New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-21

to venture upon new and unpopular issues
But, now, that the Democratic party ha.
sunk, and probably sunk forever, under the
weight of its iniquities and especially of its
ku-klux and other crimes against the black
man, we may reasonably expect that the
Republican party will be emboldened to 90
much farther in the line of reform than it has
hitherto gone. Already there are indications
OF its favoring the participation of women in
the choice of rulers. And, surely, if rulers
are but the constituted guardians of per-
son and property, woman should he allowed
a voice in choosing them. For are not the
rights of person and property as sacred in
woman as in man? Then, too, there are of
late cheering signs in some sections of the
Republican party, that ere long, it will make
concerted and open fight against dramselling.
The extreme measures of the Absolute Pro-
Mbltlonists it will probably never espOuse.
The entirely reasonable and moderate (quite
sufficient though so moderately claims of the
Anti-dramshop party it would, at no distant
day, have yielded to. Very lamentable is it
that the Anti-dramshop party should have
been put to death before its work was done.
That work was to war upon dramselling I'M
til great political party Git could be no other
| than the Republican partly should take up
the war, and carry it on to victory. The
cause of temperance! May its friends be led
| to serve it unitedly and wisely! BY all that
is precious in that dear cause and by all that
is sorrowful and heartrendingin the days and
nights of the drunkard's wife and in the lives
other infinitely worse than orphaned children;
and by all that is appalling in the ruin which
intemperance is fast bringing upon our coun-
try, let every friend Of temperance abstain
from all intoxicating drinks, and from toll
Grating license laws, and from connecting
himself with any political party which shell
tiers the dramshop. Let him watch even the
Republican party. Even that party is still
more the friend than the foe of the dramshop.
witnessed the beginnings of the Tenn
perance Reform. l witnessed its rapid pro-
press in its first few years-very rapid, be-
cause it was then full of religion and of the
power of God. Those six wondrous SER
mons of grand old Lyman Beecher sounded
its key note and ushered in its heaven
born work. I witnessed the beginnings
of the decline Of the Reformation. 1t was
at, or soon after, the time of the adj
vent of the "Washingtonian movement"
and when the temperance meeting ceased to
take its tone and character from the words
and manners of religious and praying men,
and took it from the songs and jests of coarse
men calling themselves, and in many in
stances truly, reformed drunkards." Then
it was that the Reformation fell from its high
plane Of solemnity and power to low plane
of frivolity and weakness. AS we'll might
solemnity be dispensed with at the funeral
as in the temperance meeting. Drunkenness
is far more to be dreaded than death; and
the way to escape drunkenness needs to be
pointed out and considered quite as solemnly
as the way to prepare for death.
Thus was the temperance reformation pre-
pared to take another and wider descend
ing step. 1t took it when it wentintO secret
| societies. The bible informs us that an
Gent men," who had seen the magnifcence
of the first temple, swept with a loud voice !"
over the inferiority of the second temple.
Much more reason however, have "ancient
men," who had part in the prosperous
early years of the temperance cause, to
"weep with a loud voice "Over the disgrace
| and degeneracy OF that once holy cause by
the trumpery, paraphernalia, and puerilties
| OF these secret temperance societies.
| Of all the great crimes of earth, Ku-
| kluxism-the foster-child of the Democratic
party-is the greatest. Nevertheless, there
| is one great good, which 1 had hoped might
come from that great evil. This great good
| is the weaving of the conscientious and
thoughtful from all secret societies-not only
| from those whose secrets are bound up in
! horrid and blasphemous oaths, but from those
| also whose secrets are protected by mild and
| unalarming Oaths. For every secret society
| countenances every other secret society
| the least dangerous countenances the most
dangerous, But, L fear, it is too late for any,
| thing to avail against secret societies. They
have been suffered to multiply in kinds and
numbers until, at length, the land is shingled
and reshingled all over with them. They
rule in the public sentiment, and oftentimes
in the churches and they are capable, when
ever tempted to do so, of ruling in the courts
and in politics. Secret societies and their
members are now so common as to inspire
no alarm. When the masons, by means of
the feature of secrecy in their association,
had murdered Morgan and escaped punish
ment, (for the association proved itself to be
too strong for the laws masonry withered
and, for the time, disappeared under the
storm of the whole cOuntry's indignation.
But, now, when, by means of the like power
of secrecy, Ku-kluXism murders thousands,
and mercilessly scourges many more thous-
ands, the whole country is, for the most part,
fast asleep to its dangers from secret soci-
cites.
Let despots and those who war on despots
shroud themselves in darkness and conceal
ments. But every secret society is at war
with the genius Of republicanism. That ge-
MUS calls for open and impartial dealings
amongst all and everywhere. So, too, does
christianity call for it. Jesus testified: 81
spake openly to the world - and in secret
have l said nothing"
GERRIT SMITH.
n