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AUGUSTA, JUNK IT, 18*3.
U*a»hlnglon Total .Ibsttnence Pledge.
We, whose names are hereitnlo annexed, desirous j
of forming *i Society for our mutual benefit, j
and to guard against a pernicious practice, <
which is injurious to our health, standing and
families, do pledge ourselves as Gentlemen, j
not to drink any
Splritous or Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider.
To our Friends. —The Washington
ian, enlarged and improved, is hereafter
to be published under the auspices of the
Augusta Society. The object of this
arrangement is to enable every man of i
moderate means to enjoy, at a trifling
cost, the perusal of a paper, respectable
in quantity and quality of matter. This
could not be accomplished under the ordi
nary system of conducting such enter
prises—hence, the Society has agreed
to perform, through its committee, all
the Editorial labours of the paper,
gratis —to patronize it—and to aid in
its circulation—but to receive none of
the profits, nor assume any of its pe
cuniary responsibilities. The proceeds
of the subscription, advertising and job
patronage, on the other hand, are to go
to the publisher; who pledges himself to
defray the yearly expenses of the paper,
and apply the surplus, if any, at the end
of the year, to its further improvement,
and its establishment upon a more firm
and substantial basis.
The committeo will be responsible on
ly for the moral and intellectual charac
ter of the publication so long as they
continue to perform the duties assigned
to them; and they would not disguise
the fact that the prosperity and perpetuity
of the paper will depend upon the liber
ality of a generous public. Its character
and ability will, it is firmly believed, at
no time, fall below the present, specimen,
number.
To place its existence beyond contin
gency, we must havo at least Twenty
five Hundred subscribers ; and it is
confidently believed that the friends of
the cause in Georgia alone can furnish
this number in less than three months.
Almost every County in the State has
from one to three Societies, numbering,
in all, more than twenty thousand good
and true temperance men. Cannot every
tenth man send us a dollar, for fifty-two
such papers as the one he now reads ?
Cannot the Societies raise money enough
to pay for a thousand additional copies
lor distribution gratuitously ? Men in
other departments of life can act liber
ally—the politicians can raise their thous
ands for objects not more intimately con
nected with the public weal than ours:
Will the cold-water men alone be found
deficient in those manly and generous
qualities which adorn our nature ? We
trust not.
Our appeal, then, is to the Presidents,
the Secretaries, and the prominent men
in each Society in this and the neighbor
ing States. Gentlemen, we want your
aid! You arc aware of the influence of
the press upon public opinion and public
morals—You are aware, too, that the
true Washingtonian seeks to triumph
only by means of moral suasion—that
he asks not, and would accept not, the
interposition of the law in the accom
plishment of his purposes. His first
duty is of an individual and local charac
ter—his second, and equally sacred,
extends to the cause in general, and to
the thousands whose weal or wee de
pends upon its success. The spirit of
the enterprise is not selfish—it is com
prehensive—embracing all men of all
classes—lt appeals to the friends of hu
manity, morality and order of every
creed and party —of every grade of intel
lect and station in society—lt would turn
aside the youth from the snares of vice,
guard the helpless from poverty, and
rescue the aged from infamy and from
the unmitigated horrors of debauch and
death.
Is it not worthy of your active, your
unstinted support ?
The Circular Letter.
The following letter has been prepared
by the Editorial Committee, and will be
! forwarded to the officers of the several
Societies and the friends of Temperance
I generally. We hope they will act vigor
ously and at once. Ten, twenty, fifty,
or a hundred subscribers can be obtained
’in almost any county, in a few days —in
other cases the funds can be made wp by
private individuals, or by the Society of
the place, and the papers ordered without
delay, to be subsequently distributed,
either gratuitously or by subscription.
Remember, the Washingtonian unites
the great interests of production and
| economy —of agriculture and temper
| ancc—of making money and saving it—
and is, besides, the cheapest paper of its
size in the South.
Augusta, June 14th, 1843.
Sir —The friends of Temperance in this
I City, considering the great moral inter
ests of the cause, and encouraged by its
recent triumphs in the State of Georgia,
have judged it expedient to make arrange
ments for the publication of a Paper,
devoted to the support of Total Abstinence
from all that can intoxicate.
To secure the glorious Reform which
has been effected from the reproach of
an impulsive short-lived excitement—to
consummate the hopes of the pious and
the good, by continued aggressions on
the strongholds of the enemy—to perpe
tuate the efforts already so fruitful of
blessings to society, and so cheering to
the philanthropist and the patriot: we
have thought a Temperance Periodical
would be a valuable auxiliary. A cheap
medium through which to communicate
a knowledge of the exact condition of
the country—the relation of the people
generally to the momentous subject—the
formation of Societies, with the general
statistics of the cause, could but acceler
ate the progress of reform, by vivifying
the zeal of the lukewarm and encouraging
to unwearied labor the enterprising and
enthusiastic. The obvious propriety of
the step will doubtless so strike your own
convictions as to preclude the necessity
of accumulating reasons for its justifica
tion. Much remains to be done for the
entire redemption of the land from the
pollution, shame and curse entailed by
drinking, excessive and moderate, and
more still, perhaps, for the creation of a
public sentiment that shall be at once the
glory of the present and the safeguard of
future generations. Authentic informa
tion of the evil and the cure in all their
phases—the compilation of facts—the
array of argument which wo hope to
furnish, must, with the blessing of Hea
ven, contribute to bring about a consum
mation so devoutly to be wished.
We desire to enlist you as a subscriber,
and to avail ourselves of your personal
influence in promoting the circulation of
the paper among the members of your
Society, and to beg the favor of at least
an occasional contribution to our co
lumns. Patrons and friends of a common
cause, let us labor together—then shall
we labor efficiently.
We remain, respecfully,
F. M. Robertson, George F. Pierce,
S. T. Chapman, W. T. Brantly,
John Milledge, C. S. Don,
D. Hook, W. J. Hard.
James Harper,
Referring to the Records of the
i City Authorities, we find that there were
licensed to retail Spirituous Liquors,
•In 1840, - - - 29 establishments.
1841, --- 20 “
1842, ... 14 “
1643, ... 11 “
, Nor has this diminution been confined
i solely to the retail business. The whole
sale trade has fallen oft’ in an increased
ratio. An intelligent merchant estimates
the importations as less than one-third of
what they were three years ago, whilst
other branches of business have been on
the advance.
Our distant readers will thus perceive
the gradual and effectual change of pub
lic sentiment in Augusta, and will be not
the less pleased to learn the peaceful and
orderly character of the movement by
| which this result has been reached.—
! Still it is not to be disguised, that much
| remains to be done. Our proportion of
! grog-shops is still too great, and can be
still further diminished by the proper zeal
and effort, on the part of our Washing
! toman friends.
I Who will move in this matter? Let
i the effort be as heretofore, to diminish
the number of the consumers, and the
, evil will correct itself.
Economy of Temperance — What a
man gains by sign ing the Pledge. —Some
men affect to sneer at the transforma
tions of character and the ■pecuniary pros
perity which in many cases follow the
drunkard’s union with the Washingtoni
ans and his final abandonment of his
cups. Could such men properly appre
ciate the change which, in nine cases out
of ten, is wrought in the health, the
intellect, the character and the prospects
of the reformed drunkard himself, —could
they properly appreciate the joy, the
peace, the consolation which that reform
always brings to the companion of his
wretchedness and his too often degraded
children, it would be useless to say a
word on the subject. Such, however, is
not always the case. Men seldom look
beyond the present—they consult their
temporary rather than their true inter
ests, and not unfrequently prefer the
gratification of their appetites to both.
But how will signing the Pledge effect a
man’s pecuniary interests ? Let us see.
A is a temperate drinker, aver
aging only two drinks per day at 12£
cents each—He joins the Temperance
Society, and by abstinence saves
In 1 year, s9l 25
In 10 years, (Interest added,) 1321 85
In 20 years, “ “ 4177 49
B indulges more freely, averaging
four drinks per day—llis savings amount
In 1 year, to $lB2 50
In 10 years, (interest added,) 2043 77
In 20 years, “ “ 8284 20
Now, if the temperate and free drinker
could save this amount, (other things
being equal,) is it remarkable that the
drunkard, whose potations extend to ten,
twelve, and even twenty per day, should
rapidly accumulate property under the
combined inlliiences of sobriety and in
dustry 1
Let the young reflect upon this mat
ter—What comfort—what independence
—what absolute wealth might thus be
acquired in comparatively a few years ?
Contrast this with the rewards of the
drunkard, and decide accordingly.
The Wives of England. —The read
er who has yet to examine this work from
the gifted pen of Mrs. Ellis, will find
much in its pages to enlighten the mind
and improve the heart. Mrs. E. pos
sesses powers of perception and discrimi
nation of tae highest order, connected
with an improved taste and chaste ima
gination. Deeply versed in the feelings
of her sex, and intimately acquainted
with their motives of action, she is never
theless not blind to their foibles, nor
chary of her censure whenever it is
merited.
“Her themes arc—Education, taste,
beauty, fashion and the affections;” and
most admirably has she treated them.
The work is adapted to all classes, but
more especially to the ladies, to whom it
may be particularly commended.
A specitrtpn of its tone and sentiment,
also of the style of its composition, will
be found onour last page, and if it should
perchance meet the eye of a single fe
male who is not an advocate of our
cause by example as well as precept, we
beseech her calmly to contemplate a
| scene, the truth of which has been sadly
realized by thousands, once as gay- and
self-secure as the reader.
It is not strange, that the most
violent opponents of the Temperance So
ciety should generally be found among
those who have either violated the Pledge
, or withdrawn their names from the Roll.
>
A traitor is always the most relentless
j. enemy of the cause which is wounded by
t his treachery, and his zeal is too often
the true measure of his baseness.
s 05* Our friends in every section of
. the country, are requested to favor us
t with communications on the subjects of
1 Agriculture, Temperance, Education,
&c.; also the proceedings of public meet
■ ings—with accounts of such accidents
i and casualities as result from the use of
intoxicating drinks. To guard against
imposition, we shall neither receive nor
l publish any thing which is not post-paid |
and accompanied by a responsible name.
Those who write to us, we take for grant
: ed, will be so far prompted by their love!
i for the enterprise as not to tax us with
i the expense of postage.
05* The Post Master at Warrenton
'■ will please receive our thanks for his
1 promptness in forwarding us the names
of Eight new subscribers, accompanied
by the cash. Also the Post Master
1 at Social Circle, for a similar favor.
This is encouraging. Let every true
friend of the cause do likewise, and our
little bark will go on swimmingly.
A correspondent significantly asks,
“ what has become of the City Society ?
Is it dead ?”
“It is not dead, but sleepeth .” When
it will awake from the nap we know not;
but hope that its slumbers may be broken
at no very distant day.
05” “A Washingtonian” exhibits a
most commendable zeal in his communi
cation—lt contains many good thoughts,
but is very long and very defective in
style of composition. We would insert !
it, but have not time to revise and correct.
05* Perhaps an apology is due for the
quality of the pape~ used in our present
issue. We have ordered a much better
article to be used in future—We hope
therefore to be excused for a few weeks
—as the recent change in our publication
was so sudden as to leave no time for the
usual preparation.
State Convention froposed. —lt
seems to us that the true interests of our
cause might be materially subsurved by
the assemblage of a Convention and the
organization of a State Washingtonian
Society. The mere interchange of opin
ions and information on the part of Del
egates assembled from every section of
the State and representing every diversi
ty of interest, would enable them to de
vise and agree upon a more efficient and
uniform course of action. Plans could
be matured for the procurement of sta
tistics relative to the extent and nature
of the evil and in reference to the char
acter and effectiveness of the reform.—
New zeal would be inspired and existing
hopes strengthened and confirmed. In a
word, we think that good and only good
would be effected by the meeting of dele
gates contemplated and the re-organiza
tion of the present State Society or the
formation of a new one.
Our friends abroad, in forwarding sub
scribers, will be kind enough to allude to
the above suggestions and express their
opinions upon the subject.
Massachusetts. —We learn from the
Boston Washingtonian, that the Massa
chusetts Washington Total Abstinence
Society, held a meeting in Marlborough
Chappel, on Wednesday, May 31, at
half-past 10 A. M.,and from the report
of the proceedings, published in that pa
per, we glean the following statements:
In Needham, Norfolk county, there
are 1030 teetotallers in a population of
1471! Brookline has 920 teetotallers in
a population of 1173 !
Number of towns heard from, 87;
population, 319,271. Not heard from,
221; population 418,428. Signed since
1840, male adults 56.660, females, 23,-
453, children 18,150; total 98,163. —
Nearly one-third of the population of the
State which has been heard from.
Reformed drunkards, 13,575; same
ratio in the State, 210,000, exclusive of
those who were members before 1841!
In the same proportion the reformed
men would number 30,000 —not costing
one dollar.
Number of stores and taverns selling,
> 366 ; temperance stores, 540; those giv
en up, 99; new ones, 17; still in opera
tion, 21; quantity distilled, not known ;
cider mills, 453 ; 14,211 barrels of cider!
Paupers, 944; 319 by intemperance.
1 In jails and houses of correction, 153 ;
98 made so by intemperance. 1241 pro
f fessors of religion refuse to sign! 1423
> j known to be drunkards ! 109 have died
f by intemperance. 4640 temperance pub.
, lications have been circulated during the
■ year.
s Reports were read from the Houses of
t’ Industry and Correction, and from the
t Massachusetts State Prison. Statements
• of the liquor trade of Boston and Charles
, town, of the number of temperance hou
ses opened in the State, and other import-
I ant matters, were submitted.
! The Treasurer’s Report stated that
’ 0921,45 had been expended.
Several committees were appointed,
I and plans adopted to push forward the
good cause.
In the afternoon the Society organized
as a Convention. Addresses were made
by several gentlemen.
Faneuil Hall was filled in the evening:.
D
It was a cheering meeting. The work
goes bravely on.
The cause in Massachusetts seems to
be in most excellent hands. Every thing
is reduced to system—and facts of a most
I important and interesting character have
i been collected. llow long will New York
Jbe without such an organization? Every
! thing is at present at loose ends. There
is no head to direct opr efforts. Everv
Society is working on its “own hook,”
regardless of the counsel or interest of
its neighbors. Will our cause triumph
under such a system ? When shall we
have the General Council to begin the
work ?— [N. Y. Organ.
TRIAL OF PLATT.
Our readers will remember the murder
of Wm. R. Harding, by W. H. Platt,
i which occurred in this city, in March
last. It produced deep excitement at
the time, which has however principally
subsided. On Thursday last the prisoner
was put upon his trial before his honor
Judge Schly. The counsel were,
For the State —E. Starnes, Attorney
General pro. tern., Andrew J. Miller and
George W. Crawford, Esq’s.
For the Prisoner —W. T. Gould, C.
J. Jenkins, H. 11. Cumming, and Jo-
I seph Henry Lumpkin, Esq’rs.
| At an early hour, the prisoner was ar
raigned, and plead, not guilty. The wit
nesses for both parties were then called ;
when they announced themselves ready
for trial.
The Sheriff, aware that under the ex
citement of feeling which had
i many persons would be found to have
“formed and expressed” opinions, had
summoned some four hundred talesmen :
nor was he mistaken—for the whole day
was spent, and five full panels exhausted
and only nine Jurors sworn. The State
at an early period filled its quota of chal
lenges, and the matter then fell pretty
much into the hands of the prisoner’s
counsel, who evidently proceeded with
great caution in their choice.
It is to be regretted that two Jurors
were found to have “formed and express
ed opinions,” who nevertheless had an
swered differently on their oaths. Can it
be possible that public justice will slum
ber on and suffer such outrages to be per
petrated within the very thresholds of her
sanctuary ? We hope not.
Every day’s experience serves but to
confirm the conviction, that the law ought
to be so changed as to transfer the trial of
all criminal cases to special Jurors select
ed from the Grand Jury list—under pro
per restrictions. It would be better for
the innocent, as well as the public—men
having a proper defence,'could rely upon
the justice of their cause, whilst the
guilty would not “go unwhipt of justice”
through the instrumentality of the cor -
rupt and venal.
The Jurors sworn, were :
Irvin Hicks, Jackson Clarke,
Wm. Cady, Jno. E. Bowers,
Thos. Bartlett, Wm. Martin,
Reuben Elbert, A. C. Wise,
i E. C. Ellington
P. S.—We have not room for the pro
ceedings of yesterday entire.
I Wm. Leverman, Thomas Leverman
I and J. W. R. Page, were sworn as Jurors,
j and the State proceeded to present its
evidence at 3 o’clock.
Is it Right— For a man who has been
rescued from intemperance, to stand still
and see all around him going to a drunk
ard’s grave, without raising his voice to
caution them, or endeavoring to avert
their fate ? No!—take hold; there is
; much to be done, and it is your duty to
[ j render all the assistance in your power.
Do not despise the man who may be
so unfortunate as to violate the Pledge ;
the temptation may have been stronger
p| than you are aware of. Rather pity
| him—sympathise with him, for he needs
! j both. Strive by kindness and love, to
? 1 win him back to the paths of right. It is
■ ! your duty to do so.— [Organ.