Litchfield enquirer., 1870-12-01
Temperance.

Reforms never progress at any Steaoy, uniform rate of speed; but move in waves, going forward rapidly only to fall back with velocity apparently as rapid. The history of many smaller reform movemen Is is that of single wave of popular enthu. siasm. Whether it fails or accomplishes its purpose. partially or wholly. it is never repeated. So much harder is it to revive an old enthusiasm, than to start new one. that only the greater reforms show those successive waves of progress which indicate the presence of a great principle cOntending against tremendous opposi ton.
 That the Temperance movement of the generation immediately preceding ours, accomplished good and great work, is conceded on all hands. Whether that movement accomplished all of which it was capable. and leaves nothing which we can do in tine same direction, is precisely the question raised by all the efforts for Tenn peraace revival which are being attempt cd in this and other localities. Looking at what has been done, and at what remains to do, we find these facts: 1st. That the habitual use of intoxicating liquors leads to q moral and physical degradation of the persons using them. 2d. That general though not total abstinence from the use of those liquors, among the middle class of New England society, at least, has been the practical result of the old Temperance movement. 3d. That the lowest and the highest grades of society have been but little affected by that movement. 4th. That the attempt to suppress the use oi those liquors by legislation has been un. successful 9th. That the habits of To tal Abstinence. once general. are rapidly declining.
 If we believed that we were at the end aud not in the middle of the Temperance battle, we should be obliged to consider il adefeat. That intemperance will always prevail among those who are above and those who are below the reach of any law for its suppression, must, we fear, be ta ken for granted. The great battle. aground of society lies intermediate between tho sel6shness at its top and the crime at its bottom. As vice is on the increase or on the decrease, here, we must estimate tho moral condition of any given era. No one can blind himself to the fact that for many years past there has been reaction agains Temperance. in the class which is now alb stinent from habit rather than from prin ciple. Many causes kaye contributed t, this result. The failure of prohibition. statutes, the demoralization of camp Tiff during the war, the large foreign immigra ton, the indifference of religious denomi nations. and the opposition of politics parties. have all combined with the lass tndenaturaIly following season of great ca cifement. to turn the tide against temperanc refaUm. If no revival follows, it is plai that few generations will bring the cu toms throughout every grade of societ back to those ways of habitual indul gence which preceded the original move menk
 Not only is our belief strong the Temperance is one of the great moral tide whose alternate cub and flow will continu forever, but there are many indication that. having reached its lowest point, iths now turned and sets in our favor. Vii and earnest effort is only needed to ensu, saccess. Beside struggling against di couragements. it is necessary to avoid mi takes. The worst of these mistakes h,
 been the reliance on legislation to coer, people into abstinence. Maiorities cal not legislate themselves into virtue. The mnst practice it themselves voluntaril, helore they can enforce it on minoritie Hence we find that communities in whic ths majorities are voluntarily total-al stinent. are able to enforce the prohibition law, while no amount of effort has ever e, forced 1t in communities where the majo