The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1850-12-26
BANNER.
THURSDAY. DEC. &c, 1880
A TEMPERANCE ADDRESS,
DELIVERED AT THE
NE EIHODlST CHURCH, FRANKLIN,
On Sunday, December Is, 1850,
BY AL. TUCKER, ESQ.
Published by Request OF Teche Division, No. 10,
Sons of Temperance.

Ladies and Gentlemen-By invitation
of convention of the Sons of Tenn
perance, lately held in Franklin, which |
/ did not feel at liberty to decline. ap-
pear before you this afternoon. to pre-
sent to your consideration the temper
ance cause.
You need not to be informed that tie |
subject of temperance, with the high |
and holv interest that cluster about it, |
has become so hackneyed and familiar
to every ear by IFS frequent and elabo- |
rate discussion, that it has lost the |
freshness and charm OF novelty. and |
therefore presents far less inviting
theme for discourse than the weight OF
its truths and Importance of its princi-
pies would Indicate 1t is indeed diff
cult to take any new view of the SUBJ
ject, or to present any new facts Illus
trative of its principles. or even TO
clo,he it il original thought or original
phrase. But until those truths are duly
appreciated, and those principles exert
a Legitimate control over the hearts OF
the people, they will nerve their advo-
Gates TO an earnest viRdication OF them,
and they will deserve, as | trust they
will receive from every honest mind.
candid consideration. Stale though be
the truths on which the temperance
cause rests, trite though be the argu-
ments by which its claims are urged.
yet those truth, are eternal, and those
Arguments unlnswerable: and they
will lose none Of their importance until
there is no longer any necessity for rel
terating them.
No great or good cause ever gained
Il complete cosquest over the heads and
hearts of people at single effort
But line upon line and precept upon
precspt" is the will by which truth
conquers error and gains dominion over
the hearts of men. The Christian faith.
emauating from the throne OF God and
stamped with the seal of the blood OF
the Son of God, has been struggling for
eighteen centuries TO redeem the world
from the dominion of "the prince OF
darkness,a still "the world loves dark
ness rather than light,n hugs its chains
and groans under the weight of sin!-
The reformation which broke the spell
of superstition by which the successors
of ST. Peter had for ages held the world
in ablect awe, and had made princes
and kings and emperors his vassals-the
reformation which dared TO question the
infallibility of the pope and to dispute
his political as well rs spiritual suprem-
| acy-the reformation which lifted the
thick veil of darkness from the minds
of the people of Europe and illuminated
their darkened understandings by the
light of spiritual truth-that great refor-
nation that forms so bright an epoch IN
the history of the world, was the result
of long, patient, and perilous strug-
gle, and was baptised in the blood oil
the martyrs! The feudal system that
pervaded Europe during the dark
ages and that has still left its impress
npon European institutions-that mar.
tial system that SO nearly annihilated
letters from the face of the earth; and
almost extinguished the last ray of in.
tellectual intelligence among men-thai
made the science of human butchery
the only study of every rank and age
and the profession of slaughter the only
honorable calling-that made the mas:
of mankind the abject vassals of theil
| liege lord, whose oaths of fealty made
them the sport of his caprice or the
victims of his vain-glory-the feuda
system that SO long hung like a terrible
incubus over the nations of christendom
converting the world into vast slaugh
ter house-that dark and bloody system
only gave way before the slow progress
of civilization that followed in the wax
of the reformation. And our own glo
rious revolution, and the establishment
, of our still more glorious republic, thes'
, were preceded by long, patient endu
rance Of oppression, and by the mos
laborious efforts of our patriot fathers
effect a union of the colonies. 1t wa
, not till every means to obtain redres
: of grievances had been exhausted tina
our bold ancestors could find IT In thel
hearts to strike for independence. An
even then many faltered: some though
the movement premature and impolitlt
whilst others Though few, thank God
, turned their backs on their brethre
; and hugged their British chains! Anne
rican freedom was written not only
. the generous blood of Britons born, br
IN the gore Of miscreant tories wh
5 were born on the American soil! Th
!, history of the world is indeed but a n
;. cord Of the struggles of truth with e
ror, virtue with vice, freedom with o.
: preston, the spirit Of heaven with tn
!. spirit of hell, in which, though the col
test seem for a long time doubtful, trutl
virtue, freedom and God will tinall
prevail of the combined hosts OF II
A evil principle. Let not, therefore, II
j. good despair, nor the heart of the ph
% Ianthopist sink within him, but let hIl
/; go forward, scattering the seed OF trut
ri and lin due season he shall reap Il !
= faint not" H.se S, ,
m do, not, my friends, intend on IN
occasion to attempt to delineate part
cularly the causes or the consequence
: of intemperance, for the causes q
1s sufficiently understood by US oil to sho
s. us the extreme danger there is in touc
y ing the Intoxicating bowl; and u
al ~k~,c.Ca1 and SUtrltus