Weekly Trinity journal., 1868-02-29

Mr.. EDITOR Il am not a Yankee school-marm,
nor yet politician But having been credibly
informed that an Order of Good Templars has
recently been established in your place, take
the liberty of bidding it God-speed 1t is not
my intention to give your readers of the mascu-
line persuasion Mother Darlington lecture, but
simply little good advice.
The time has not long passed when it
essary in speaking upon the subject of intemper-
-ance to mingle apologies with suggestions
That time has passed, and it is no longer consd-
cred work of doubtful proprety. 1t is evident
that. to benefit mankind we must commence at
the root and origin of the evil, appeal to reason
and thus force conviction upon the understand
ing and upon the heart. In my estimation there
never was better time than the present for the
exercise of intellectual effort in connection with
the subject of intemperance. The widest dreams
of fiction seem tame in comparison with the
stern realities of the canse. Tragedies more
fearfuliy dark and damning than Avon's bard
ever sketched are continually traced on the rec
ords of RUNS history. Scenes which would
mock the artists pencil are of daily occurrence.
God designs that this national disgrace-this
plague-spot upon the pages of civil law-shall
be wiped out by bloodess revolution. man
may mingle with his fellows, pursue the routine
Of ordinary cares and duties so as to escape OBJ
servation and remark, and yet not be entirely
sane. In looking over the biographies of great
men of every age it will be found that those who
possessed the clearest aud most powerful minds
neither drank spirits INDUCED to excess.
Jntemperance detests life, it God and
despises Heaven. 1t suborns witnesses, nurses
perjury, defles the jury box, brides votes, cor
rupts elections poisons our institutions, and en-
dangers our government. In my opinion every
motive which should control the action of the
philanthropist, the christian, the political econ
omist, the man of business, the friend of family
self, mpels action. Humanity in all her
forms of Indebtedness is making her most ear
nest and solemn appeals. Her arguments are
want and misery, sorrow and suffering. And
here permit me to suggest that it is not the weak
minded alone who fall victims to this vice. How
MANY countless thousands submit to the fOul
thralldom of the fend lntemperance Bound in
his chains many of the mightiest of the sons of
men have fallen Many on whom the heart has
rested with idolizing fondness, and to whom we
have clunr to the last, have wandered from the
straight and sober path of moderation. Let all
who would bring out and elevate their higher |
nature abstain from the of spirituous Ii |
auors Not a few men called temperate, and
who have called themselves such, have learned |
on abstaining from the OF ardent spirits that
for years their minds have been clouded and i'm
paired by moderate drinking, without suspecting
the injury Multtudcs in this State are bereft of
half their intellectual energy by degree of in
diligence which passes for innocent. But must
close my letter with hearty prayer for the
prosperity and growth of the Temperance cause
LAURA A. X.
TRINITY RIVER, February 10, 1865.