Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-04-15
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
UNATTENDED COMPLIMENT.

UNATTENDED COMPLIMENT.
Mr.. Editor Those men among US, who pro-
fess to fear greatly lest Sons of Temperance should
rely on their profession and practice of total alb
s~tinence for salvation, are not aware of the COM
pliment they undesignedly pay the Order of the
Sons. The objection comprehends and implies
praise and commendation-admits that temper.
ance, as ~practiced by the Sons, is at least a virtue,
if not also a christian grace-and proclaims an
approval of the propositions: that the elementary
principle of the Order is in accordance with divine
truth, and that the practice of the Sons is not in
consistent with their profession. Indeed the plain
reading or purport of the objection is clearly
this :-You, Sons, have so much authority for
your action in the history Of the Rechsbites-so
much imperishablc truth to stand upon, extending
at all events from the days of Sodom and Gomor-
rah, when ''their wine was the poison of dragons,
and the cruel venom Of asps," through Prophets,
Evangelists, and the last of the Apostles, down to
the last case Of delirium tremens-so little oppo-
sition can be successfully made against you-it is
30 manifest that you, as the honored instru-
ments Of abenefcent Providence, have been O bles.
sing to many neighbors, even to some who have
traduced you-it is so unquestionable that you
have done good-ysu seem to have such o consci-
business of being and doing right-and indeed you
say so much about the Bible, and duty, and &C.
countability, and self. denial and love to your
neighbor, and a variety of other matters, 80 much
like church members should talk-all this is so
patent, plain, and ~palpable, I fear you will esti-
mate so highly this special, particular truth, that
you will reject altogether all other truths, and
throw away, or bury, or burn the very foundation
on which you stand, your Bibles.
If the objector be conscientious in the objection,
what else can he mean than what is here imputed
to him? The objection then is decidedly compli-
mentary, rather than condemnatory-a sort Of
Balaam blessing, or ''e1pedient" judgment of q
crucifying C~aiaphas.
Let US notice the objection in another point Of
view. Is not the proposition universally true,
that the capability to do good always indicates q
proportional capability to produce mischief, when
perverted. Religion itself, the supreme good, be-
comes the direst curse, when distorted from its
proper sphere. 1t is equally true, that everything
earthly has a proportion of evil mixed up with its
nature. Why should a sensible man quarrel with
the Order of the Sons, simply because the Order
is not rendered incapable of being abused, and is
not in itself complete perfection Will this OBJ
jector be pleased to name q perfect thing on earth?
If the Order Of the Sons has an object good in
itself, and if it be capable of %effecting good, why
should not a good man feel it his duty to unite
with it for the purpose of achieving the good Of
which it is capable, and of checking all attempts
to pervert it from its laudable object?
Take q parallel case. An INDECENT widow and
family are deprived of their humble shelter by fire.
Some of the benevolent n~eighbors submit the pro.
posal, to unite their services, and rear up for the
houseless poor a new home. Who is found refu-
sing to shoulder his axe, or saw, or trowel, or i'm
plement he can best use, to accomplish the good
work? Only the most pious men in the neigh
borhood-men distinguished as bright ~exemplars
ola cody walk and conversational! And why do
they refuse to help the widow and orphans! Be-
cause somebody, during the work, may take the
name Of God in vain, or commit some other sin.
Away with such piety and goodness! The true
rule is: the object of the assemblage being praise
worthy, let good men attend (f for no other pur-
pose) to suppress vice, as far as they can, by their
presence, by their example, and by their counsel
FLAvEL, in his Method Of Grace, remarks: eff
this objection from the faults of protested chris
tians be valid, there can be no religion in the
world for what religion is not scandalized by the
practice of some that profess it? So that this pra.
tice (~unjustly charging religion with the scandals
of them who profess it, has a natural tendency to
atheism and is, no doubt, encouraged by the devil
for that end" Applying these remarks of FLAvEL
to this objection against the Order Of the Sons, we
have this analogous reading: Charging the Or
der with the errors of them who belong to it, has
a natural tendency to promote drunkenness and
is no doubt encouraged by the devil for that end"
TIE objection, now under consideration, was
once made to the writer Of this article by q Minis
ter of the Gospel. The writer's reply was to this
effect. Be it so. Do you not believe from your
knowledge of protesting christians, there are some
at ease in Zion from the mere fact of having their
names on the church-books; yet you yourself do
not forsake the Church and religion on that ac-
count. But even admitting the objection to be
true in a few instances, we greatly desire precise
ly such men as you-Ministers of the Gospel-men
watchful of the approaches of evil, to unite with
US in the good cause, and preserve US from this
and every other error of judgment and of prac-
tice and 1 pledge myself as man and Son of
Temperance, you shall have all needful opportu-
mites for the accomplishment Of the work. The
Reverend gentleman, however, was not prevailed
upon to relinquish his objection nor did the moon
wax and wane very often before he was placed I'M
der the ban of the church for dram.drinking.
KNURRY CRUX.
WEEDS PATENT SEWING MAcHrsE.-The Editor
of the Cleveland (Ohio) Plaindealer, says: Sew
ing Machines are o subject of the greatest interest
in this vicinity, rs they affect the labor of every
family in the land. With a view of purchasing
and Of examining every kind, to fnd the best, we
spent several days while in New York, in minutest
inspection of oil kinds now in market, and our
conclusions were in favor of Weeds Patent, as the
most reliable Machine to put in the hands of every
one throughout the State. We purchased one of them
and have used il some time, and our opiuion ia