, 1843-07-01
For the Radical

serve attention. Those sentiments have
been often heard in conversation and al
50 in this region of country, in a certain
kind of hebdomidal public harrancues;
but w. has the merit of being the first
who has undertaken to propagate that
species of moral heresy, by aid of the
press. His objections to the orlhordox
temperance Faith are, in the main, so
stale and boyish that it would be quite
useless TO refute them the millionth time.
but for his appeal to that sacred volume
which is the acknowledged standard Of
morality for christendom.
Verify if that book, by any rule of in
depreciation can be tortured into a iusti-
fcatiOn Of grOg drinking, hen indeed is
it deserving of the slanderous appela-
lion given ii by a catholic priest "a nose
cf wax"
The inspired volume differs frcm most
books ofmcre human authority inasmuch
as it faithfully relates without reserve
or evasion The vices and misdceds as
well rs the virtues of men and nations.
The sane divine penman who describes
the glorious plan Of mans redemption,
shocks our sensibilities with the recital
of murder, sacrilege and crime. But
the good man always finds his virtuous
deeds approved and rewarded, while the
vicious have the most fearful d~cnuncia-
liens and judgments pronounced against
them. True, wicked actions and these
habits which lead 10 wickedness and
crime, are sometimes recorded as his
t~orical incidents, without comment or re-
buke. Hence we read Of theft, false
hood, liquor drinking, polygamy, and
divers other customs and vices of the
times. And from this latter circumstance,
weak, vicious or designing men, or men
who have not given proper attention TO
the question in all its bearings, are cna-
bled to draw a superficial argument in
favor Of practices which the whole ten
nor and spirit of the bible condemns
And thus arises the scripture evidence
in favor Of grog drinking-Paul advised
Timothy 10 ''uSe a little wine" as a medi-
cinc-Tgo-we may guzzlc down as
much whiskey as we think won't hurt
us because we love it."
Thus rcasoneth tiplers-incbriates
and their "aiders and abctors." Nay
more-some of them sacrilegiously in
woke the sacred name of religion in de-
fence of this habit which is the lcgi.i-
ma.e parent of the discsi suffering un.
der which humanity groans.
have not time friend W. to show YOU
how much you are mistaken in suppo-
sing YOU are a friend Of temperance il
The 'true meaning Of the word" so long
as your conscience viii allow you 10 SCI
the pernicious example Of temperate
drinking in face OF the well known fac
that ii is the sole cause Of drunkenness
And your objections 10 laying men I'M
der obligation 10 practice total abstI'
hence, may be answered hereafter by
some school boy. Bat your complain
of injustice deserves a passing notice.
lam not that the friends Of TEN
perance have practiced injustice OH an,
man or society of persons. If we arr
not "wise as s~erpents" we have strov,
10 be harmless as doves" Justice t,
ourselves has compelled us TO repel som
Of the numerous SANDERS that have beef
propagated against us-Justice 10 In
great cause Of bcncvolenoe in which IS
are engaged has required at our hands
refutation Of the absurd though speciou
arguments That have been uscd III op
position 10 temperance. And il, in do
ing this We have unavoidably sometime
placed our opponents in ridiculous ALI
tudes, we only regret that they impose
upon us the necessity of doing it.
And now dear w word for you
prirqfe ear. The dialogue was no ''Gx
ed up" affair. 1t was a faithful repre-
scntation of the substance Of converse
lions that have actually occurred be
tween tee-totalers, their religious oppo
sers and inebriates-not all at one time
'is true, but for convenience sake wa
represented as one continuous discourse
and this is all the ''tiXing up" you Ca