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THE WASHING TONIANr
DECEMBER *, 1843.
Washington Total Abstinence Pledge.
B*c, whose names are hereunto annexed, desirous
■ gs forming a Society for our mutual benefit,
nnd to guard against a •pernicious practice
* which is injurious to our health, standing and
/ amities, do pledge oursdvcs as Gentlemen,
not to drink any
- Rplrttous or Malt Liquors, Wlue or Cider.
*1 COMMITTEeT
Rev. W. T. Branti/t, Dr. F. M. Robert*on,
" W. J. Hard, Dr. D. Hwk, -
■V J‘- C. S. Don, Sk>® Chapman, Eaq."~
'•'< " ~Gko. F. Pijtacr, James Harpeh, t&i.
Col .-John Milleixse,
* * T ij^ySagaMHMpßSSsyni.L^
■ftp To Dhtakt Bu»,cju»r.it«.—Post Masters are ati
thorized by law to remit money to the publishers of
newspapers and periodicals, fti payment ©/ subscrip
tions. Subscribers to the tt’sshini’tonian. canlhirefore
pay for their papers without subjecting themselves or
the publisher to the expense of postage, by handing the
•’ amount to the Post Master, with a request to remit it.
(fir We have learned from one of the
delegation, from (he Augusta Society, to
the Convention at Eatonton, that the at.
tendance was numerous and enlivening.
The preliminary discussion of the pro
priety of this movement, we had hoped
1 would invest it with interest and lead to
the adoption of measures, calculated to
prolong the excitement nnd multiply the
benefits of the Temperance reformation.
* Wp will not forestall the Committee in|
! their report to the Society, by alluding
even in detail to the action of the Con
vention, and will only remark, that we
heartily approve of the plan of an annu
al State Convention, which wd under
stand has been recommended. A Con
vention of Delegates from the several
societies of the State, we regard ns pre
ferable to a State Society, properly so
called. A comprehensive organization
is doubtless the true secret of strength
w and perpetuity. A cpntral power, vital
with zeal and full of -.i'(ibr^~ptT*<htcinp.
and maintaining a healthy circulation ol
right sentiments and right Jbelings, even
to the farthest extrcmilibs of the State— r
is what we need. We know nothing 1
■ better adapted to secure this desideratum-) 1
in our blessed enterprise, than theannual 1
gathering of delegates from all points--- *
the interchange of opinions upon the
general interest—tho accumulation of 1
. facts as they may be selected from the 1
various reports —the stirring up ail the 1
elements of power, and the propagation
!. by sympathy of the same influence, <
when they have returned to the commit- (
nion of the several societies. We hope
the suggestion will meet the hearty com '
currence of the friends of the cause, (
and that more energetic action will en- c
sue, repaying effort an hundred fold, by *
the rescue of the sottish—the reformation *
of the moderate —the establishment of
the faithful and the extermination of the \
evil from the face of the Land. “So 1
mote it bc. ? ’ • *
' s
' [communicated.] <
Msft- ~ <
Messrs. Editors —The zeal manifest- i
ed by the Delegates from the different j
societies throughout the State, to the Ea- (
tonton Convention, shows that the spirit |
of Temperance is still living, and is ever j
ready to go abroad on its benevolent mis- <
sion; and although. t there may be an ap- J
parent tack of effort on the part of its |
advocates generally, whenever opportu- ;
nity offers, its claims are urged, and every
mean employed that promises that suc
cess so long desired.
I deem it out of place to enter into a
minute detail of the proceedings of the
Convention, as they will soon appear offi
cially, and will only make a passing re
mark in reference to them. There was
a much larger representation in the Con
vention than was anticipated, and the dif
ferent reports read showedthatthfc'cause
is still onward—giving tone to public
‘■sentiment—currency to-virtue—a proper
.estimate of character—-raising the stan
dard of morals, and spreading' abroad
through society that beneficial indue net
which cannot fail to work the most cheer
ing results. .*..
There were some reeohittdns’ passed
which deserve special notice: the estab-!
lishir.ent of a State Convention, to be
jeomposed of delegates from the different
societies in the State, who shall meet an
nually at such places as may be selected,
I'to consult on the best mode of promoting
[Temperance; the officers to remain du
ring the year; leaving every society in
jdependent, to be governed by its own
[constitution and pledge. The two tem
. Iperancc publications (the Penfield Ban
ner and Augusta Washingtonian) were
warmly recommended to the public, as
worthy their support. A resolution was
also passed, disclaiming any intention to
, further the cause of Temperance by other
means than moral suasion ; and a Com
mittee was appointed to publish an ad
dress, setting forth the principles and
views of the Convention, which will ap
pear in due time'. * Large meetings coin
posetfof the "societies ofadjoining coun
ties, were recommended to be held, as
efficient means of promoting the cause;
other resolutions \Vere passed, which 1
will not now notice.
Each day being spent with business,
the evenings were set apart for public
meetings, which were well attended—
the anxiety of the audience and the spir
ited manner of the able speakers who
addressed the meeting, evinced an inter
est in the cause, which no change can
abate nor discouragement modify; the
effects of which were, quite a large num
ber of the citizens of the beautiful town
of Eatonton, subscribed their names to i
thp pledge—ra majority of whom, I am
happy to say, were ladies—it must be
permanent and successful, with tho in
fluence and approbation of their smiles—
that played with living transport on their
radient cheeks, as name after name was
added to the pledge: the cause must be
secure where such guardian angels are,
to watch its safety and cheer its progress
onward. The very kind reception ex
tended, and the courteous attention paid,
to the delegates,, by the citizens of Eaton
ton, indicate that spirited liberality which
is characteristic of the people and worthy
the home of Temperance. L.
C. H. S. C. > j
Oct. 28, 1843. $
To the Editors of the Washingtonian: I
During pqst summer and fall, I
have travelled through a number of the
upper counties of Georgia, and a few ol
tho upper districts, of South Carolina, and 1
every where I find the cause of Temper
ance on thb advance. I heard fellow
travellers, who are in the habit of indulg- |
ing in their occasional drinks, often com- i
plain of the want of road-side rum shops.
Like many misled mortals, they were
grumbling at the very means which con- [
duped to their happiness. j
At Greenville Court House, a rum shop ]
has recently “caved in nnd the propri- i
etor, for lack of customers has (very pru 1
dently and charitably to the rest of man- 1
kind) gone to work to drink up his liquors J
himself.
At Anderson Court House, there is no i
grog shop, technically so termed. There i
is, however, a place, where, to avoid the
license, as well as the public odium, a !
shop where the proprietor sells cordials .
only ! And reader, what kind of cordials ,
do you suppose they are ? Not mint, an- <
niseed, rose, or life-of-man—oh no ! But I
pure peach cordial—an article vulgarly *
termed peach brandy ; with this uddi- \
tion, it is cordialized by the addition of j
honey ! It is in this way that the law is ,
evaded, and public opinion propitiated.—
But it will likely be a short-lived opera
tion. This is a striking evidence of the -
advance of the Temperance reformation,
when such means are adopted to bolster
up the rotten fabric of grogeries.
I am impressed with the belief that the
Temperance cause is more prosperous in
South Carolina than in Georgia, although
miracles almost have been performed, in
that way, in your State.
Let me wish you God-speed in your
laudable exertions.—Let the friends ol
Temperance, every where in Georgia, re
new their efforts in the good work-—ln
Savannah, bid them rally and cheer up—
in the middle counties brighten up their
armour —in the moimtains-the work goes
bravely on. 1' ~
I may address you again from this vil
lage—-and as I travel around, you may
-)Cca§toßal!y.vhe4r frcrm me—l was no lit-
I tie surprised to hear that’in Abbeville
. village not a single copy of the Wash
i ingtonian was received. I hope, how
: ever, our Temperance friends will not
long neglect your very neat aud worthy
, journal. 0. P. Q.
- ■' ~ ■ -
Tbe value of Commodities.
On a recent occasion, a quantity of the
fluid, commonly called whiskey, (known
among Washingtonians for its destruc
tive properties, and among its consumers
for the comparatively low price at which
; it can be procured in sufficient quantity'
’ to cause that species of trancient ex-1
’ hilaration, which precedes intoxication,)
was sold at auction, for cash, at 28 cents
per gallon, while the best quality of Cu
ba molasses, could at the same time be
had -in this city for 3 cents per gallon j
Jess. The latter article is known to be)
pleasant to nearly all unvitiated tastes.
sodbt the same time to be highly nutri
tious,, while tho former intoxicating fluid
affords no more nourishment than would
be furnished by a streak of lightning, or
by the application of a whip or spur to a
sluggish animal. Truly, Washingtoni
ans have yet much to do, before our fel- ;
low-citizens generally, can be induced to
place a proper value on commodities of
(well known properties.
Hydrophilus.
From the Organ and Washingtonian.
Twenty years Ago.
When we look back and examine the ,
customs of society as they existed twen- ,
ty years ago, we are overwhelmed with ,
astonishment—we gaze upon the fond (
matron as she clasps her darling boy to ,
her breast, and while she teaches him to |
lisp the dear word “mother,” she, through |
ignorance of the danger, puts the intoxi- ,
eating cup to his lips, and thus, unconsci
ously, sows the seeds of intemperance, :
which in the end may blast all her earth
ly hopes, and send her broken-hearted to
the grave ! We behold the doting father
us hemeets his favorite child in the morn
ing, present the poisonous draught, with (
the assurance that it would “do him no
harm,” and that it was absolutely ncces- (
sary for him as it would prevent him from ,
“catching cold,” or some other equally (
absurd notion. Could those parents have ,
looked through the vista of a few years,
and beheld their hearts’ idols encircled ,
by the fangs of the monster —could they
then hear those agonizing groans that are
wafted on the wings of every breeze,
from the lost ones of earth, whose wholej
frames are parched and whose brains arei
maddened—could they have gazed uponj
the millions of immortal beings whom!,
their precept and example was hurrying ,
to a premature and dishonored grave—
they at once would hnve spurned the ve- .
nomous reptile, and sent him back to the (
place of his nativity, among the evil spi-
rits of the damned !
But oh! how blind has been our race!
We have gone on for centuries, with the
viper gnawing at our heart-strings, and
yet we have had neither the courage, nor
the will, nor the forethought, to shake <
him off.—And it was not till we had been
robbed of our most precious jewels, that
men awoke from their lethargy—when <
the broad glare and smoke ascended to i
the skies from the bodies of those who i
were burning under the fires of alcohol
—then, and not till then, did men sound
the tocsin and send the war-cry forth u
mong the nations of the earth !
Twenty years ago, and this earth was
shrouded in darkness—tho world wasco
vered with a pall! Oh, how great is man, .
and yet how small! To think, that in
the nineteenth century, men would be so
carried away by a delusion, as to “run full
tilt their mad career” with such a fiend
as rum, we are led to exclaim it cannot
be real’—“ ’twas but a dream !” And
yet the bodies of hundreds of the sorcer
er’s victims are placed in review before
our waking eyes, and we are compelled
to believe its reality.
Our thoughts were-drawn to this sub
ject, from a circumstance which was re
lated to. us the other day by a gentleman,
who was one of the principal actors in
the drama. It was, in substance, as fol
lows :
About twenty years ago, there lived in
a certain town in New-Jersey, a gentle
man who was in the habit of taking his
morning dram. He had two sons whom
he absolutely forced, (for they never lik
ed it,) as regular as the morning came, to
take their bitters, telling them it would do
them good. The boys didn’t believe this,
and they frequently urged their father to
excuse them, but without success. About
this time, a clergyman in the village, a
' man of few pretensions, but one whose
' heart was filled with love toward his fel
s low-creatures, having seen the direlul ef
fects of the use of alcohol, drew up a
total abstinence Pledge, and went arounc
to all the young people in the village to
[ get them to put their names upon it. The
■ two-boys we have mentioned,-were ap-
J pealed —they were willing to sign tt;
but feared the consequences; they knew
their father was opposed to anything of
the kind, and therefore were apprehen
sive of a flogging. At length, the eldest
said to his younger brother,
“William, I have come to this conclu
sion. We are both fast approaching the
years of maturity, and are now able to
earn our own living; and lam determin
ed to let father know that he shall not
make me a drunkard, be the consequen
ces what they may. If, therefore, you
are willing, we will sign this Pledge—
and let father understand that,'if it meets
{his disapproval, we can quit his house
• and seek our fortune among strangers.”
Without hesitation the brother consent
ed to this proposal, and they both placed
their names upon the total abstinence
Pledge. .
The next morning, as usual, the fath
jer, after taking his bitters, mixed .two
glasses of toddy for the boys. When he
approached the eldest with “ Here, John,
take this,” the youth arose from his seat,
the blood mantling his cheek, a fixed de
termination stamped upon his features,
and his dark, intelligent eye gazing in
tentiy upon his father, thus addressed
him:
“Father, ask me not to drink that poi
son !—my reason for making the request
is simply this: I have signed a pledge
never again to drink intoxicating liquors!
I know you will think it strange that 1
{have taken this step; but, sir, when 1
look upon the misery which is every dav
to be seen in our own little village, and
inquire the cause which produces the ef
fect, I am constrained to believe that the
use of intoxicating drink is the parent of
all. William has also signed, and if you
are not willing that we shall follow the
dictates of our own consciences while
we remain under your parental care, we
have resolved to retire as quietly as possi
ble and go where the liberty of thought
and sentiment is not abridged—we are
young and strong —able and willing to
work, and would rather live a sober lift
in poverty, than become drunkards and
be surrounded by all the luxuries the
world contains.” -
The father was staggered to here a lad
of seventeen utter such sentiments; and
without saying a word, he went to the
closet, replaced the tumbler, and left the
room, while his countenance gave evi
dence that he was smarting with shame
and confusion ! From that day John and
William xvere freed from tbe importuni
ties of their father to partake of the
“morning dram-,” and they grew to man
hood a pride to their parents and an or
nament to the society in which they
jmoved. The father* in a few years, a?-
I the cause of truth began to expand and
! assume a position the world little dreamed
iofj was also brought under the influence
t)fthe Pledge, and acknowledged that he
had been tor years in error. The trio
are now Washingtonians, and their ener
gies are exercised in promoting the hap
piness of their fellow men. - J.
From the Dew Drop.
A Dream.
I dreamed ; it was not of-carth’s loved
ones, it was not of the bright and beauti
ful here, it was not of those with whSm
[ daily hold sweet converse —nor of
spring’s opening beauties—or the many
colored woods of autumn. Oh no, none
of these. It was of an abode of bliss, aj
mansion of unending pleasures, where is
joy celestial. I entered that abode, and
saw things that might unnerve a stronger
frame than mine, and draw tears of joy
from eyes but little accustomed to weep.
There, I saw forms that I had seen on
earth, with golden harps in their hands,
and singing such touching strains of mu
sic, as completely enraptured me. An
gels too, were there, in one sweet band,
looking down upon earth to see if anoth
er lost sinner was not hastening to Christ.
But hark! why that strain sweeter far
than aught heard before! Oh look at
heaven’s gate opened wide to receive a
new comer —see her as she glides past
myriads of angels—as she stops not even
to greet her sainted friends; but hastens
to cast herself into the arms of Jesus, who
places the crown upon her head and the
harp in her hands.
Who is she, and from whence? is ask
ed by one and another. Oh, she is the
broken-hearted wife of one, who drank
the drink of death, and she came from a
dark, wicked place, where the wretched
i drunkard sees the wife of his youth sick
en and die, xvithout giving her one kind
l or gentle word. But where is this dark,
i wicked place? is asked. I listened in
breathless attention for the reply- It
i came at last in loud clear tones, yet in
i tones most touchingly sweet. But those
i words—what distress did they cause. 1
: clasped my hands in agony. The hro
■ ken hearted woman came from my own
• loved home, the loveliest village upon
which the sun ever shone. The hours
which I had spent there in childhood.
) came up before me, when I gathered the
J early spring flowers, and thought no oth
->er place produced fairer—and rro grass
i!could be so £feen —no wißow trees wave
so gracefully—no birds sing so sweetly.
' And is this a dark, wicked spot? I then
thought of it, as it appeared on a calm
autumn morning, when the air was clear,
and the sky bright, and the green trees
changing their color, and thus reminding
: one of early death, and the heavens
i above, making you long to leave this
heartless world lor a purer.
1 Andean this be a wicked, dark place.
Again I thought of its gentle river, by
i which I had wandered with a happy
■ group, in riper years, on a beautiful sum
; mer evening, listening to the merry laugh
as it rung through the evening air. Ah,
did we think that we lived in a dark ,
wicked town, where woman’s heart was
t breaking, while we had not offered up one
prayer, or poured into her ear one sym
pathising word, or attempted to smooth
her dark passage to the tomb? This
land of bibles a dark land, where, every
sabbath morn, is heard the church going
bell, and, morn and eve, the family group
are gathered around the altar jaf prayer.
And is it thus? lexclaimed, Are our
sisters dying around us, and we doing
naught to save them ? I threw myself
upon my knees, and offered up one
prayer and awoke, and lo it was a dream
—was it all a dream ?
Taunton. f
The Pledge.
Who is it that refuses to pledge him
self? Is it the merchant, who daily
pledges his word that the calico has fast
colors, and the sugar free from sand, and
the broadcloths were bought low, and -are
offered at a small advance on first cost ?
Is it the minister, who vows at the altar
his compliance w ith the creed and usages
of his church? Is it the mechanic, who
promises to get his work done by Satur
day night, and to have it well done? Is
it the farmer, who owes a balance for his
land, and has pledged house and fields to
pay it? Is it the physician or the lawyer,
who severally pledge the best services
of their heads and hands to their employ
ers?
Where is the man that opposes pledges ?
Ten to one he is a politician, who will
tell you in an instant what party he be
longs to, and who is his candidate for
President; and he will not only let you
know that he is in for his party without
limit, but will beset you to commit your
self with equal positiveness. If he is a
married man, he has pledged his hand
and heart in a holy vow to love, honor,
and cherjsh the partner of his life, till
death should part them, l! lie is a bach
elor,and rails against phdges, ahis! ho
will stay a bachelor; that htessediuss
which consists in singleness is all that
earth has for him; for of course he could
not think of pledging himself lor life.
As to the ladies: we cannot believe
any of them are seriously opposed to
jpledges; for if they are matrons, they
surely have tried the experiment of a
solemn vow, and generally are quite wil
ling to maintain it; and if they are vounp
ladies, and go against pledges, it must bo
owing to some new fashion to which wo
have not yet been introduced. The
young lady, if one could be found, who
abhors pledges, must have given up all
hopes of matrimony, and sought to re
place the charming witcheries which na
ture gave her, with the frenzies of the
weird sisters; and those who keep an eye
on her, may expect, to see her some
morning mounting her broom, and sail
ing away through the keyhole, a witch
in good earnest.— Utica Washingtonian.
Small Savings.
In these days of want, when “hard
times” are words of hourly repetition, and
every interest in the community is re
ceiving its share of adversity, the hard
est lot falls upon the very poor families
which depend wholly upon the wages of
day labor. In the easiest times this class
of people gained a bare living by con
stant labor, and now when there is a want
of employment, and idle days are spent
in every week, their condition is truly de
plorable. In the midst of the painful
i contemplation of these things, we think
• some consolation may be drawn from the
i relief afforded to the poor by the Tem
: perance Reform. A few years ago the
custom of drinking freely prevailed a
■ mong laboring men, and we think it may
* be safely estimated that not less than se
; venly-five cents a w r eek, on an average,
i was the ordinary sum paid by each lor li
-1 quors. Not far from a sixth part of all
- their earnings went into the hands of spi
-1 rit dealers, without returning any equiva
. lent, but rather the seeds of disease and
i discontent, which by-and-by sprung up
t and grew rank in a corrupted body. The
l saving of that six shillings a week by the
e* Temperance Pledge, in any times, is a
1 material benefit to the family, for it near
-ly buys their supply of bread. At pre
i sent such a saving is vastly more impor
i tant than ever before, for if the stinted
s allowance of a family were to be lessen
ed still more by paying lor worthless and
° pernicious drinks, the numbers of the
- poor and the horrors of their destitution
s would now be multiplied tenfold.
P ‘ 'Want and despair have-hurried nfiany