Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-06-17
Gsmpsrante SM!Eatter.
From the Due West Telescope.
THE TEMPERANCE REFORM.

CneTe Wouiu DC no lmproPIieIy III "iii'S "'
article for your paper on the subject'o OF the
great Temperance Reform that is now going
all over the country. Nor can l conceive
that there would be any improperly in pub
fishing it in the Telescope, provided that II
is we'll enough written to merit a column in
so valuable a paper. 1 am aware that there
are men, good men, who cannot or do not,
see their way clear, to fall in with the great
temperance movement, but whether the fault
is theirs, or wehther there is really something
very Objectionable in the means by which
the friends of Temperance are endeavorlng to
promote so noble a work remains to be seen.
Ever since man first became a sinner, every
effort, that had for its object a moral or
religious reformation, has met with opposition,
and I presume this will continue to be the
case until the end of time, or at least, until
the gospel shall exert its benign and leg'tl-
mate influence, over every class and con-
ditiou of mankind. Religion itself is not on
Iy opposed, but hated and condemned by
multitudes of our race, not because 1t is IN
imical to our best interests, or because its
versal spread and acceptance, would tend to
our injury, but because of the wickedness OF
mankind, and because of the ignorance OF
thousands of our. race. There are perhaps
but few Intelligent, sober, rejecting men who
come out openly, and oppose Temperance
They admitthat temperance isranked among
the cardinal virtues and that without a ma
jority of the people are temperate in the use
of ardent spirits, society could not hold to-
gether. But they are nevertheless opposed
to the present prevailing mode of suppresslng
it. I will here give you a thought that has
Just occurred to my mind. 1t is this, that
the in6del is not, as be says, opposed to re.
ligion, but he is opposed to the religion of
the Bible-he believes in the religion of Ma
ture. Now, when individuals oppose the
present mode of suppressing the tremendous
evil of i~ntemperance, does the idea not natu-
rally suggest itself to our minds, that there
is a secret opposition to the temperance re-
form. Now, if the objections that are usu-
ally urged against the present mode of re-
form were valid and well founded, there
would be some excuse for these DIRECTORS but
we conceive that every argument that can
be brought against the Sons of Temperance,
or the method adopted by them for the sup
preston of intemperance, will be found frl7-
olous, and futile, when seen and viewed in the
light of truth. Before enrolling myself un-
der the banner of the Sous of Temperance,
1 too, had my objections to the Sons, and l
was candid and honest in the matter, but
l found the Sons were doing q good work,
and were gaining ground rapidly, and that
many of our best citizens were joining them,
men of intelligence, mel of piety, men whose
sincerity I could not question, and [ was led
to conclude that I might be mistaken in my
notions concerning the order. [ at length
decided to fall into ranks, but with the OK
press understanding, that if [ should dlscov-
er any thing that I regarded as morally wrong
I would go no further, but even expose the
order. I have seen nothing yet to alarm me,
or even to create a doubt as to the morality
or efficiency of the Order, but many things
that I never dreamed of before to stimulate
me to press forward in the good work.
When I witness a highly commeudable zeal
in the members, when I see men OF lntelll-
genoe, men of piety, men Of the first stand
ing in the community, and when l see men
who were once members of the Church, but
were thrown out for their intemperance'
when I see men of different creeds in rell-
giou, and in politics, aged, middle aged, and
the youths of our country, banding together
as brethren, to arrest, if possible, the desc
lating tide of intemperance, and endeavorlng
to ameliorate the temporal, as we'll as the
spiritual condition of our race, when l see
their zeal in the good cause, and their tdsll'
ty, 1 feel like taking courage, and pressing
onward; hoping that the noble cause will
prosper, and eventually triumph, uotWith.
standing all the opposition, both secret and
avowed, that may be brought to bear against
it. May we not hope that every lover of So
cial order, of humanity, of morality, of re-
ligion, and in short, Of every thing that is
lovely and of good report, will certainly see
the necessity, as we'll as the duty of coming
forward in so noble a cause as ours, and use
their influence to destroy the fell destroyer
of human happiness. Why should any stand
idle all the day, when i%utemperance is sweep
ing like a tornado over our happy country,
blasting the hopes, beth for time and eternl'
ty, of thousands, who otherwise, might have
been in comfortable circumstances, useful
members of society, and finally heirs of re.
dceming grace. If those who stand alOof
from this noble cause, on the ground that
they are not opposed to a temperance reform
but only opposed to the Sons of Temperance
or to their mode Of promoting temperance
would get up some better way to accomplish
the object, we will most heartily fall in with
them, not attaching SO much Importance to
the mode, as we do to the cause. But we
much fear that many will continue to occupy
their present position, not because their is
anything wrong about the Sons of Temper
ance, but because they occasionally, at leas.
like to enjoy the privilege of taking a social
glass, and do not like to place themselves
in a position, in which they cannot consistent
ly enjoy SO great a luxury. Some good men
think that the Bible, or the Church, or re-
ligion, will eventually reform men from in