Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-12-03
Well Said.

During the Grand Division Of the Sons
of Temperance, recently held in Halifax, No
va Scotia, G.. 0. Heustis Esq. made most
capital address, from which we make the fol-
lowing extract as found in the Abstaaner. a
Temperance paper published in that city. 1t
is most capital thing. Read it:
II regard the cause Of Temperance as
one portion Of the militant host of God for
the destruction of the evils of humanity
And if we should be successful in accom-
plishing our noble purposes, would not some
OF the most prolific evils Of our race cease
to exist ? In working, however, we have to
learn to wait And oh! it is often much
harder to wait than to work But we are
encouraged to toll on, in the dark and cloudy
day, as well as in the calm sunshine of pros
perity. Progress in the right direction is
very slow, but it is sure. We are divinely
taug ht to anticipate better state of things
on earth, than at present prevails. May we
not all say with the Poet Massey, it refer
ence to that better period =
Otis coming up the steep of time,
And this old world is growing brighter,
We may not see its dawn sublime,
We may be sleeping in the ground,
When it awakes the world in wonder,
But we have felt it gathering round
And heard its voice of living thunder.
IT'S coming! yes, It's coming'
But why do we anticipate such a period
on earth Is there any ground for the hope ?
We answer, the triumphs of Christianity
will be our triumphs There is scriptural
warrant for the expectation Of universal
righteousness. This is to be brought about
by agencies now in operation; and doutless
one Of these agencies is the temperance en-
terprise. Genuine religion and temperance
| are on the most friendly terms they sweetly
coalesce, they cannot be severed. Does
Christianity court investigation ?-is she per-
fectly willing that all her principles and
movements should be examined miuutely
Such is the case in reference to temperance.
And this is one, among many reasons, why
we believe she will one day triumph in our
world. Bishop Wilson says very truly !
"Whosoever is afraid of submitting any
question, civil or religious, to the test Of free
discussion, is more in love with his own opin-
ion, than with truth" We are anxious that
our principles should be known. Let the
pulpit and the press give due prominence to
this modern movement, and men generally
will acknowledge the excellence and propri-
ETY. Of the cause.
There are truly some things in the Order
of the Sons and other temperance bodies
which are known only to the initiated, but
you are free to come and unite with u.s.
| There is secret in Christianity (which none
but they who feel it know" But all may
embrace it. And all may taste the joys of
| temperance.
| One of the greatest wonders of the pres
ent day is the apathy, the alarming uncon-
Germ Of multitudes of intelligent men and
women, in reference to intemperance and its
chief upporter-moderate drinking. While
our young men are being driven in great
numbers as sheep to the slaughter house,
while drunkards' recent graves are appearing
rapidly, and while the poor, the fatherless,
and heartbroken widows, are multiplying at
an alarming rate, thousands around us are
utterly unmoved at these things, and seem
to think that they have no responsibility in
the matter. The wine is not discarded from
the table, the social glass passes around,
while the children learn to love the taste of
the ruby wine, and thus is laid the founda-
ton Of their subsequent drunkenness and
ruin And yet if we refer to these things
in our sermons, OR on public occasions where
men congregate together, we are regarded as
enthusiasts, meddling with other mems mat
ters. What would be the result, if every
preacher in Halifax should on next Sabbath
take for his text, Habakkuk ii, Is. "Woe
unto him that giveth his neighbor drink,
| &c." and should in accordance with the truth
of the text, denounce the traffic, wholesale
and retail, as ungodly and crime against
human society? whata storm would be rails
ed Doubtless many ministers should be seen
vending their way to some other field of la
Dor. Very few, either among ministers Or
people, are fully awake in this important
matter! What happened in the vicinity of
Boston few weeks ago? A very respecta
BILE man celebrating his twenty fifth wedding
anniversary, collected together large num-
Der of people of the first class. Every boun-
ty was prepared, and especially a plentiful
supply of WINE. And who do you suppose
were the first to raise the wine cup to their
lips =? Four DocroRs OF DIVINITY The ex-
ample was infectious. Some drank. who
never drank before, and all followed like a
flock Of sheep. One gentleman looked upon
the scene with evident surprise for a time,
then he seemed to hesitate, and finally he
drank more than all the rest. He went home
and drank again that night and again the
next day, and the next. In week he was
ditch drunkard, and in month he was
discharged from the Church of which he had
been consistent and valued member for sew
en- years. He had been accustomed in early
life to habits Of dissipation, and that single
evenings experience was sufficient to burst
the old temptation upon him, with over
whelming force. Christian duty, home man
illness, all that he was or ever hoped to be,
were swallowed up in that one low passion
The example Of his own pastor ruined him.
| Are we not, as ministers, in duty bound to
speak out on this subject. so that the truth
shall penetrate the conscienees Of the guilty?
How can the preacher say wine is a good
thing, when God says it is "a mocker ?"-
Should not those who say its taste is pleas
ant, be reminded by their pastors and others
that ''At the last it biteth like serpent and
stingcth like and adderW If we see our
fellowman about committing suicide, ought
we not say to him, as Paul said to the excl
ted jailor, edo thyself no harm 2"
There is another passage of the Word Of
God which lies at the very foundation Of the
temperance cause: ''Thou Shalt not kill"
Universal obedience to this command would
sweep the murderous traffic from the face of
the earth. 1t would also stop all drinking
Of spirituous liquors. For the use as bey-
erage of these poisonous compounds, now
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