The Columbian fountain., 1846-02-26
TEMPERANCE CONSISTENCY.

TEMPERANCE CONSISTENCY.
In looking over the "Yeas and Nays" on
the resolution to permit the friends of Temper
ance TO use the Hall Of the House Of Repre-
sentatves for meeting for the promotion of
the cause, find the names Of some OF the
protessed friends Of the cause on the list OF
those present refusing TO vote. 1t is not my
design, as it never has been my custom, TO
call attention TO names; but ! cannot sulief
this act Of gross and inexcusable Inconsistency
10 pass unnoticed. If these scordy trends OF
the cause will turn their attention TO the Ayes,
and find that some who love the bowl voted
for the resolution, methinks they will hasten
.to do their first works over" confess their
sin. and resolve 10 do SO no more. How
these protessed friends of temperance can look
some of their fellow members in the face with
out blushng, is mystery to me. They pro-
fess to abhor the sin Of intemperance, and yet
they are found opposing the resolution in COM
pany with the very men whose intemperance
dsgraces the House in its regular sessions.
have pity and sympathy for the unfortunate
creatures whose judgments and reason are led
captive by their passions I; but how must those
be regarded, who, while protesting to be the
friends OF temperance, are found side by side
with the votaries of rum, in opposition TO the
holding of tenn perance meetings, and even
after thus voting are inconsistent enough to
publicly speak in favor of the cause.
There is another cause of complaint to
which may here refer. allude to the burn
ing disgrace heaped upon the cause by some
of its public lecturers, who, while denouncing
the evil Of drunkenness, are found supporting
and encouraging those whose legitimate bus-
ness is to make drunkards. This policy is
akin to that practced during the late war by
certain class of pretended Americans, who
were then known by the appelalion Of snug
glers The lecturers alluded to occasionally
fire paper bullet, or kick up dust, in sight
of the enemy's camp, while, at the same time,
they are supporting the enemy by feeding at
their table and sleeping in their downy beds.
1t seems TO me these men do not properly
consider: they do not count the cost. They
have denounced the rum traffic: they have
held the seller accountable for the ruin
and misery occasioned by his craft How,
then, can they aid and abet him in his slaugh-
ters, Unless ii indeed be they are hypocrites
A Temperance man boarding IN rum shop!
Impossible 1t is an absurdity too monslrous
10 be thought Of! A temperance lecturer
guest of a rum seller! What connexion hath
<Sl = ..l al.o11 III
a Minister at horse-race-a Bishop in Bill
liard-room, would be just as consistent. A
temperance man reposing in the chamber of
drunkard- maker--eating the bread snatched
from the mouths of starving orphans--resting
his head upon the downy pillow bedewed with
the tears of drunkard's wfe-the splendid
furniture of his room is clotted with the blood
of his fellow-beings, who have fallen victims
TO the avocation of his host. The comforts,
aye, and the luxuries he enjoys in the licensed.
inn, have been purchased, and he kno,ps it,
with liquid fire and every comfort he re-
ceives sends bitter pang to some lone female
heart But why should | argue a question
of this kind with men who have sworn by
nSu ucdFcu w III lnc Sdlti VI tHiS EIcdt uc-
stroyer? Arguments are in vain but if in
their heart there is single spark Of humanity,
I call upon them in the name Of bleeding in
pocence, by the pitiful cries Of starving or
phans, by the blighted affections, by the bitter,
scaldisg tears of heart-broken wives, by the
bitter. anguish Of desolate mothers, by the
drunkard himself, the hopeless suicide, whose
guilty soul has gone, " unannointed and un-
annealed," to the bar OF just God and
above all, challenge you upon the awful re-
sponsibility resting upon your own soul, for
the consiaency of your own position, for the
purity Of the heaven-born cause to which you
have vowed allegiance, at once and for ever to
withdraw your patronage from those whose
"meat and drink" il is 10 manufacture drunk
ards. Men cannot be deceived in this thing
:" He that is not with us is against u.s." " Ye
cannot serve God and Mammon !" " The re-
ceiver is as bad as the thief" There is no
neutral ground. E.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~c~~~e~~~~~~~e~e~~
Mr.. EDITOR We are pleased with the
"Fountain." Indeed, we are more than pleased,