The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-31
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1t Is objected, that "the Temperance
cause is untrue. to itsolf--that It's vota-
ries violate its priucipie--broat their
pledge and drink like other pen."
There is great plaasibility in the obieo-.
tion. 1t is lamentablc fact which vo: ao-
knowledge. with humiliation aud shame,
that tho lapses arc frequent, sudden. and
fearful, but lot US mcet the ohjsetion
squarely, and sec what soroe thcra Is in
it. To do this, We must ask, eff these
violations nre in accordance with or
against Temperance priucipless :" The
objeotor is forced to answer, "against
them" Then the yirtuc of temperance
is untouohed-its purity unsoilsd.--
Temperance remains tho same beauti.
ful virgin, her white flowing robes tho
emblem Of Innocence unpelluted, snd her
person not violated. TO condemn tenn
peranoe because some of her votaries
are untrue to her requirements, is share
injustice. Might as we'll, condemn
Banking because some bankers have
proved dishonest or politics because some
politicians are domagogues, or law be-.
cause somo lawyers arc untrue to their
clients, or physic because some physi..
clans kill their patients, or religion
because some of its vortaries ara hypo.
crits.
Ifit could be shown that bcr princi-
pies were uusound, or her requirements
were at variepce with tho public good,
then We would say discard hor-kill
her, but if it bo only some of Ter friends
who arc untrue to her, and dishonor
themselves, our reply is "this is her
misfortune, not her shame"
But the objeotor says, "IIowever good
the principles of temperance arc, the
ootaries Of temperance are not true, and
it is expecting too much of honorable
men to ask them to unto with an orr
ganization, whose members have So
little regard to trath aud personal honor
This is certainly hard thrust, but We
can fend off the blow. We are free to
admit that if the organization maiutain
those in it who dishonor themselves by
a violation of their pledge, or if there
be majority or even large minority
who violate their pledge and yet hold
position in the society, then tho objeo-
tion is sustained, but if it be only a
fractional part of the body, and these
are properly delt with, tho objection is
not valid. Or even if these dishonorcd
persons are continued, the organization
being ignorant Of thoir violations, she
is certainly unfortunate, but not blanc.
worthy.
But suppose all the temperance Or
ganizations of the State or even of the
United States, wore to man, to provo
untrue to the principles embraced, and
in general debauch were oil to got
drunk, their detection would be only
their own shame, and the cause remain.
ing as noble and pure as over, would rise
again as ph~nix from the ashes, in all
its heaven born purity and lovelincss.
The lapses in temperance show no
more than the samo thing in other Or
CARNATIONS. Because tho teller in
bank bctrays his trust and robs tho
bank to a large amount, it does not
prove that the bank was at falt, but that
tho teller was rascal. The betrayal
Of Christ by the kiss Of Judas, proved
nothing against himself, but only the
hypocracy of his betrayer. The defec-
tion of Arnold, proved nothing against
tho American cause, but only that Ar.
mold was consummato villain. We
can make no apology for men who triho
with their own houor and stab the cause
which they profess to embrace. We
pity them, for they are either too weak
to maintain the principles which they
espouse, or they are void Of temperance
principles but let not these weak or
wicked men be reason against so good
n cause The cause Of temperance is as
worthy after as before tho betrayal Of
these persons.
Sumter, s. c.