Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-08-18
HONEST MOTIVES.

We cannot agree with the doctrine put forth in
certain quarters, that because man, or body oil
men, act from honest motipes, that such motives
make the act right Neither can we adopt the doc
trine that because an object in view may be 'mor.
ally and politically right" that every means that
may be used to bring about that object must Of
course be right This, in substance, is the reason.
ing of some Of the political abotonists.
We never intend 10 doubt the good intentions, or
impugn the motives Of any man, or set of men, I'M
Ill we have good reasons for doing Whenever
we have such reasons, we cannot hesitate TO speak
plainly IL il is any matter we deem tito be our du.
ty TO notice. We far more charitable to the po
litical abotonsts than they are TO the Wing party.
Their course, we compelled to think, is njudi-
cious and not calculated to effect he,pbjec they
have in view, for a variety Of reasons, whiebwv
have heretofore expressed ;--yet we sagnot ofthem
that they have "Rerer contemplated the duty 10 act
for the liberty and welfare Of the whole people, as
they charge upon the Wings.
But do honest motives make an act right We
suppose there may be some Of the deuded Nor
mons whose motives are good, who verify believe
they acting according to the will Of their Crea-
tor So Of the Mahomcdans, and hundreds Of 9TH
or sects, one directly opposed to the other, there
fore they cannot all be right. There honest
Inens doubtless, belonging to all these secs, and
between many Of thenr there is no affinity what
ever, each having IFS own peculiar sphere of
ton Now who doubts that this separate notion
binders the progress of Christianity II will not
be doubted but what almost every sect may in some
respects be right; that is they may hold to some
one moral doctrine, which, in itself considered is
good, and yet il may be advocated in niudicious
manner
Let us take another illustration. Iniempcrunce
is great moral and political evil There is great
moral influence at work, which, il is hoped, will
ere long eradicate the evil from cur land. The SUBJ
jeci is discussed in public and in private, and the
good cause rapidly progressingi and other evils
consequent upon intempcrance are snbsidipg. But
there few friends Of the cause who are not
satisfied with what is being done, or rather with
the manner of doing it. They wish 10 see the work
done Immediately. They go to work and get up
political temperance party-honestiy blinking in the
mean time, that il is the right way, and the only
WY, to bring about the desired object Now we
admit all the while that 10 do away with intemper.
ance is very desirable obect-that il is "moraly
and politically right to refrain from intoxicating
drinks, but who would say that il would be good
policy TO get up political temperance party p
There would be no probability that this party would
succeed very soon would il not have an injurious
effect upon the cause Most assuredly. II has
ever been the policy of the friends of the temper
ance reformation TO keep il clear Of politics Sup
pose political Temperance party had been got up,
when the temperance cause was in its infancy, say
twelve or fifteen years ago, and what progress
would this great cause have made Where i. num-
bers hundreds now, one would scarcely be found
had such been the policy. All will admit the truth
Of this assertion. Our abolition friends, who are
mostly good temperance people, will admit that il
would not have been good policy to have organized
q political party to carry on the They must,
therefore, admit that good cause may have inju-
dicious advocates, and may be much retarded by
wrong course Of action. We again beseech all 10
think upon the subject before they sci politically
upon the subject.