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THE WASHINGTONIAN:
AUGUSTA. DECKMBKK 16, 1843.
Washington ToUtl JlbtUuetu* Wedge.
ffe, whose names are hereunto annexed, desirous
of forming a Society for our mutual benefit,
and to guard a pernicious practice,
which is injurious to our health, standing and
families, do pledge ourselves as Gentlemen,
not to drink any
Splrilous or Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider.
' EDITORIAL COMMITTEE.
Rev. W. T. Branti.y, Dr. F. M. Robertson.
“ W J.Hard, Dr. D. Hook,
** C. S. Don, S. T Chapman. Esq.
•• Geo. F. Pierce, James llahper, Esq.
Col. John Millkdue,
To Dhtast Se»Acsisr.H*. —Post Masters Are au
thorized by law to remit money to the publishers of
newspapers and periodicals, in payment of subscrip
tions. Subscriber* to the H'ssbiugtonian can therefore
pay tor their papers without subjecting themselves or
the publisher to the expense of postage, by handing the
amount to the Tost Master, with a request to remit it.
o^7"The Members of the Augusta
Washingtonian Society, are informed,
that Mr. Jesse Walton, the Treasurer, isj
prepared to receive all monies intended
to be given to the Society, for defraying
its expenses.
The Temperance l.cciurcr and Almanac.
This is a very uselul Temperance Ma
nual, containing a fund of anecdote—|
good hits, sound arguments, interesting
narrative, touching experiences, and im
portant facts. It should find a placo in
every family, and would be no small ac
quisition to public speakers. It is pub
lished at the office of the American Tern
pernne© Union, and sold at the low price
of 0£ cents. We hope the booksellers
will furnish a full supply, as we trust there
will be a profitable demand.
Worthy of Imitation.
A good friend of the cause—a hard
working and clever fellow—came to our
publisher, the other day, and placing four j
dollars in his hand, said, you are treated ,
badly, and I have treated you badly—i
here is the cash for four copies of your
valuable paper. He did the same thing;
last year. Our friend Me. would like;
some others to serve him so again.
A lit subject fur the Penitentiary.
We think the objections made by a|i
subscriber of the Christian Advocate to!|
paying for his paper, are sufficient to war-1,
rant any honest community in excluding | (
him from them, and in placing him “in
the valley of knaves”—hear the man, he (
says, “in the first place he never order- ,
cd the paper, and if he did, he never got .
it, and if ho did, ’twns as an agent; and '
besides he thinks he paid for it long ago,i,
and if he did’nt he’s got nothing to pav,j[
and if he had he could plead the act of (
limitation.”
Upon this, the Advocate says—
“ There’s no getting round that tub-;'
scriber. We give it all up. But we hope |
there is not his equal on our whole sub- s
scription list.” I
experience Meetings. |<
We have great faith in these meetings, (
and desire to see them more abundant.'i
They have done much good; yes, theyjj
have been of much more benefit than any l l
mode of conducting our meetings, hither- r
to discovered. They are iar more inter- c
esting; because personal narrative en- f
gages the attention of the mass much \
more effectually than logical deductions, c
or rhetorical flourishes; because they af
ford not only the truth, but its illustration (
also. Again, the experience of a man l
disarms opposition. What can be said <
against it ? The feelings and the judg- I
nient are more completely enlisted. The’t
reformed Washingtonian presents him- 1
self as a ransomed victim—introduces :
himself as proof against the drinking of <
ardent spirits—leads you step by step;
down the rugged pathway to the very I’
brink of the precipice on which he stood. 1
Our sympathies are awakened—we trem- l
bleas he tells us how nigh he approached <
to ruin, temporal and eternal. Again, l
we retrace with him his steps, and rejoicei I
with him as he informs us that he is once <
more, in reference to intemperance al l
least, a disenthralled man. Who can <
*ay, we repeat, anything against this ?!|
! Every hearer goes away from such a
jsccne impressed in favor of temperance.
The truth is it is more difficult to restrain
men from signing the pledge, than it is
.to urge them to take it. l*’or in refusing,
jthey wage war against their feelings and
their judgments. The very successes of
the reformers are attributable to experi
ences.
: Well, we number in our ranks some,
■ who have been “bursters,” whose expe
. riences remain yet untold. Now friends,
what we have to say to you is this, tell
, them. If you want to do good, attend
» the first “Experience Meeting” your so
/ ciety lias, and join the reformers in giv
>jing your testimony in favour of the good
.cause.
We would call the attention of the offi
cers of the Societies to this matter. So
far as the Augusta Society is concerned,
wc can report progress. We are con
stantly receiving names to the pledge.
- In the course of the last month, there
f ihas been added to our long list about 20
■ new subscribers. The ball is yet in mo
nition. A little more velocity is desirable
b just now, and wo suggest the power of
. experience meetings.
ij
. | The Sabbath.
J The violation of the command, which
| bids us keep holy the Sabbath day, is
r fraught with evil to society. Wc might
dwell on the personal ruin which awaits
the transgressor, when he shall stand in
the presence of the Law-Giver to be pun
ished for his disobedience ; but we waive
jfor the present, this view of the subject,
and will confine our remarks to the inju
ry which society receives at his hands.
Tiie morality taught on the Sabbath has
a direct bearing on the business, the or
der, and integrity of social life. Its im
mediate tendency is, to repairtho injuries
received during the “wear and tear” of
the week—to strengthen he moral prin
ciple when assailed by temptations,—to
confirm the integrity, which has gather
ed strength from the resistance it has made ,
in the conflicts of life. No one acquaint
ed with his own nature, or with the char- ,
lacter of his fellows cun deny the import
ance of sabbath instruction to himself and
jto them. The withdrawal of this teach
ing would inflict serious injury upon any
icommunity. If those things he true,
• what can those individuals think of their
j obligations to society, who habitually ne
glect the sanctuary ? By their remiss
juess, they disqualify themselves for the (
•proper discharge of their moral duties, j
[and must necessarily inflict nn injury up
on the community in which they live. j
Let it be remembered that morality is |
connected with every duty of life. It >
must be found in the bank—in the office ]
—behind the counter, in fine, everywhere. <
There are cases perpetually occurring, |
where apparently slight deviations may •
be made from the path of rectitude with- j
out any seeming danger to our moral i
principle, and with great benefit to our f
pockets, or with an increase of pleasure.
These prepare the way for yet larger in- j
fractions upon the rule of right until con- j
science is quite near worn away. The t
pulpit guards us against these evils, dis- j
cussing doubtful cases, making accurate <■
discriminations—pressing upon the judg- t
ment and conscience a sound and healthy i
morality, and by presenting those incen- |
tives to an unwavering integrity, which ;
may ensure it. Under God , the virtue s
of every community depends upon the t
pulpit. To the teachings of the Sabbath 1
we are indebted for the integrity which «
obtains among men. (
Now what is true of a community is i
true of every man in it. We will say ;
that the moral culture of any one is in- *
complete, who disregards the duties and <
the institution of the Sabbath, and to the ,
extent of his deficiency in this particu- i
lar, must be the delinquency of his actions, \
and consequently the injury he does so
ciety. - i
We are shocked at the multitudes who
waste holy time in street-lounging; sure
ly these men cannot reflect on iheir wants,
nor on the influence of their example up
on the young. We are grieved by those
thoughtless parents who make the Sab
bath a day of sport. Think of your chil-
Idren. If you teach them to disregaro
jthe laws of God, think you they will re
jgard the laws of man, when they inter
fere with their inclinations or their plea
insures? May not society suffer more se
, riouslyfrom them than it does directly
i' from you ? Sabbath breaker, pursue the {
i subject, and realise the claims society has
, upon you.
p For the Washingtonian.
A plai“ Talk lor the People.
I promised more on the subject ofunion
> of effort in behalf of virtue and happi-i
- ness; and as I have already demonstra
» ted its power, it is only necessary in re-1
1 deeming this promise, to show the folly j
1 of divisions among the friends of virtue..
■ To do this effectually, I have to state the;
• inconsistencies of some of the professed
I members of this class of society.
Let us then look at that erect and
• stately man, who is now entrancing a
) large audience with flowing and power-j
i ful eloquence in advocacy of temperance. J
■ His thoughts glow, his words burn; his !
■ eyes, his hands, his whole person is elo
• quent with devotion to this cause of hu-j
• man happiness. Behold the expression
■ of delight he has kindled in the faces of
its friends—the relenting tear he has,
I drawn to the eye of the occasional wine J
bibber—the fear and trembling he hasj
produced in the inebriate—behold in the
background, the gnashing of teeth he|
• has caused, the despair he has depicted on j
; the countenance of the before unfeeling!
rum-seller.
1 Now let us look at the same man en-’
gaged in a political canvass. lie smiles)
complacently upon the rum-seller, sits by i
without a word, and sees him deal out
poison and death to the very men he pro i
fesses to guide into the paths of political
virtue and prosperity—the very men, who
he proposes to save from the most awful
and destructive evils—as if any evil was;
equal to that which dethrones reason, ex-!
cites crime, causes death. Behold in one;
corner of the room, his young convert ;;
from strong drink.—He curiously eyes
his teacher, sees no disgust or horror on ;
his countenance at the profuse potations, |l
and concluding he has discovered the cr. j;
ror of his temperance labours, approach- |i
es the wine cup, and seeing no dcpreca-!i
ling look, hearing no warning voice.;
grasps it,drinks its contents,and isadis- .
graced, dishonored man—again in the
broad road to ruin. See the smile of cx-ji
ulting triumph which accompanies the fur- i
tivc glance of the rum-seller at the vie-ji
tim pupil and indifferent teacher ! But ;
let us look at the door of this room where |i
charactorand life, time and eternity, arc)
play-things and foot-balls—there arc the <
youthful sons of the teacher, looking on (
in amaze at the scene, and above all at i
their father’s presence in its midst, and;i
sorrowfully concluding, that virtue is on- t
ly an empty name, since their father, itsjc
eloquent advocate, gives the lowest vice \
the sanction of his presence, the cncour- e
agement of his complacent smile. Will i
it be difficult now to seduce them into t
vice? Is not the moral force of their c
father’s admonitions destroyed ? I
Having now exhibited this mortifying c
instance of inconsistency, our main ob-iE
ject will be attained by asking—what
motive can induce a virtuous man thus tojl
act? It is that a political party may be! j
defeated—party friends, successful! Thisr
result, therefore, ought to be of immense !i
moment —the good citizen surely sees in i
it the happiness of unborn millions—at t
all events, his country’s or his own pre- |
sent good. No such thing—he sees only !
the privilege of turning out one consta-jj
ble, and putting another in his place—of ]
seeing one man put on epaulets instead |
of another—of one officer executing a ]
writ rather than another ! For himself ji
and his children, he sees no advantage, '
and all that compensates him for waste j
of time and means, and the deterioration j
of public morals, is the foregoing insig- I
nificant changes, and the pleasure of ex- |
ulting over his equally frivolous and de
luded neighbours. Yes, it is for these)'
contemptible objects that cities and com-)
munities are kept at variance, and virtu- ;
ous men kept aloof from one another in i;
all those exertions and associations, ne
cessary to convert the world into a gar
den of Eden !. It is for such objects as
these, that our Orators sacrifice moral
power, and lose character for consistancy
ind virtue ! It is for such objects as these,
that men continue a state of things which
certainly involves their children in the
whirlpool of dissipation and vice—them
iselves, in wretchedness and despair! Oh,
rav countrymen! this is truth—not fan
jcy. Are you not then to blame for the
prevalence of vice? And to use it as
another proof of the proposition of my
last communication, would not union of!
effort, regardless of these disgracefully;
; trivial considerations, effect the reforma
tion of mankind ?
Other causes of divisions among the
virtuous, are equally unworthy of their
j notice—the interest of some designing
; man or men, are to be subserved—some;
! party shibboleth that does no good to
; friend or foe, is to be maintained, and tor
I these objects society is to be distracted.!
men of virtue and intelligence arrayed
against each other, and the vicious ele
vated to their level and consequence—,
[the more effectually to poison the streams;
jof moral health.
A Wa3TIIXGTOX?AX.
For the Washingtonian.
It is not right that we should despair of
jour efforts to do good, because we are!
jsometimes baffled—often, perhaps, defeat
ed in those we have already made. Des
jpair ought not to enter into the character
jof him who sees these difficulties ahead,
jand who in time, prepares his guards and
, his checks, which are to be used as oc-i
icasion may require. If acting in masses!
'has been approved of, surely co-opera- :
ftion is one of its essential ingredients.!;
Indeed, one of the chief objections to vo
luntary associations for the correction of;
jvice and promotion of virtue, is this ve
jry want of individual responsibility and:
energy. Is this true ? It is much to be;
feared that the advocates of the temper- '
’ancc reform will vet have to admit its; 1
i• • "
truth, if they have not done so already.
The Publisher of the “August a Wash-'
ingtonian" has done his duty—has done [
all he could or can do, to sustain the pa
iper. He is now working at his private
jexpensc, for the public good—and hopes)
(to be sustained by the virtuous and the
igood, and with this hope in expectancy,j'
ito reimburse himself. Is it to be expect- ,
led that be shall, at his own expense, and';
with his limited means, publish a paper <
every way calculated to warrant the sup- i
port of all good and true friends to vir- ,
tuc, and at a cheap rate, and as furnish-I
jing in our opinion one of the great means!
used in modern times to moralise socictv
and prune off one of its most corroding)'
! ulcers ? Surely not. j 1
But is it necessary to speak of the;)
character of the paper, at all? Nc—.
each number that is issued carries with (
it, wherever it goes, its own best recom-!|
mendation—a messenger of glad tidings)'
to all—a friend to the poor and the rich,;
equally—it is the wise counsellor of him ,
who may need a friend, in bis wayward),
and vicious course of life, and raises and*c
elevates humanity from filth, degrada-!
lion and shame, to the purposes of its; 1
creation and its destiny—in fine, it is ai*
paper which any community may boasi (
of, and in this our day, should be cncour- (
aged by all. it
Have the citizens of Augusta given a *
healthful support to this paper ? Do they 1
intend to do so ? Let us see if they have,) f
and if not, how they may do it. To them (
we appeal. In the city, the subscription <
is very small, compared to what it ought j<
to be, and therefore not encouraged to a 1
proper and safe extent. This should be )
remedied, and might be, if another ob- ,
ject could be attained. You ask how 7 \
By the surest means. Give it more in- (
flucnce by giving it more advertising | t
patronage. Yes, give it more patronage;*
in this way. This is the pubulum—the !
very life-blood of nearly every public
journal. Has this been done ? No. |
Have the candidates for the public of-h
;fices, soon to be elected, given this pa-J
jper their countenance and support in this 1
| way ? They have not, with but one ex- (
jeeption, we believe. Are they opposed),
j to the encouragement of the temperance!;
| reform, or are they independent of the
support of those who are nobly struggling;'
in the cause? Let them answer the! 1
question.
We have looked on silently for some ■
time—we have observed how the cur- <
rent is sweeping by carrying its favors bv !
the door of him who ought to be one of)-
the favorites of the family. We have!!
seen this —we have seen that those who)(
preside over our destiny almost, as a com -, 1
raunity—who preside in judgment over
the vices which surround us, how they
might aid—yes, materially and justly aid
those who have thrown themselves in the
breach to stem the torrent of vice. Have
they done so ? They have not—can they
aid ? They can. You ask bow ? By
upholding the best of causes by the sur
jest means—give us your countenance and
support —your patronage—your printing.
Give the Washingtonian patronage in
this way—and this useful, cheap, family
paper is safe—yes, safe and secure in its
destiny to accomplish the high and no
blc purposes of this paper.
Let none suppose the Publisher is at
my elbow dictating this.—He has never
suggested tome one word upon this sub.
jdet. lam in for the cause, and I have
jthought it my duty to call upon all for
I patronage —the public man as well the
private citizen.
The success of this paper is the suc
cess of the cause with us—if it should
fall in time—in its youth, with it falls all
our hopes to drive drunkenness from our
community.
J
Surely this thought is well calculated
to awake the laggard and the careless in
i the cause—it is surely an appeal to those
who are raising families in a city where
there are many more door-wavs to vice
I than to virtue. But enough for the pre.
sent—we shall not overlook this subject
at another time. Tempehaxce.
Pkintetox, Ga., Dec. 7, 1842.
To the Publisher of the Washingtonian : j
Leak Sik, —In compliance with a re
quest published in your paper of the 11th I
tilt., I proceed to give you a short histo- I
rv of our little society at this place.
Our society is called Princeton Aon
jdemy Temperance Society, it consists at
present of 135 members, 52 of which arc
females. It is in Muscogee County, and
was constituted in the year 1839.
Respectfully, Jno. \V. Thompson.
At the recent meeting of the State
Temperance Society of South Carolina,
a Committee was appointed fur the pur
pose of recommending to the local se
defies the most efficient means of ad- I
vancing the good cause. The report is
so excellent that we give it in full, and
bespeak for it a careful perusal.
“ Iteport,
“Tliat they have given to the subject
submitted to them the consideration it<
importance demands. They are aware
of the glorious influence the temperance
reformation lias exerted over hundreds
and thousands of the human race; ami
believing as they do, that the future
progress, as well as the final triumphal
the reformation, mainly depends upon
the judicious employment of means, tliev
would not hastily recommend to their
temperance brethren the adoption of
means but such as have been approved by
experience, and arc not liable to abuse.
They feel that their recommendations
must, from the necessity of the case, be
of a very general character, and even
then subject to such modifications as the
discretion of the local Societies or the cir
cumstances by which they are surround
ed may suggest. No subject has ever
been agitated before the people of the
country, against which popular prejudice
was so easily excited, as the temperance
question. Popular prejudice has hereto
fore been, and still continues to be, the
great barrier which hinders the progress
of the reformation. In short, there is no
tide in human affairs so difficult to stem
as the tide of popular prejudice when
once fairly set in motion. We would,
therefore, respectfully recommend to our
brethren every where, to avoid as far as
possible all such means as may have the
slightest tendency to wound the feelings
or excite the opposition of the communi
ties w ith whom they are associated. It
is vitally important to the success of the
reformation, that you maintain steadily
the most friendly relations practicable,
with those who may happen to differ with
you in opinion, upon this subject. It is
then that your arguments and example !
will go forth untrammelled, exerting their
full force upon the hearts of the people,
working rapidly and successfully those
‘great changes in their moral condition,
which you so ardently desire. In order
jto do this, we would particularly recom
mend that you avoid the employment of
‘all coercive or compulsory measures,
among which may be classed all attempts
at legislation, all denunciations of those
w'ho differ with you in opinion, ridicule,
angry conversations, &c. Why should
you desire legislation upon the subject,
when legislation has already done all
that it ever can do? We have every
thing to fear and nothing to hope from it-
Why incumber our statute book with