The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-21

booa ati0h 7, M. BRADLEY, 4 I'D,
AZ s.t Husdtagtoa October Z, So.
To GEoReE SAEAaE, Lsa--~ ~ re-
S1R: Sincerhp general CONVERSATION had with
you few days ago n rsgaJd e the Pressn statH y
which have oRetdadtt5 produce. the Change IN pub
lie opinion oInthat eeet within die last i've or six
years, have hfn led 8n reflect seriously and snx-
iously on the nlnEt.s And tie more have thought
the less satisiod with myself IN the retrospect
ten At eveIysstepJI see more and more plainly,
that humble asf am, have liotdone my own duty
and that nust todhe extent OF all that could md
might have danet and have failed 70 do TO prevent
il, take my full share Of the blame and the shame,
Of the change WIN oh has at least aptdre7t5l come
over the people of thecity.f % NJ 7 2iI 2''t1 ".:
But the frsbquestippi which arises aid presses
upon the mnd,isr hiis thaIo change which appears
so manifest in point Of fact, really taken place? rs
not the real 00iRi& end deliberate jlghaent Of the
people of Washington, at this moment, MS strongly
and decidedly ,aeSast 1e habh1t practice II drink
ing tntoS5cdt5ag liquors as twas five years go?t And
if SO, why the az itS,i fdnee which h6s struck
you, as il has others, with so much copcerng
do not know that any effort Of mine can aid in
answering these questions butts time that some
the criminal apathy and indifference which now pre-
walls, and to stay the tide of intsmperance which
now sweeps over it, There are amongst US hearts
and minds able NJ do it'd they can be united and
stimulated TO aetonb But her can this be done, and
qeho will undertake it, TO else, somewhat my own
nind, have concluded 70 state 70 you, briefly, my
own experience IN, connexion with the causes my
recollection Of things as they were, and they exist
neto, hoping thersby y Rrgoo&e other and ADLER
to renew their l4b0Is Of love, ys.f# ta
Ny FIRST the Ie@paTanGs cause was
fashioned whose pledge was one of SIM
pie abstinence from distilled liquors. beverage
rsserying tho privilege Of using wine cider porter
DC Like Gil societies of the kind this after ngcr-
ing on sioklI e1jsterSe disalopt5 Joined other
half and half Soce6es but none Of them seemed to
do good. WhaS ia Washing oman movement COM
nenosd in Batis9eys my atteatop was more closely
and seriously dfaEp ta re subject, and when that
cause was esPoSsSq ~ tha Sis and the general sub
had never bsfSSs herd by .Thos. + Marshal, Geo
D. Briggs and SihsrS I oapsdered il my duty to
lsln with the fFf kre41qPs Fi9ilaAt and there
Frat became acquainted with yon, as Temperance
man As citizen and sepseiallysss a father u felt
it soGnn dutytS take an open, pubic stand on this
cushion and as hr as COULD give I5y influence aud
srsnps in favor 9S TenpetnlcptJ N 3
Soon after this, found myself associated in my
public smpioyments With twonoblc generous-heartcd
nsn-who aftera long hsbn of moderate drinking
had become decidedly IN enlperate This was seen IN
the stroet, in th9anyan and places " drinking TO
whish they werSRcousbuied 10 resort and WIS talked
OF there To avoid observation, these places were
deserted wished LESS frequently and they took u
the moro obsedtsOtnd 1less reputable arop shops
Thsre, they imagined .they could more safely and
freely indulge tins n appetite Tor strong drink and
escape the notice Cd those whose good opinion il was
thar interest to maintain. VAN Hope They hid
their drinking from tho public CSC but he witness
against them appeared ia their bleehed faces, their
ueDuoos nerves, and moreespecially if Che wretch
edness OF their oyp fanles; and soon, the heads o;
hs buresu 10 ghioa. iAey were attached began 70
talk about IL saw thai ruin was 5,JOgo M611 and
they saw i. This reused NC y 2 realizing sense Of
the snormty of the VICE. of the strength % The habit
which lad powertbss TO force intelligent respectable
men 20 degradation and shame. Moved 10y this
spectacle, counsslled and warned them rs plainly
and faithfully As GUILD With tiara OF BITTERNESS
ubald 6,,1
the half OH how they ,wept oyer The agonies Of
thsr wives, told me Of haerIenttoaHes and prayers
70 them, Of the resolutions they bad from iiuie 10
time made they fell that they oOnd lev down th,ir
lives, coin their beart's boodt9 give peace comfort
and happiness 20 the dear ones whom God had given
them but that 6Hrntg tsgSE that TaQed within thahl
they could not stand IT, but were compelled tor TO
the grog shop, and appease il! there was neither
they fly from e; But there was no refuge and d6nn
down-to dish2gered igEave tb0y must go Aey
saw IT distinctly before them. In ihis siaad0n,
whilst they vet reking with the fumes Of Alec.
hol, The verge of delritali ifarnens Itobk them
by the hand, and told tbspif they had courage 10
follow me would fake chem 10 a place of refuge
Their eyes spaTkled and they said lead m and we
VII follow. ! took them team eaiink 'l,ouse and
erdsred plain dinner Of which thcy paytook spur
lngly repeated 70 them v0 saIls 0llclp4ns 6giud.
~. They assentodl dalkjd lat Little, though they
looked dreadfully: called p hack and drove 10
drank freely of the water. As night approached We
returned to the city and stopped at 7sa.erdace Ha
and without falterng they followed me na the Nor.
thsrn Liberties Division Of the Sons Of Temperance
where they and myself werc nlads Sons of TEN.
perance. took Them lonle sRd left them with the
request that they wonld see me the next morning
Lney dld So with pEight FACES, declaring that TIC
s gS.r.',G aaS ;oas 9gI and they had jeff behind
"s r cheeriul, hapPi JaGlilies,ts.t.l &C.,
LINUS was myself made a Son Of Tn peyagee and
thus became connected with the regularly etQaflizad
soeleues Ior proniQtng the cause If Temperance,
ior had arranged he pTeminaries of onr initiation
through with IT, 1850 5'Ns ~ 10y 10y " ~
There were at that tiHe lFe Divisions Of the sons
minis district SflergaTds increased 3 seven
there were also several Teata III Recb.bi,os ,;,t,
sections Of Cadets" attached p them, Iayine for
their object the training of the young Together hev
numbered a membership Of About one thousand mon
who met together weekly HI take counsel, how tbey
could most eiiectunlly draw their nei1Lbors and =.
sociaics from the fres Of fnteDperance and elevat
Them TO the dignity and responsibility Of bs indus
trous, sober, cartsflsn b1tn They did more t1el
consulted how they1eguld snecur the siok and con-
tort the bereayed land the SUFFERING have Offer
renected with peasurs upon these associations r
Is true their workings were often faulty and inner
iec but Of heart they were sound and hcathful Tx
grade ofintellect bSsiSSs snd sye
sects and political efiu7ons a Band III Bfothers q
ISOLATED ON comnf6N tf5f fr the s6le na,rn,,s.
OF saving themselves did ffer fellow Mon honi nv
sin and curse Of hsAHHtfIh6e Thehnadanenia
article OF their association was the total and abs0I
exclusion Of everything relating to party politics ant
religious denominations; every one beng left free 4.
.goesB iHgsu ryG raea i0r t.tiI