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THE WASHINGTONIAN:
AUGUSTA, APRIL I, 1843.
Washington Total Abstinence 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 Gentlemen,
not to drink any
Spiritous or Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider.
The Youths’ Companion.— We have received
the first No. of vol. 1 of the “Youths’ Compan
ion,” published monthly, at Columbus, Ga. (16
pages vo.) by Thomas M. Slaughter. At one
dollar a year, in advance. The number before
"' us is full of excellent oiiginal matter, and advice
to youth. A work which should be sustained by
the South liberally, and we hope will meet with
that encouragement which it is justly entitled to-
The Editor, in his introduction, says —“ Our task
is a cheerful one, and we engage in it with that
pleasure which is experienced by those who are
conscious of doing a good action. To bring out
the latent energies of the infant tnind; to watch
its progress as the years of manhood approach ;
to guide the feet of youth in that path which has
been travelled by the wise and good of all ages;
to assist in making them useful and ornamental
to the societies in which they moved; this is the
cause in which we have long been engaged, and
in which we shall spend the residue of our days.
Hence the design of the Youth’s Companion ; to
p int out the proper path for the walk of those
who are just entering upon the great thorough
fare of the world : to warn them against the ma
ny evil examples continually before them, and
to recommend whatever may make them useful
and respected in this life and happy in that which
is to come.
“ VVe desire that it may be a companion worthy
of the society into which it is introduced, and
no pains shall be spared on our part to make it
such. To this end, it will oppose extravagance,
immorality, intemperance, and all other vices so
common among the youth of the present day;
and on the other hand, will be a strong advocate
for economy, morality, temperance, and those
moral and social virtues, which tend to the for
mation of a perfect character. Besides, it will
be a medium for the circulation of such know
ledge as will conduce to the welfare and happi
ness of those for whom it is intended.”
It has been recently shewn, that still houses
and school houses were mortal enemies to each
other, and that where the greatest number of dis
tilleries, there were the least number of children
in schools, in proportion to the population Some
places have attained an unenviable notoriety in
this regard. The temperance reformation will
place many children in schools who have not
been allowed to acquire even the first rudiments
of education. •
At a regular meeting of the Washington
Total Abstinanco Society of Lumpkin county,
held on the 14th March, 1843, the President
laid before the Society, the following Resolution
which was unanimously adopted.
Resolved: —That the thanks ofour Society are
due and we now tender them to the late Grand
Jury of our County for the kind and compli
mentary, manner,' that body did in their recent
presentments see fit to notice our humble efforts
in the cause of Temperance.
The Progress of Temperance.
Wewero highly gratified to see among the
proceedings of the late Democratic convention
held in Mississispi, the following resolution pro
posed and adopted:
“ On motion of Dr. Jas. Hagan (the Editor
the Vicksburg Sentinel) Resolved, that in the
approaching canvass, the democratic candidates
ire requested neither to treat nor be treated, but
hat they appeal to the reason and intelligence of
he people 1 1J
John Hawkins.— This devoted apostle of
Washingtonianism, has travelled since March,
18-11, over seventeen thousand miles, and deliv
ered over seven hundred temperance addresses.
“ The Midnight Cry,” the leading Miller pa
per, has commenced another volume, which opens
thus; “ We this week commence a new volume,
but whether the Lord will wait for us to finish it
we know not.”
/ “ Signing away my Liberty.”
A paper called the “ Total Abstinent” con
tains a capital story under this head; but we
can only give the concluding part of it; Jim
Bradock,” was prevailed onto “sign away his
liberty,” as some call it, and when he had
learnt, by happy experience, some of the benefits
of signing the pledge, he wrote the following let
ter to the man who put him up to it:
Mv Dear S.—For six long months I have
been trying to write to you. but bang me if 1
could get time. And now I’m so happy that I
can’t write worth a snap. I’m the happiest fel
low you ever saw. You see, S., I’ve signed a
way my liberty and am become a perfect slave to
— Happiness. You told me, if you reflect, that
niy liberty (to drink) cost me a good deal; but
you will give up, after hearing my story, that I
have sold it for all it was worth.
After you left me in the rum-shop, I went
home, told my wife what had happened, and for
the first time in three years, asked her advice as
to what 1 should do.
“ Sign the pledge,” said she “ by all means."
“ But I hav’nt got any pledge,” said 1; “ S.
has gone off' and I’m in a pickle.”
“ Can’t you write a pledge!” said she.
" No.”
“ But try.”
“ Well give me a pen, and some ink and a
piece o( paper.” We hadn’t either in the house,
hut they were soon mustered from a neighbor.
1 sat down at the table ; my hand was steady,
and I wrote as follows:
“ Blister my feathers if I ever drink another
drop of alcohol, sick or well, dead or alive.
Jim Bradock.”
“ But that’s a queer pledge,” said tny wife.
“ I don’t care a snap,” said I.
“ It’s just about no pledge at all,” said she.
“ \ ou’re an old goose,” said I, “ so now give
me a hammer and tour nails.”
“ VV hat do you want of a hammer and four
nails 1”
“ I want to nail my pledge up over the mantle
piece,” said I.
“ But it will getsmokey there,” said she.
“So will your aunt,” said I. But I got the
hammer and nails, ana nailed up the pledge, and
there it stuck till I moved into my new house,
when I took it down, put it in a frame and put
a glass over it, and now it omatnents my front
parlor.
You will say, ‘where did you git them V I’ll
tell you, boy. These are part payment for rny
liberty, that 1 signed away. Didn't 1 sell it at a
bargain 1 But this is not all. I’ve got my shop
back again, with a good run of custom—am ten
years younger than 1 was ten years ago —have got
the happiest wife, and smartest boy in all crea
tion—and don’t care a snap for any body. So
now, S. comedown here; bring your wife, and
all your responsibilities, and I’ll tell you the
whole story—-but can’t write. Good bye.
Jim Bradock.,
Why should the Temperance cause be sup
ported.
Because it is a cause which seeks the good of
all mankind, it restores to the children the father,
to the wife the husband. It is confined to no sect
or class—all are admited to its benefits. It ap
peals to the best feelings of mankind, and urges
upon them a course of action which must and
will be a source of happiness to them. It seeks
to save the young from the destructive influence
ofintcmperance.
It appears to those who have began to tamper
with the seducing poison, and urges upon them
by motives drawn from their own safety, and the
welfare of society, to forsake entirely the use of an
article which can do them no good, and may do
them much harm. It also visits the poor down
cast miserable slave of intemperance, and in a
voice of kindness pleads with him to burst the fa
tal chain which binds him to the monster. Cast
away at once the cursed poison, and once more to
be a freeman to take his right place in society a
mong his friends and fellow-citizens. It endea
vours also by every means sanctioned by philan
thropy, benevolence, and the word of God, to res
cue downfallen man from his degradation, and
put an end to the reign of the destroyer, and to
cause peace, sobriety, and happiness, to visit every
abode of man however humble on the earth.
This is the work in which we are engaged in,
and we are much astonished that so many should
withhold their influence from the cause which
has done, and is still doing so much good, then
citizens let it be so no longer, but at once after
reading this article, see that your name is enroll
ed among the Temperance men of our country
and giveyourinfiuencein doing good to your fel
low men, and you may be the humble instrument,
in the hand of God, of making many happy.
[ Washingtonian if- Organ.
“ I say, my little son, where does that right
hand road go V “Don't know, sir, taint been
nowhere since we lived here,”
Temperance in the Churches.
From the proceedings of the Alabama Synod
j ot the Presbyterian Church, we were highly
; gratified in noticing resolutions passed by that
body requiring all the Ministers and Licentiates,
within their bounds, to preach one or more dis
courses in their respective Churches, during the
year, in support of the cause of Temperance; to
do all in their power to organize Temperance
Societies, &c., and report at the next meeting of
Synod.
Also, from the Journals of the late Session of
'the Georgia Conference of the M. E. Church, we
learn, resolutions were passed, urging the mem
beiship, throughout their limits, “ to purge the
1 Church lrom the last vestige of the sin of Intem
perance,’ that they might have “ a church,
whose members neither use, manufacture, nor
traffic in the destroyer of the bodies and souls of
men. —.South Carolina Temperance Advocate ,
_
Eminent Shoemakers.
The New York State Mechanic publishes a
brief catalogue of men of this class who applied
themselves to the last, in improving the under
standings of their fellow men, with a zeal worthy
of aid praise. For
The shoemaker who hammers, and whis
tles, and sweats,
Who works early and late to pay off his old
debts,”
should remember that lie too may live in the
memory of posterity, with others of his craft
whose characters and attainment are worthy of
emulation.
Linnaeus, the founder of the science of botany,
was apprenticed to a shoemaker in Sweden j but
afterwards taken notice of, in consequence of his
ability, and sent to college.
David Parens, the elder, who was afterwards a
celebrated professor of theology at Heidleburg,
Germany, was at one time apprenticed to a shoe
maker.
Joseph Pendrell, who died some time since, at
Gray’s buildings, London, and who was a pro
found and scientific scholar, leaving an excellent
library, was bred and pursued through life the
trade of a shoemaker.
Hans Sachs, one of the most famous of the early
poets, was a son of a tailor, served an apprentice
ship to a shoemaker, and afterwards became a
weaver, in which he continued.
Benedict Baddouin, one of the most learned
men of the 10th century, was a shoemaker, as
likewise his father. This man wrote a treatise
on the shoemaking of the ancients, which he
traced up to the time of Adam himself. Thus
Adam was a shoemaker and Eve a tailoress!
“ She sewed fig leaves together," proving truly
the antiquity of these two branches of industry
and skill.
To these may be added those ornaments of lit
erature, Holcroft, the author of the Critic and
other works; Gifford, the founder, and for so
many years the editor of the London (Quarterly
Review, one ofthe most profound scholars and
elegant writers of the age ; and Bloomfield, the
author of the Farmer’s Boy, and other works; all
of whom were shoemakers, and the pride and ad
miration of the literary world.
John Brand, Secretary ofthe London antiqua
rian society, and author of several learned works
was originally a shoemaker, but fortunately
found means to complete his studies at Oxford.
Winckleman, the learned German antiquary,
was the son of a shoemaker, and was for some
time engaged in the same employment, but finally
burst from obscurity anil became a professor of
belles lettres. He was the friend and correspon
dent ofthe most learned men of his time.
Roger Sherman, the American statesman, was
apprenticed to a shoemaker, and found ample
time during his minority to acquire a stock of
knowledge that assisted him in the acquisition of
fame and fortune.
A Comet.
The attention of many of our citizens was at
tracted by the appearance of a comet near the
south-western horizon, on Monday night. It had
the appearance of a long streak of pale light, and
was supposed by many not to be a comet as no
nucleus or head was to be seen, and as no one had
known that such a visitor was expected, or had
been previously observed. It was again seen on
Tuesday night, and its head, though invisible to
the naked eye, was distinctfy perceptible with a
telescope of small power.
It can be seen, probably for some nights to
come, if the sky is clear, soon after sun-set, and
remains abofle the horizon two or three hours.
Possibly this may be the comet (on its coutse
from, the sun) lately observed at the North, and
noticed in the paragraph from the New Bedford
Mercury, wnich we subjoin, this, however, dif
fers much, both in situation and brilliancy from
the one spoken of by the Mercury, and also in
the length of its tail, that appendage to the comet
we have observed, being, instead of three , nearly
or quite fifty degrees in length. The late long
continued, stormy and cloudy weather may have
prevented its having been observed here, though
visible elsewhere previous to Monday night.
Washington News. March, 16.
The writer in the Mercury, who had noticed
the comet at mid-day, says:
“ Its brilliancy was almost equal to that of Ve
nus. Its situation is very near the limb of the
sun; its tail appears about 3 degrees in length. It
may be the comet announced some three months
since in Europe; it was then traversing tho con
stellatiun Draco; be it that or another, it is o*
rare brilliancy. There are but three on record
of sufficient brilliancy to be seen in the day sea
son. The first was forty-three years before
Christ and is. called a ‘hairy star;’ it was seen
with the naked eye in the daytime. The secand
was in the year 1402, and was so brilliant that
the light of the sun at the end of March, did not
hinder people seeing it at mid-day; both its nu
cleus and its tail was, to use the language of that
day, ‘two fathoms long.’ The third appeared
Feb. 18th, 1744, and nearly equalled Venus in
splendor, and many persons saw it at mid-day,,
without glasses, it may yet prove that the comet
of to-day is the same qs that of 4402.
There appears in the New Haven Palladium a
description which better agree* with the comet’s
appearance as cbserved here;
“ The Comet.—This remarkable body, which,
since the first inst., has been seen in the day-time
in several places, so distant from each other as to
leave no doubt of its being truly a comet, present
ed itself to us in admirable style last evening a
bout 9 o'clock, exhibiting in the southwest a long
and narrow trait), in shape not onlike the repre
sentations transmitted to us of the celebrated
comet of 1080.
The following observations made at the obser
vatory of Yale College, though not sufficiently
precise for scientific purposes, may serve as a gen
eral guide to those who may be on the look out
this evening. Rising from the horizon about 18
degrees south of the west point, at an angle with
it ol 29 degrees, it extended for 30 degrees along
the southern part of the constellation Cetus, or the
Whale, grazing on its southern margin the star
tan Ceti, and terminating, so far as visible, at the
star tau Eridcmi. Its light was rendered less
striking by the presence of the moon, then six
days old ; but should its course bring it fairly in
to view in the nocturnal sky, it promises to be
one of the finest comets ever seen.
The Comet.
This cellestial stranger has created much in
terest in all parts of the country; the papers
from every direction being full of accounts of its
appearance, and speculations as to its nature.
Some had supposed it to he the phenomenon
called the “ Zodiacal Light,” but the opinion
seems now to be generally abandoned, as its
nccleus has been discovered and described, and
as it differs so entirely from the “ Zodiacal
Light,” that it seems strange it should ever have
been mistaken for it. As it is almost the only
subject of interest now striring, we have devoted
some space to it to-day.
Since our last, it has increased in splendor and
size, and now appears one of the most imposing
phenomena that has been witnessed by the pres
ent generation of mankind. In the last two
hundred years there have been but two that
have equalled or surpassed in the length of its tail
(which is estimated to be over 100,000,000 of
miles,) though others have appeared more bril
liant. it is now on its course from the sun and will
shortly disappear. It is to be hoped, therefore,
that astronomers will take advantage of this op
portunity to determinate if possible, with more
certainty, the nature of these uncommon visitors.
The time has gone by when the appearance of
those bodies created consternation throughout
the world. It has been doubted whether their
very near approach to the earth could produce a
ny effect on our planet on account of their ex
treme tenuity and the velocity with which they
move out of the sphere of the earth’s attraction.
A Comet is said once to have eclipsed the Moon;
consequently, passing very near the earth, with
out producing any effect, another got entangled
among the Satellites of Jupiter, making no ap
parent change in that planet or its moons,
though the accident seems to have some influence
on the comet, completely changing the period of
its revolution. The probability that one of these
celestial vagabonds will come in contact with
the earth is so small, that it scarcely amounts to a
possibillity, the chance of collision being estima
ted at one in 281,000,000.
Wc think the present Comet can hardly be
blamed, for the extraordinarily cold spring this
year, as has been unjustly laid to its charge. It
is still some 100,000,000 of miles distant from us,
and its approach ought to produce heat instead of
cold, as it is now on its way from the sun, and its
temperature, if astronomers are to be believed
cannot be much less than that of red-hot iron!
The comet of 1811, was supposed to have affect
ed us only in that it much improved the vintage
of that year, but the idea is probably as chimeri
cal as that, which ascribed to it the character of a
prognostic of our war with England which ensued
soon after. “ Comet Champagne” is still famous
however, and good as we have reason to know.
Father Miller is a lucky fellow. Earthquakes,
storms, comets, midnight-cries, (very common in
the houses of married people blessed with babies,)
‘‘signs in the heavens and signs upon earth”
happening just previous to the time when he fix
ed the fulfillment of his predictions, will inevita
bly tend to increase the delusion he has caused.
Men and women previously half-inclined to trust
in his specious calculations, will become zealous
converts, and we may expect for a time, to hear
ot more excitement among his followers at the
North, more foolery and more insanity amon"
those who “wrest the Scriptures to their own
destruction.”— Washington New-.
List of Payments.
Marietta. .S. Dobbs paid to Dec. 3,1813.