Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-05-28

crct, to which the Rev. Mr Manlus was sub
jcclcd, and many were the discussions into
which he was drawn by the advocates Of total
abstinence. His mode Of argument Was very
summary.
81 would no more sign the pledge not io
drink brandy lhan would sign a pledge not
to steal, was the position he took. "lwish
to be free to choose good or evil, and To act
right bccauso it is wrong to do otherwise !
do not find fault with others ior signing the
pledge, nor from abstaining from wine. II
they think 1t right, 1t is right ior thcn. But
as lor myself, ! would cut oiT my right hand
before would bind myself by mere extern.
al restraint. My bonds are internal princi-
pies. | am temperate because iu,cmpcrancc
Is sin. For men who have abused their free
dom and ~ f,r lost rational control over them
selves that they cannot resist the insane splni
uf intcmpcnncc, the pledgo is oil iapJrianr.
Sign Il, ! say In the name Of Heaven but de-
not sign Il because this, that or the other
temperate man has signed It, but because you
iccl Il 10 be- your only hope. DO It for your
sclf, and do Il II YOU are the only man IN the
world who acts thus. Tosign hccausc anoil,-
cr man, ~hom YOU thrnk mHe respectable,
has signed, Will give you little or no strength.
You must do il for yourself, and because II Is
right"
The par-on MS pretty ready with tht
tongue, aud mcly came oil second bc'N when
his opponents dragged him into controversy,
although his arguments were called by them,
when be- w.s NOT present, " mere irstlan."
4" IIis love for wine and brandy Is at the
bottom Of all this hostility To the temper.
anc, cauro, ." was boldly said Of him by indl.
yduals in and out or hI, church Bur c.pcc-
tally were the member, ot other chuwhc. So
were upon him
Hell turn ont druuknd, said one.
- shouldn't bc surprised to ,cc him stag.
gcung IN the streets before tvo years" sid
another
lie doe, more harm TO the Temperance
cause than ten dmnkari., " alIcdrcd a third.
While other. said" Isn't 3, -candalovs -
IL, a disgrace % hr- profession 2"
" Nnlurstcr, uicrd''
Aud ,o the changes rang,
Al this um, Nr uanlus firmly maintain.
cd hi, ground, taking h, glas, ol wine when.
ever it suited him. At last, aiicr the ocrur-
renee OF a dinncr.pary given by O imlly of
some nrc iu the place, at which the minister
was present, at which wine was circulated
freely, a rather zcaudalous report got abroad,
and -non went buEzing 30 over ulc village
\ yumg man Who mahs M secret Of being
fond uf his glass, and who was At this dinner
party, met uu thr day ai'rr, a very warm ad-
yucllc Ut temperance, aud a mrmhcr Of a NcrN
different Denomination from that iu which VIZ,
Manlus vas o. minister, and said tu him,
with mock gauty-"wc had rara or'' at
our dinncr-party Yesterday, Perkins"
"indecd. wha, wonderful ding was
thatr'
" \ upsy nrson.
" 4 what"
The mans ryc- bcrrm, irstaTly almost as
big as saucrrs.
"Aupey par,on."
"whoi Nr Nanliua - was css"gly IN
qulrrd.
81 didn't say 20. | call no names"
lie va. pre-en, know and drank wine,
. I am told, like fish"
- wasn't aware before that fishes drank
wiuc," said the man, rmycly.
1T W., Wanlus, va,n', h." urged the
other.
81 call no name, 4" was repeated. IAN |
said was, that We had tiPsy Parson--and 20
We had an prove It bciur jury Of a
thousand, If necessary"
"It. me- more thar eNpoctNl," ," aid the
temperance man. IIc'sa mere winc-hilhcr at
best. lie prctcnds tn preach the Gospel !
wonder be- isn't struck dead in lhc pulpit
The mUmCnt hi> infoman, lot him, Per
| kus started forth To ocommunlcaic the asiound-
INC intelligence that Mr. Manlius had been
drunk on the duy hciorc, ., Mr.Rccsidc's = din.
ncr-pary From lip to lip the scandal flew,
with little less than electric quIckncss. 1t
was All over the village by the next day
Sour doubted, som2 denied, bat she majority
believed the s,ory-it va, - likely To he
true.
| This occurred nsar the close Of the week.
and SUNDAY arrived before the powcrs that be
in the church were able to confer upon the
subject, and cite the minister tn appear and
answer for himself On the scaRdaiOus ch1rge
Of drunkenness. There was an unusual
nurnbcr Of vacant pcws during service, both
morning and alcrrooo.
Monday came, and early IN the day COM
mittcc of two dcacons waited upon Mr.. Man
lru,. and informed him OF the report IN circu-
la,i,n. and of their wish that he would aP-
near before them on the next ailcmoon to
give an account of himself, rs tie church
deemed the matter lar too serious to be pass
cd lightly over. The minister was evidently
a good stsi surprised and startled at this, bu,
he neither denied the charge nor attempted
any pallapon, merely saying that he would
attend OF course.
"I's plain lha, he's guilty. SAID Deacon
Ioncs 10 Deacon Todd, as they walked away
with sober faces from the minister : dwelling.
plain Ycs--it's written in his face, y
returned Deacon Todd. " So much for oP-
rosinr temperance reforms and drinking
wine. It's a judgement upon him
81 But what a scandal to our church. said
Dsarou Jonps