Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-05-19
,anish the evils of intemperance and intro

Danish the evils of intemperance and intro
duce the blessings of society as the united
influence of the goodand virtuous, going .ou
from the societies organized expressly fol
the accomplishment of this design. This
combination of moral strength must, in the
end, overcome all the impediments thrown in
the way, by interest, passion, and appetite
Indeed, in morals and religion, as in philoso.
ply, union is most emphatically strength
Indeed this strength will become Irresistible
in proportion as the union becomes perfect
ed. As the greater effects will be produced
where the larger amount of force is cencen-
trated upon one point, 80 where the larger
amount of moral influence .isGcombined fol
the accomplishment of any given end, the
morecertain will BEL the success. The ori:
ginak projectors of what is denoninated the
greattemperance movement veil understood
thisPrinciple, and upon this principle based
their expectations Of ultimate success. Nor
were there expectations mere idle dream.
They had perfect right to expect, that in a
few years the grand reform would be fully
accomplished. But alas, their expectations
have not'as yet been realized. Drunkenness
still prevails in many, very many places to
an alarming extent. Ardent spirits are still
made and sold, to an amount truly astonish-
ing Hundreds and thousands are still on
the" direct road. to. the drunkard's grave and
the druukard's hell The question then pre-
seuts ITSELF what has been the cause of the
failure? why have not their Just expecta-
tions' been realized? We will, five can,
endeavor to find a true solution to this query
And here probably we shall differ with
many for whom we entertain sincere res
pect, and whose opinion is certainly entitled
to some consideration 1t is not owing to
the influence of dramsellers 1t is true, that
the keepers of drarn:shops are generally enc
mics to the temperance reform, and would, if
they could, prevent the existence of all asso-
Citations inimical to their nefarious, traffic
But these men are generally Of the lower
ranks Of society, and being generally without
moral principle, they are incapable Of exert
ing much (if. any moral influence. Even
the wretched victims Of iptemperance, how
ever difficult they may find it to escape from
the fatal snare in which they fnd themselves
entailed, feel sovereign contempt for the
upprincipled dealer in intoxicating drinks
Indeed so disreputable is this business now
considered, thai. there are none who will en-
gage-in it while he retains any measure. of
self respect I will take it upon myself to
say and, L say it without fear Of contradic-
! ton, that the influence of hl dram-sellers in
the United States, would not make an i'm
preston on the mind of single man, who
has accustomed himself to the habits of so,
briefly and reflection. The fact is, the inhu-
ence of,tbis class of menis absolutely so con-
temptible thatit can scarcely be considered
asan obstacle in the. way Of speedy triumph
! Of the temperance cause.
Neither is it owing to an5inseterate pre-
judices in the minds of that unfortunate
Class Of men,. who have been 50 much abu-
sed by this destroyer of human happiness
The feelings, wishes, and, I may say, the
prayers'(if they pray at alp of this class of
men, are with the. temperance cause. Who
does not know, that the poor inebriate often
bevails his folly and bitterly lameuts his. mis-
fortune in having become slave of an appe-
tite and habit, which he daily feels is destroy
ing his health, dissipating his property, and
rapidly fastening him to premature grave.
Who does not know that this class of men are
more deeply. interested in the success of the
Temperance reform than any other, since all
their hopes, both for this world and the world
to come, ar, suspended upon it. When the
Washingtenians commenced, who does not
know that this class of our fallen citizens en-
gagged in it with perfect enthusiasm
Neither is it owing to such an obtuseness
Eof the human intellect, as units it to un-
derstand human and moral obligation
However much the mind may be debased
by the indulgence of the appetite or the
qualification of the baser passions of hu-
man nature, it never falls so low as not to
perceive and acknowledge what is due both
to its creator and its fellow man. Vice, it
is very true, sometimes becomes very impu-
dent, but this impudence arises from the
supposition that it is completely concealed
under the mask of virtue. When unmasked
and exposed in its naked deformity, it in
stinctively shrinks from public inspection.
That all admit the moral obligation of all
men to practice the virtue Of temperance, in
connection with other moral virtues, is mani
fest, in the fact that none ever attempt to
justify the vice-intemperance. 1t is readl'
" perceived by all, that intemperance is so
hostile to the general interest of society, and
exerts an influence so deleterious to the hap.
piness and welfare of individuals and fami.
lies, that it is vice of such frightful mein,
that to be hated, it needs only to be seen.-
Even the drunkard, when interrogated, ad-
mits his error and bitterly bewails it. He
wishes, but his wishing is in vain, for he
commits the same offence again. Indeed it
is useless to multiply words upon this point,
for it is evident that upon this subject all
perceive ard acknowledge their duty; all
that is wanting, is either the will, or power
to perform it.
Neither is it owing to want of activity on
the part of many of the friends of the tenn