Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-12-16
grostbara mi ing gouraa'.
FRcsTBtEa, DECEMBER 10, 1871.
Temperance.


an trustbnrg, the successive theme
of two ad dresses, lecture and a
sermon. Without sny purpose OF
criticism Of the efforts of the rever-
cad gertlt.74p1i who have 81 cncrget-
icAl!y and eloeaert!y csponscd the
eansr 81 Temperance, we are. new
rrthrless, lirc 10 express our conVic-
ZION that there is, upon this subject,
species Of morbid, mau llin scnti-
1aent extaht, which, however pious
and sincere, is figbtfuliv unavailing
in It's attempted suhjugation Of Tic
great social arch-cnemy.
The meRory Of ne one ,pw living
rcvcrts 10 Rod when The abuse
Of ardent spirits WAS rot a great So
cial evil. 1t has evoked in It's sup
preston the genius of the statesman,
s'ie wisdom of legislatures, the la
hers Of the philanthropist. the bland
ishments Of secret societies, the pIctv
Of the church and the eloqncncc of
the orator. Minister'S have dui1cd
their saccrdotal character and put on
fhe mimic micn to portray the Sill
ness of the inebriltc orators have
word-paintcd the ghasuy topic with
randemoniac orthoepy, and, in proof
Of the terrific cuormity Of intcmper-
ance, have evoked the registers OF
hell itself.
In multitude Of instances, the at
tempt to riliculc and brighten, fails
to fall or the ears Of those for whom
they are intended. The ostriches,
with their heads buried in the sand
had almost as lief die as see the dan,
ger Of death. Is their courage has
not entirely oozed, they look up to
discover the pnrsuer, at "long
range venting his barbe,l denunci-
ations from. the pulpit or the rostru.n.
If intempcrance must be combat
ted by the Church, the true spirit of
combat is the missionary. Vice, to
he reformed, must be pursued to it's
haunts. The dcvotecs of false relig-
ions. in antipodal lands, are the sub
;ccts Of enormous missionary contri-
buttons how much similar practical
effort is made to reform Il e thousands
who pcrvcrt the h'H at the very
thresholds Of our churches!
The Apostles commenced preach
Jag at Jerusalem, to the identical
tall!& who last~ncd the cruciixion
l'auI, AS a captive. made converts i'll
Caesars household, and, upon his
~~n trial, before Felix, asserted the
criminal character Of his judge
i.uthrr, ut Worms, confronted 4
let, pre- determined upon his death
and face to face with it's august rep
rrSentatIves, boldly preferred his
charges against the Universal Churcl
Such are few imtanccs of mora
hcroism we'll worthy the imitation OF
The apostles Of the present day
Many lions there are that must needs
be bearded ia their dens In tllcil
purposes they are a unit, which fact
suggests the necessity Of unity, not
alone of the ministry, but of all the
elements OF temperance then carry
cavalry. artillery, and infantry, alto.
gether, right over into the enemy'f
works. He will never leave until
driven out. lie has been menaced,
threatened, and Numbered at so long
without feeling the blow. the penalty
q or the lightning stroke, he laughs at
the indictments pronounced against
him beyond ear-shot.
Turning from the course hitherto
pursued by those who have champ
oned the cause of temperance, we
are forced 10 the confession that, ex-
tcrnally. :herc is no remedy for the
evil. Its history proves that instead
of being dwarfed and diminished, ii
has enlarged and increased. 1t has
thriven in the very shadow of the
church. Like the oak, the storms
have beaten upon it only to make il
strike deeper root. The law is pow
erless before an i'll, one Of whose
unfortunate characteristics is that it
is domestic Many such can never,
from their very nature, be legally
reached. 1fthere is but one evidence
outside the Scriptures, of the ncccs-
sity for final Judgment, it is this
the redress of human wrong, not ac-
cessblc to human law.
1t is one of those evils which must
expend itself There are bounds in
the moral as well as in the material
world to the dominion of wrong
There is drop that will overflow the
cup of iniquity. How soon filed we
dare not peril prophecy. But Il e
avenging hour will surely come, and
may even now be on the wig.
Slavery, whether or not a social
evil, was 80 regarded 10y vast num-
Der of people, and, as such, was
spoken, written. and legislated