The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-04-12
For The Cecil Wig.
Il. AND s. OF T.

For The Cecil Wig.
+. AND S. OF T.
Mr.. Edttor:-I see by your last issue
that Mr. L, has hidden farewell to the
Sonnies," and lest they should be CEN
sured for non compliance to the rules of
etiquette, will take it upon myself TO
act as.their representative, and bid fare
well to Mr.. L.
shall sum up as briefly as possible the
arguments-ifindeed such pusillanimous
objections can by any means be brought
under this head against our Order, in
his last two articles. They are:
! First That the Order prohibits the
use Of unfermented cider, which is not
intoxicating, and therefore ought to be
allowed.
Second:-That the Order is anti.re
publican, because the laws by which it
is governed, are under the direct con-
troll of the National Division, and no al
teration can be made unless by that
body.
7Aird-That the benefits ofthe order
are in nine tenths of the cases undeserv-
eddy bestowed and
FourM-That the money paid for re-
gala is an extravagant expenditure of
funds.
These, Mr.. Editor, are all of his OBJ
jections worthy of any notice. There
are one or two others, but so perfectly
contemplate, that a refutation would
be an insult to the common sense of your
readers.
To the first objection scarcely know
what to say. For man who has been
two months denouncing an institution
because it does not carry out temper
ance notwithstanding the lexicon
from A to 4 to find words harsh enough
to suit his purpose; to turn suddenly
around, and in the same series of arti-
cles find fault because it carries out the
principles too far, is a specimen of in
consistency Ito say the least ofiD irrec-
oncilable with sanity. lam ofthe opin-
ion, Mr.. Editor, that the man who in
dulges in unfermented cider will not be
particularly careful to note the time
when fermentation takes place. Of
course, | make no personal allusion.
Imagine man drinking success to the
temperance cause in "sparkling bowls"
of unfermented cider, or talking of the
evils of intemperance while he swills
down the hogish stuff to "wet his whis-
tle:"-how ridiculously absurd!
Now to the second objection. And
before commence, allow me to say, in
tend to lay it out cold--wrap it in its
winding sheet-place it upon the funer-
al pyre and cast its unurned ashes to the
wind. The gentleman endeavors to
show the dissimilarity between the gov.
eminent ofthe United States and that of
our order. He tells us that Congress
has delegated to itself power to modify
by two-third vote the Constitution of
the U. s., but there its authority stops;
it does not arrogate to itself the priv.
lege ofmaking constitutions for the in
dividual States. By the way, it strikes
me that the gentleman has made slight
mistake in regard to the manner of
changing the constitution Of our country;
but | shall not take advantage ofit:-of
course he knew better. The National
Division provides general constitution
for the government of the Grand and
Subordinate Divisions; in the same man.
ner, individual States are governed by
the requirements of the national consti-
tuition. Each State has the power vest
ed in its own hands to form a constitu-
ton and enact such laws as its peculiar
locality, or other circumstances may re-
quire; provided, these do not infringe
upon the constitution and laws enacted
by the general government;-so each
Grand and Subordinate Division has the
power to make special laws, such as it
deems most conducive to its peculiar in
terests, but like the individual state pay
ing proper Difference to the general con-
Stitutions.
To show the positive absurdity oftha
gentleman's reasoning, | will quote from
one of his previous articles and comment
slightly thereon. In abiding to some
of the prominent religious societies in
our county, he designates them by the
term ''repuJlican." One of the societies
named is the Methodist take this
because | happen to be more familiar
with its government.-The rules and
regulations of the Methodist church are
comprised in what is Familiarity termed
the "Discipline," which is under the
direct control of the General Conference.
Brethren offending against the laws OF
the society, whether amenable to indi.