The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-05-28
AN ADDRESS
BY THE REV. J. TwICHELL.

AIN hDDhElCO
BY THB REV. j. TWICHELL
DELIVERED AT THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY CrLEBRATIoy
OF THE GRAND DIVISION OF THE Sous OF TEMPE
RANCE 3, OK io Lou5sIANA, HELD IN THE LYcEuM HAIL.
MIrTER OF THE GRAND DIVISION.
In the Lacon it is somewhere. written that Mil
ton and Shakespeare have made it exceedingly diff
cult for any other writer to be either sublime or
witty. Thus, after all that has been so well and
ably said and written, on the subject of Temper
rance, he who undertakes it will find it no easy
task to present any views upon this subject which
shall be either new or interesting. To do So would
require time, deep uninterrupted thought and ma
ture preparation; these have not been allowed on
the present occasion. And yet having been hon
ored by an invitation from your committee to ad-
dress You, many and powerful reasons have caused
me to regard 1t as a most solemn duty, according
to my ability, to represent the Order Of the Sons
Of Temperance" on this occasion.
In addition to the fearful and alarming extent to
which intemperance still prevails, and by which it
IS estimated that thirty thousand American citizens
after bringing upon themselves and families all the
shame, suffering and horrors of drunkenness, are
annually swept into the drunkards unblessed
grave; in addition to all the cost of life, intellect
reputation and treasure by which this fearful evil
Is sustained, and which should arouse every good
citizen to quench its burning ires there are other
minor reasons which have weighed to invest this
occasion with peculiar importance.
temperance Societies of various names and or
ganlZatlon, have long been established. From
them ALL with the experience of allcformer times
and with the deep impression Of the absolute neces-
slty OF an organization of more lasting svste-
matte and comprehensive plan than had ever before
existed. On the 29th of September 1912, the
Order Of the Sons of Temperance was suggested
This Society has three distinct objects. To ac-
conplish these, all its combined strength is ex:
erted. 1. To shield and deliver all classes Of So
ciety from the evils of intemperance g. To afford
mi 1al nf IL Il
vate our characters as men. These, its great and
beneficial results, are attained, 1st By the adop-
ton OF the total abstinence pledge I'd. By the
voluntary contribution Of certain sum as an initi-
tion fee, and small weekly due; 3d. By adopting
such rules for Government-by such meetings,
public and Privately such discourses and reli-
gious exeteises-by reading portions of the Bible
by prayer for the blessing OF the Great Patriarch
above, and by all such other means as are best cal
culaled 70 improve the mind purify the heart, and
elevate the character df man.
. With this view, and upon this basis, was this Or
der instituted In lS47, at the end Of four years af
ter 1t went into active operation the National Diyi.
sion had under its care twentY-one Grand DiYi-
nearly one hundred thousand MEMBERS and an in. :.
come of more than S160,000. In that short period
of lime, having as it is believed accomplished more
in the systematic tparfdre against than
had previously been done by all other temperance
societies.
Thus is briefly presented, the origin, the object
and the success Of the "Order of the Sons Of Tenn
peTance."
1t has been thought wise by some to array TEN.
perance and Religion against each other. On the
one hand, in the name of the Order of the Sons o
Temperance, but without its sanction or authority
and in violation of its principles and feelings; ire
sponsible travelling lecturers have held up the gospel
ministry to and contempt; and desecrate9 its
sacred sltars by buoonery and by the utterance OF
personal abuse On the other hand ministers of the
gospel and the conductors of religious publications
have far forgotten themselves as to punish these
offenders by infcting wound upon the cause oi
Temperance ITSELF 1t is branded as being yoked
with impiety; as being " identified with Sabbath
desecration F" as platform on which reckless
persons can insult religious Institutions +"
Whatever motive may have led to the taking OF
such positions, it is impossible to divine The con-
sequences of establishing these positions would be
disastrous in the extreme The true interests of
both Religion and Temperance, are one, and in
separable, and he is traitor to both who would set
them at variance. Therefore, chosen by you, for
this duty, feel happy, in the united capacity as a
Minister of the Gospel, and your representative
tospeak on this occasion, and brand as an enemy
to both Religion and Temperance, him whose hand
shall be raised to sever what God has bound to-
gether.
The Bible, the Tract, the colonization, the mis-
sionary, the Sabbath school, and the Temperance
societies, the fair daughters who walk in the
train of Religion, and live in her smile Sisters all
Should the mother who gave them birth drive
either one of them from her presence, and thus by
her unnatural neglect permit them to be allied
with infdelity,' Sabbath desecration,n "and
impiety'' And if at any time it should be said o
either of them the Bible, the Tract, or the Tenn
perance society, it "must be divorced from impiety
Would it not be charged TO her neglect if after hav
ing sought her care, having courted her guidance
having looked to her counsel, they were cruelty
turned away, to become the prey of this their des
troyer. The unnatural conduct of such mother
deserves and would justly receive the censure Of al
men. Any benevolent or charitable society which
has arisen under the pure and benign influences o
our holy religion may, by being left to the eontro
of unprincped men, become the accomplice o
impiety, the instrument of ncalculable evil. Tn,
way to prevent this is for men of principle an
standing, by their influence and talents SO to con
troll and guide the affairs of all such institution,
that they shall never be perverted from the hig
and holy purposes for which they were established
| If ever the Order of the Sons of Temperance
given over to the control Of base and irreligiou
men, 1t will not be because she has not most earn
esty soug h the society, counsel advice and prayer
of the worshippers Of God but it will be becaus
| those whose duty it was to have examined tn
claims OF this order, and if they unfounded t
| have opposed them, or if their objects were goo
and the means to accomplish them right, to hav
sustained and supported them, instead OF so doinl
| have ignorantly and without investigation de
nounced as opposed to religion an institution which
belongs to that great family of charitable ant
benevolent. societies, which derive all their prlnci
pals from the Bible, and whose only object is Il
| elevate and bless mankind.
While this order is strictly neutral in politics ant
religion, and while il extends lis benevolent effort
alike to all, without distinction of party sect
shining as does the sun in heaven to cheer ant
bless ali without distinction it is not characterizes
by any one rite form, practice, oath, which is il
any manner inconsistent with the strictest persona
piety, or which requires the neglect Of any dut
which is due to business, religion, family or coun
try We, as an order, profess nothing that patriot
ism does not approve; nothing that philanthropy
does not cherish; nothing that the purest religion
not sanction hallow and bless. And still further doe
as it derives ats principles from the Bible, it ais
seeks the presence of the ministers of religion, b.
having in the National, in the Grand, and in man
of the Subordinate Divisions, the office Of Chaplain
| which it desires to be filed by ministers, in orde
that the meetings Of these Divisions may be opene,
| and closed with prayer.
| Is this the course which would have been pursu
| ed if it had been the purpose to divorce tempe
rance and religion o. to yoke it with impiety |,
IL is impossible to believe il. II then, throug
wilful ignorance, or prejudice or il from narro,
| minded bigotTy which would wish 10 saddle III
pvaAt of thn vpftb tha