The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-07-20

to an invitation to attend celebration |
of the temperance cause in Hartford |
county Maryland. is published in Il vol |
ume of personal "reminiscences and
sketches, by T w. Thomas, Esq, the
well known author of Clinton Bradshaw,
which has just been issued by Mr. Hart
of Philadelphia The letter will be read
with interest.
| MARsuFIELD-Oct s, 1851.
| GENTLEMEN 1t is matter of deep
regret to me, that did not receive your
kind letter of the 9th Of August till a
very late day. was in the mountains
Of New Hampshire, taking breath of
my native air. and it was the last Of Au-
gust before | returned / know not
whether, if | had received your commu-
nication sooner. it would have been in
my power to attend the meeting to which
, was invited, but | should have been
able to have gwen a more timely ar
swcr.
( Th,r1 can be no question that the. TEN
, perance movement, in the United States,
= has done infinite good The moral in
n hucncc of the Temperance associations
r has been everywhere felt. and always
! with beneficial results. In some cases
, it is true, the Temperance measures have
y been carried to excess, where they evok
: ed legislative penalties, aud sought to Gu
l. force the virtue of Temperance by thu
}. power of the Law To a certain extent
o this, no doubt, is justiiable and useful
g but it is the moral principle of TEN
is rerancc, it is the conscientious dut.
e which it teaches, to abstain from intoxi
st eating draughts, suchns are hurtful bot
e to mind and body, which are the agent
&c for the reformation of manners in thi
h. respect.
of Your order is quite right in connoc
IS ing bencvolencc and charity with Ten
&c porance. They may well 60 hand-il
lc hand. lie whose faculties are never de
ir bauchcd or siupefed, whose mind is n
d. ways active and alert, and who practice
H. solf-dcnial, is naturally drawn to consi,
tc or the deserving objects which are aboI
c. him. that may be poor, or sick, or dccea
ve Cd.
w Love, Purity, and Fidelity. are co
u sidered Christian virtues and ! hol
m that those "banners" which bear the'
or words for their motto may rise high
ri; and higher, and float more and mo-
ri widely through this and all other cou
ur tries.
of You have invited me, gentlemen, if
or could attend the meeting, to address Il
Id members of your order on the great su
er iect of Union | should have done
llo with pleasure, although | do not pr
pose to continue the practice of addre'
ing great multitudcs of men yet | cou
not have refused to have expressed Il
W opinion on the great topics of thc da
ch in the State of Maryland. Out of &
be abundance of the heart the mouth spca
lc- eth.
lis | pray you to be assured. gcntlemc
S that ! value highly the opinion you ha
'us expressed for my public character al
ac- conduct and | indulge the hope that
may ere long meet some of you in t
nd city where my public duties are disch;
yc ged and most of all, | fervcntly tru
all that YOU and 1, and your children al
of my children will remain fellow-citlze
md of one great united Republic, so long
arc society shall exist among us. While
nd live, every effort in my power, wheth
css made in public or in private life, will
'ur devoted to the promotion of that gre
ere end.
ng am, gentlemen, very respectful
not your obliged friend and fellow citizen.
ION DANIEL WEBSTER.