Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-27
Glfauiuqg frutu 8uukg.
The Temperance Reformation.
CONCLUDED.

~ - ~ Wv W0S 49,
perancr,' to traverse the country aud exposr I
the evils of the custom OF drinking. Rev. J :
Edwards. ID. D., spent some months in a sim !
liar agency. The prospect began to brighten
temperance ASSOCIATIONS were multiplied. In :
almost every place visited 10y tine agents, some
'ndividuals were found, who had been practis-
M total abstinence, and were satisfied not
only that it was safe, but highly beneficial 10
health, and a promoter of prosperity. 1t WIS
not uncommon, when the first temperance meet
ing Was holden in a pace. for one or more .
persons, at the close of an address. to rise and
say, All we have heard in favor o faOstlnence
is true, for we have tried the experiment, and
are satisfied that alcoholic drinks are not only
unnecessary, but hurtful' The movement
seemed to be simultaneous through the coun-
try. Persons in states remote from each other.
and without any consultation. came out and
took a public stand in favor Of total abstinence.
This appeared so wonderful, that many regard
ell il as proof that the Divine Spirit moved
upon the minds Of men through the length
and breadth of the land. During this year,
a small volume of sermons by DR.. Beecher
was published, and very widely disseminated
through the country also a volume ofsermons
by Rev ]. G. Palfrey, since a member of
Congress from Massachusetts,, and Nittredgs's
Address. were published.
At the beginning of1s2S, the custom ftreatiug
visitors with wine. cordials, and brandy beg an
10 disappear. Tho sideboards Of the rich and
influential, which hitherto had groaned under
\ load Of decanters, were relieved of their bur-
den; and a very great change in the customs
Of society began to be app trent. lnl828, DR..
Hewitt was appointed to an agency for three
years. At the close of this year, there were
reported in temperance journals 225 temper
- A. IL H. - ICON IL
were more than 1000, embracing more than
100 900 members, pledged to total abstinence
50 distilleries had stopped, 400 merchants had
abandoned the traffic. and 200 drunkards had
been reclaimed. The reform had commenced
in good earnest. and those who were Jealous
in the cause were sanguine in the belief that,
in a very few years, distilled liquors would be
banished from the country, and a drunkard
would be r1rd GUiS,-a great curiosity.
On the lst of May, 1881, it appeared that
more than 500 .000 persons had signed the
pledge, and not less tn in $4,000 were supposed
to have been saved from a drunkard's grave.
There was, however, much opposition from
those whose love Of intoxicating drink had be-
come strong, and from those, also, who loved
the profits OF the traffic. They s id their liber-
ties we're in danger their fathers had fought
for liberty and they would shoulder the mus
ket, and fight over the battles of freedom, before
they would r~enqulish their rightto drink when
they pleased. A very common objection, made
by many of the poor, " as, that they could not
afford TO drink wine, that signing the pledge
operated unequally it took from them the use
OF all s;imulants, but cider and beer, but il
left to The rich the use of wine, which was otter
about as strong as Cogniac brandy. In order
to obviate this objection, it was found necessary
TO introduce a new pledge, prohibiting the use
not only of distilled, but of fermented, liquors
The first society that adopted this pledge wa
the Eight Ward Branch of the New York Cit
Temperance Society. This was called til,
~tce-totaL pledge,-a name first given to it il
Preston, England,-and was adopted in tia
country in 1888. The subject was DISGUISE,
in this country in 1854. and some societiu
formed. In May, 1885. the American Societ,
the centre Of whose operations was ut Boston
recommended the ~tee-total pledge in July
the same year, 1t was recommended by the Ne
York City Temperance Society, and in Febru
AIRY, 1886, by the New York State Temperate
Society. During this year, societies that wer
formed on the old pledge wero ~disbanded, an
new ones formed. Many who signed the Of
pledge refused to sign the new Of course Their
was an apparent falling off in the number
the members of temperance societies. Som
wiz a ACiifSASN pAD'AS U"NASOOOoS AAN OAOO
foremost in the rank of reformers, were throw
into the background, and were silent spectacle
of passing events.
The New York State Temperance Societ
did more, perhaps, than any other, for tt
promotion ofthe cause. Edward G. Delava
the chairman Of it's executive committe,
wealthy citizen of Albany, together with Jol
T. Norton and several others, contribute
freely for the support of the 'Temperan'
Recorder which was commenced in Albal
about 1881. The issues of that paper mont
ly were sometimes more than $4,000.
was continued about ten years, and render
essential service to the cause. Mr.. Delavt
has probably expended more money in til
cause than any other man in the United State
for which he has the thanks Of a grateful col
munity, and his name is enrolled among t
benefaetors Of his race. This is the man W
exposed the character, or rather the conten
of Albany ale, and was prosecuted by JoI
Taylor, q brewer OF Albany, for a libel. L
case was tried in 1910, the report of which
before the public the verdict Of the jury w
in favor of the defendant, with costs.
In this connection, it should be record
that L. NJ. Sargent, Esq, of Massachuset
rendered an essential service to the tempo
ance reformation by his Temperance Tall
published before and after 1886, formi
eight or ten neat lSmo. volumes. They
written in an elegant style, and were re
with intense interest.
From 1886 to l849, the cause advant
slowly. The subject of license laws was d
cussed largely in legislatures, and some
wise laws were enacted, which diverted
public mind from the great work in VIII
thew had been successfully engaged.
Among the things to be remembered is
assault, prosecution, and Imprisonment of
Rev. George b. Cheever, Of Salem, Ma,
now DIR. Cheever, of Now York. About
beginning of 1885, he published, in
landmark a description of Deacon Gile
Distinery. 1t was awful, horrid, sho
inc to the sensibilities of drunkards the
selves and yet it seems to have been so TT
that every body in Salem and vicir
knew who sat for the picture. Soon
Cheever was assaulted in the night by
foreman Of the distillery, who inflicted u
him a severe Aagellation with a raw hide,
which Mr.. G. made no resistance. He
prosecuted for a libel by Deacon John Ste
of Salem, and the Jury returned a YER
AGAINST the defendant. He was sentence,