The State guard. [volume] (Wetumpka, Ala.) 1847-18??, 1847-05-25

For the State Guard.
TO THE FRIENDS OF TEMPERANCE.
How to prevent 1ntempcrance

How to prevent Intemperance.
Mn HAupy-Having learned that my former
essay was well received by many of your re'ders,
and having been earnestly solicited by those whose
opinion and character highly esteem, to keep my
pen in practice, or take the stump, no matter who
finds fas / send you tins second epsile and hope
its truthfuness will influence all who receive the
Christian code as mans moral standard.
"The thought that in the bosom of society are
multittidcs standing On the brink of pc dition;-
multitudes who are strongly tempted to debase
and destroy their rational nature, to sink into bru
tai excess,-to seal Their uin in this world, and
for the world to come, ought TO weigh on us as d
burden, ought to inspire deeper concern than the
visitation OF pestilence ought 10 every man
who has ca9ed this degradation, to TO what he
may 10 rescue the fallen, and sill more to save
the falling" See jeremiah 8: a to 1877
have long witnessed the stupor, indifference
and open opposition Of men, to the Temperance
reform, and that too, under the cloak of zeal for
pure and undefled religion They can see Their
nei hbcrs and friends falling on the right hand
and on the left--wives and mothers made misera-
Bile, and innocent children driven TO squalid want
of this suff.ring-just as though they ad nothing
to do in this matter. Such men pray Thy king
dom come and Thy vii be DONE but are ister-
in their opposition when urged 10 a1ork, ifhey
wish their prayers answered. This have seen.
Another fact have noticed, viz. this: that wher
ever the Temperance question is opposed or neg
lected there Wit goodness langush,s, and peo-
pie neglect religion. To be sure the people will
build churches and attend service, If conveni,nt,
on Sundays, particularly if a popular man is TO
preach, o an excitement got u to Influence the
timid and nervous who rush forward at such
tlmes-amd get ri gionl and here, it is f AIRED,
many founder and regard animal excitement as
the fruits of faith and love- For, it will be sen
when labor, suffering, priyation, persecution, or
neglect, come on such people, they are really 10
renounce religious duy and go with the crowd,
to abuse and villify those who stand fast, and
fearessly reprove SIM This is so notorious
truth that man of exreri nee will deny il. Is il
any wonder then that stupidity and Indifference
should prevail, and even churches become extinct?
In my former epistlc have slid the only safe
and sure method by which to save men from FORM
ing drunken habits is, to exalt their NOR nse.'
suppose all will agree that the less educated and
poorer classes, do and will initiate in greater or
less degree, the better informed and wealthy cl
es. Let selfishness and sensuaty reign among
the prosperous and educated, and the poor and
uneducated will reflect these vices in erosser and
more aggravated forms.-That man is the bcs,
frienfto Temperance among high and low, whose
character and life expresses clearly ad strongly,
moral energy, self-denial, superiority to the body,
superi riiy 70 wealth, elevation of sentiment and
principle. Such men, however wherever found,
are generally neglected, slandercd and despIsed =
this is sure to be he if the man questions he
popular theology and EXPOSE its errors in their
faith, and practice in particuar-then he will re-
ceve opposition from the ch urcl as well as out Of
it, as many have learned.
"The greatest benefactor to society is not lie
who servesit by single acts, but whose general
character is the manifestation of higher life and
spirit Than pc vadts the mass Such men are
the salt of the earih The might Of individual vir-
tue surpasses all ther powers The multi plea
ton of individual of true force and dignity o.
mind, would be the suie,t of all omens of the
suppression of intemperance in every condition of
society" Who beilves This truth
Our present social balrl,rs and distinct ons, n
30 far as they restrict sympathy, and substitute
the spirit Of caste, the bgouy of rank, for the spr
1t OF humanity, -despisng the po5r-ought 10 he
Reproduced as gross violations Of the Christi
code. The weak ignorant, falling and fallen
ought not TO be cut off from their more favored
brethren-ought not to be left to act cont ually
and exclusively on one another, and thuNo pro-
pagate the,r crimes and woes withou. end The
good should form holy conspiracy against evil,
should assail it by separate and jo Mt exeriion--
no matter who opposes, ridicules or neglects.-
When society is governed by such men, some rea-
son Bile hope may be enter aimed that Intemper.
ance will cease to exist in the Christian Church
and IN the world See Isaiah 8: II to %.
Observing men must Sc Low alous religious
teachers are 10 prose yte the wealthy and popular
on their side-as though money purch SEES scat in
heaven! ard have seen preachers fawn over urd
fatter the rich as though heaven itself could not
be e. joyed without them Where preachers fear
TO reproye drunkenness, it will be fund their
hearers are more or less under the bondage of in.
temperance, in some shape or other. We see all
classes aud conditions of men clergymen law
yers, doctors, planters, merchants al mechan-
les, well as the day laborer-iuil cd and de-
stroyed by the vice of drinking, every year, and
yet nothing must be said or done lest we offend the
Church! Or, if nything is said, II m ST be SO de-
lcate and smooth and gentle that no dealer or
habitual drinker can be offended But such, I'M
fortunately, is not my practice in thought or nc
ton-much as some people have found fault-and
/ have learned that fault finding and abuse is the
way some folks discharge their religious duties,
and thus quiet their sy conscences! In sober
truth, it is mour full that so few msn are found
the open, decided and unccmpromis ng supporters
Temperance refJrm, when all men are rea.
u 'A' Wedge the curses of drunkenness and
~ ~ :s.-Se 10 cease. When will the
wish lntempefah.- aid Of This sub ect (?
Christian Church take II, y '1
nHe who counts tie hal y 0s y, neao' a''u
knows the atoms of the unIy.-se, VIII, - -
lag to every man according his Works, IA
dficu ty in signing to each is proper "'Spoi,
sion of guilt, Not particle of mans obligaho,f
10 do good OF the earth will be lost Public
OBJ igaiion is made up Of individual Obligation, and
duties in common must be discharged by individual
agency Hence every individual is as MUCH obi
gated to exert his single agency, as if the whole
work was his. Whatever others may 10 CT MOI
d. his own individual account, will not be affected