Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-05-14
For the Southern Standard
Mr.. Hewlett'S Lecture on Temperance.


Mr.. Hewlett'S Lecture on Temperance,
"He who hopes the Olympic prize to gain.
All arts must try , and every toll sustain
TIL extremes of heat and cold must often provs.
And shun the weakning joys of aoine and loves
FrGua.
every man that striveth for the mastery js toms,
ate in all things"-&. Paul.
In my warndrings up and down through the e,-a
once found myself standing upon the verge of on.
of the extensive praries of the west and altbouvb H.
purple fountain of life was almost chilled within ~.
(or it was in the $50 north latitude) still stood tb
for some time absorbed in thought An das look.s
out upon the vast untmbered plain that lay before mo
with its tall but wthered grass waving before Ii.
passing breeze a small spark, not so large IS,
mustard seed, generated by the combined action Of
flint and steel. 1t fell upon tinder The tpde,
soon glowed with fervent heat, it was applied to the
grass-the passing breeze famed it up TO fame-b,
flame increased, and with the rapidity of though,i !,
commenced moving forward, and while thus stood
admring the grandeur of the scene, and revolving in
my mind the wonderful increase of that element.
which, but few minutes before was set in action nv
one little spark suddenly the wind ldIled the spread
ing flame commenced diminishing, and in a short time
its onward progress was almost imperceptible The
scene had lost all its sublinty. Still an active ageH
at work, and as l watched it in its slow mo7ist
pace, and saw the burning line becoming more and
more broken, my reflections took quite another turn;
and just as ready to excaim so 1t is ,rih lAu.
man institutions, holceuer good they may BE- for mutation
is inscribed upon all the pharaphernaa of earth; bus
soon again, sound was heard, ''as of rushing nigh.
ty wind. The fame that had dwinded down for
time commenced revivng, and "leaping' forward ass
an hart, and spreading its influence far and wide
Animation again restored. But soon the wind
passed away calm ensued, and as the blaze dimin.
ished and became weaker, beheh the curling volume
OF smoke ascending in direct kae towards the
heavens, and as | watched it in its upward journey,
rising higher and still higher, was reminded of Him
whose throne is in the heaven of heavens, high up,
beyond gttering stars and blazing comets and also
of the beautiful words of Charles Wesley:
| Depend on Him thou canst not fail
| Make all thy wants and wishes known
Fear not; his merits must prevail
Ask bat in faith, it will be done"
Anethus while swift winged moments passed away,
and were numbered with the things that were, !
watched the spreading influence of that fire which
had its humble origin in spark. At one time !
beheI it moving upon the wings of the wind-a.
another as if pausing in its progress or as if weare
with its mighty strides after victory But and
still onward, that principle, which was set in motion
by one little spark continued to travel and long af-
ter the unmarried SUM- had bid his shining face behind
the mountains of the west, and the silver queen OF
night had taken UP her vigils, with the glitter
ing stars faithful seatinels saticsed around |
again looked in the direction that the little spark had
sent oat its influence, and 10 the horizon,
if umined by the dartiAg rays of a rising sum- glow
ed with mellow light, that radiated far and wide up
on benighted world, confirming the TRUTH that even
darkness, the emblem of sin and satan, could not
stop the onward progress of that fire, kndled by SO
small spark, obscure the brightness of its light
This circumstance of a bazeng prairie, and the
thoughts then suggested, forcbly brought to my
mind Monday night the I'd instant, while listening
to lecture delivered in the spacious Courthouse OF
Columbus by S. NJ. Hewlett, Grand Temperance lee
turer of the State of Alabama, and particularly in
that portion of his lecture in which he spoke of the
first origin of Temperance Societies-the opposition
raised against them-their apparent downfall and the
renewed vigor and energy with which they would rse
again, together with the mighty influence that the
Temperance reform is now exerting throughout inc
length and breadth of our land Truly, in the hrst Or
ganzation of Temperance Societies. they, in their III
Auence were compared to small spark, but that SPU
was famed into fame and waited forward by pop
ular breeze. While that breeze continued, many were
reformed, and although it was succeeded by ca1m
still the principle of reform which had been DFoagA'
into action, could not be extinguished And, as ln'
mated by Mr.. Hewlett, every calm and time oil "a
Initiation of the epemes of the temperance cauS''
was followed by effectual and energetic aeuV4
on the part of the friends of Temperance. And now
even at the present time, look which way you pleas
north or SOUTH east west and the horizon Is ulnH
Gus with the unextnguishable rays of Temperance ~
formI and its light will shine 50 brightly IN e'e
Legislative hall, from Maine to Florida, and from u,
Atlantic to the shores of the wide spread Pacnc a
throughout the entire populace, that the united Ycs
of the patriotic sons and daughters of Columns
happy land will be, away with the fell monster WEI
sports his thousands slain, and regards no! Wv
tears of the fatheress and the widow, and give us
beverage, the cooling stream that gushes HO''
earth's inexhapstble reservoir,
]. It was my intention, when took up my Psn
to note more fully, Mr.. Hewlett's lecture but ~
convinced that would be doing him injustice 70 :
tempt it. A synopsis by me would not even be rec
nized BY those who heard him, Nothing short q ..
man himself, with his spectacles on, and his sEs s''
manner, as well as matter, would be satisfactory !
least with the six eight hundred who for two IT,
were enchanted BY his life-lke lecture May ns W.