, 1843-04-15
(For the RADICAL
HOaXing.

This amusement is becoming quite too
fashionable, when confined to the learn
ed who sometimes amuse each other, and
excite the wonder and awaken the fears
of the vulgar by publishing descriptions
of the appearance of the "lunarious," or
inhabitants of the moon, or by grave .ac-
counts of the fearful changes in tho fo-
lar system, it is sufficiently mischievous
in itself, and it also, probably encoura-
ges the disposition to practice hoaxlng
on a smaller scale. Here we have good
natured wags relating what they have
witnessed in the line of the wonderful
and marvellous. One has seen a mai
swallow cross cut saws and log cabins,
another has seen him puke up living owls
and turkey buzzards. This kind Of hoax
ing can do society no particular injury
because such stories deceive nobody
But fabrications of a different stripe, in
geniously dressed in the habiliment of
truth, which have a direct bearing on
the morals of community, are sometimes
started. One of this kind has been re-
Gently Matched by the hot incubation of
the v~otaries of alcohol, and the opposers
of temperance are using it 10 the detri-
ment OF the cause of moral reform. / al
lude TO the report, that a citizen of this
town, who claims the honor of being 4
jealous friend Of the temperance cause,
has acknowledged that Mr.. Henderson
had the worst Of the argument in the
Ashley debate. This assuredly is a
hoax, which on the score of absurdities
out hoaxes all others, for it would be
quite as difficult to imagine that a person
of common sense could be found out side
Of a mad house, whose faith in the tenn
perance principles would have been in
the least weakened by that debate, as &c
believe a man had swalloweda herd Of
camels. What mortal with a gill of
brains could be gulled with the idea that
it is our duty TO drink liquor, and IL
privilege to get drunk, because forsooth,
men in an early and semibarbarous age
of the world did those things? As well
might we contend that it is our duty and
privilege to lie because Jacob lied, TO
steal because Rachael stole-to lie, ON
nit adultry and murder, because David
was guilty of those sins-keep numer-
Gus wives and c~aucubines, or swear and
swear falsely because Peter did. True,
we have reason 10 expect that those sins
were forgiven, and others "winked at in
those days ofignorance," but this should
not encourage US to continue in the, use
of a luxury, inimical to health, which
leads to a violation of all law, human and
divine.
Men who are determined to continue
to set the pernicous example of dram
drinking, regardless of the safety of their
children, and the well being of society,
are inflictirg an evil on the community
sufficiently sore, without ~impugning the
motives or disappearing the language
Of those who are lahouring TO save our
fellow creatures from the horrors of
drunkenness-surely they must feel .ha.
their cause (what a cause) wa but bad
ly sustained or they never would have
resorted 10 falsehood, to create the i'm
preston abroad of a triumph on their
part.
And they should not complain of their
champion (who by the way seems TO be
aware that his Ashley speeches are I'M
suitable to be submitted to the scruteny
of the public, through the news paper.)
for failing 10 establish the prudence and
morality of grog drinking. impossible
ties should not be required of any one.
His side Of the question had not even a
foundation of sand. With the talents
of half the angels he would have failed
to sustain the position he assumed, or to
invalidate the irrefutable arguments of
his opponent.
Moral truths are as immutable as the
physical laws of nature, and most of
them quite as palpable.~ He who can
not see that sobriety is more conducive
to human happiness than drunkenness is
an idiot. The man who will not &C.
knowledge that total abstinence affords a