Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

fiong the members in relation to it)—the Board, a meeting held on the 18th inst., advised its tieal; was then brought up for some action on by the Society: (§ Resolved, That when any member shall de §e to withdraw his or her name from the list ached to the ‘ pledge' adopted bv the Society, :h desire shall be signified in writing, address fto the President, which shall be read at the ular meeting next ensuing, and his or her ne shall thereupon be erased by the Secretary.” j WAfter some little discussion, it was " Resolved, by M. M. Dye, That in consequence ! of tile small attendance of members present, the consideration of this subject be deferred till the next meeting. On motion of Richard Allen, Esq. it was Resolved, That the Secretary be respectfully j requested to have published in the papers of the ' city, the aggregate number of persons (designat ing sexes) who have joined the Richmond Coun ty Washington Total Abstinence Society, since its organization, and also the aggregate number of persons who have withdrawn, and that he be also requested to publish similar returns monthly, provided the publishers of said papers will insert the same gratuitously. The meeting was then addressed by Messrs. Charles H. Kennon, Win. 11. Platt, and Rev’d. Wm. J. Hard; when seven persons came for ward and signed the pledge. Omnotion, the Society adjourned to meet on Friday night next, in this place. WM. HAINES, Jr. Secretary. From the Charleston Observer. The truth of the following Narrative is vouch ed for on the most respectable authority:— Suicide. In a pleasant village in Worcester county, Mass lived the person whose name and memory now bear the above designation. In youth he was respected, in manhood, viewed as a pattern of industry, frugality and economy. Such was he when the writer first knew him— when he first took up his residence in Decatur, Georgia. As our intention is not to extend, but to con dense, our story shall be short. Two years had passed here, and his betrothed with a brother’s family arrived, anti Elisha, for so we shall call him, vowed constancy ofaffection to his amiable bride. Years (lowed apace; He appeared the very pattern of kindness and attention to his wife, and ■on the addition of a first born to their family, the father’s heart beat high with emotion. Wo see them now a happy, prosperous family; but we must with pain turn another leaf. It will unfold ♦o view the practice of so called regular temperate drinking. This page is read by a few only, lor no one suspects that Elisha is becoming a drunk ard; but habit strengthens; his thirst increases; he betrays the confidence of friends; his business is gone; he becomes a confirmed inebriate. A violent attack of delirium tremens threatens to terminate his existence. He recovers; but no advice ot’fricnds, no entreaties ofhis wife, no con sideration either of present or future good can deter him from resuming his practice ofdrinking. Death slowly, but surely and certainly seems to be stamping his image on the countenance of this victim of intemperance. His kindness is Ranged to indifference towards his wife and Children. Those whom he is bound to protect, Shun and fear him. And who would not fear a drunken maniac? Not fear one who not only threatens to take his own life, hut that of his wife also! Not fear, when pistols and razors are pre pared and brandished with threats to terminate nis own or her existence! Not fear one whose Season is dethroned by intemperance! O how Many sleepless nights has that wife passed in (Weariness and grief. Instead of words of affec tion from one whom above all others she had loved, she receives nothing but taunts and re proaches. Having taken his rest during the day, he with the fiendishness of a demt.n, swears she shall not enjoy at night the repose she so much needs, Jknd which he cannot obtain. In vain does she him to be calm. “Elisha, why do you thus disturb my rest?” She receives for answer, “if 1 Cannot sleep, you shall not.” She expostulates — Elisha, this is not in fulfilment of your most sa cre.l promises when I became your wi e. 1 have left ail, all my friends far, far away—have placed tuy affections on you. O, do not thus requite my affection” With scorn lie replies —“sou had your choice to marry me or let it alone; and now you must abide the consequence.” “Yes, Elisha, I had my choice, but, you are not what you were when you first possessed my affec- : tions.” “ Well,” then says Elisha, “go home to ■ your friends as soon as you like. 1 will drink till 1 die, and if tile Almighty does not soon take my f life, I will take it myself.” What female heart would not sink under the B accumulated load of poverty and wretchedness I which fell to her share. But hoping against all ground of hope, she would say—“ My husband, | only abstain from strong drink, treat me as you » f once did, and 1 shall be in a measure happy.” He reiterates the former assertion—“ I will drink \ till I die, and, if you do not cease your prating, I ; will be your death as well as my own.” Who can wonder that under circumstances §■ like these, she should soliloquize thus—“O! my heart must break, Elisha, my husband, my only stay on earth, is a drunkard. It is not his nature to be unkind, but he is so. Oft has ho taken the .? last cent of my earnings to buy whiskey. Yes, ami the breast-pin which sparkled on my bosom, when he first told me he loved me, is pawned for drink. And my children! our home is gone, sold by the sheriff, and all for whiskey. Intem perance was the only cause, for if your father had been a sober man, lie would not have been in debt. Yes, my children, your father has degra ded himself, and reduced us all to poverty, and stili swears he will die a drunkard.” But as we promised brevity, we will hasten to the fatal night of 25th June, 18-12. The scene i cannot be depicted. It must be witnessed to be j felt. Elisha had gone to rest, and his wife retir- Ved; but not to enjoy repose. Elisha arose from ! his bed, went to an adjoining shed-room —his wife called mildly to him—“ Elisha, are you up.” : Un repetition ofthe question, he answered, “Yes, I am up, am going to take my life.” Who can imagine the feelings of that wife and : mother, with no one in the house but her two ' little children, as in utter consternation she waits another answer troni her husband—none came save the rumbling otlhe rope as he drew it over the beam. In the stillness of death she arises, can taintly see her husband; hut by the little light ot the rising moon, she knows not whether he might be hanging dead, or wishing to decoy her within his reach to her own destruction. She ran for help—neighbors came in; but it was too I late. He was dead! Reader! if you would escape any, or all the evils ot intemperance, use no intoxicating drinks. From the Temperance Advocate. Barnwell C. H. July 31, 1842. In no section of the State, or of the United States, has the Temperance cause met with more success than in our District. The village of Barnwell particularly, has, within the foregoing two years, become noted for its sobriety and indus try ; and it is with pride I am enabled to state, it ranks second to none. There have been estab lished at Aiken, Blackvilleand Williston, and in fact, throughout the whole District, Societies, the members of which continue firm to the cause, and bless the day they signed the Pledge. The most dissipated—those who were apparently irretrieva bly ruined—for whom their friends had no hope, make the most worthy citizens; and the friend of tho Temperance cause would enjoy a real plea sure in seeing how the few, who still continue to drink, take a careful.survey ofthe premises before entering the grog-shop; for since their ranks have been thinned, they have become too individually conspicuous, and arc aware they are “marked men.” This is a good sign, and plainly tells that they cannoteontinue long in that line of business, anil these are the men who are daily deserting their comrades. Some ot them, it is true, who have no regard for their own welfare, or society, and are destitute of all common feeling, go on as recklessly as ever; but they aro “ few and fat be tween.” The fierce and evanescent flashes, Will subside in smoke and ashes. Whenever amisdemeanor or lault, over which the law has no control, becomes so glaring that the person who commits it seeks opportunities when the eye ofhis fellow man is not upon him, you may rest assured that conscience is at work, and he will repent. Already have venders of li quors discovered that drinks are not in as much demand as formerly, and that destroying men’s bodies and souls is not as profitable a business as in “ days gone by;” and they have the melancholy reflection of knowing, that in a short time, grog shops will be “things that were,” Trojafail, Troja fuimus. When we encounter any opposition, or any thing calculated to injure our pecuniary prospects, we either attempt to overcome it, or use such means as will render its effects less detrimental Jo our interest. What then must he the feelings of the grog shop keeper towards the Temperance cause —the cause that, while producing the most beneficial results, has blighted all their prospects of wealth, and caused some of them to close their doors and seek other employment. I think, as I heared a very learned gentleman observe the other day, there is a divine influence at work up on the minds of all men at present. A complete revolution has taken place. Some join from one cause, some from another, and they invariably adhere to the rules in the strictest sense ofthe word. I recollect I was once going to Augusta, to at tend the races. I was riding in a sulky without a cushion, and met my venerable old guardian, the Rev. H. D , and when he discovered my sit uation, the kindness of his heart prompted him to offer ine a buffalo, bear or sheep skin, upon which he was riding. (1 don’t remember which it was,) at all events, l accepted of it, promising faithfully to return it to him, when I came home. Well, I proceeded on my way rejoicing at the luck I had met with—remained at Augusta during the week I —frolicked, drank, and lost the old gentleman’s property. As I returned, it accidently happened that I met him, and the first salutation I received, was “ Where’s my sheepskin?” I replied, it was lost, stolen or strayed, in fact, non est inventus, and the only answer I received was, “ You will be a dead man in ten years.” Now, whether he meant I would be hung, drowned, either in liquor or water, (I was not more than half drunk at the time,) or merely die for the want of breath, I was, and am now, unable to say; however, lam chari table enough to believe it was not by the former means I was to arrive at the “ land of spirits,” and as he was a staunch friend of the Temper ance cause, I inferred that lie meant l would be found some cold, frosty, winter morning, in or near the piazza of a grog-shop, dead as a door nail, and I thought I could onserve a beam of pleasure enliven his countenance, as he imagined to him self the joy he would experience in pronouncing over my defunct body the following line of! Wolfe “ He lay like a warrior taking his rest:” l Be that as it may, every succeeding drink I took : alter that, brought to my mind the fatal prophecy. The more I drank, the more 1 thought of it; until I finally signed the Temperance Pledge, think ing that the only means of proving that my guar dian was not in the remotest degree, either by al liance or consanguinity, connected with the race ■ of prophets. And oh! how I now thank him for using those words—they were the cause of my earthly salvation, and never, while “memory dwells within my heart,” will I cease toremember him with feelings of gratitude and affection, though, at the time, 1 thought it was a “bitter pill,” and it cannot be denied that “ his loss was my eternal gain." T. Most men regard madness with horror, yet how few recoil from the practices whereby it is engen dered ! The annals of the lunatic asylum testify that intoxication, is itself a species ofmadness, is the primary cause of one-third of the cases of in sanity, and yet men drain the wine cup; knowing that they drink liquid madness. Abstinence easier than Temperance. In Robert’s life of Hannah More, we are told that in 1783, Hannah More sat next to Dr. John son at a dinner party, at the Bishop of Chester’s house—She says, “ I urged him to take a little wine ; he replied ‘ I can’t drink a little, child, therefore I never touch it. Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult.’ Glorious News. I The following cheering intelligence is (riven : in tlie N. Y. American, as an extract ofa letter from an officer in the army, dated, “ Fort Tow- 1 son, June 2<>.” It is hut just, that the same race | who bestowed upon the Red Man, the accursed ' poison of flu' “ fire water,” should bring to him i the only antidote to its destructive effects. ! “ Many of your readers will doubtless be gra- j 1 titled to learn, that the efforts and principles of • the Washingtonians, which have produced such ' wonderful changes in our towns at the east, are ! in a fairway to effect miracles here, by introduc ing total abstinence among the Indians. The American people, who have hitherto done little else for them than to impart to them the vices of civilized life, and especially intemperance, the worst and most fatal ot all, are now making a feeble and tardy reparation by showing the poor victims away of escape fiom utter annihilation. The Indians have heard of the Washingtonians, and the blessings of many who were ready to parish will rest upon those who have taught them the possibility and happiness of reforma tion. I had the pleasure, yesterday, of attending a temperance meeting among the Chocktaws.— The place selected for the purpose was a beautiful grove, about fourteen miles from the Fort, where 1 found about seven hundred Indians collected to listen with many doubts and misgivings, to this new scheme of some of their chief men. A few whites were present from motives of curiosi ty, and some of the Chocktaws, from their dress and appearance, were familiar with the habits of civilized life; but the mass of those present were evidently, by their native attire, the paint and feathers, untutored children of the prairie and forest. The exercises were opened by a prayer in the native tongue, from Pliny Fisk, an educa ted Chocktaw; at the close of this, a large num ber joined in singing very sweetly a Chocktaw hymn. Other hymns, some ot which were com posed, I believe, for the occasion, were sun» at intervals between the speeches. The orators were all Chocktaws, and addressed the people in their own language. This was, of course, worse than Greek to me, so that I could not form any certain opinion of their eloquence, but from their rap’d and impassioned delivery, and the attention with which the Indians, notwithstanding the heat, listened to them for more than four conse cutive hours, I inferred that their appeals were, most, forcible and interesting. One of the speakers, who is an educated man, quoted, in the courseof his address, some remarks made by Mr. Marshall, at the Tabernacle, and toid them of'the Washingtonians and the Con gressional Temperance Society. The interpre ter assured me that this speech was the most eloquent ever delivered in the nation. I think Mr. Marshall would have been amused if he could have heard his ideas done into Chock taw. A sturdy and untaught old orator, from one of the Western districts, spoke nearly an hour, with a rapidity of utterance that defies con ception,or imitation in our language. Pronounc ing his sentences in so loud a tone of voice as to be heard at a great distance, and accompanying them with most energetic gesticulations, he scaroly paused from his violent exertions to catch breath or remove the perspiration which rolled in streams from his face. At the close of the meet ing the pledge was repeated and explained to those present, and quite a large number assumed the obligations of teetotallers. I understood, from one of the principal men, that the number thus pledged was about three hundred before the meeting. He likewise informed me that these efforts would be repeated and continued in all parts of the nation, and expressed himself much encouraged to proceed in the undertaking. The exercises having terminated, we found an excellent dinner, with true Indian hospitality, gratuitously provided for the whole assembly, an appropriate repast having likewise been furnished for our horses. I retired in the evening to the Fort, with renewed hopes and pleasant anticipa tions respecting the destiny ofthc Red Man.” Seven Wonders of Drunkenness. 1. That any rational being should turn his back on home —“sweet home"’ —and make the tavern his abiding place, where he is tempted to spend his hardwon money, and then when it is all gone, is turned out of doors. Is not this a wonder 1 -• That ho should voluntarily take the money which should maintain his family and children, and give it to support and adorn the wife and children of the tavern keeper, who in return gives him ruined health, blighted character and empty pockets. Is not this a wonder'! d. That, any rational being could listen to the insinuations of t hose interested in his degrada tion and ruin, and take for his enemies the per sons who would persuade him to look well to his own home, his own wife, his own children, his own health and his own pocket. Is not this a wonder 1 ■l, That brute beasts should drink only pure water, and that, only when they are dry, and that man, rational man, heaven-instructed, soul possessing, immortal man, should not only drink when he is not dry, but should prefer for his beverage liquid lire. Is not this a wonder 1 5. That when men are walking in away which brings wretchedness on themselves, and trouble and distress on all about them and they arc advised to forsake the path, there should be so much difficulty as is found in getting them to try. Is not this a wonder. ti. That a human being, wholly dependent on the God that made him, should wantonly, un gratefully, and audaciously lly in the face of his Creator and Redeemer, as the drunkard especial ly does, and yet he is spared not only days, but sometimesyears before the sentence goes forth, ‘Cut it down; why cumbcrcth it the ground!’ Is not this a wonder ? 7. That while drunkenness is emptying our churches and schools, and crowding our jails and bridewells, and while Total Abstinence Societies are, liy the blessing of God, reclaiming many drunkards from their ruinous habits, the vast ma jority of Christian ministers and other professors of religion should continue to drink those liquors which makes men drunkards and totreat the to tal abstinent cause witli indifference, contempt or opjiosition. Is not this a wonder I—Christian Intelligencer. I/lst of Payments. The following persons have paid their sub scription to the Washingtonian, up to 11th of June, 1843: Augusta —Col. John Milledge, S. C. Gren ville, S. McCarty, C. E. Mustin, Dr. J. L. New ton, H. A Richmond, F. Burton, L. D. Laller stedt, H. 11. Risley, Paul Cottel, D. K, Mustin, Judge John Silly. Marietta —J. M. C. Shumate. Decatur —Levi Willard. Gainesville —C. Peeples. Sparta —N. C. Sayre. Union , (A/a.) —J. L. Patton. Hamburg, (S. C.)—lsaiah Bailey, J. H. An derson. READ THIS. Heading for atl! J! complete Treasury of uselul and entertaining knowledge in . ONE VOLUME. Cost of preparing the work, 85000. Price $2 50 A BOOK sos every fninily in ttw Unite* StalM. The mom splendidly Illustrated and cheapest work ever issued on the American Continent, containing more than five hundred Engravings, entirely new ami original, designed and executed >y the most eminent Artism of England and America. A Christian Father’s present to his family: Important and in teresting work, just published, and Ibrsale at No. 133, Nassau street, illustrated with several hundred fine engravings. Bible Biography, Or, the lives nnd characters of the principal personages re corded in the sacred willing*; practically adapted to the in struction ol youthand private families ; together with an ap pendix,containing thirty dissertations on the evidences of di vine revelation, from Thompson’s Key of the Bible; being a complete summary 01 biblical knowledge, carefully condensed and compded from Scott, Doddridge, Gill. Patrick, Adam Clarke, Pool, Lowlh, Horne, Wall, Btowe, Robins.,e, and other eminent writers on the 3criptures. Embellished with soveral hundred Engravings of wood, illustrative of Scripture •cones, manners, customs, *C. Hy Robert Sears This valuable work-the handsomest, clieapest and beat volume ever issued Irom ihe American press—is intended as *n assistant to Christian ministers of all religious denominations Parents and instructors, in religious education of children and Please read the following, written after a carefulexamination of the work, by the editor of the United States Literary *d vertiser.for June, 1843. ’ ‘‘A work of great attraction and value has just been nubliah edby Mr. Sears, of this city, entitled “ Bible Biography ” com prising the history of the lives and characters of the principal personages mentioned in Holy Writ. This volume should un questionably find a welcome at every fireside throughout the country; its contents are as interesting as they are important and instructive, and the judicious editor lias, by the aidof nu : merousnewand original pictoral embellishmenls, Contrived ; to present us with one of the most attractive and atihesame : time uselul books that hag ever appeared this side of the at- I antic. We trust the American community at large will appre | ciate the work, and reward the liberal enterprise of the pub lisher.” The work is beautifully embellished, and beautifully bound I in gilt and lettered, and given avvav for the same sum ol *3 se It is strongly recommended by all our leading religious and political newspapers. Hear what the Editor of the Boston American Traveller says : "This is one ol the most finch illustrated and beautifully or namented volumes ever issned from the press. The typographs arc clear and plain, the paper and binding handsome, while the golden figures give ita rich andtasteful appearance. The lit erary portion of the work is well written, nnd the whole illus trated with several hundred new and elegant engravings Mr. Sears has made a popular book, conferred a great favor upon the youut, and indeed merits the patronage of all classes ’ Agents Wanted. Agents-rcsponsible men—wanted in every town and village in the United States. Address the subscriber, post paid, with out which no letter will be taken from the office. , ROBERT SEARS, Publisher, 123 Nagsau-street, N Y. Tlie above work will be found one of the most useful and pop ular works ever published, for enterprising men to undertake the sale of in al I our cities and towns. ECfr- All Postmasters arc requested to act as agents. TO PUBLISHERS OF PAPERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. Newspapers or Magazines, copying the above entire, with out any alteration or abridgement, (including this notice) and giving it twelve inside insertions, shall receive a copy of the I work (subject to their order) by sending direct to t lie publisher ; Will proprietors of newspapers ihroughoutthe country, act aa i agents, and receive subscript ions ? '1 he most li.icral per -cut age given I Sept 3 7-iqt