The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-02-01

Zion College one Of tic mostpopnlars
as well as deserving Institutions III the
State.
/ Before closing thisw cannot fill to
speak of the commcndable .ltbcra!iiy
! displayed by the Mount ZionS cictY
in fitting gnp and improving the Cpllrge
| buildings for the comfort Of tle sth-
dcnts - Fdi,TeiisH sHerald.
From the Charleston Courier.
temperance Cosavoc:s!ioi'.ES 4
According to previous notice
lpublic Temperance meeting wa iie
! last evening, in the iiibcrnian IiailA
which WAS filed at an easl l:atsis,54i'iiissf
withsa goodly proportion Of oiu fair
or fellow. citizens. The procession cINl
4 bracing TIC members of the Grand Di-
vision Of the Sons of Temperance of
i South Carolina, and the different Tenn
perance Ordcis Of our city, with ap-
propriatc rcgnlia and banners, soon al
forwards arrived aud filled the re-
served places.
/ Col. NJ. Noses. (of Sumtcr.) NJ. w.
/ r. of the State Division, S. Of
t., briefly explained Tie purport Of
the meeting, and called on the Grand
Chaplain, the Rev. w. Lewis, who be-
gan the exercises by an invocation to
the Throne Of Grace.
1hos. Y. Simons, i. w. p, having
been introduced, discussed the sub
!icct assigned him in the programme,
with his usual zeal and ability. His
subject was ''l'hc Pledge and a(tcral-
Hiding to the vast interest involved III
the question, he bricllyrcyicwcd all the
. attempts and efforts that had been
made previous to the present cen
tury, for tho redemption of humani-
ty from the curse of intcmpcrance.
: The sumptuary laws of Greece, the
censorial jurisdiction of the Romans,
the first temperance organizations
dating from tic 18th century. and
based on moderate use, had lnmcn.a-
bly, and confcsscdly failed, and the
proposition urged by the speaker with
much force and ability, may be brief
ly stated tllus:-A pledge of total alb
stincncc from al that can intuXic;ltc,
with q proper active organization, is
essentially necessary.
The subject assigned the next speak
or. the Rev. S. Gilman, ID. d., was
'thc Press in its relations to Fem
pcrance-an interesting and su@gcs-
tive theme, which was discussed 1--WE
need scarcely say) in an interesting
and mastery manner. Tie voiec tie
pen, and the press, Us instruments and
means of influence, were compared
and scvc.ally considered, and the
vast superiority of the last ably illus
tratcd. 1t Was maniicstly superior
! in the number Of those it could
rcacll--in the permancncc ofits results.
and their indefinite multiplication in
{ the access to many who woIill.not Or
could not enjoy tho instruction of a
! 4ia aocc, and i'll lsa TIL ILL
ty afforded for reflection and mclit;i-
ton on its lessons. A striking and
peculiar value Of tho Press Vas mani
tested in the preservation and circula-
ton Of statistical facts
The causes Why the Press had not
been rendered moro available to tho
Temperance movement, were brief
ly suggested. There had been no reg
ularly organised and pcrvading sys-
tom of distribution and circulation cm-
ploycd, and rs necessary result,
journals, tracts, &c, devoted cxclu-
siycly and professcdly to Temperance,
will only lie sought attce voluntarily by
Temperance mon, who have the least
need. Of their instructions. a tcrvent
appeal on behalf the s. c. Temperance
Aapocate, the organ Of the cause in
the State, whose past services were
commended, and also for the S. c..
Temperance Publication Society was
made. while the Rev. speaker sugecs-
ted that much good might be done by
arrangements, securing Il certain space
i'll the secular press.
The course Of the newspaper press
generally was commended, as having
been marked by courtesy and libcrali-
ty towards the temperance movement,
still the speaker thought that moro
might have been done; that in many
instances, in reference to the ':Nlaine
law question" there had been appar-
o"tiy cHhtpitcu IL di9)oSltioil W pup
lish all facts tending to operate against
the law, while the other side had not q
fair bearing 1t was complained that
i'll one instance, the Maine movement
had been compared and identified with
Northern ianaticsm, and the course of
journal in q ncighboring State-thc
Augusta Chronicle 4. ,Sentnel-in
boldly advocating that measure, was
E referred to with warm commcnda,ion
The publication of the proceedings
of dinner parties and other convivial
meetings, with notice of tho varie-
ty and quantity of liquors displayed,
was one instance in which the inllu-
cncc Of the secular press had been cx-
crtcd against the cause. The Speak
cr had hoped the time was at hand,
when this potent, all pcrvading, and
all controlling engine would be used
more directly and effectively on the
| Siln pf yiripn np1 morality on1 ,vLo,,