Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-11-05
q Temperance 6ssap,
EXTRACTS
From Lectures on Temperance, by Pres'


From Lectures on Temperance, by Presa-
dent Mott, d. d. lid.
There was time when the whole Chris.
tian church could be copgregated in an In
ner chamber at Jerusalem. Now its num-
bers, reckoned by millions, are spread abroad
over continents and islands. Within even
our own recollection, the same inner cham
her would have contained all the advocates
affE total abstinence in Christendom. Now
{ their number too is reckoned by millions,
and their influence is felt BY the inhabitants
Of many many a kingdom, and the seamen that
navigate the waters of many sea.
During, the ages gone by, the ruinous,
loatbsome and brutalizing effects of intem-
perance were extensively experienced and
aeplored and counteracted. Governments
leg;slated, moralists reasoned, Christians
remonstrated, but to no purpose. In the
face Of all this array of influence, intem-
perauce not only maintained its ground, but
constantly advanced !; and advanced with
constantly increasing rapidity. Death In
deed came in aid of the cause of temper
ance, and swept away, especially during the
prevalence of the cholera, crowds OF In
ebriates, with distinctive and exemplary
vepgence. Suddenly the vacancies thus oc-
casioned were filled up; and, as if the
course Of life whence these supplies were
furnished was exhaustless, all the avenues
of death were not only reoccupied but crowd
ed with augmented numbers of fresh re-
cruits. The hope even of reclatming the
world by any instrumentalities then in be-
ing, departed, and fear lest Christendom
should be utterly despoiled by so detestable
a practice, took possession of manya reflect
ing mind.
In that dark hour, the great discovery,
THAT DRUNKENNESS Is CAUSED BY
DRINKING moderate, temperate, continu-
Gus drinking and that entire sobriety can
be restored and maintained by ABSTINENCE
in that dark hour, this GREAT DISCOVERY
was made and promulgated to the world
A discovery which, simple and obvious as il
seems to be, had remained hid for ages
during which no one dreamed that mere
drinking, regular, reputable, temperate
drinking, injured any one; much less tina
q. it produced, and by a necessity OF nature
snroduced, that utter shameless drunkenness
which sdebased so many individuals, beg
CARED SO many families, and brought suct
indelible disgrace on community itself
This discovery, though not even yet general
" known throughout community, has re
lieYed more misery, conduced to more hap
piness, prompted to more virtue, and re
claimed from more guilt; in one word,
has already shed more blessings on the past
and litsnp more hope for the future, thai
any other discovery, whether physical, politl
cal or moral, with which the land and tn
age in which we live, have been slgnallzed
By this great discovery it has been mad
apparent that it is not drunkards, but mod
crate drinkers with whom the temperate
reformation is chiefly concerned for 1t
not on a change of habits in the former, bu
the latter, on which the destiny of the stat
and the nation hangs suspended.
Drinking, and the manufacture and sal
of that which makes drunkards, operates re
ciprocally as cause and effect on all tn
parties concerned.
The manufacturer and vender furnish tn
temptation to the drinker, and the drinke
in return gives countenance and supportbot
te the manufacturer and the vender.
All these classes must be reformed betor
the triumph of the temperance cause vii
be complete; and the reformation Of eithe
contributes to the reformation of all. Ever
dram shop that is closed narrows the spher