The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-04-08

ET The following is the address
delivered By Mrs. ELlzABRrH DUDLEY,
at meeting Of the friends Of tenn
perance Of Williamsburgh, Ohio.
For the Organ.
GENTLRMEN AND LADIEs:---I have
been called upon this evening, to con.
fute some aspersions that have been
cast upon the Daughters of Temperance
in Williamsburgh. First, then, it is
said our society is a secret one, and
therefore dangerous. How a society
based upon Christian principles,
with Lone, Virtae, and Temperance,
for its motto, where its members are
required to practice all the cardinal
virtues, where evil speaking and SLAM
der are excluded, whose every session
is opened by reading a portion Of
Scripture, and prayer offered to a
Throne Of Grace, for aid from on
High. | repeat, how such a society
can be dangerous to a community, it
would be difficult to divine. That we
have secrets, we do not pretend to
deny, such as are necessary to defend
us from imposition, and enable US to
recognize a sister. wherever we may
meet her. AS we'll might it be said,
(by those without) that band of
Christians, meeting for social prayer,
having the secret Of the Lord, and
meat to eat that the world knoweth |
not Of are dangerous members of So
ciety. Secondly, we are accused of
herding together, of being selfish, |
and -preferring the society Of our own
members to others. Meeting the ia
miliar faces Of the sisterhood every
week, is certainly pleasant, and the
sweet consciousness, that we are all
united and working in good cause,
cannot fail to endear US to each other.
But that we are selfish, we deny. Our
benevolence is expansive enough to
embrace within its circle every eligible |
female in this place, and we invite all
such, as are willing to sign the total
abstinence pledge, to come into our
Union and Judge for themselves Of its
principles, and if they are not salts
fed, they can at any time receive q
card of clearance. Some, when asked |
to join us, have said, "We have the
Bible to study, and that is sufficient
for as" None can reverence the
sacred volume more than / do, but
does it teach conservatism in the
great temperance reforml Think not.
To me it rather says, "Do with thy
might, what thy hands finds to do"
And again, "Those that feared the
Lord, spake often one to another. p
Shall not the cause Of temperance, so
vitality important to the church, be one
subject upon which we should speak
often? This is a progressive age,
and the temperance reform, next to
the BiJIe Society, is doing more for
the good of mankind than any other.
The simultaneous movements, Of the
friends temperance at the present
time, is very remarkable. 1t is bring
ing them from every quarter Of the
globe, into one universal brother
hood. The car of temperance is roll
ing on. Its enemies may retard its
progress, but they cannot prevent its
arriving at its destined goal in tri-
umph. Again; it is asked, "What
can woman do to stay the tide of in
temperence?" Persons familiar with
the journals and events of the day,
would never ask this question! Form
stance, Just look at the recent dates
from N. York. There aconvention of
ladies, marched in a body to the legis'
lative halls presenting an address, with
a petition for the Maine Liquor Law,
signed by twenty-eight thousand Of
tha;, ovyn nunohar II ;a v,h;snarad IN