Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-07-14

vatism, and engulf the barbarous chiefs of Tartary in the Caspian sea of retributiye ius- tice-that it will revolutonize Europe. resps- citate Poland and Hungary, redeem Ireland and dlsenthrall the people of England from the oppressive yoke of German Princess that it will storm Gibraltar, el ecrrify Tuuis. arouse the sleeping energies of Algers and fesuscitate all Alrca--that it will annex Cuba. oreaK down the petty despotisms of Mexico. repuolcanlzc Central and South America. and carry life, civilization, and christianity to the inhabitants of the a-girt islands of the ocean.
 Uladiy would we pursue this subject upon this our natal day, but we must forego the pleasure of pursuing it farther at present. and direct your attention to another growing i'm medately out of it, upon which we have been more particularly called to speak, remarking as we pass, that while the whole world is cou- vulsed with political revolutions and scientific reforms we have reason to re joice and congra- tulate the spirit of the age, that it has not be- come so infatuated with all these as to lose sight of the great social and moral interests of society, but that in the van of all these stands the great moral lever--the tensperunce yeform.-- when the whole atmosphere was contamna- ted--when thick cloud of moral darkness overspread the habitudes of man, and ensbroud ed him in gloom, bright star of reform. shot from the eternal throne of the Great Governor or the Universe, pierced this moral darkness and reached degraded man, where he stood upon the heaving sides of liquid volcano, un- conscious of his danger; the clouds were dis slpated and driven back, man became con- scious of his danger and fled to the temple of refuge-the clouds were drunkenness-the star the ambassador of truth--the temple of refuge, the order of Sons of Temperance.
 The fire of reform thus kindled has been famed by the pure zephyrs of humanity. in. nocence, purity and love, until now it sheds it's regenerating rays far over the desert of life It has nobly out-leaped the boundaries of our own country that gave it birth, and like the corruscaton of meteor flashed across the Alt lantic--llluminated the sable regions of Africa warmed up all Europe--rariiel the dissipa- ted atmosphere of Ireand--thawed the frozen lakes of ice bound Russia-melted the iron chains of the Ottoman and Persian Empires. and threatened general confagration in China: South America, too, and the isles of the ocean have not been without its salutary influence: Tn word, the bright banner of temperance. with love, purity, and fidelity, inscribed upon It's ample folds, Is unfurled to every breeze, and Is hailed with loud shouts on land and sea Wherever the grim -vsaged monster intemper- ance has made his impress throughout the earth.
 THE ORDER
 IS composed of individuals who look upon the use of intoxicating liquor as a beverage. as an- tagonlstic to the spread of the gospel of uni versal peace among men as calculated to sap the foundation of that liberty which is the pride and boast of every lover of his country; as being the most fruitful source-the great cause of the innumerable train of vices with which our land is cursed-producing crime disease, sickness and death, and they are mu- tually pledged not to use or engage in the traffic of ardent spirits themselves, and by all honorable means to prevent the use or traffic in 1t by others, believing that under the smiles of kind Providence, they may thereby con- tribute something towards elevating the stand ard of morality, and be instrumental in saving some of their fellow men from the conseQuen- ces of intemperance, and their families from the disgrace, distress and want that generally follow in the wake of life of dsspation- These are the objects--are they laudible? are they justifabe?
 It has been a custom of mankind in all ages to form themselves into compacts or com munities, for evil or for good, from the earliest period of the world. If the oiects of these associations were evi--if their tendencies were lmmoral-if they were not based upon immu- table truths their foundation, the gathering indignation of Gods wrath was poured out upon them and they were signally cursed for their wickedness but if their objects were pure-if they were united for the purpose of eIevating the standard of morality, based upon a sound philosophy, and christian iuterpreta- ton of the Bible, they were aided and sup ported by the strong arm of Omnipotence and the most signal blessings were strewed all along their pathway.
 Two examples drawn from the sacred writ ing will serve to illustrate both these classes of association.
 The dccendants of Noah, in the pride of their hearts, after having been miraculousv saved from the deluge that swept of from the face of the earth the whole human family, save that good man and hs family, wickedly entered into compact or association, the ob- iect of which was, we are tod, 10 build a tower that should reach to heaven, and that would perpetuate their names to remotest posterity; but the strong arm of omnipotent power foled their purposes, blasted their fondly cherished hopes-confounded their language and disper- sed them throughout the earth, and the moul- dcring ruins of Babel remain to this day on the banks of the Euphrates, the living monu- ment Of the impiousness of such an assoca- ton. But there was another society formed about 2,200 years after the Babel compact, the object of which was to purge the world of its wickedness-to advance the cause of morality and to propagate the great doctrine of univer- sal love to all mankind. This society (except the occasional reverses with which it has met) has been in the full tide of successful opera ton for more than eighteen centuries; and al- though at its organization it could boast of but twelve members, it has spread like fire in a prairie, until now, like the zones, it belts the entire globe, and at this time there are hun- dreds and thousands and millions of the pos- terity of Adam, who are not only proud of their membership in that order but who thank their God daily that the society was organized,