The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-03-09

not be universally abjured by individuals
Why should not tho young, especially, of
both sexes, keep themselves unSpotted,
and worthy Of the most elevated society.
Inquire, ii you please, through the cit 3,
town or village, for those who are so pol
luted as to bo shut out from all decent
society, so Injured to vice that they cannot
be looked upon but with utter disgust /;
learn their history, aud you will invariably
find that the insidious glass has been their
companion, their sulace and their counsel
lOr. And should not dark suspicion and
decided r~eprobatioB be stamped upon that
which is thus associated with the lowest
debasement and ormel
Such drink, in its very nature, has a
pGryerting and debasing tendency, leading
to foul speeches, foolish contracts, and ey-
cry sensual indulgence. Those uudor its
influence will say and do what, in other
circumstances, they would abhor; they
gill SANDER, reveal secrets, throw away
property, offend modcsty, profane sacred
things, indulge the vilest passions, and
cover themselves aud friends with iufamy.
Hence the solemn caution: "L.ook not
thou on the vino when it givoth its color
in the cup, at the last it biteth like o SER
pcut, and stingeth like an adder"
Who, then, of the rising race, is so dead
to generous feeling, so deaf 70 the voice of
Providence, so blind to the beauty of
moral excellence, that he will not aspire
to some coarse of wsrtay a%stiOn} Let this
motto, then, stand out lie The sun in the
armament: Gle that striyeth for the
mastery, is temperate in all things.'
II is obvious that Providence has great
designs to he accomplishcd-by the younger
portion of this generation. Unto us arc
committed those o~racles which declare,
"InsteaG of thy fathers shall be thy chill
dren, whom thou mayost make princes in
all the earth" rr " . fr
And already do I see, in tho silent kind
ling Of unnumbored minds, in our Sabbath
Schools and other institutions, the presage
Of uuoXamPled good 10 the nation.
4 few words in reference to making and
observing Il pledge for abstinence. AS it
respects the young, it will form a ~resolute,
independent mind, and be deciding the
question once for all, aud thus supersode
the necessity of deciding it a thousand
times, when the temptation is offered. 1t
will, narrower, suporscde the inconveni-
ence Of perpetual warfare with appetite
and temptation. And as it respects fee
bier minds or stronger appetiteS, the ex-
ample Of the young may be UNNECESSARILY
important. Multitudes may thus be Sc
cured to life Of sobriety, who, but for
this pledge, would never have had the
requisite firmncss. The influence of the
young may thus extend on the right hand
and ON the left, and down to future ages ;
and by such united pledges and efforts,
countless multitudes may be saved from
a life of wretchedness, a death Of infamy,
and an eternity Of woe.
But does any one say, 81 will unite III
no pledge, because in.no danger" Sup
pose you are safe have you, then, no be-
n%eyolonce? Are you utterly selfish !
Think Of the bosom now wruug with agony
and shame over q drunken husband, father
or brother. And have you no pity ?
Think of the millions of hopes, for both
worlds, suspended on the success of the
temperance cause. And will you DO no.
thing to speed its triumph?
Do you say your influence is of no ac-
count? 1t was one 'poor man" that say
oil q GGlift1o o;tvp ,uhor n Crroof KIM he
sieged it," Another saved a "great city"
when the anger Of Jehovah was provoked
against it. Small as your influence may
be, you are accountable to God and your
country and your finger may touch some
string that shall vibrate through the ma
ton. If you are conscious of possessing
talent, then rally the circle of your ac-
quaintancc and enlist them in the sacred
cause. If you save a little by abstinence,
then give a little to extend the benign
influence. If you have wealth, or power
with the pen, then speak by ten thousand
tongues; send winged messengersthrough
the town and the country, and thus may
you enjoy the highest of all luxurics-tho
luxury of doing coed. And at the same
time trusting in Him who came from the
abodes of light, to seek and save the lost,
you may secure durable riches in that
world where, saith the Scripture, "neithor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor extortioners,
nor r~evilers, nor the slothful, nor mere
lovers of pleasure, nor anything that de-
ileth shall ever enter, but where they
that be wise shall shine forth as the
brightness Of the armament forever and
ever"
When these opposite characters and
their changclcss destinies are seriously
weighed none, surely, can hesitate which
to prefer: But "what thou doCst, do
quickly"
A FRIEND TO TEMPERANCE.
H., o~1 Al. II nv TT I $500