries and breweries stopped from princI-
pie, or want Of sufficient business; the
number prevented from being established
by the light thrown upon the subject
The merchants who have ceased to vend !:
the towns and counties that have barred
the monster out the drunkards reclaim
ed and restored to themselves, their friends,
society and religion the drunkenness
prevented, and the train Of evils spared to
our afflicted race: the amount of proper
ty and life saved by preventing the drunk
enness of drivers, engineers and seamen
and the amount of bread-stuf saved TO
the poor from process worse than de-
struction.
But for want of these, we take testl-
mony which is to US very satisfactory,
We trace the reformation by such land
marks as cannot deceive us. We meas
ure not success by the ebbing and flow
ing of what is called public sentiment
. by superficial Observers Some are re,
turning to-their cups who were alarmed
by the awful disclosures and the startling
doctrines and sudden popularity OF ouI
first movements. And again, in taking
the second step in the reformation, many man
Of our friends have remained behind. The
second step reached a class better able te
: defend their habits and their hvorite bev'