The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-03-11

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turn from the sun towards which | ina
CINE il is now approaching, it may be ex-
pec!ed 10 put on an aspect OF greater mag
nitcence, and grandeur, and The attention
Of every one should be directed 10 SO subs
lime an object. A.
"Be sure you are right then 90 .7hcad."
Mr. Editor:
| Had "Vindex,' who appeared in
your last paper, been authorized to select for the
temperance cause motto suitable to be written
! upon her certificates Of membership; to be in
| scribed upon her banners and engraved upon the
pillars of her halls, he could not have selected a
more appropriate one. We thank him for the
Suggestion, and promise that the motto shall be
made TO echo from hill TO vale, from town to
hamlet, throughout Cecil county. After select
| ing his motto Vindcx" proceeds to admit that
ntemperance (taking the term in its unrestricted
sense) sis an evil of great magnitude" and then
very doubtingly comedies what no man in truth
denies that THAT species of intemperance which
consists IN drinking intoxicating liquors TO excess
spsrhdps the most pernicious, diretul and inve-
terate of all otlcrs.'' Surely then according to
this estimate of this species Of intemperance, we
are warranted in attacking it first. Where there
is complication Of diseases, does not the wise
and prudent Physician attack the "most inyeter-
ate" first viii it be denied that those other
species OF in;emperance to which "Vindex" 80
eloquently alludes, are not to a considerable ex-
tent engendered excited and strengthened BY
this most perncious, direful and inyeterate hab-
~" May we not be permitted then to strike
down this prolific lioness of intemperance first
that her whelps MAJ be the sooner destroyed;
"Vmdex" teaches sound doctrine when he says
every patriot, Philanthrophist and christian
should rejoice to see nternperance Frustrated
and banished;' but startled at the concession as
seeming to question his own patriotism &c.; he
hast ems to shield himself behind definition of
| terms, and informs of what was well known
| before, and has been reiterated an hundred thou
sand times by every class and character OF the
| opponents OF tempeTance-that the term temper
ahce means moderation in every kind of indul-
gence, and then hurls the charge of inconsistent
| cy against liz for the or rather the abuse Of
the term. Now every intelligent person knows
and "Vndcx" ought 10 know, that We give to
that term definite and restricted meaning. III
he viii read the constitutions of Temperance So
cletes or even the pledge, he will know what sig
| Indication we attach to the term and " hat we
claim in calling ourselves Temperance men,
| When the friends Of the cause found il necessary
TO adopt pledge which should interdict even
| the moderate" use of all intoxicating liquors
they still retained the name by which the
cause was first baptsed Some individual So
cietes have assumed the snr name of''Total Alb
sincncc," but they arc no better off as far as the
| criticism OF "Vindex' is concerned: Suppose
him to call on total abstinence" man., Ho
inds him ut q lcor. Ilo accos's him thus--why
SIR am surprised at your Inconsistency. Do yeu
not know that abstinence means a retraining fton
an indulgence Of appetite, and that tota! ureans
whole, full complete. You therefore. profess
wholly and fully TO refrain from an indulgence Of
! appetite, and here you are INDUCING Jour app
tito for food
Should we adopt tho name teetotaler, will
'Vindex" join us them Surely he cam u object
that the term implies too much, for it was coin
ed tor the express Use oftemperancc mel.
"slndex" describes the temperance of the day
as 'deiorned;' no doubt it will stragten up I'M
der his chastlsing rod. AS "sckly." He must
have very penetrating eye to have discovered
its symptoms before they developed and so
much III advance Gifts friends " no have thought
il was in a healthy condition. Let it however
he well nurscd As "dwartish." A mistake. 1t
is 30 large that like the col sosal statue of Rhodes
it las placed one foot on Colunbia's shore and
thrown the other across the Atlantic, and plant
ed il on Brtiau'd Isles.
One would suppose that being "delormed
dwarish and sickly," the poor fellow would stay
at home. Not so; "Vindex' las seen him out
somewhere. He says it "struts pompously "a
broad" We would admonish the 500 temper
ance ladies' and gentlemen of Elkton and its vi
entity, ii you do not now cease, your "pompous
struttins' and come down from naughty bearing
1t will not he, tcrause you have not been sharply
rebuked by "Findex."
The next charge preferred is that ofcmp!cying
"unwarrantablc means" Had ha said unlaw-
ful, VIC should have looked about us to see what
law, human or divine we were violatlng,but as lie
has no lato by which to condemn US he brings Us
to the bar Of his own private Judgment, and
pronounces sentence forthwith, We who are
Immediately engaged in this temperance reform
claim to be asgood Judges of warrantablc means
as those who are only spectators.
As "Vindex" is such stickler for Dictionary
definitions, we request him TO consult Webster
On the words as iIiren and "6necdoic and