Newspaper Page Text
130
we*iall carryout to perfection, our
three great principles of Love, Purity I
and Fidelity.
llenry County, July 15th, 1849.
Dear Sir —-On the fourth day of July
I attended a celebration of Doyal Divis
ion No.; 105 Sons of Temperance, lo
cated at the house of Rev. Solomon
Odell, in Henry county. And as 1 feel
much interested in the proceedings, per
mit me to givb you a brief outline of
diem, for publication in the Banner.—
When I arrived on the spot about 10
o’cloek, A. M., 1 found, as near as I
could estimato them, about one thousand
persons present, all anxiously waiting
the formation of the procession of the ]
noble Sons. Soon the procession began
to form, and in a short time, two hun- j
dred and ten Sous, with banners flying, |
and duly clad in appropriate regalia, i
formed a hollow square, (if you will al
low me to use a military phrase) when
William A. Rogers, Esq., in behalf of
the Ladies, presented to the Divis
ion a beautiful Bible, accompanied with
a chaste and appropriate address. It
was duly received, and a handsome ad
dress by Solomon Odell, Chaplain of the j
Division. After which the Divisions]
re-formed a line and marched to the j
stand erected for the Orator, where the i
vast assemblage of spectators were seat-1
ed. Col. Leonard I’. Doyal, after whom j
the Division was named, was introduc- j
ed by a brother of the Order to the au- 1
dience, who arose, and after au npology
for want of preparation, commenced one
of the most masterly and powerful de
fences of the Order to which I have ev
er had the pleasure of listening. He
told them that his object was to convince
the judgment and not dazzle the mind !
by unmeaning metaphors or beautiful !
imagery. He gave in beautiful lan- •
guage, the desolating ravages of intern-!
peranee upon nations, communities, and j
individuals—dwelt with peculiar cm- ]
phasis upon the sorrows entailed upon i
helpless and unoffending females, by j
tiie demon of intemperance. Sketched i
with a master’s hand, the withering es-!
uojeries upon coiAmuf
nitres ‘where they are located—and
drew with irresislable and thrilling or- ’
atory the picture of the drunkard’s
house, and never, no never has a morn
truthful and faithful protraiture been
given. Would to Cod that every drun
kard in the world could have heard it. j
The orator next proceeded to answer all
of the objections urged against the Or
der of the Sons —ami I will here affirm, ]
that the arguments adduced, were over
whelming, clear, lucid and to the point.
And although the speaker said in the
outset that he should speak sober facts
and strew not one llower of rhetoric
over the audience, yet, 1 beg leave to
say, that in his defence of the Sons,
some of iiis flights were indeed lofty
and sublime. No man, however exalt
ed his talents, could treat the subject
with more thrilling eloquence, sublime
oratory, or profound argument than he
did. And without being regarded as
insidious, I will venture the opinion,
that Col. Doyal is one of the most elo
quent speakers in the State —and al
though the Speaker stood two hours,.the
vast assembly listened with profound
interest all the time. The company
was then requested to repair to the ta
ble where a beautiful repast was proyi
did for all who were present. The
crowd then dispersed without any un
pleasant feelings—and thus I spent the
fourth of July, with which is associated
so many thrilling recollections. How
long before the day so dear to every
American heart, shall be celebrated by
sober and patriotic Americans. How
long before whiskey, that,fell destroyer
afour race, shall cease tp degrade them
who assemble to recall the fearful scenes
of the revolutionary strugglo. I think
a brighter day is dawning upon our liap-
ORGAN OF THE SONS OF TEMPERANCE AND STATE CONVENTION.
py land. May our glorious confedera
cy soon become disenthralled from the
slavery of intemperance.
Doyal Division now numbers about
one hundred and fifteen members.— j
Too much praise cannot be bestowed
upon brother Solomon Odell, who, by
his example and influence, and ujntiring
energy in the temperance cause, has
accomplished so much in the neighbor
hood in which he lives. There are at
this time five Divisions in this county,
with a membership ofoverfour hundred.
By the by, how many subscribers have
you in this county?
A SPECTATOR.
j For the Temperance Banner.
j Celebration of the 4th July by the j/Ccdax
j Town Division of the Sons of Temper
ance.
At an early hour a large conceit rse of
the citizens of this and the adjoining
counties assembled at Cedar Town, to
witness the celebration, by the Sons of
Temperance, of the Anniversary of our
National Independence. Under the di
rection of J. H. Terrell, Marshal of the
| day, a Procession, in Regalia, of ’lie
I Sons of Temperance of this, and of vis- j
j iting brethren from neighboring Divis
-1,0 o o
! ions, was formed at the Store of Prior
| & White; officers of the Division in
! front, proceeded by the I. S. and theC., 1
i the O. S. bringing up the rear. The!
] procession moved to the Baptist Church i
where there had assembled perhaps o.ver
a thousand persons. After prayer by
Rev. J. M. Wood,Chaplainof the Divis
ion, and music on the Piano by Mrs. E.
A. Moseley; when all had become
i breathless stillness, the graceful, forms
of two lovely young females, deejeed in
] white, the emblem of purity, were, seen j
| in the vestibule of the church; bearing !
j a beautiful Banner. On it, in legible j
J characters, among other devices,[could !
[easily be read, Love, Purity, Pideli
! ty ; The Ladies, to the Cedar .Town
| Division of the Sons of Temperance.”
This chaste Banner was borne by Misses
! A. Janes and JL West;
! representatives in” the Ladies, grt^J.
• lv advanced in froiit bf the Seats oecu
-1 pied by the Division, where they were,
met by brethren James Gibson and H.
Witcher, on behalf of the Sons; where
a very neat and appropriate address was
j very prettily pronounced by Miss Janes,
: and the Banner placed by Miss West
l in the hands of bro. Witcher. The ad
j dress oil the part of the Ladies was re
! sponded to by brother G.ibspb in a chaste
j and handsome reply.
After a short interval, enlivened by
music, the Declaration of Independence,
i prefaced by a few remarks, was. read
by bro. E. 11. Richardson; and u sen
sible and well written. Oration, suited to
the occasion, was delivered by bro. H.
I A. Gibson, the Orator of the day. Each
of these addresses! was considered war
thy n place in the columns of your val
unble Banner, and as reflecting much
credit upon the Speakers and the Divis
ion.
The company then repaired to the Big
Spring, belonging to Mr. A. Prior;
where, by the side of that sparkling
i fount of nature's beverage to, man, per
i haps one thousand persons of both sex
os, partook of an excellent Barbecue
j prepared by the Sons and the Daugh
tersof Temperance. Here, the length
ened table groaned beneath its burden
of shoat, lamb, and beef; its scores of
fowls and loads of vegetables, to say no
thing oftlie profusion of pie, cake, &C.,
all served up in the best Georgia style.
For, you must know, Mr. Editor, asoor
valley abounds in “ hog and hominyi”
and our gardens in vegetables, so too,
pur Ladies (let me just whisper it jn
your ear),are hard to beat iu preparing
all the nice things for a cold water cel
ebration. And let me add, sir, they
are all Daughters of Temperance, good
and true ; and are much pleased with j
our motto: “Love, Purity, and Fideli
ty.” However stubborn the opposition
we experience from male lovers of the
“ critter,” the ladies all, old and young,
are in favor of Temperance. For they
are the greatest sufferers from the vice
we desire to put down.
After dinner the company returned j
to the church, where they’ had an oppor
tunity of hearing one of Col. N. G. Fos- ]
ter’s happy efforts in the great Temper- i
unco cause. It was just the thing we
I needed. He triumphantly met the ob- ]
Ijections commonly urged against the
! Order of the Sons of Temperance, and i
feelingly urged home to every good j
1 man’s bosom, the duty of aiding in the I
great reform. The speaker was : as fe
licitous in manner as cogent in matter;
and, while every good man was irresist
! aid ; carried along and made to feel an
inclination to aid the good cause, the
most embittered opponent could find no
thing to take umbrage at; and doubt
less felt the malignity of his opposition ]
softened into acquiescence, if not into j
‘downright approval. What an invalq
; able State Lecturer would such a speak
|er make ! The field issufficiently large
: (embracing 93 counties), for the employ
ment of two ; and, if properl y called up
on, the regularly organized Divisions
in Georgia would doubtless, by volun
tary contributions, raise a sum sufficient
! to employ two suitable Lecturers to la
bor within the limits of our State.
Yours in L. P. <& F.
BENJ. T. MOSELEY, R. S.
For the Temperance Banner.
History of the Centreville Division.
Wo. 41, S. of T.
After niany years of indefatigable ex
ertion, on the part of the wise and good,
to devise a plan for the amelioration of
the condition of humanity, so far, at
least, as to suppress the slavish vice of
intemperance, and to elevate the lords of
creation to their primeval state, the ener
gies oftlie few that prayed the consum-
Mpjfion of this gtoriotw end, were ptxcd
Totho uttermost.
They founded Societies in succession
—they based them upon what seemed to
them permanent basis ; and each seem
ed to rise and prosper lor a season, and
bid fair to be productive of much good,
ultimately ; but, alas! their fondest an
ticipations could not be realized ; their
laudable efforts were doomed to wither
and droop.
This catastrophe awaited every at
tempt to emancipate man from the iron
fetters that bound him. But, so great
was his inordinate and vitiated thirst for
the poisonous, cxhilerating influence of
alcohol, that in the wrebklcss depravity
of his heart, he turned his heel upon
him, that was suffering martyrdom in
the information of the world ; and treat
ed him ns he would, have done a Corsair
or a Cannibal. This was, not at all
strange, contemplating the dominion of
evij inclinations, ‘over goody which has
been transmitted to us from, Adan>, : —
Mai>, however, was never so straighten
ed in his circumstances, but that he had
the right of choosing good: therefore,
the sinful, degraded condUipa in which
he wns found, eyen in the nineteenth
century, is wholly attributable to hir.
self. Intemperance has, ever proven,
the greatest bane to society and good
government; hence the multiplied forms
of organized Societies that have been es-.
tablished; and which, unfortunately, ’
proved abortive. Now it is admissible, j
that if a proper plan for the destruction,]
of the Upas could have been established.:
even half a century ago, in our own gov
ernment, there could have been saved a
sufficient treasure to educate every male
child in it. But for the want of a prop,
er plan every effort hitherto failed. Re
cently, however, in the providence of
God, man’s ingenuity was taxed to the
construction of a plan; that being based
upon the true principles of Holy writ,
” ill withstand the impotent basts, and
fiery darts of his “brimstone majestV
and bis minions.” This glorious plan
is found in the Heaven-born principles
of tlie “ Sons of Temperance.”
Os these principles, the votaries arc
proud to boast; and animated by true
philanthropic motives, the patriotic Sons
turned out en masse, on the second in
stant, nt half past six o’clock, past noon,
to celebrate the “ glorious Anniversary
of Centreville Division.” After ortmu
izingthe meeting, the brother R. S. was
called upon to address the Division,
which was done at some length; making
many appropriate remarks. Brother
-M. J. Mulkey followed, with a verv in
teresting narative of the Societies previ
ously formed; having for their object
the ostensible purpose of restoring man
to that state of pristine purity in “which
he was found upon the banks oftlie Ti
gris, in the day that he was placed in
the Garden, He concluded by pointing
the young" I members to the Bible, from
which to derive a rule of life, that would
make them Sons of Temperance in spir
it and in truth. The brethren all, with
a very few’ exceptions, made appropos
remarks; a detail of which' would bo too
voluminous for the present purpose.
Rev. James R. Thomas, a visitin<>- broth
er, participated in the festivities, and the
evening was spent in the most agreeable
and interesting manner. All were glad
they came out; feeling that it was good
to be there; and many were sorry to
depart. Such are the powerful influen
ces of Temperance convivialities!!
This Division was organized on the
second day of June, A. D., eighteen
hundred and forty-eight, by the induc
tion of eight Mechanics— number bare
ly sufficient to constitute a Division.
VVhat a spectacle was here presented!
eight officers to command, and none to
obey 1! Surrounded with a prejudiced
multitude that were eager to defeat the
laudable effort, there was every prospect
of crushing this noble institution in its
.infancy.* Her puie#e Jfin seeiAed tia
impotent to Withstand the conflict, and
to heave the mighty engine of reforma
tion. But ere long, she began to rise
m the majesty of might, and under the
smiling auspices of Heaven, she merged
from the depths of persecution, and ga
thering strength, as by magic, she soon
towered above the fondest anticipations,
—and such was the augmentation of her
strength, that on tho thirty-first dav of
Mai oh last, (a day memorable in her an
nals, being the day. of her dedication)
she numbered fifty eight, allowing five
withdrawals and one expulsion. Since
which time twenty have been added.—
This once forlorn hope now bids fair to
be the brightest star in the galaxy.—
Guided by reason, and sustained by
Love, Purity and Fidelity, she isatonco
the focus of “earthly felicity.”
Dear Brother Brant/y —By a Resolu
tion of this Division, you are specially
requested to publish the foregoing histo
ry in your very excellent Banner, with
a request that the editors of the South
ern Recorder, Federal Union, Journal
& Messenger, and Columbus Enquirer,
would be pleased to copy.
Yours in L. P. & F.,
R. M. SMITH, R. S.
Messrs, Editors —Please give this an,
insertion and yoq will greatly oblige
many Sons of T.
R. M. SMITH,
G. P. HOLMES...
For the Temperance Banner.
Good Retreat, Wayne c 0. ,)
July 9th, 1849. y
Mr . Editor —On the anniversary of •
the day in which our Forefathers de.
blared:these United States free and inde
pendent, and for the support ot that de
claration, pledged their lives, their for-