Democratic banner., 1848-05-22

N'A' N'~ -
and he has been seer in all bis enormity.-
And the wise have asked, how can he b.
thWarted? and the good have attempte'
the task.
The only question now to be settled is
how is the object to be best accomplished
BY what means can we most successful,
counteract the evil?
And here every prudent man will stop t.
consider. We must not act rashly. AM
every friend of virtue and we'll wisher o
his race, so soon as he shall have determin'
cd as to the wisest course, will throw al
his energies into its prosecution. Let IL:
proceed then deliberately and dispassion.
ately to the investigation. And let us pre-
mise that no plan can possibly be proposed
against which there can no objection be
raised. Such is the complication of human
ills that no single arrangement can cover
every case, or meet every emergency
But what is the best plan?
There must be an extensive change of
customs. Intoxicating liquors must be BAN
iShed from the social circle. The spark
ling glass must no longer be regarded as an
appropriate pledge of friendship. Not on
ly muss the universal band of public senti-
ment be placed upon intcmperance, but
public feeling must be aroused against the
nabit of dram-drinhing. The distiller and
wholesale dealer must be looked upon and
detested as men who will sacrifice princi-
pie for gain. The gentleman merchant
who treats for custom, thus catering to a
vitiated appetite TO increase his per cent
must be made to feel that he is a degraded
man. Such a renovation of moral feeling
must be produced. Shall we wait for it?
We have waited long enough. Shall we
enlighten the public mind? The public
mind is enlightened, but the evil still RACES
and is scarcely abatcd at all. Shall we
look to the church? The church has done
nobly; but her influence in this respect is
principally confined to those within her
pales. Beyond her jurisdiction she cannot
reach the evil except by moral ~suasion, and
there is not sufficient strength in moral sua-
sion TO resist the torrent. She sends out
her influence, but her authority is not ex-
erted.
1t is now admitted by most enlightened
persons that there must be some seperate
movement, some distinct effort, having this
single object in view. Such effolts have
been made for years. But that the sue
cess was not adequate to the accomplish
1ent of the desired result, nor correspon-
dent to the hopes of the philantl ropist, is
"A fact that cannot be denied. The number
signing the pledge was indeed not incon-
siderable. But how few except their
faith" l would not derogate from the
character of those reforms. They accom-
plished good, great good. The allegation
Is false that they reformed no drunkards.-
The witnesses are in almost every commu
nifty that such permanent reformations did
take place under their influence. But
more was done doubtless in saving the
young who had never acquired the habit
than in reforming those who had. l am
myself, perhaps, a monument of their sue
cess, | was probably not more than ten years
of age when | took the pledge. Subse-
quentiy thrown into dangerous associations,
it required all the sacredness of my pledge
to enable me to resist temptation. What
youth can resist the solicitation Of a friend
to join him ia a social glass unless he is as
sisted by some extraneous influence? 1t
was not difficult for me to fall back upon
my pledge, and urge ii as the reason for
noncompliance; and to this day have not
violated its spirit. Still the defects ofthose
are not to be covered up
They lacked system and consequently were
not permanent. There was no organiza-
ton, or at Best an imperfect one; and con-
sequently no continued effort. l knOwI
sections of country swept by them where
the subject has never been agitated since
the lecturer left. They were mere excite
ments, and in but too many instances So
soon as the excitement passed by, the force
of the objection was forgotten, and the re-
formed relapsed Immediately into the drum
kGrd.
In this state of things the question was,
how shall these defects be remedied? Theret
was a want of continuity of effort, and per-
manency of result. The only remedy pro-
posed was the organization of the Sons of
temperance, and l feel fully convinced
it has fewer defects, and will meet
more ~exigeucies than any other that could
have been proposed. If there is a better
let it BIO produced; we will espouse it with
all our hearts. We seek investigation
Point out our defects, set forth your own
claims |