The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-05-09

Ahoe oobu ihicct duu btIgInatl6o the times,
Ther'a mono that can with impious oaths com-
Where vice and folly have on equal share"
IL is not our purpose TO write q homily
on this subject; but simply 10 call attention
IN few plain remarks, 10 wide sDraud
and pernicious evil. Spearing, like drink.
ing, is confined to no one class, or condi.
ton of society. The young and the old.
persons Of both sexes--the rich md ,he
poor, the learned and tho ignorant, the
bond and the free, are more or less guilty.
OF the practice. Should the eye of bro.
fame swearer light upon these lines, we
respectfully ask him 10 pause q moment.
and seriously ponder the following con.
siderations.
Profane swearing is. forbidden by God.
"Swear not at oil. This command is
positive; as much SO as any precept ofthe
Decalogue; and for the violation OF which
you are as responsible as you would be
for theft. For, he who said, "Tho sbu]t
not steal" has also said, "Swear not at
ALL" If, therefore, you have any regard
for your Maker, desist from the practle
OF profane swearing.
Consider, that it is useless practise.
We have heard men justify the use of
strong drink on the grounds of its utility
they tells tell us, it warns them in winter
and cools them in summer; and thew are
firmly persuaded that all this is so! But
who ever heard just, or even q sensible
plea for an oath 2 who will pretend to saw
that, the use of profane language is profit
able in any way? The swearer himself
kno,oS that it is not 1t makes him neither
wiser, nor richer, nor more respectable,
1t increases in no degree his influence;
and il is very far from recommending him
to the favorable notice and regards ofthe
good and upright. Besides a this, il is
well known fact, that, but little conf.
dence is placed in the statements Of man
who backs what he says by hard oath.
His veracity is most commonly suspected
by men district integrity; and if believed
at all, it is because what he states is
known to be true, independently of his ics-
hmony. In short, not one single adyan-
tege can be shcwn to result from the prac.
tice--why, then: persist in it?
Consider too, that it is no marx of a
gentleman 10 s,rear. We do not say, that.
he who swears, is no gentlcman-we
leave others to determine this-but wo do
say, that, profane swearing is no mark of
good breeding-of gentlemanly character
What are the facts Of the case? Whv.
"the most worthless and vile; the refuse
| of mankind, and the drunkard swearer ns
we'll as the best dressed and educated
gentleman. "And it is well.known fact
that, common sailors. who are looked IN.
on as among the most degraded in morals
are also, among the most finished in "the
art ofcursing." Ii requires no particular
smartness-no special intellectual endow.
ments to acquire proficiency in this art
"Ihe basest and meanest Of mankind
swear with as much tact and skill. ns the
most refined" To say the least, then.
the common swearer can, on this account
lay no claim to being gentlcmun-tbe
practice adds nothing 10 his respectable.
ty.
But, the most weighty consideration
against swearing, is, that God will not
hold you guillless. One of The ten com.
mandments is specially directed against
this practice; e;-"Thou shalt hot take the
name of the Lord, thy God in vain" No
man SO frequently, and wan!only,
takes the name Of God in III. as the
profanc swearcr. He never uses it, but
with profane lips. He never uses it, but
in invoking imprecatIons either on his
own head, or on others. For such wan.
ton, impious use of his name-a name
before which, all holy intelligences pros
trate Themselves God has soIemnly de.
clared, that he will not hold the swearer
guitless;-"I will not hold him euiltless
that taketh my name in vain -
Awful threatening let the swearer Sc.
riously think oft; and let him abandon
practice, which is not only wholly unprof.
able, but which, if not repented of, must
finally expose him to tho malediciion of
his offended Maker.
SINGULAR COINCIDENCE. at
Marshfeld Mass, on the 5th instant,
Deacon Joel Hatch, aged 10; on 9Th in.
slant, Deacon Joseph Clih, aged Sd
They were both elected deacons of the
Congregational Church, in North Marsh.
field, in 1901, and they were both found
dead, the one in his bed and the other in
his yard.
nT Seventeen millions Of passengers
have been carried over the Massachu.
setts railroads, within the past three years.
Fifiy.six killed and sixty.Gvo injured.