Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-06-10
We insert the following by request.-Eds. Te. !
From the Northern Christian Advocate.
WHOLE PRINCIPLES VERSUS HALF
PRINCIPLES.

placed on the rock of Gods eternal truth-and
not on the shifting quicksands of circumstance
or human expedency.
How much to be pitied the half principle
men of our day, standing on the quivering bog of
popular favor, never daring TO follow principle
beyond the line of easy practicabiiity. And yet,
on this trembling bog, stand thousands of world
ly wise men"-as Bunyan would call them-of-
fering TO guide the poor burdened fugitves of SIM
fleeing from the city of Destruction-guide, say,
TO the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem, by a
a shorter and easier way--even through the val
ley OF self-lndulgencc, than the rough and thorny
one up the rugged side of Calvary-by the cross
of Christ. They shrink from the full and entire
crucifXion of the old man, with its affections and
lusts. They make conf rtable reservations for
weaknesses and predictions of poor human ma
ture and think it extravaganza and radical TO force
one into the extremes of trial and Self-Sdcritice.
If some dear right hand sin offend you, and
even endanger your salvation, do not cut it off
and cast it from you. That would be going to
extremes, and might be very announcement. Better
nurse and molify it-coveri il with poulticcs, which,
for the time being. shall render it somewhat easy
though it does nothing to hinder the fatal gan
creme from rapidly extending to the seat of life,
BE careful how you follow q principle 10 its er-
IRENE conclusion, but turn aside into some by-way
arbor of expediency, which invites to rest at the
foot of the hill of difficulty. Pursue the straight
and narrow path of duty, till you come 10 crisis
have adopted, then make sagacious and prudent
detour-to accommodate the weakness of the inner
man.
You may say that the holding of our fellow men
in slavery is, for the most part, an evil Nay a
uery eUa thing. Or, with the good Wesley say,
" 1t is the sum Of all ciAainies." You may affirm
that to haze to hold TO buy to sell our broth
er chattel, is a downright, dark, unmitiga-
ted san in ninety nine cases out of hundred. This
is great length to go, and as far you can car
ry the money-loving conscience of the Christian
world. But to go beyond, would be very impoli-
tic and dangerous to mans popularity. Never
think or presume to stamp the whole center and
circumference of slavery with the burning brand of
sin. Leave thin luminous ring of righteousness
family glimmering around the dark eclipse of Gods
curse and mans.
Spare o spare to this huge black iniquity the
chance of one narrow exception case two in
a hundred, or at least III thousand, in which a
devout and praying man-for the glory of God,
may hold human being in slavery-for whom
Christ died on Calvary. AS you value your good
name, do not go TO extremes. Only follow the
, principle little more than halt way. For do YOU
not know that in the catecnsm of expedency we
taught that there exceptions to all rules"
ia parallaX, shadow of turnng"-a guarding
, against mtrdiSm-a diverging around extraordina-
ry cases Of difficulty, at the extreme end of great
principte2 You may show up the unknown ago
MES and horrors of slavery, with all the eloquence
of a Clarkson and Wherefore. But be careful
always to make fec erceptionS-'a few extreme
cdSeS-to nestle Ruth-like'' under the white and
flowing robe of the lore ofbeaeroLence of mercitM
God.
Leave us but one or tWo exceptions, say these
men of half principles, these apologistS for slave
ry-lcaye US but narrow foot of standing
ground on the edge of freedoms platform, where
man may hold slave, and yet be considered a
good Church member, and we will proclaim our
rs of ci, tbo
best of you We will allow you to say as truth
tu things as you please of all other StdOehoLderS.-
do not doubt the sincerity of some of the men
who are acting on the half principle platform
But do wish TO show that all who are thus stand
ing on the quicksandS of cXpedcncy. must sink and
be submerged, when the battle is pushed to the gates
The strongest in the strength of this world
and the wIScst i'll its WISDOM is po,0erleSs and
guideless, unless he can place his foot the solid
rock of II H.red principle.
Whole principles bridge the river that separates
time from eternity. Hat principles are treache-
rous boys, or floating RATS, abutted on neither
shore, bearing downwards those who stand upon
them, to guf more to be feared than that which
receives the rushing cataract of Niagara. Such
have no power 10 lift up the fallen, or 70 become
eyes to the blind. The light in them is darkness,
and their strength weakness. If they believe us
not, let them 60 and try the strength of these half
principles, upon the poor lnebriateS who throng
the thoroughtares of our chief cities. Enter every
dark, foul, smoke-begrmed beer and whisky drink
ing cellar, which pours out its stencil like the pit
that Is bOttomesS, into every street leading to the
Five Points. Cry aloud, "Retorm reform ~ in
tones more startling than those heard ON certain
occasion, in the streets of Nineveh, announcing its
destruction. do you not know, that unless there
is change here drunkard's grave will swallow
up every mothers son and daughter of you Nine
glasses of this rum gin and whisky out of every
ten you drink-aye hear and betieUe 1t, We mser-
able men and womcn-nineteen glasses out of ev-
cry twenty of these pernicouS liquors, are destruc-
tive OF your health and happiness, and are floating
you on TO ruin. You mast reform! Never drink
drop of this blue ruin, except III some ertreme
eriqetcy-when extremely hot, or extremely cold,
extremely oet, or extremely dry. Ranged
around him, i'll the murky gloom OF that peSttcr-
GUS room would he see every blood-shot eve flash
ing with intensity of delight And gibberish hur-
ran would be raised, that second Daniel had
come TO judgment; THAI this was just what they
had ever bettered and practtSed And then, with Il
knowing chuckle, you would be invited to take
something 10 drink after such an excellent Grafton
Then take your way from those reeking purleus
of vice and crime, to the splendid wine drinking
saloons that line Broadway, and other fashiona
bic and crowded streets of our queen city. And
there, amid the dazzling glare of lights that eclipse
the sum- where art has exhausted itself to produce
life-like images OF beauty in sculpture and paint
ing, with Iyrian purple for its hangings, and the
most common thlIlSs made valuable by being
OVERLAND with Barbaric gold address the crowd
made still more numerous, as their full-length por-
traits flashed back from the costly mirrors that
line the walls. Tell them you have just been
among the drunkards at the Five Points, and you
have seen what BONES from drinking too much
from not using more moderation. Entrcat their
serious attention. Gain it, by saying at the out
set that you have no sympathy with those rabid
fanatics, those extreme principle men, who are so
ultra that no one of common sense adheres to
them. no! you wash your hands of all such
meu. You wish to give them brief lecture on
moderate drinking, and show if those poor men
had only confined themselves to gill of gin, or
pot of beer day. or, even pint of such diluted
whiskey as they there buy, all would have been
very well, and Gods glory advanced.
Entreat them, by all the eloquenee you possess,
to be rery temperate; and never 90 beyond a glass
or two at dinner, and the same when you meet
friends, in such splendid saloon as this. Tell
them it is this indiscrtmiHate drinking this passing
heedlessy by certain peculiar cases, ut and proper
opportunities, on which alone God can smile with
appreciation, i'll which the ,Croag and the DANCER
consists. Speak TO them for half an hour in this
strain or even an hour, if You could keep your
thirsty audience so long from the attractions of
the bar. Try thiss6aLf principle preaching in ev-
cry princey saloon OF the fashionable and elite of
the upper ten And would YOU lead single vounp