Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-03-06
For II c Vindicatsr.

former article IN reference to the temper
ance question, you seem to understand me
as defending myself against charges of
personal character. This was not nv de-.
sign, and such conclusion csnnot be le-
Ultimately gathered from It. What,I say
is that you have made out a list ofserious
charges against the temperance party,
winch l. as a temperance man deny, and
call upon you to prove. What are these
charges? They are found in the Vindi-
Gator, Of Feb. 10. and are as follows:-
They are 'itinerant fanatics, and stationa-
ry agitators who hire themselves out to
disseminate the principles Of aboitionists.
agrarans, socialists, ct id omne genus, under
the prestige of great moral reform. -
This is the first charge. You then say
that some good men have been induced
to sanction this wolf in sleeps clothing"
plainly implying that they have been
forced into their position as temperance
men by circumstances the force of which
they had not mental capacity or moral
courage enough 10 resist, and constituting
aif inconsiderable minority in. the temper
ance party. You denoupce. the great
majority of:the prominent advocates Of this
abolition offspring $50 you denominate the
emperance.rtform) as men whose mental
capacity is not equal to their ambitious
aspirations, and who, after they have fail.
ed in other pursuits for distinction from
mental imbecility and dwartish intell-
gence. straddle this fauatical pony, and
with the avowed purpose Of accomplish
ing great moral reformation, seek to ride
into public favor" You place temper
ance men upon level with the miscr cant
who set the "blazing torch to the Temple
of ~Ephesus." You charge these moral
reformers with practically disregarding the
moral truths they teach, and endeavor to
leave-th the impression that they are gener-
ally profaners of the name Of God, despi-
sers of the Bible, and of every thing that
is good, together with great deal more
OF the same sort.
Now such charges ought not to be
brought against any party OF set Of men
without proof at hand TO substantiate them
In the face OF the eommuuit. in which
yau have made these charges deny them.
The prominent men who give character
to the Temperance reformation are neither
fanatics" nor stationary agitaters," nor
do they hire themselves to disseminate
principles detestabe to every lover of vir-
tue and sound morality. They are no.
actuated by the base motives you ascribe
to them, your assertions to the contrary
notwithstanding. Assertion is not proof,
aud again demand of YOU the proof of
your assertions. GEO. SHUEY.
o.. II seems that Mr.. Shuey was not
satisfied with our reply 10 his commuaica-
ton Of last week. He was not tier aim.
ing to clear himself Of an impli..d charge
but had taken under his guardianship the
interests Of the entire Maine-Liquor Law
party, from Dan to Belsheba aud had
come forth as valiant Curiatus, to fight
the battle of a whole army-a Don Quix-
otte, junior, who had sailed forth, armed
cap-a-pic, to redress all the suppose! abuses
and avenge all the Imagined wrongs. that
may be charged as per7etrated on this i'm
maculate party. Truly, he has assumed a
hereuean task, and most self. sacrificing
and phi!anthropic work Does hs, hnow
all the men in this State, who favor this
movement that he comes out so elnphat-
ically and denies the charges he SAYS we
have made' We opine moi and unless
he would be willing 20 vouch for the an
gelie purity they assume, we would be
under no obligations to further notice his
communication. We might reply to him
BY i.terrogations. But we prefer another
course.
We might, and probably it would be
more legitimate-raise a single PROPOSE
ton, aud discuss it, to answer Mr.. Shuey,
and that would be-is this movement OF
the avowed Maine. Law men ianatical!-
This would cover the entire ground, and
sustain all our charges, did we prove it to
be such. But as we have q good deal
more 10 say on this point than we would
like 70 bring into this article we shall pur-
sue din. rent course. And now to his
syllable denials, mose particularly.
AAS S"JS We SudtSCu SoWc VI TIC
Gates Of the Maine Law (for it is nothing
less than that in spirit with being "fanat-
les. Well, what of it. We repeat the
charge. Now for the proof Webster
says '.fanatic" means an excessive en-
thasiast." Does Mr.. Shuey deny that
many OF the 1--WE wont say temperance men
because that word implies different
meaning TO what il bears in tlis eonnec-
tom advocates of tins Law are .ereessire
enthusiasts" Il he does, we refer hin
for example, to the speech Of one Of the
hired agents delivered in the town Hall,
AT the late League meeting. We alIadc
to the geatiemen {tem iAe country Vas
he, OF vas he not, "e1eessircip enthu,ias
tic on the subject Vas he, or was he not
employed, in obedience to the programme
adopted at Charlottesville, to ''agitate" the
subject throughout the county and estab-
fish "Anti-Liquol Leagues,''
We presume Mr.. Shuey was joking
when he asked us 10 prove that we have