New-York tribune., 1841-12-01

The cause Of Temperance is not novel enter
,ri.e For years /, has been before US commend
ips it.elfto our judgement, engaging our esteem
and by ii, preventive and reforming influences,
blessing Us und our common country. Bat while
msny OF Us have given appreciation and bidden
Godspecd to those who have been engaged IN lis
promotion, it has received from Merchants as
class, but little of that aid which its Importance
demands, and which we now resolved to be-
STOW. Recent developments of It's power, not
merely to preven, Inlenpcrance but to save thou-
sand, sunk in the deepest degradation and TO raise
,fep, and their families to comfort and usefuaess,
have aroused Us from our ethargy and led Us to
orranze Merchants Society, which we intend
.bnl be an efficient auxiliary in this great enter
pFize.
We enter upon this work under the humbng
conviction and with full confession that merchants
have stood foremost in the great work-of furnish
mr. the materials and scattering abroad over the
land the means of that moral pestence which has
bt,hed the fairest hopes, ard brought thousands
wear after year to the drunkard's grave. Almost
every drop of liquor, that has done its work of
desoIation has passed through the hands of the
merchant He is the imper;cr, he the wholesale
dealer and grocer. He conveys it from the City
to the country village, distributing it by the bar
rel. the gallon, or the glass, TO all who Will buy
and becoming the agent in producing whatever of
evil it conveys through all the channels of Society.
L., 10 In,
thy have been made at the expense of the ruined
fortunes, health peace and comfort OF unnumbered
families.
We do not put our hand to this work for the
benefit of other classes of the community only.
Merchants, as class, have been the chief agents
in promoting intemperance, and they have not cs-
caped from suffering by its rayages themselves.
We arr seddencd by the recollection that firms of
The highest responsibility have wasted away snder
this blghtng evil and have sunk into the drunk
ards grave ; and there are those new In our
midst. with whom we have had pleasant inter
course and important transactions, who, like
drow Ming men, must be rescued soon from their
destructive habits or ii will be TOO late, and they
be lost forever.
Tho good OF others thenis not our sole object in
this Undertaking. We make no boast of our own IN
dividual safety We believe man is secure
who habtually uses alcoholic drinks in the nil lest
form aud greatest nederatios. They are Poissn-
Gus to the human system Indulgence in their
use to-day naturally leads TO increased indul-
gence tomorrow aud thus habits are formed.
which before the man Is aware, end in shame aud
death The dreadful experience Of many strong
minded man fully establishes this truth We
therefore put our hands 10 the Temperance
Pledge for our own personal security, not feeling
it to be sacrifice of our liberty, but protection
and safeguard against some of the most dangerous
OF the fashions and customs Of society.
We engage IN this enterprise, also, on account
of its multiplied and important bearings upon all
commercial business. The intempcrance of the
people has isdeed been made apparently asource of
rcvcaue to the State and OF wealth to many an i'm
porter and vendcr; but it remains TO be told how
much it mas in 'eality impoverished the nation,
and to what extent the very firms, that have sup
posed themscvc, to be dong profitable business
iii the traffic have by the use ei the intoxicating
cup by their dcbtars or their debtors customers,
been brought to rain. Fires have consumed, and
the ocean has swallowed up our wealth; disor-
dcred currency has made exchanges ruinous TO our
profits. but intemperance has wasted more than
all and often where we least suspected. Had the
merchants of New-York followed the example of
the banker who refused 10 discount note for
gentleman because his breath smclt of brandy
they would have saved millions Of dollars. But
they have heretofore pursued very different
course. They have invited their customers to re-
fec,orcs or to their own houses, and put the inteN
eating cup to their lips and helped them on III the
road 10 tuis.
We engage in this enterprise in view of e5lga-
tions resting upon in relation to all with whom
we do business, and 10 all under our immediate
care Had every merchant. clerk IN this city
thirty years ago, been enlisted on the temperance
principle, who can tell what would have been the
saving OF property, health life and character,
and wha, the extension of prosperity and happi-
ness 10 unnumbercd relatives The past is beyond
our control, but its history and deyelopemen,s
should warn and gaide Us for the future. And
knowing what have been the rsyages Of in,etnpe-
rance arneag the young men who have come with
ires, hopes to our city; what the temptations are
which here cutce them what the connsction be-
tween the bar-room and the theatre, the gaming
table the horsc-raoe and the house of death; we
caano, but feel it our duty raise the standard of
total abstinence from all that can in,oxicate, and