Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-05-29
TEMPE R ANCE.
From the Temperance .4duocate.
Is IT DIsHoNoRABLE TO BREAK THE
PLEDGE?

toned by any man of sense, whether or no
it is dishonoraJie 20 violate pledge OF
honor, is indeed strange. The very ques-
lion involves an absurdiry in its terms
yet, such is the perversity of public opln-
ion, on the subject of The violation Of The
Temperance Pledge, thai many are dis
posed 10 regard the offence as venial aud
we are sorry TO say we have heard OF men
of standing and influence in the commun-
ity, aye, even those who have held them
selves up to The public, as burning and
shining lights" in the cause OF Temper
ance, who have entirely disregarded The
sacred obligations imposed by the pledge
they have taken, by publicly drinking
wine. What is stranger sill, these men
have not been denounced aud disgraced as
they deserved, by that enlightened public
opinion, the intelligence of which we have
heard so much, but are still received and
acknowledged as gentlemen! This either
argues strange obliquity OF moral feel
ing on The part of the public, or else that
there is something in the nature ot lbe
obligation imposed by the pledge, very
different from other obligations OF honor.
But is it diaerentl If so, i'll what does
the difference consist? Is it not voun-
larry obligation, deliberately entered into
by persons of .sound mind and memory"
aud capable ofbinding themselves by any
promise they may choose TO make {! is
it au improper obligation? Is it contra
Jonos nores? is i, opposed 10 good gov
ernmen, or social happiness! Surely not.
On the contrary, does it not con'rlbuteato
promote all,hese! Yes, must be The res
ponse OF every carslid man. Then,
wherein does i, differ from other pledges
Of honor? Why is il, that it alone, may
he violated with iinpuni,y, whilst all 9th
ers are regarded as sacred? In the most
trivial matters among gentlemen. the
pledge Of honor is locked upon as one oil
the most binding obligations that cnn he
given or received, and any violation oft,
is regarded as en,iIIing The guilty party 10
the scorn and contempt oil all honorable
men; yet strange TO say, The man who, in
his proper seuses, cooIIy and deliberately
violates a solemn promise, 10 The obser-
vance Of which lie has pledged his honor
as gentleman, is still looked upon as
such by many, because forsooM it ,raS only
TEMPERANCE Pledge. We cannot under
stand this sort of ofmorality. We can never
subscribe to such code of honor. If
these he gentlemen, then wc not covet the
lille. The gentleman whose notions of
morality, vary with the ever changius
current Of popular opinion, whose ideas Of
propriety, are regulated by the voice of
the mob, whose code of honor is one thing
in 1912. and another in 1874, is not the
sort of gentlemen for us. We are led to
these reflections, by having heard it re-
marked recently, that the Temperance
Pledge was very little regarded nosc, in
certain parts of The country, among the
higher classes Of socis'N and that among
gentlemen il was no longer received as an
excuse, for refusing 10 take wine. And can
i, he lrue, lIla, there is any respectable So
ciety in this country, where one who has
dsregarded The obligations Of honor, is re-
ceived as a gentleman We fear it is
but 100 true: We are sorry TO say we
have seen some evidences of the existence
of such feeling even here. But is this
right? Ought this state of things to be
tolerated Is no, the whole community,
is we'll as Temperance men. as others, in
ieresled in preserving higher and more
correct tone Of moral feeling Wha, may
il no, lead 10 The man who disregards
his obligation of honor in one thing, may
do SO in another, and the Temperance
man who deliberately and wil(ully violates
the solemn pledge he has taken, if public
opinion would tolerate it, might nor hesi-
tate to steal your watch or your purse.
Perhaps we ought 10 qualify this remark,
by excepting the poor unfortunate drunk
ard, who has become enslaved by the vile
habit, whose faculties are weakened. and
whose powers Of resistance are impaired,
by a long course Of dissipation. We can
readily conceive how such au one, with
every disposition 10 do right, may he led
aslray, and seduced by the alluremenls
which the enemies of Temperance are SO
ready 10 throw before him /; bat that man
who has never contracted the fatal habit,
who has full command Of all his faculties,
whose position 10 society is such an one as
to cause him to be looked up TO as an ex-
ample of virtue and proprie'y, that he'
merely for The sake Of complying with a a
foolish custom Of saciety, should disregard
SO sacred promise as that which he made,
when he signed the Total Abstinence
Pledge, is to us something passing strange;
we can only account for it by the suppo,
sition, lha, there is utter want Of moral per-
cep,ibility in the man. Rest assured,
there is something wrong-in vulgar par,
lance "a screw loose" somewhere, i'll the
moral constitution of the man, who could
act thus. We have thus far. considered
this subject, merely as aques'lon of honor
or The other obligation il i'imposes, we have
rorhorne to speak Today. They may
form the subject of future remarks. W.
also propose 10 future number to throw
out some suggestions as to the course Il
he pursued by Temperance men and 80
| ,;o,;os IN ,I;e enh;act 0ur impreSSiOn is