The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-05-16
THE JOURNAL.
CAMDEN, MAY 16, 1854.
Never DESPAIR.

Why should the friends of temperance ever despair?
Because they cannot any immediate good resulting
from their efforts to promote temperance aid virtue
strengthen and support good law and morals, ought
they give up in despair? Mol emphatically, Mol
When, we ask was ever any great work, social moral
or political, accomplished in day, or year? Look
at the past, and tell US of solitary instance, where
any object worth attaining ever was attained without
long, arduous and unceasing effort.
Take the one, great, first example, of all others,
worth more to man-the cause which Deity itself hu-
manized, and established upon earth. When frstthe
glad tidings Of great joy were proclaimed to the world
who received the report Of the preacher whose espe
cial mission it was to 80 about and do good? How
was Heavens richest jewel priced? Did men credit
the divinity of the Saviour and receive bis precious
words Of truth, wisdom and love, as the oraces Of
God? Nay, verify; the vast majority Of them six
thousand years ago, refused to render unto the Lord
the things which were his, and the spirit Of ch.
ing avarice dares to rob God now and if cause 80
sublime whose originator and supporter is the ruler
of universal dominion be so lightly esteemed, and
the holy blood Of the covenant counted an unworthy
thing how is it possible for cause-a human auxlia-
ry to that of region-whch attaches to it the mper'
fections of our fallen nature-to succeed atonce when
we have the same influences arrayed against us the
countless hosts of spiritual and spritous wickedness
in high places?
The religion of the Bible was at first only received
by the poor who had the gospel preached unto them
by few iliterate and unlearned fishermen of Galilee
but that was not reason why its influence and
power should never be felt by proud and naughty
Felix, who even trembled upon his own throne, and
by an Agrippa who was almost persuaded to be q
Christian We should never despair for we have truth
for our shield and truth will always be what it
has been stern and undertaking reality which SOON
er or later must force conviction upon the heart and
mind and extort from treacherous in6delity nvol
untary admission Of its virtue and veracty. We have
no fears for the ultimate safety and success Of truth it
may be scofned or rejected and despsed it is still
TRUTH based upon the rock Of eternal ages its sacred
temple stands as firm as the everlasting hills. The
great primeval truth of the Gospel will appear in bold
relief as beacon and point out the quicksands of er
ror and vice, when cavins skepticism with its re-.
VI oS DSuSo'u DoooiAA
Of destruction.
We do not claim that temperance is religion, al
though, in feeble judgment it is one Of the card-
hal and prominent characteristics ofrelgon for class
ed among the christian virtues, temperance forms
connecting and important link in the chain Of reveal.
ed and pure religion.
We do not believe that there can be any religion
without temperance; yet there may be temperance
without religon-tha is the distinction which we be-.
leve exists, and which we make.
We should not despair because men are at best
but perverse creatures and there none Of US whose
opinions are entitled to respect who very ami
able as at all times to be willing to yield avorte
and preconceived opinions to the judgment or dcta.
ton of Others and ought always to remember that
there opinions more arbitrary than those which
appetite and long established customs favor.
Selfshness is a large element in human nature and
to dispossess ones self it requires no small amount
of selEsacrifcing effort. We always give man credit
for great strength Of mind and frmness of purpose,
who addicted to intemperance or even fond OF 80
cia glass is able to rcnounce the wine and turn away
from strong drink for verify greater is he that ruleth
Ills spirit than he that taketh city. One is phys-
cal exploit which may be done by mere animal pow
er, favored by the mighty and often controlling force
of circumstances the other is one Of mental resou
ton which receives its strength from the inspiration
of divinity In one we behold the tinseled ephemer-
al glory of conquerer in the other we see moral sub
limity-the reflection Of mans great archetype.
We should not despair for victory dearly won, will
be the more highly priced We must not despair,
even though We should be temporarily defeated and
forced back to rally in the reserved guard. We may
then prepare for mere certain and victorious charge.
IfNapoeon had despaircd the alps would never have
been crossed, and if he had given up every time he
rcpulsed by his enemy his name would never have
been great as a mighty Captain. We admire his ener-
ey only. We hope that our Cause will triumph, for
it sN cause far different from that in which thousands
of contendng powerss are often engaged We will
not, no, not even if we could,
"Wado thro' slaughter to throne,
And shut the gates Of Mercy on mankind"
Ours is labor of love, and not war Of blood; our
conquests are those ofpeace and seek through the
mild insrumentalities of Love, Purity and Fidelity to
enshrine our Cause within the hearts of all mankind
Let US never despair, even though our Cause might
seem feeble and the star Of temperance wave to its
setting let US march forward, with brave hearts and
bold fronts, believing with tho hero of Lake Ere that
we can meet the enemy, and they shall be ours.
A convention of the friends of Temperance
is to be held at Montgomery, Alabama, on the
3lst inst, to effect thorough State organiza-
tion and select speakers to canvass the State,
that the people may come to the ballot. box
L,n,,;,r tbair dnty