The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-09-28
Written for tho Watobman.
THE TEMPERANCE MOvEMEC AND
THE OHUIkCA.

The plain question is (: Ought religi-
Gus people to take part in this move
mcnt, or is it enough that they act
with their denominations? We aus
swer, take vigorously hold and push the
enterprise to a successful issue. IF the
members Of the church do not do it, who
will ? Is not the virtue aud integrity of
the world in the church? Is it to be
expected that irreligious people will be
Interested in reforms, in which religious
people have neither interest or part
A conjecture Of this kind is o great alb
surdity. If temperance movement
succeed, it must bc by the close united
effort Of the religious world.
But, it is answered, that the church
is doing this now. We grant that she
is operating in partial way upon her
own membership, but the outside world
is not embraced in her operations, aud
her effort is but feeble upon her own
children. What the times call for, is
specific and powerful effort against this
gigantic evil. Separated and divided
as we are by denominational differences, I,
it is seldom the case, that we are nu-
merically strong enough iu any given
community, for Methodists, Bap;ists, or
Presbyterians, Jews or Catholics alone,
to accomplish much. Here is the OK
pertinent before US, shameful failure s;
For years and years, together We have
been trying the experiment, and year
by year has been witnessed failure.
Who can shut his eyes to the fact, that
while oil the several denominations
declare against intomperancc. this fear
full evil is on the increase outside and
inside Of the church. Is this as it
should be !? Is the religious world wills
ing to see this Goliah Of Cath taunt
the armies of the living God and defy
the. religion Of the Bible Is there no
inspire.ion, such as moved David, to
excite US to "come up to the help of the
Lord, to the help of the Lord against
the mighty"
What is most needed, is proper pub.
sentiment, in the first place, and rcli
gious inspiration in the second place
The world has made up its mind to endure
the evil, and philosophically shuts its
eyes to the horrible condition Of things.
Drunkards are being manufactured by
thousands, society debauched, and the
religious man with Pharasaic righteous
ness, "thanks God that he is not as other
men are" How are things ever to get
any better without an effort on the part
Of the religious world F? But it is oh
jcctcd that this is mere thcorising, that
it is impractical 1t is certainly SO
With no attempt to accomplish it but
suppose that five or six men gathered
from the different communicns of any
town or neigbborhood, shall band to.
gethcr, for the purpose ofpushiug for.
ward an enterprise Of this kind; where
is the impossibiity? The efforts of a
few such men would soon form healthy
sentiment, which would ripcn into fruit.
Here is q platform OH which all Of
every faith and order may stand united
without envy or jcalousy-a platform
cmincntly conservative. On this, tho
Hebrew and Catholic may unite with
the Episcopalian, Lutheran, Prcsbytc-
rian, Baptist, and Methodist, without
sacrifice ofprinciplc or compromise OF
reputation, in q grand effort against the
greatest vice which has ever prostrated
humanity. There would b. an unscGsh
liberality, a magnanimous nobility in n
union OF this kind, which would glow
and sintclIate, attracting the attention
and winning the appreciation Of every
bcholdcr. The rcli gionists of our coun
try, differing so widely on other points,
joined hand in hand on this, wonld be Il
mighty power to change public opinion
and rescue society from its chief source
of degradation.
Take the community Of Sumter, and
suppose the Catholic Church, the Jewish
Church, the Episcopal, Baptist, Prcsby
ter:an and Methodist Churches we're
represented by chief men, not as great
as Father Mathew, or Philips WI,ito,
but as true, earnest and good, and a
moral victory would be achieved, as
great as that Of lsracl's God ia the
temple Of Dagon.