Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-06-09
NO. 23.

others makes even those whose, intentions
are virtuous, retire abashed and silent. Men
are afraid of not only being worse than 9TH
ers, but also of being better Many good
man conceals his worth, lest he should be
sneered at as puritan or saint. Until
this weakness is overcome there can be no
independence of mind. A man is not the
master of himself; he is the slave Of other
men, and not of their power or superiority,
but the slave of their contempt. To this
fear of ridicule no class is so sensitive as
young men. They boast much of their cour-
age, yet in this respect, they are the greatest
towards in the world. Physically they are
strong and brave, but morally they are weak
and timid. A sneer cuts through them like
sword. Hence they are apt to shrink
from any decided stand which may provoke
derision. They will sacrifice duty, conscience
and honorable feeling to escape the jeer Of
their companions Here is the weakness
and cowardice of young men. They vaunt
their bravery and are ready to fight duel
to vindicate their juvenile honor, yet one
look of scorn subdues their manly spirit
They shrink before the brazen and the bold,
and are cowed by coarse, vulgar, staggering
buasters. Young men who by the world
may be esteemed pure, are often ashamed
of their virtuous habits and principles In
party of drinkers one is ashamed to own
that he is temperance man; among de-
bauches, he is ashamed of his innocence.
True moral courage then is essentially ne
cessary on the part of every one who would
escape the bewitching snares of intemper-
ance.
Again: You should avoid those places
where it is habitually used. You have a.
thieved noble triumph in your District
where men can be elected to offices of honor
and trust without buying up his constituents
by the half pint; and feel persuaded
that if every honest minded candidate could
see the awful scenes enacted under the in
fuence of spirituous liquors which they dis
tribute among the people, they would retire
in disgust from the canvass. All places
where intemperance abounds should be care
fully avoided. Then every man should con-
meet himself with some temperance associa.
ton. Tdo not refer to those only who are
confirmed in the practice of drinking for
this class there is very little hope. look
upon confirmed drunkard very much in
the same light as deranged man. They
can not be reclaimed by any process of rea-
son. The same associations will always be
accompanied with the same temptations, with
no moral courage to resist them. 1t is then
only by the spirit of God that any change
can be effected upon such persons. But I
refer to those who consider themselves as
moderate drinkers or even those who do not
use it. And I remark that I have met with
persons who were members Of the Church
objecting to the temperance reformation.
We would not have been surprised at such
thing occurring in the dark ages Of the
Church but for any one in the 18th centu-
ry to object to an enterprise which has for
its object the moral improvement of the hu-
man race is beyond our comprehension
The principle argument relied on is that they
can find no place in scripture which enjoins
it upon them to unite with temperance so.
ciety. When I hear men speaking this way,
it always reminds me of a conversation,
which l once heard of taking place between
a minister and his deacon on this subject.
The deacon was in the habit of taking his
dram as be called it, Gin moderation" This
minister found him one day standing near a
well which he was digging, and as usual,
the subject of temperance was mentioned by
the minister. All! said the deacon, sall
your arguments appear very plausible. and I
promise you when I go home I will COM
mence and read my Bible from Genesis to
Revelation, and if I find in it any thing that
says 1 should join temperance society, I
pledge you my word will do it, Just at
this moment his foot slipped and he fell to
the bottom of his well. After recovering him
self he called on his minister to let down the
rope and draw him out. The reply be re-
ceived was, Il promise you that when I go
home, will commence and read my Bible
from Genesis to Revelations, and if I find in
it anything that says shall draw deacon
out of a well, then will of course do it,
Seeing no other chance of escape and not
wishing to perish, he agreed that if the min
lister would take him up he would join the
society without further investigation.
trust there are none here who doubt in
the least the propriety of the temperance
movement. My christian friends, look at
its fruits its aim is to make men better and
not worse, and in thousands of instances
it has accomplished this. Now, the Bible
enjoins it upon you to lend helping hand
to every good work. Why, sirs, blot out
the temperance societies from the land
and it will be impossible among a certain
class to preserve the Sabbath, except as
day ofthoughtless festivity and noisy mirth,
and pre-emineutly day of Sin. Then God
will hide his face from an erring and self
destroyed people; and dense and angry
clouds, the precursors of his vengeance, will
gather from every quarter of the horizon
One cry of violence and blasphemy, will as
cend like the cry of Sodom, from all the
dwellers between the two oceans, and be-
tween the Gulf of Mexico and the Northern
sea. No extraordinary instruments of d.
vine wrath need be furnished; the remorselees
cravings of unsatisfed desire and the fraud
a -oruadinn oil ranks and nlaaaaa