The Shasta courier., 1869-03-06
LECTURE
Delivered before Western Star Dirtsion,
French Gulch, FEB. %, 1869,


prudence. Precautionary admonitions, it is
true, might come with better grace from the
lips of grayer heads, for we are far more apt
to search for lessons taught by the experience
of every day life than to credit the teachings
of theoretical science The foundation or
cause of this sentiment may be found in the
universally recognized maxim that history
repeats itself, while science but too frequent
ly indulges in mythical wanderings or meta.
physical speculations, either beyond the
mental depth of ordinary man. or SO opposed
to popular prejudice as to counteract the In
huence which the possession of knowledge is
supposed to bestow.
In considering the propriety of accepting
the kind invitation extended me by my bro
ther and sister members to address you on
the subject of Temperance, much of the dIfh
dence | then experienced arose from a
knowledge ana appreciation of the habit Of
mankind to grasp rathe- at living facts than
at apparently latent theories. Having, how
ever, taken upon myself the pleasureable
duty of spokesman of the Order on this occa.
sion, I propose to take under consideration
the reliable experience and deductions of
others, and also to indulge in strain of
moralizing.-with this advantage, albeit,
| over the general average of theories, that
while the major portion ofthe latter are but
| idle and visionary speculations. my teachings
| shall be based upon the broad principle Of
visible and universally recognized Truth, MS
seen in the experience of every individual
within sound of my voice, and capable, too,
OF practical demonstration. 1t is deemed
advisable to start out upon this discourse
with n consideration of the character and
purposes of the Order to which / have the
honor to belong. and under whose auspices |
now make my appearance before you.
Holding this truth to be self-evdent before
all all others, that man is almost entirely
dependent upon his fellows for the enjoyment
of his brief career here upon earth, we deem
it advisable to band together as brothers and
sisters, drawing closer and frmer those bonds
of atfection and interest which are the vitality
of human society; for
" Behold! how q cd and ho,c pleasant is
it for brethren TO dpeN together in unity"
In doing this we Indignantly discaim any
motives other than protection for ourselves
and the reclamation of mankind from the
enthralling grasp Of vice. Virtue. then,
must be our presiding genius and guardian
angel vice and corruption in all its forms
and phases the Balol we seek to overthrow.
Love, Purity and Fidelity shall always be
our watchword, while Reformation must al
ways be the taisman that leads US to victo-
ry.
We observe the barest form Of secresy in
our official proceedings that we may be Sc
cure from the demoralizing influences that
would otherwise be brought to bear upon our
Order by those who are in the nature of things
our enemy.
We recognize in its fullest extent the
truthfuness of the motto that I" in union
there is strength" In this our uninn OF
brothers and sis;ers-this union of prn
ciples and purposes, we shall find that
strength which shall enable us to withstand
emptaton, ensuring as it were each to the
other by the weight Of combined Influence
and encouragement security against the iron
grasp of the fiend Of intemperence, and
strength to venture b9llly forth upon the
highways and public places of the world on
our mission of reformation; and to impress
upon the hearts OF the people, by precept and
example, those admirable principles which
form the cornerstone of our Order.
- Much stress has been lain by thoughtless
or malignant opponents of our cause upon
arguments, or rather assertions which,
though not affecting the policy or justice of
our principles. might possibly have some
weight with those who are in the habit OF
taking only superficial glance over the
question at ISSUE content with a justification
founded upon the example of their associ-
ates In view of this shall lay before you
these objections and endeavor to expose their
fallacy by the observations which they must
provoke in the mind of one who assumes the
character of conscientious arbter.
The most respectable objection which has
been urged is the plea of health Let us
number that as argument lst. No. is nei
ther so respectable nor plausible indeed
almost blush for my fellows when | attempt
to recount it. 1t is question concerning
our right to scrutinze or interfere with the
actions of our fellow men. This objection
must be founded either on selfish desire t.
| promote our own ends-no matter what may
| be the cost to others-or on a wicked deter
miuation to close the door of our heart.
against the teachings of morality and virtue
whenever those promptings appear in Judg
| ment against the indulgence of the evil pas
sions and desires of our depraved natures.
do not wish to embarrass either my audi
tors or myself with any further division, bu
will proceed to consider the two headings
given, confident that however humble my
own ability. a we'll defined and righteous
cause must enable me to deduce lessons OF
nroftable instruction from their considera
| ton.
In the matter of health, great care must be
taken in the discrimination between that
which is truly necessary for the restoration OF
some diseased or sluggish organ to healthy
action, and the habit of daily or periodically
imbibing quantities of stimulants merely for
the qualification of an artificial or unnatural
thirst or for the purpose of creating flow OF
animal spirits.
There are doubtless instances in the expert
ence of the physician when recourse to the
uourishing or stimulating power of ardent
spirits has been deemed absolutely essential to
the preservation of life, but in the great ma
jority of cases a "plain unvarnished tale''
would reveal the supposed, or rather pre-
tended necessity as existing only in the de-
PRAYED taste and ill-concealed longing of the
imbiber after that fascinating draught which,
tickling the palate by its lascivious touch,
begets an irrepressible thirst whose almost
invariable consequent must be the mental,
moral and physical destruction of the nnhap-
py victim.
Thousands upon thousands of unwary trav-
| elers are there who have been stranded upon
this deceitful shore 1t is an isle in mid-ocean
surrounded by shoals and quicksands Decked
on every hand by all that is pleasing to the
eve or fascinating to the senses of worldly
man, it leads the unsuspecting mariner on the
highway of life onward by gentle degrees, by
its ever-varying phase, until the frail bark,
once laden with holy resolutions and high