Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-06-21
For the .Spirir Of the Times,

tolerance, with which they pr'ss lhc'
own peculiar views upon the public
ard the liberties they take with truth
persons, and character,-scemins &c
think that ',hc end sanctfies the means,
induce mo TO make some suggestions
AMI TO PROFOUND some questions, for the
consideration Of those persons, and, es
pccially, Of tho stump speakers, clerical
and lay, anl editors of public papers
who have lately male, or sought 10 make
themselves conspicuous, not 10 say nolo
rous, in this field Of agitation an in
temperate propaeandism. And first, &c
those who nro not yat so much h;ateo
AMI infoa.cated with exclusive, inolcr
cn, AMI partisan views on this subject
os to close their cars 10 the sill small
voice orru;l,' beg leave, respectfully
! to suggest tie true ileo Of temperance
aud the authority upon which il rests,
namely, ,ha, il is moderation in the use
the proper usc--cmploymcn', anl enjoy
men, Of all our appe,les, passions, an
faculties, including those Of the icngut
as we'll as those Of The palate; as con
,raiislinsuishe! from the G3nse Of any
ami all these; and that it rests az its
on'y true basis, upon the same authority
ns al morality, all faith, anl all law,
the interchangeable an exchanging will
Of Col the maker Of all things, Judge o
I'll men;' and that i, has respect TO the OBJ
!isations which We owe to Go |, AMI oul
nciehbor, as we'll as to ourselves. AMI
on the other hanl, that it does not res,
upon, nor car il be sustained, OF per.
mancntly promote by any coaren'ita
al rules, nor rc.ula,el or enforced BY
positive or arbitrary Legislation, any
more than can orr faith, which rests mp.
on the same bas5 AMI authority. Tbs
law OF Temperance thus dchnel. is al
dfcs7o to the ccn.c;cnc; of each and
every subject oft, every chill Of Alan,
in iivilua!!y, AMI cannot therefore, as
the circumstances, tempcramcnts, con
dtions AMI characteristics Of men, arc
infinitely yaric AMI diycrsitod, be the
suhicct Of any general, uniform or posi
tire AMI aTJifrary rule, since as ho.
olroaiy been sail, it applies 10 cN OIL,
! nppeli,cs, natural wants and demands
and these vary so much that no uniform
rule Of measure can be applied 10 them
| The violat;oas, Of this law, by the indi.
vidual, whether physical, mental or nor
al, must as they will be subject TO and
punished By the Divine cu.hor OF the
laws, which govern US ia these respects,
and these laws, as they are Of Divine
and not Of humap Or conventional ori
gin, cannot be altered or changed by
any conventional combinations or rules,
howcv numerous tie associates may
be, by which some inconsilcratc, anil
not alacays very moral people, seek to
cut anl square their neighbours rights
to their own sc!l-assumcl narrow breadth
AMI length.
According with this view of the sub
ject, we fnl repeated declarations an
njunctions to US in the 'wor.l of Truth:
as for cxample-",hat we use this world
without abusing it" ",hat wc be tempe.
rate in all MingS;'s sthat we let our mod.
Grafton be known unto all men," tha,
we "be not drunk with wine, wherein
is ercess;' AMI many other teachings ol
like character, cmbodying the same rules
and principles Of moele ration, sclf.gov.
ernmcn:, &c.
Again, sorle Of those to whose consil
Grafton, and for whose especial .bcne Il,
these hints are applicable, will,
must presume, recognize the authority
of the Decologue as moral law IF rather
higher authority than tA,irs,) and they
may not inaplly on the prescn, occasion
be rcminlel of some Of the particular
laws which it contains, an especially
ninth commandment, "thou shalt not
bear. .faise pttness against thy eighb)r."
Of the eighth, which lorbils the robbing
a man of his COOL name, any more than
Of his properly; and Of the tenth, which
forhils the "corsting" Of the same, or Of
"anything tha, is his" And having
looked again thus far into the true law
of morality, and reflected upon its tea.
chin s promises,a and denuncialions, they
may think it worth their attention for
their tcn SGkes, (leavins their "neigh.
Dor" for tbs time at least, to "stu,Iv 10
be quiet, and mind his own busincss")
turn to and "real, marx, learn, and in.
warlIy digest" the apostolic teaching OF
St. James in his general cpis,lc, on the
intempsrats use or abuse, OF the tongue,
and the vice and mischsfs Of evil spea.