New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-07-18
Temperance in New-York.

any active, prominent effort IN iurinerdncc OF l'
great cause OF Total Abstinence from Intoxicating
Liquors Ye, the work greatly needs doing and
the demand for efficient Laborcrs IN this Held J.
very great For, whether Temperance IS com
rneDded or not, the cause OF Iatemperance hnd'
daily vo,ares apologists and victims. -Four thou
sand grog shops constantly display their sureneni'
on almos, every corner. and the weary ciiizen OF
bewildercd stranger IN our streets mas haiu'y
choice but must seek few minutes rest make al
inquiry or await an omnibus, at one OF these. MIDI
iuleps and iced champagne for the genicel beginner
punch and port for the regular moderate drinker'
and sword fish gin and other raw materials al
three cents a suck for the confirmed and seedy
.oaker every where abound The fashionable no
tel the low pot house, the theatre, the gambling
house the brothel all give the intoxicating oeVer
age a prominent place among their attractions. u
il sill displayed and proheredto their shame be u
spokeni-by the wealthy and proud in most OF their
social and festive gatherings, also in the meetings
and merr, makings OF the humble and poor. Every
where aud always the machinery winch makes
drunkards is in constant, eiicien, operation while
the efforts to arrest and destroy that most desoaiins
vice which prompts and occasions so many others
are comparatively fitful and feeble. Can we won
der tina, the cause OF Temperance seems rather re
trogradng than advancing in our City
The boosted efficacy of Moral Suasion has had
a pretty thorough trial here. Of Temperance PHI
losophy Temperance facts Temperance orators
Temperance meetings, we have had an mhnity. No
bic has been their spirit in the main powerful their
efforts. unquenchablc their zeal Unworthy men
have doubtless crept into the Temperance ranks a.
into those Of any other good cause, but not here III
any way 10 faint its general character few have
sought TO be suppoi ted and enriched by IT, but the
many have been willing to labor and suffer for II
We, the fourth year of determined, powerful Wash
ing,onan effort in our City has closed. leaving the
cause scarcely more advanced in our City than The
second did the groggeries as numerous aud flour
ishng as ever and the popular current setting rather
against the Temperance movement than IN It's ia
vor Can any one ask why is this y Let him look
TO the immense force Of depraved appetite, lnvete
rate habit, daily solicitation and personal interest,
which is ever active on the side OF lntcmpcrancc.
Scarcely four Temperance resorts are open and
known TO the public to counicraci the influence OF
four thousand grog shops Scarcely hundred men
ia the cause of Temperance. while at least ten thou
sand make gain, directly or indirectly of grog sell
ing And thus, when the battle for the New TX
else came to be fought at Albany last winter The
pabic Press of our City arrayed itself, almost unau
mously. on the side Of the Rum traffic journal,
which never before nor since gave an indication o.
their devotion To Total Abstinence in any way.
vociicrsted their unsurpassed affection for Tempe
rance, but only in the way of Moral Saasi0H.
Not a scrap of Moral Suasion' against drinking
have they uttered since the bill far as regards
our City was defeated nor are they likely TO utter
more ill driven 10 it in support OF the grog trade
Well the City is thrust out of the sphere of the
New Excise Law and likely TO be kept out. VIVA
remains TO be done We answer Preparation
for an early and rigorous Fan campaign agdins'
The desoiafing traffic As we are thrown back Oh
Moral Suasion let us give it thorough trial. Lei
the friends of Temperance revive or renew their or
ganizalion. and commence with September most
determined crusade against their old enemy Lei
the whole City be mapped into small districts and
every one made the field of special and systematic
eifjr, against all the means and appliances of In
toxication.
A general Council of the friends of Temperance
composed we believe, of one delegate from each
Society. is in existence, though we believe MOI
actively So This must be filed up and become the
centre Of most resolved and well directed agita
ton. |, must act wisely. with single eye to the
triumph Of the cause. and be cheercd ON BY public
confidence and support.
Yet to effective operations II is obvious that pecu
,a.,n rc.,S ar. w. ba,. ,.,,4
saw,ers. blacksmi,hs day .laborers &c who will
talk nightly for Temperance, talk we'll and want no
pay for i; but rooms must be hired. notices dsse
minated and documents printed AT this momen,
the General Council has remarkably clear cogcni
faithful Essay Address. setting forth the general
argument against drinking or selling Intoxicating
Liquors, which was pronounced by Committee the
best among sixty or seventy and premium of slOO
awarded TO 1t. That Address tcos TO be placed in
every family in New York. il has not been because
there were no means of doing it. One Thousand
Dollars would probably pay the entire expense Of
printing and 50 distributing H. but the money is not
to be had IL ten times as much more were needed
to do so much good in New Zealand or Grim Tarary
the money could promptly be raised in this City but
for work of practical and undoubted philanthropy
here, nothing is given.
This must bc amended. Our men of wealth and
philanthropy mus, be appealed to, and no, in vain
Our Clcrgymcn must be cntrcatcd on some Sabbath
in September. 10 plead for the cause of Temperance
Our Merchants Temperance Society must be re.
susc,aicd from its four years sumbcr after three
weeks active existence. and made to cooperate in
the noble work. Never was there crisis in the
Temperance Reform so full OF danger ON the one
hand We, 50 bright with hope on the other. as the
present The cause mus, advance or miscrably
fail. With spirit, energy organization among the
friends of Temperance, decided progress may be
made this fail leading TO still vastcr ,riumphs here
after What friend of the Cause will be irresoluts
,r inactive at such season
lV' We do not. of course, credit the rumors that
uessrs Buchanan and Walker have resigned, or
erously thought Of resigning, their seats in the
Cabinet There has been spat, of course, but
here may be many such before either of the Honora
lie Secretaries rclnquishcs his 10000 year Mr..
Walker is in trouble in Mississippi in Tennessee and
II over bu, he is slippery fellow and may wric
a. q