The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-11-10
Temperance.
Editor Home Journal:

while the good results will begin to be
manifest These public appeals were
not expected to at once arouse the pub
lie mind to instantly put the ball in mo-
ton and provoke Il universal revolution
in the minds Of the pcople-a rcvolu'
ton that would awake them to full
realization of the dangers that surround
them Nor, again, was it expected, OF
even hoped, that signal rcformation'
would be the immediate results. Expe
rience tcaches-and you know how tru-
ly-that rciormations are cmnently UNI
satisiactory-that the reformed de-
bauchee is exceedingly prone to fall
back into his excuses. The reason for
this is complcX--somctimcs, quite 50.
The man who has fall len into this fault
has for ced one Of the strongest icttcrs
with which one can be bound, VIZ:
"hubd"; and, if long indulged, is at
most irrcsistible-.to many, owing to II
constitutional weakness, is entirely so.
All men, unless it be the wholly vicious,
are ashamed, in their first excuses, to be
seen under the influence Of whisky. OF
course, after repeated dcbauches, they
lose this sense Of shame their pride Is
weakened. No man rNs to be drunk
ard, but all will declare, in the most
positive terms, their adherence Of the
evil and earnestly dcprccatc it in others,
but, after frequent potations, they lose
the will-iorcc to keep them from it..
Again All mcn-again excepting the
truly vicious have the spirit Of com
mon justice strongly burning in their
hearts that will prompt them to do
nothing that will bring sorrow or injury
to others, especially those near and dear
to them, such as father and mother,
brother and sister, wife and children.
But, after long indulgence, this beneti-
cent principle Of our natures becomes 80
bluntcd that man will see nothing cx-
cept the qualification Of his own de-
PRAYED apetitcs. To him, what minis
ters to these is good what comes be-
tween him and their gratification--bc it
father or mother, brother or sister, wife
or children the wife he has sworn to
loue and protect, or the offspring Of his
body that every impulse Of his nature
would call upon him IN the most loving
accents to guard and property rcar--is
regarded rs insomuch Us they stand, be-
tween him and the qualification Of his
sensual desires, EVILS. The conclu-
sion, then, is natural, that after one has,
by his frequent potations, 50 "blnnded
his moral, social, domestic and religious
susceptiblitics, and then should attempt
reformation, ii would be an exceeding
ly difficult process, and not only 50, but
he is, from this very cause, ever liable
to fall away; unless, by the most earn
est effort and ncvcrrelaxing watchiul-
ness, he guard himself against it.
Recognizing these obvious difficulties,
we have no sanguino hope Of r.tormi"g
many. We do hope, however, that We
have same who are addicted to the vice,
yet are not fallen so low but that they
may, and wiN be-, rcclaimcd-some who,
seeing these appeals, will Ike warning
ere it be too iute for them to regain the
control of their appctites.
Our hope of ultimate success is in the
rising generation. We are striving to
educate the young to see and fully ap- .
precia;e this already gigantic and con
stantIy growing evil. FIVE can succeed
in rearing generation Of purely TEN
pcratc people, we are certain of success
for if We once get the charm broken, if
we can once cmancipate the race from
the slavery under which We groan, then
we feel that, with the tight Of cxpe
riencc shining full upon them, revealing
in all its hidcousncss this loathsomc
they will ever shun it through
out the coming ages. "Irue 1t is, and
pity is, It's true" we have but little to
encourage us in this "labor of love" for
we have 30 many tathcrs-ayc, and
,,nfIor. IA hn ar .,nly I'm a pnlI ,
shoulder to the cause, but are working,
both by precept and example, against
the cause. Isn't it passing strange that
fathers and mothers will not offer a
friendly hand to save their own and
their neighbors' children from possible ,
life of sin and degradation Strange
that they will, by precept and example,
eaM them into such life Yet, still
hey do it with almost smile of appro- ,
patton. o, the sins of omission, MS well
Is. commission, for which this present ,
generation will have to answer Is it
my wonder that God and his righteous
less il banished from the minds and {
he hearts of the people, and His cause I
permitted to anguish, when such :,
wills are fostered, protected and sup +,
orted by intelligent and confessedly
htietianized people? 1t is an inexpli-
abe paradox that such antithescs can
xist under the same sky, much less in f;
ne same community. Confronting this Il
rowning evil that holds the nations Of G
irth whcrcsover civilization has planted
er standard with hope of trailing its b
anners in the dust, and trusting to |!
llild up in its stead love for virtue Il,