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THE WASHINGTONIAN: AUGUSTA, OCTOBER 1,1842. Washington Total .IbsH.unce Pledge. We, whose names are hereunto annexed, desirous of forming a Society for our mutual benefit, and to guard against a pernicious practice, •which is injurious to our health, standing and families, do pledge ourselves as Grntlemen, not to drink any Spirltous or Malt liquors, Wine or Cider. The next Regular Meet ing of the Washington Total Abstinence Socie ty, has been postponed till Friday Evening, 7th October next, at the usuaJ place. This postjionement was deemed necessary, in consequence of there having been made appoint ments for Political meetings, on the same nights on which the meetings of the Society was held. I3r A general attendance of the members is particularly requested. Several addresses, and music suitable to the occasion, may be expected. Exercises will commence at 7 o’clock, precisely. WM. HAINES, Jr. Secretary. October 1 The following is the solution to the Enigma published in our last. We have received six correct answers: RICHARD P. TAYLOR.— Solutions: lia na; lea; Clay; Hall; Ayr: Ray; Dacca; Po; Tapty; Altay; Yap; Loochoo; Ohio; Root. The following gentlemen are respectfully requested, and fully authorized by us, to act as agents, in procuring subscribers, and extending the circulation of our paper, in their respective towns; Warrenton— Eliphalet Hale, Sparta— N. C. Sayre. Madison— C. R. Hanleiter, Covington —C. Paco. Decatur— N. Willard. Marietta— Jas. F. Cooper. Cassville — Rev. Mr. Howard. Gainesville— C. Peeples, Esq. Clarkesville— Dr. W. J. Rusk. Athens— E. L. Newton, Esq. Social Circle —J. L. Gresham. CrawfordvillE— Rev. John W. Wilson. Sandersville— Arthur G. Ware. Lincolnton- -Henry J. Lang, Esq. Columbus —Robert Boyd. McDonough— Win. L. Gordon. Culbreatii’s P. O.—Rev. C. Collins. |jr Washingtonians should bear in mind, that on signing the pledge, the work so nobly com menced, requires their perseverance still further. It is their duty to bear with those who have bro ken the pledge, and use all persuasive means to reclaim them. Let us labor for the salvation of the inebriate and the temperate drinker. If a member, on signing the pledge, should after terwards be found indulging in his drinks, let us even then urge him to “ pick his flint and try us again.” We should not forget to support our societies in a pecuniary way—the trifling amount required of each member to defray incidental ex penses, should be among our first considerations. The advantages already derived in our city, from attending regularly the Washingtonian meet ings, by many, have been such, that even the one-sixteenth part of what was paid formerly for a poisonous drink, contributed to aid in the pro motion of the society, would far exceed the ex penses referred to. Let us be united in this work, it is of more interest to the happiness and future welfare of our whole country —a subject of far more interest, to the present generation and that to come—than any subject before us. Union in the work will accomplish our ends— let us give a strong pull, a pull alltogether, aifd old king Alcohol, who has kept us in his pow er so long, will release us from his grasp. Temperance Statistics. \ The following, says the Total Abstinence -i Banner, is a correct report of the Total Absti nence Societies in Charleston (S. C.) males, females. Marine Washingtonians, 476 24 Charleston T. Abstinence, 660 275 Charleston Washingtonian, 310 57 Neck Washingtonions, 157 57 Union Total Abstinence, 120 105 South Carolina Brotherhood, 57 25 Franklin Total Abstinence, 56 11 Youths Total Abstinence, 69 20 Total of Males and Females, 1,905 517 Making in all 2,422. The Rev. Mr. O’Neill, has given Father Ma thew’6 Pledge to about 200. Popular Error Corrected. Under the above head, theeditorof the Colum bia (Hudson) Washingtonian, gives extracts from the writings of a celebrated physician of Dublin, (Dr. Cheyne,) and also from a work published as far back as 1648. Alcoholic drinks, says the editor, do not assist the stomach to di gest the food within it, but absolutely prevent it from doing so. It has long been a popular no tion, and is even now entertained by men well informed upon all subjects except physiology, that cider, beer, wine and other intoxicating li quors, assist digestion, and hence their use at meals. The Creator, by the light of His wis dom and goodness, made the human machine perfect, in all its parts, and to say that Man's in genuity is necessary to complete his work, is a libel upon the perfection and benevolence of God. As long ago as 1648, an author giving Rules to prolong Life, says —Wine should not be taken habitually after meals, because it unnaturally ac celerates digestion, propels the food before it is properly digested, and lays the foundation of ob struction and putridity. Dr. Cheyne says—’Tis true, strong liquors, by their heat and stimula tion. on the organs of concoction, by increasing the velocity of the motion of the fluids, and there by quickening the other animal functions, will carry off the load that lies upon the stomach, with more present cheerfulness; yet besides the future damages of such a quantity of wine to the sto mach and to the fluids, by its heat and inflamma tion, the food is hurried off undigested, and lays a foundation tor a fever, a fit of the colic, or some chronical disease. Another celebrated physician observes that— The detention of the food is necessary to diges tion, because the operation of the gastric juice arc gradual: by the contractions of the muscular coat, it is applied to successive portions of ali ment. All articles, therefore, which by their stimulus produce a rapid action, are injurious. To this I attribute the circumstance of bitters frequently impairing the digestive process. They habituate the stomach to propel its contents be fore they have undergone the action of the solv* ent fluid. This observation applies, of course, to bitters taken with food, as the hop in ale and por ter” Father Matthew administered at Drumcondra> in Ireland, the pledge to 35000 persons, in two days in June last. One of our exchunge papers says that a drunk, en man in Kentucky set fire to a distillery, which was in consequence burnt down. The distillery first set fire to the man, and then the man set fire to the distillery. ftr Wanted immediately, Five Hundred Sub scribers to the Washingtonian. Proceedings of the Washington Total Ab stinence Society of Augusta. Unitarian Church, Sept. 16, 1842. The Society met this evening pursuant to ad journment. The meeting being organized, the President in the Chair, the minutes of the last meeting were read and adopted. The meeting was addressed in a very appropriate manner by Messrs. W. H. Platt, J. L. Mims, and Dr. Hook. An invitation being extended to those who de sired to sign the Pledge, eight names were added as members. L. D. LALLERSTEDT, Sec. pro. tem. * Unitarian Church, Sept. 23,.1841. The Society met this evening, according to previous notice. Dr. Hook opened the meeting with prayer; when the minutes of the last meeting were read and approved, the Society then proceeded to bu siness. It having been stated that a letter hail been re ceived from the friends of Temperance in Barn well District, S. C., stating that a Convention of the advocates of Reform is to be held at the Court-House, in said district, during the first week in November next, and that this Society be invited to send Delegates to the same. It was, on motion, Resolved, That the President appoint three Delegates to attend said Convention, to represent the Washington Total Abstinence Society of Richmond County. Accordingly the President appointed, S. T. CHAPMAN, 1 JOHN MILLEDGE, £ Committee. There being a very small attendance of mem * Third Delegate not yet appointed. here present, occasioned by a public meeting held at the same time, and no other business before the Society, On motion, it adjourned to meet on the even ing ofthis day two weeks, at 7 o'clock. WM. HAINES, Jr. Sec ry. For the Washingtonian. The Supernumerary Article. Conversing the other day with a friend, he ob served--*: I have not signed the supernumerary I article, since my Christian profession is a suffi cient pledge of sobriety.” Indeed, sothoughtwe it should be; but, lamentable to tell, it is not the fact; for those who are most forward to make the excuse, are like our friend, “fond of taking a little.” Though the church pledge, in their manner of keeping it, does not make men sober, yet ours does. The church pledge satisfies the member’s conscience, because his priest tells him it is enough;—and further, he is instructed that duty requires not only his refusal to join the so ciety, but also his denunciation of the temperance cause, as the work of the devil—verifying the proverb, “like people, like priest.” How much more thankful for the precious girt of ardent spirits, than for any other bounty of providence, as he falsely styled it. Though he acknowledges, that, as a beverage he has never received any benefit from intoxicating liquors, yet he must “use the good things of this world as not abusing them.” Witness his expressions of gratitude, as he visits his jug of whiskey secre ted in the field or thicket; and as he drinks from that jug, notice his up-turned eye and devout ap pearance, seeming to thank God that an Arabian alchymist had by chance discovered, that he could distil from wine a liquor stronger than it self. Is this what is called spiritual aid 7 Hear the religious drunkard invoke the bless | ingofGod on the contents of his secreted jug.— “O! Lord, let this intoxicating draught stupify my mind; render me an unpleasant companion to my associates; cause me to bring a reproval upon the religion I profess, and bring leanness into my soul.” But the objection is raised a gainst this pledge, in that other vices need to be pledged against as much as intemperance. We answer—other vices can be reached by legal enactments, ecclesiastical or conventional rules; and besides, if the community were in as much danger from any other vice as from that of in temperance, we submit, whether it might not be the duty of even church members to sign the pledge, and join a society for the suppression of that vice—especially when the society was found to have a beneficial effect, as in the case of in temperance. Grant, then, that it might not be the duty of Christians to sign a pledge against lying—what would be thought of the morality of a professor of religion, who should denounce all attempts to improve the morals of society in that particular?—Who should encourage prevarica tion and deceit—just so near downright lying as it is possible to approach, and escape direct false hood! We ask, is not this the course of many pro f essors of religion with respect to intemperance 7 Do they not go just as far as they dure in their own personal practice towards intemperance7 Do they not endeavor to thwart every attempt to promote total abstinence 7 It is in vain, that they make loud professions of being friends to temper ance—which, rightly construed, means this:— “ We mean to drink, ourselves, and induce others to drink, though we know that moderate drink ing is the only road to drunkenness—though we know that many of our members, induced by our example, and our discipline, will become drunk ards; yet we will drink, and will denounce all who attempt to stay the progress of the destroyer,” If the Christian professor denies these positions, it is for want of reflection. Those truths stare others full in the face. He that does not see them is wilfully blind. But we are digressing from the primary object of our article. Let who will, whether saint or sinner, have his hidden jug, that is what may well be called a supernumerary article —that is the strongest mark of a ruined man. How cun ning to conceal his love for the secreted jug— warn him of his danger. He replies, it is false— he drinks not. Whence that effluvia of vour breath 7 He answers, it is a vile slander—l drink none. When the drunkard has fallen so low that he cannot buy a drink without the money, and that is all gone, he has been known to take another supernumerary article —a proof phial, and bv stealth, when no one sees him, sink it into the barrel of poison, and drink till he is drunk, and ' still swear he has drank none, for he had no way to get it from the barrel. k But that which deserves most the appellation of a supernumerary article, is a Christian’s secre ted xchiskey jug. Not the Abstinence Pledge. IS ALIN DA? For the Washingtonian. The Reformed’s Soliloquy. How sweet the consciousness—how exquisite The thrill that wakes within my bosom now,— Tothink what 1 have been, and what I am. I have been rescued from the very sinks And sewers of debauchery, to stand, A man again—a reasonable man— Upon the platform of gentility ; And, unabashed, to meet the wise and good, And face to face, in converse rational, To join again, and meet the friendly grasp Ofthose who hail me as the dead alive. I have been deemed the vilest of the vile, — An abject, wretched—and a loathsome thing ; And tho’ a bacchanal, I felt at times, When reason would prevail, the scorn and jeers With which 1 was regarded ; and at times Have wept in secret at the misery 1 brought upon the good and innocent. Oh, woman ! thine it was to suffer long, In meekness, for thy husband’s love of rum ; But wipe thine eyes, and cheer thy broken heart— No longer now, in penury and want— With (ailing constitution,to sit down And earn a scanty pittance to keep up Life’s dying embers, and to hush the cry Os bread from starving children—half clothed on With raiment patched and threadbare. Oh, look up ! Thy prayer is answered—tho’ thou sutfered’st long ; The good Samaritan hath come along With oil and wine to pour into thy wounds. There is a magic in the very name Os Washingtonian!—it associates With it a Nation’s glorious Jubilee. I feel new strength within me—high resolves That will not bend to Alcohol again : The spell is broken, and the tempter flies At my resistance ; for 1 draw the sword Os sterner stuff than e’en Damascus’ steel; — It is the Fledge I am a Gentleman. S. What bats a Lady to do with Temperance. Much. The gentle elements of her nature have fitten her for command; and God has made the empire of her heart boundless, Love is the bond of sympathy with all intelligent creatures. It is the master-principle of society; a spontane ous emotion of the soul, obedient to no motives save those which claim kindred with its own character. Fear cannot inspire it; power cannot suppress it; wealth cannot purchase it; authori ty cannot command it. A slave in all its malig nant passions, the soul is free in every exercise of affection, in every act of benevolence. How ever other objects may inspire the emotion, wo man was made to be mistress of this passion in the soul, if she does not rule in the heart of man it is usually because goodness does not rule her own. She may light the torch of benevolence, and direct its fire wherever she will; her empire is boundless and free. This influence was given tonmkehor both the guardian and ministering angel. Devoted to frivolity, her influence reach” es only to the fancy, and neither makes or refains ft permanent conquest; but consecrated to chari ty, it will die only with the memory of her who was “ last at the cross, and first at the sepulchre.” Intemperance afflicts man; but it blasts wo man. It lays the withering stroke on her heart, and her beauty consumes like a moth, while her joy goes down to the tomb. Man survives the loss of happiness; woman—never. Man has a thousand chances to secure it—woman has but one. The evils which intemperance lays upon man, come often one at a time; on women they light altogether. We ask her to throw her be nevolence into the scale, to secure protection for her own fireside, and her own heart. For aught you can tell, the fate of yonder widow, friendless and forlorn, may soon be yours; for aught you can tell, the destroyer who wrote the mother childless, to-morrow may lay destruction at your door and break your heart. Whatever may be your power to attract, to persuade, to command ; hesitate not to throw that power into this cause and then, no matter what may be the result, you shall know that you are guiltless. In the domestic circle is cast the character of man; it gives expression to nations. If purity and peace are not found there, society will be filled with discontent and contention. ‘ As sure as intemperance crosses the threshold of domestic life, every pure and high influence will depart Low indulgence, crawling down through every I degree of meanness—even though covered with refinement drags the soul along, robbing it of noble sensibilities, and introducing it to every form of “ swilled insolence,” till she entirely ‘los es the divine property of her first being ” Let those who preside over the sanctities of domestic life, and administer its sacred rights, guard the entrance against the first approach of this mon ster It the household gods are not kept in puri ty, there is not a deity that is safe from pollution. [Phil. Temp, Advocate. Not so sure. The old excuse of rum-sellers, that “if they did not somebody else would,” is getting to be something more than doubtful. His Satanic Majesty is sadly put to for recruits. In some parts he has scarce a “corporal's guard” left him. In others, he cannot even raise a fugleman, m