Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-11-11
Gen1p&rante Watter.
CONGRESSIONAL TEMPERANCE
socrETY.n

CONGRESSIONAL TEMPERANCE
SOCIETY"
It is a notorious fact that Washington city
is an immoral, drunken place, and thatmany
who go hither having good moral characters,
return to: theirconstituen drunked debauch-
ees. We understand that there are only
about holfdo=en in the present Congress
who are thorough teetotalers many drink
occasionally, more drink habitually, and not
a few are loathesome drunkards. We could.
enumerate score or more who have been.
totally ruined by being sent to Congress-
1t may not be known to our readers that
there was an era in the history of the Re-
public when prominent men at Washington
were not ashamed to avow their hostility to
drinking, and their adherence to the cause
of Temperance. In February, 1888, a large
meeting was held in the Hall of the House
of Representatives, at Washington, at which
the Hon. Lewis Cass, then Secretary of War
(now Secretary of State,) presided Ad-
dresses were delivered by eight or ten dis
tinguished members of Congress. Among
other Resolutions, the following were unan1-
naously adopted:
"Resolued, That the manufacture of ard
traffic in ardent spirits ought to be discoun-
tenanced and abandoned as incompatible
with the obligations of social and moral
duty, by every patriot, and especially by
every Christian in the country.
"Reso1red, As the sense Of this meeting,
that the liberties and welfare of the nation
are intimately and indissolubly connected
with the morals and virtue of the people,
And that in the enactment of laws for the
common benefit, it is equally the duty of the
Legislative body to guard and preserve the
public morals from corruption, as to advance
the pecuniry interest, or to maintain the
rights and freedom of the community"
In these latter days, our public men con-
tend that the "pubHc morals" must take
care of themselves, and that legislation
ought never be had "to guard and preserve
them from corruption"
A Congressional Temperance Society
was formed Feb 26th, 1858, composed OF
members of Congress, officers of the United
States Government, civil and military heads
of Departments and ex-members of Congress.
The Hon. Lewis Cass was elected Prcsil
dent. We find enrolled among its members
the Hon. Samuel Bell, of New Hampshire /;
Gideon Tomlinson and W. W. Ellsworth,
of Connecticut; John Reed and George N.
Briggs, of Massachusetts, Lewis Coadlct
and Theodore Frelinghuysen, of New Jer-
sew; William Wilkins, of Pennsylvania; |;
Thomas Ewing, E. Cook and E. Whittlesey,
of Ohio; Felix Grundy and John Blair, Of
Tennessee John Tiptou, of Indiana Dan
iel Wardwell, of New York; James NJ.
Wayne, of Georgia; Arnold Naudian, of
Delaware, and a host of others. This So
ciety long since departed this life, and a
proposition to reorganize it would be recei-
we'd with but little favor, so long as portion
of the Capitol is saoredly set apart for a
grogshop, and leading members of Congress
worship at the shrine of Bacchus in this
Congressional He'll
Whittier are we drifting as nation !?
When will the sovereigns throughout this
great Republic lose sight of small matters
like Banks, Sub-Treasuries, Tariffs, &c,
and grapple with this giant evil that is un: IN:
dermining the very foundations Of our State
and National Governments z This question
is not merely vital to our prosperity, it in
wolves our very existence. Some may say
we have but one idea. Ifthis is true, We in-
sist it is very large. ides,. oatweighing in
importance all the issues the parties have
made, from the foundation of the Govern
ment to the present hour North and South,
this is the question of paramount Importance
What evil is desolating the land of steady
habits? Is it not rum? What is the great
incubus upon the prosperity of the Palmetto
State? Is it not whiskey? 1t must not be
denied that intoxicating drink is paralyzing
the physical brutalizing the intellectual,
and corruptiDg the moral powers of this ma
ton, more than all other causes combined.
We may not hope to bring this great people
to see the subject as we see it. but we will
not cease our efforts in that direction while
we can either speak or write.
Our Congress must be reformed! How
Not by direct appeals to the members, but
by entreaties to their constituents. The
freemen must be persuaded to nominate and
elect only such as are true to the interests
of this vital measure.
Bar.room loafers must not be considered
available candidates simply because they are
in favor of or are opposed to African slavery
There are in every State Temperance men
enough to hold the balance of power and
compel the selection of sober men for office,
if they had principle enough to organize and
act with independence and boldness. Alas
Alas principle is wanting !-Crmsadcr.