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I I i I THE WASHINGTONIAN: AUGUSTA, JULY 1, 1843. U'anhiaglon Total .Ibsthunce Pledge. - We, whose names an hereunto annexed, desirous if forming a Soc iety for our mutual benefit, and tu 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. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE. Rev. W. T. Brantmt, Dr. P. M. Robertson, “ WJ.Hard, Dr. D. Hook, “ C. S, Dod, S. T. Chapman, Esq, " Geo. F. Pierce, James Harper, Esq, Col. John Miixedoe, To poBRESPONDENTa.—We have re ceived a prose piece and a poetic article from “D. L. R.” The first is highly creditable, and will no doubt furnish ex tracts for a future nurtber of this paper. It would be better, perhaps, to let the poetry remain in manuscript. In breaking open “ E’s” poetic effusion we tore off the caption,—can’t assume the responsibility of giving it one. Remark —All communications must, hereafter, be accompanied by the au thor’s name. We will be glad to publish any account of Temperance celebrations which may take place on the 4th July. Will our friends send in their speeches , toasts and songs, or any thing else done or said on these occasions, calculated to please and to do good. Before our next number bo in the hands of our readers, our national anni \ersary will have passed. Each return of this day has been ushered in with the welcome of a nation rejoicing still to run its course of unrivalled prosperity. Du ring the sixty-seven years which has elapsed since the glad tidings of our new born liberty went forth to arouse a slum bering world from servitude, our progress has been onward—we have become great as a people; civilization has brought the wide wilderness into cultivation—the Bible and the School Book are every where, and learning and literature are found as in our mansions, so in the hum ble cottage—we have equal laws and equal rights—all men are free to act, and to thrive. The spectacle of a nation, thus emancipating itself from the thral dom of the past, and the prejudices of ages, and throwing itself upon the inhe rent rights of man—basing its govern ment solely upon the virtue and intelli gence of the people, has not been unmarked, or without its effect. So far, we have been the beacon-light of popular liberty to the world—the admiration, and object of emulation of other nations, struggling with convulsive efforts to work out for themselves their own political regeneration. But while we have thus become the wonder of others, manifesting all the external evidence of prosperous and en lightened freedom, are we not to a certain extent the semblance of that which internally we are not? Are our laws administered without fear and partiality? Has not a spirit of anarchy shown itself too frequently in the halls of legislation, and been widely diffused among the peo ple ? Has not a greediness for wealth ■ well nigh banished honest industry, and brought with it an emulation of foreign luxury in place of the simplicity of our fathers. In a word, is not licentiousness, moral and political, rife in the land, and the people forsaking the virtue which gave them freedom, and which alone can sustain it. It is time then, that atten tion be directed to this subject. It is true then, that the orator should move the people, not with words to stir their pas sions—not with words to lull them to repose; but with the power of an elo quence that would mould them as if by some process of art into new men, and stamp upon their very nature—a name, they could never dishonor—the name of an American Citizen. Now’s the time, now’s the day, Speak for freedom ’ere it pass away. These-reflections come within our pro vince as connected with the cause to which this paper is devoted : The day commemorative of that Independence to which we owe the blessings of our politi cal condition has ever been characterized by the intemperance of its festivities— our patriotic citizens seem to have been laboring under the impression that it was their duty to drink, and to get drunk, in honor of the occasion. The country, in this respect, is undergoing a happy change—a change which is cheering to the patriot; to this green spot—to this oasis does he flee, to revive his sunken , spirit, to breath the air of hope. Tem , perance and rational liberty must go } hand in hand—they support and sustain , each other. The same principle of self control, which reforms the drunkard will : make him a good citizen, if not in each individual case, certainly in the mass.— ' The same self-denial which will induce him to forego accustomed gratification from a sense of duty to himself, his wife, . and his children, will curb the unrestrain , ed indulgence of his passions—will render i him subservient to the just restraints of the laws of God and of man—will make him a lover of order and an active agent for good. We strike at the root of the evil, if we can influence those who pro fess to govern themselves politically, to do it individually. Could every be persuaded, properly to regulate his own desires, to control his own impetuosities, and to bring his own household under the same subjection, the republic would be safe. The influence and power of the 1 same spirit which gave him mastery over himself, would operate still further—it > would extend to all the relative duties he 1 had to perform as a member of society; ’ and thus not only giving peace and hap. piness to himself, but to all around. Is , not, then, the cause of temperance the , cause of patriotism. . 1 Surrounded by every means and source of information pertaining to the busy and exciting pursuits of life, the Editor ( can, from his little sanctum, trace the progress of commerce as it exchanges the products of one country for that of another—watch the spirit of trade, eager ’ to know when and where its genius and er. terprise will stop; and there, too, he ' notes the first feeble, gentle, effort of as piring ambition, until, with strong and impetuous stride, it rushes forth to clutch within its iron grasp the tyrant’s sceptre. I The discordant elements which compose j society, mingle together in confusion— boil and bubble up beneath and around— ’ the power and fury of a nation bent upon P a nation’s death are marshalled before his eyes—the gasping breath of the one, is drowned by the rejoicing acclamations of victory, victory of the other. Thus j is the map of life spread out before him; and in his quiet retirement, elevated r above the strife and conflicts of life, j though in daily intercourse with men and countries—with extended means of { comparison, his advantages to enlighten I and purify public sentiment are pre eminently great. But these means and , facilities increase expectation, add weight > to his responsibility, and require for their . proper use and application, sound judg , ment, wise discretion, and a fearless de t termination to do right. j He must send out to those who patron t ize him the impress of his mind and of [■ his heart. To do this in a manner cal , culated to benefit those into whose hands . his thoughts and his feelings may fall, l and to obtain his own approbation, is a l task attended with many trials and diffi i culties, and which no ordinary man can - accomplish. Upon the performance of , this duty rests the rewards of honor— I whilst the abuse of confidence, the com i promise of truth, and the criminal disre- II gard of principle, will always secure the . scorn and contempt of those whose es -3 teem is to be valued. ; To furnish then for the mind streneth . ening food, and to supply useful and ) practical information, the wheat must . be winnowed from the chaff and trash - that is scattered around him. Whatev. 1 er may have a tendency to increase the , present corrupt taste for promiscuous f reading—a desire for exciting descriptions of crime and immorality, should be care fully avoided—their moral effect is highly pernicious. Regard their dissemination ■ as so much deadly poison, destroying the > mind of the young, and depriving old - rnrnaimtSimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm age of that mature thought which ! should be its comfort and its support, ; Thus careful that whatever goes out j from under his signature, should bear the | signet of value—of genuine thought— his labor in this respect will speak for it self, and if then those with whom he communes are not edified and elevated by such a companion, their minds are too obtuse to comprehend and their hearts too depraved to improve. But the Editor has not only to satisfy the wants of the mind—he has assumed a position which invests him with the j character of a moral guardian—of a public censor; and upon the discharge i of this branch of his duty, his weight and influence will depend. A neutral party in a warfare in which vice would i dethrone virtue, is an anomalous charac ter, unknown in the moral government of the universe—the enemy would soon claim him as h welcome ally. If he at tempts to occupy this position—to pre judge popular opinion—to act like the automaton, only from extraneous influ ence, he will soon find that he maintains an unenviable situation, and is attracting disgraceful distinction. Controlled by no fixed principle—he is ever vascillating between the hope of pleasing and the | fear of rebuke—living a miserable life— and at last condemned to die, the pitiable! victim of a power that has no mercy on fawning sycophants. On the other hand, if he stands firm and undaunted as the statue, his eye fixed and steadfast upon his country —and to her honor and wel fare alone—if his voice is heard contin ually exalting virtue—denouncing vice and crime with scorching indignity—the divine weapon of truth his guardian and ! his defence, with it to conquer where e’er ! it shines—he will prevail. But should j he fall, the honors of his country will cover the grave of the fearless champion of her cause. Avarice and Sensuality.— These arc the principal enemies with which we have to contend in carrying into effect the benevolent measures of our Society. 1 They have ever constituted the most powerful obstacles to our success, and so long as man is made up of his present compound, we must contend with these difficulties. Avarice prepares the poison in the most attractive form; it studies the most palatable mixtures and exposes the bait to public view. Sensuality is allured by the bait, and makes haste to swallow the fascinating beverage. The former thirsts for money and is gratified when its object is attained, no matter how base the means used for its attainment. The latter cries out for indulgence—yea, indulgence at the expense of fortune, health and reputation. The one fattens upon ruin and destruction—grows plump and plethoric upon the woes of the vic tims which it makes; the other prepares for destruction new victims, and circu lates the poison which avarice had min gled. Avarice is the vender—Sensuality is the purchaser. And which is the most execrable ? One adopts, coolly and de deliberately, a business by which his un hallowed gains are to bo realized from human degradation and suffering: the other dethrones his reason and gives to appetite the empire. One acts with a diabolical pre-meditation : the other by a heedless impulse. Much as we pity and condemn the man who embrutes his reason and yields himself up to the unre strained indulgence of a depraved appe tite—we more heartily reprobate his con duct who mixes the destructive draught . and employs all his artifice to commend to the unwary that which he well knows will be the occasion of so much mischief. Let the friends of reform remember that avarice and sensuality are constantly busy.—ls theywould triumph over such foes as these, they too must be awake. FIVE THINGS WHICH LOOK SUSPICIOUS. 1. It looks suspicious to see men going into a shop, where, although confection aries and sundry other things are display ed in front, it is well understood that strong drink is to be had in the “ back i room.” 2. It looks suspicious to see a face which became suddenly and naturally pale when its owner subscribed the Total Abstinence pledge, gradually resuming its color, and finally becoming as florid as ever. 3. It looks suspicious for a man who - is a member of a Christian Church tot ! decline all co-operation in an enterprise lof such pure philanthropy as the Tem- J perance reform—it makes us think, (per-! i haps erroneously,) that he cherishes a j secret attachment for the criltur. 4. It looks suspicious to see profess ed Washingtonians too fond of brandy? peaches, syllabub, and sundry other good j things which contain the deceitful poison in disguise. They should guard against ' taking too much of these, as they might | chance to find themselves fuddled. 5. It looks suspicious when the. same j characters refuse to take our paper —are ; never seen at our meetings, and exhibit a | general indifference to all that pertains |to our measures. We suspect them of j lukewarmness in a good cause. ciety,” is the name of an association, w hich has existed in our city for nearly two years. It is now in a flourishing condition, and composed of our most re spectable and talented young gentlemen —some of whom bid fair, in the course of time, to rival any of our most popular declaimers. The members of this Society propose | passing the evening of the 4th July next 1 in the City Hall Park, when an Essay ; will be read by Mr. J. R. Dow; and an Address, prepared for the occasion, will be delivered by Mr. George Morgan—w here they invite their friends to partake of a “ feast of reason,” and an entertainment calculated to produce a full “flow of soul,” poetic and patriotic. “ The night we celebrate,” will oft recur to the mind of the patriot—whilst the music, the j shade of the grove, and the sweet “ voice 'of her I love,” as gently she reclines on the arm of her chosen, —will w'akc the “ Poet’s sigh.” Legal Intelligence. —At the June term of the Superior Court of Richmond County, his Honor Judge Shly presiding, the following gentlemen, after an exain i ination highly creditable to themselves 1 and their preceptors, were admitted to plead and practice in the several Courts of Law and Equity in this State. — Messrs. Lawrence D. Lallerstedt, Wil liam A. Ramsay and Wooding. The Ciieraw Gazette,— We have received the Bth No. of Vol. 1, of this ex cellent paper, devoted to the interests of the farmer, published weekly, at S 3 00 j per annum, and would l were it possible place it in the hands of every good citizen in our State, for the independent stand the editor has taken in the Temperance cause, and also for the useful information it contains. Often, non-paying subscribers threaten to stop their paper, which always proves j an unpleasant disappointment to the pub- 1 lisher — as friend Stubbs to the j fifteen, we say to a few who dislike us, “pay up, and quif.” Friend Stubbs is a model of an editor. Keep the ball rolling. Editorial Pluck. —Friend Stubs, dram drinkers, you’ll find to be a pretty dogged fellow to deal with. We like his spunk, or rather his manly independ ence, which cannot be daunted by threat- \ cning his purse, albeit this purse is not “ trash” to him, only when compared to that jewel principle. Hear how he] talks! big, as if a purse were in his way, and “ fifteen subscribers” to be sneezed ] at.— S. C. Temp. Advocate. “ To Correspondents.-—We last week received a communication signed “ An- j ti-Tejiperance.” We have no partic ular reason for not publishing it, except that it was not perfectly convenient to set it in type, and we could not conceive i that the cause of Anti-Temperance would be seriously inconvenienced by the delay. Old “ Bald Face ” has still many ad mirers, and although we occasionally see some of them capsized in the gutter and ? reeling along the streets yet he holds a mighty sway, and rules it with a jug of rum! But we are flying from our sub ject. This week, in consequence of ; the non-appearance of “ Anti-Temper ance,” we received a Note signed “Fif teen Subscribers,” threatening that if we did not publish the Communication, they would withdraw their names! Well, gentlemen, withdraw, so soon as you please, but do not forget to pay up your arrears. We believe we would make money by striking your names from our list at any rate. On second thought, we will forgive you what is already due, if you will only give us the opportunity to purge our books of the foul contamina ! tion of your presence.— Cheraw Gazette. {fc?” We call the attention of every one who is in need of summer clothing, to the Home Industry Society—hy patronizing that establishment, you will be “ feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.” i - We regard the agitation of the Irish repeal question by the people of this country, as being highly impolitic, and | well calculated to jeopard the character j for neutrality which we have sustained : with so much credit ever since our Inde | pendence. We have been unsparing in our abuse of England for meddling in our domestic relations : with what rea son or consistency can we now take . sides in a question the termination of | which can be of no benefit to us, as a ! nation. Whatever part the South may j have assumed in connection with this ! subject heretofore, it will now cease to , act; and that no matter how much this question may be agitated at the North, ! for political effect, we at least will keep our mouths shut for the future, —and hope, at the next Irish repeal meeting, whenever it is held at the South, some friend of Mr. O’Connell will read, for the information of all present, his speech, recently delivered at the Corn Exchange in Dublin, or the following extract, in order that the sentiments of their leader may be clearly understood. This speech will dissolve the union between himself and the South. “But it is clearly an insult to the hu man understanding to speak so. When did tyranny relax its gripe merely be cause it ought to do so? And if it would, why did they not emancipate their slaves for the centuries that passed without agi tation? [Hear.] As long as there was no agitation, the masters enjoyed the per secution of their slaves in quietness; but the moment the agitation commenced, they cried out, “ Oh, it is not the slave we are flogging, but we are flogging, through his back, the anti-slavery men.” [Laughter.] But the subject is too se rious for ridicule. lam afraid they nev er will give up slavery until some horri ble calamity befalls their country ; and here I warn them against the event, for it is utterly impossible that slavery caVi continue much longer. [Hear, hear.] But, good Heaven! can Irishmen bo found to justify, or rather to palliate; for no one could dare attempt to justify a system which shuts out the book of hu man knowledge and seeks to reduce to the condition of a slave 2,500,000 human beings—which closes against them not ' only the light of human science, but the rays of Divine revelation, and the doc- I trines which the Son of God came upon I earth to plant. The man who will do so belongs not to my kind. [Hear, hear. J Over the broad Atlantic I pour forth my voice, saying, “ Come out of such a land, you Irishmen ; if you remain, and dare countenance the system of slavery that is supported there, we will recognise you ' and cheers.] But is that all that can bo I said against slavery ? Can any thing Ire more dreadfully destructive of moral ity ? lam prevented, by the presence in which I speak, from entering as fully into this subject as I might before a more select but less pure auditory than the present; but, I ask, can there be morality under a system which prevents the mar riage state, or wherq those who are mar ried to-day may be forced from each oth er to-morrow ; where the husband is sold to one slave owner, and the wife to a.- nother ; and where the children may be torn from the parents and sent else where ? Can there be morality where ; the power of the master over the female slave is unlimited, and where no passion is so brutal that it has not the means of its gratification ? I say the man is not a Christian—he cannot believe in the bind ing law of the decalogue —he may go to the chapel or the church, and he may turn up the whites of his eyes, but he can not kneel as a Christian before his Crea tor, or he would not dare to palliate such ;an infamous system. No: America, the i black spot of slavery rests on your star spangled banner; and no matter what 1 glory you may acquire beneath it, the hideous, damning stain of slavery re i mains upon you; and a just Providence ‘ I will, sooner or later, avenge itself for your | crime. [Loud and continued cheer.] Sir, I have spoken the sentiments of the Repeal Association. [Renewed cheers;] There is not a man amongst the hund reds of thousands that belong to our body, or amongst the millions that will belong to it, who does not concur in what I sta ted. We may not get money from America after this declaration; but even if we should not, we do not want blood • stained money. [Hear, hear.] If they make it a condition of their sympathy, or if there be implied any submission to the doctrine of slavery on our part in receiv ing remittances, let them cease sending it at once. fl