Augusta Washingtonian. (Augusta, Ga.) 1843-1845, February 03, 1844, Image 2

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• _ THE WASHINGTONIAN: " AUGUSTA. FEBRUARY 8, IM4. tt'tuhinglon Total .Ibaltnmce Pledge• We, Ohoet name* are hereunto annexed, desirous Os forming a Society for our mutual benefit, end to guard against a pernicious-practice, which, is injurious to our health, standing and families, do pledge ourstltcs as Gentlemen, not to drink any Bpiritous or Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE. Rev. IV. T. Brant[.y, Dr. F. M. Robert* on •' W.J. Hard, Dr. D. Hook, « C. S. Dob, 8, T ChapmanJEsq. " Geo. F. Pierce, Jame* Harper, E*q. Col. JoilS MILLEtWE, err. ■ • QQ* To Diitakt Suiscxiikxs. —Port Master* are au thorized by law to remit money to the publisher* of newspaper* and periodicals, in payment of subscrip tions. Bubtcribers to the can therefore pay for their papers without subjecting themselves or the publisher to the expense of postage, by hau ling the amount to the Post Master, with a request to remit it. t _. | O tT On Friday evening, the 26th ult. Mr. Hawkins delivered hia third lecture, in the Baptist Church, to rather a thin audience, in consequence of the very sudden change of weather to extreme cold. There was, however, under all the circumstances, nothing to complain of, as the lecturer wns sufficiently inter esting to warm up the auditors. The lecturer cut short his discourse that ano ther gentleman present might have an opportunity of addressing the assembly ou the subject of Temperance as he found it, and as he left it, particularly on Con tinental Europe. Ho then introduced the Rev. Mr. Baird , a distinguished champion of the cause, to the audience, who gave all the information in his pos session, as far as time allowed him, upon this deeply interesting subject. Our readers are, no doubt, aware that this gentleman has done wonders for the cause over continental Europe. Having been sent on a different mission he nev. ertheless found, or rather made time to see most of the Crown Heads personally upon the subject, and with none did he meet with any other than the most favor able and flattering assurances of their interest in its behalf. In Sweden par ticularly the peasantry requested Mr. Baird to return to the people of the Uni ted States their thanks for the benefits they have received from the temperance reform, and to express their interest in its behalf. In this Kingdom, the book which this gentleman prepared upon this subject, was translated and published at the King’s private expense, and was widely circulated, and is known there as “ the King’s Book,” or “ Baird’s Book.” Besides its circulation in Sweden, this book has been translated in many differ ent languages, and is circulated exten sively all over Europe. Mr. John W. Hawkins returned to our city on Thursday morning last from Athens, and on that, and the following evening delivered lectures. He leaves us to-day on his downward trip to Charles ton, to meet, by appointment, the State Temperance Convention of South Caro lina, Mr. Hawkins carries with him the re spect and good wishes of our citizens generally, and particularly of those who know him best. May his success in the cause of temperance be commensurate with his energy and zeal, and may he yet live long to do more and more. OCT We shall not make any apology for the suggestion we are about to make. As conductors of a public journal it is a right long since accorded us of the Press, by immemorial usage, to suggest any thing which may in our opinion conduce to the public interests, and incidentally to those of a private nature also. Without further preamble then, we suggest to the Students of the Medical College of Georgia, the usefulness, the propriety of establishing among them selves a Temperance Society upon the basis of the Washingtonian Pledge, and that the Society be called, (as good a name as any) “The Medical College Temperance Society of Georgia.” - # The establishment of such a Society will unquestionably give a higher moral character to the institution than that of many others, and more particularly so ! when this fact shall be kept constantly before the eyes of the people from its acts and doings reaching them through the columns of our paper. We believe that the larger portion of its professors are strictly with us, and should this be known in addition to the fact already stated that such a Society exists among the Students, parents will ( feel safer in sending their sons to such an , institution. The intemperate use of al j coholic drinks has been the bane—the , besetting sin almost of many of our litera ry institutions. Every Student who leaves his alma-mater must feel his at tachment for it—must rejoice in its high character —its final success. Besides all this the Society would be perpetuated by the return at each season of some of those :in their second course. Perhaps we have ’ said enough to induce the step to be ta . ken, at least we are confident that if it s should, it will be very gratifying to our i citizens, and particularly so to the friends of the College at a distance. Loafers of the Hindus, or a new way ’ to raise the wind. —There is a low caste of the Hindus called Dorns, who eat al ' most any thing, even the leavings of oth- I ers. They are workers in rattan and bamboo manufactures. One of this caste 1 gave to the Rev. J. 11. Morrison the ideas ’ entertained by the common people con cerning the cause of eclipses. To this class the Sun and Moon, by some means, ' but no ono can tell why, or how, become indebted, and they then begin to hack and cut away at it with their hatchets, but in what manner they do not explain, which produces the darkness of the eclipse. As soon as this is discovered, rather than have the Sun or Moon hack ed to pieces and distributed to its creditors in payment for the debt, (for it can’t take the Bankrupt Act,) all the people of whatever caste run to the houses of the Dorns with presents, or rather offerings of whatever they have to give to release the creditor from the debt contracted, no doubt, by over-trading in moonshine with love makers, orover-speculnting by the Sun in the cotton markets of the world. Be this, however, as it may, these Dorns make the Sun and Moon pay up, whenever and as often as they aro so im prudent as to “go on tick,” instead ot resorting, as with us, to cash payments. The divine above named remonstrated with this Dom for the imposition practis ed by his caste upon the people in this particular: and how did ho answer ? In the very same language there that the rum-seller answers here when requested to cease to deal out death and destruction to his fellow-citizens. Said this heathen, if I give up this fraud, this cheat, this unrighteous demand, upon the credulity of my fellow-countrymen, “ what can Ido? I do this for my support, for my stomach’s sake.” Ask the civilized rum-seller to give up his traffic in articles which des troy the peace, the happiness, and the lives of his fellow-citizens, and what is this civilized man’s reply ? “ What can I do,” says the rum-seller, “ I do this for my support, for my stomach’s sake.” Extremes sometimes meet, and so they have in this instance in the heathen and the enlightened (?) man. But even here the heathen has the advantage; for by his imposition he only extorts a little money from the pockets of his fellow citizens, while the rum-seller not only gets the money, but gives something which he knows is infinitely worse than nothing for it—he gives in exchange a liquor which destroys not only life, but , that which is dearer and more sacred i than life—he gives that in return which , he knows, which he sees kills —yet still gives. Man at best is disposed to be too selfish ■ to see the evils he often inflicts needless ly upon suffering humanity—much more ; is he likely to be so when his immediate I interest is ready to whisper in opposition ; to his better convictions of duty to him self and others. This, and nothing but : this, causes the enlightened mind, to ap -1 proach sometimes so near, indeed up to i the very point where man is found in his i native wickedness. We have already said more than at first intended, and now leave tbe Loafers of the Hindus in the hands of the loafers here, and both in the hands of the rum-seller for the present. (£rWe have heard it objected by some of the opposers to our efforts in be half of the Temperance reform, that even in the most approved condition of the great body of the people in this respect, there would be nevertheless a very large I proportion of them whose habits are so ! fixed by time—whose tastes and appe tites are so uncontrolable, and these so I easily gratified—whose education, moral 1 and intellectual, is of so low a grade, with little or no inclination or opportuni ; ty to improve, and many similar obsta • cles opposing us, that our labor will be ’ worth but very little, and in the end, the ■ thing itself being impracticable, a failure > total and complete awaits us. These. 1 and all such objectors as these, are of ' the old —we of the new philosophy. They ■ believe that the Creator has destined the i mass to be the “ hewers of wood and ■ drawers of water” for the few—that man ■ is at best but a fighting animal, blind and passionate, rather than a moral and in i tellectual being—they see man as an animal, endowed with instincts, but see not that to these the Creator has added ' moral sentiments and reflective faculties; • they see not that these faculties arc the paramount sources of his enjoyments and pleasures, and which lead him directly to ! the end of his existence —his well being 1 in this and a future world—his happiness l in both. Ah! no. These objectors see nothing in man but the animal—in his 1 destiny, nothing but the edict of the past, ' made perpetual by his past history, which dooms him to toil, to sweat, to pay taxes, to consume life in a struggle for exist ence, with energies stifled—dormant; with nothing to ennoble; to purity; to exalt him: his past history being such, they can see nothing in the future to se cure him a higher destiny! Alas! if this be the eternal destiny of man ! If it be thus, let us close up—let us bar out all further aspirations for the future; let us dry up the sources of our benevolence, and no longer imagino a vain thing; let us no longer believe in, or hope for the perfectability of human nature, or philanthropy and virtue, are but the ra vings of the visionary, the enthusiast, and our delusion complete. But how dark, how gloomy, how aimless, objectless, is existence in such belief—to these objec tors. To such, what a woful aspect must the face of nature wear!—to such, how dismal the past—how black with despair is the future I But if this be the destiny of man, why all this stir—this bustle; these struggles; these hopes; these clamors; these threats; these demands of the mass for reform ? Why these orators; these speeches; these printing presses; these moral—these re ligious teachings; why agitate at all? Why ransack the philosophy of the past, if not to expose its errors and build up a wiser and better nnd truer philosophy upon its ruins ? Why do this—do more, if this state of crime, sin, bloodshed—if prejudice, ignorance and delusion, must exist forever ? But not so. Man it is true is an animal, and with his instincts, he has, also, been endowed with moral |sentiments and reflecting faculties, and therefore is, and must be, a progressive and improving animal. It is then upon these faculties, and from his adaptation to improvement, and in the end, to hu man perfection, that the philanthropist, builds up these hopes for him, in the pre sent and in the future. It is upon these faculties, with which man is endowed, that the philanthropist dwells with a hope, and lives in and luxuriates in future time exulting in a hope, brightening—expand ing : he revels in a prophecy, illumined by a distant ray in the surrounding gloom, and sees in the future doom of humanity, the triumph of the new philo sophy—the vice rejected—the virtue re warded. He sees in future time the bright star of Bethlehem now on the : horizon’s verge ascend to the zenith— i civilization now in infancy, with its giant i strides overspreading the earth. Man will, must, then lulfil his destiny ; It is written of him. To these objectors then, . and all such, we now appeal. If human > nature is bad, corrupted—assist us to s make it better, and to purify it from its r corruptions. If we do not improve it, r we cannot make it or ourselves worse. ; If we are the victims of a delusion, it is! l > a harmless one; if we fail we cannot have!! done mischief to any; but if we succeed—ji , how rich the reward ! how consoling the' reflection that we too have assisted to! ( rear this stupendous work—this mighty! , moral pyramid to the gaze of future gen-’ erations ! And if the dead are permitted ? to sympathise in the affairs of the living. j with what intense interest and delight 1 must the blessed spirits of the departed! 5 look down from the azure battlements of j heaven, upon these efforts of man for the! good of man, here and hereafter—now and in time to come! We sav then, . • abandon tbe old, and take up with us, the new philosophy. 5 The following is an extract from s the Presentment of the Grand Jury, for • the third week, of Richmond Superior ‘ Court, January term 1844. Robert F. V Pok, Foreman: E ‘-The Grand Jury feel it to be an in i cumbent duty to call the attention of our j City Police to the constant violation of j the Sabbath, by many persons trafficking on that day, especially with negroes— vending to them spirituous liquors, to the 1 great detriment of health and morals.” ■» - j The December number of The . American Phrenological Journal and , Miscellany , is now before us. The au- I thor, Mr. O. S. Fowler, in this number,| , attempts to prove from facts adduced! , from the history of families known to i . fame, and many in our own country known , to us from common reputation, that moral, ji . intellectual and other qualities, huve beenj transmitted from the ancestor to the de , scendents, and that this has been invari-1 ably the case. Os the hereditary predis-j position to intemperance, he says: “ The tone, cast, and character of the., ’ feelings and intellect of children, are al-: ' tered and influenced by drinking habits 1 'in parents. They nre more gross and < animal in all their actions and associa- < i tions, and less intellectual and moral. . * * * * * * “The superior virtues of the temperate!, parent may prevent the children from 1 forming intemperate habits, and though ’ they may possibly escape destruction, i yet, this depraved appetite, this liquor loving stream, is almost sure to flow on to .generations yet unborn, widening and I deepening as it progresses, either break- ( ing out here, and there, and yonder, or ( ! else sweeping their name and race from i the face of the earth. Is not this a most i powerful motive to young ladies prompt ly to refuse the addresses of those young 1 men who drink a drop of any kind of ( stimulants? Every young woman who marries even an occasional stimulator, is ], in imminent danger, aye, almost sure, of* losing the affections of her first, her only ' love, past all recovery, and following him s to an early and most bitter grave; and 1 also of seeing her sons, otherwise her | | comfort and support, become her broken [ reed, her deepest disgrace, redoubling the 1 indescribable miseries ofhaving a drunk- \ en husband, in the still deeper miseries 1 l of having besotted children. Parents s cannot be too careful as to what appetites 1 they indulge; for, they are sowing seed f in susceptible soil, from which those they , most love, will reap prolific crops of health and happiness, or of vice and mis- * ' ery.” > Fire. —On Tuesday morning last,about ' ’ one o’clock, the slumbers of our citizens * 1 were disturbed by the cry of fire, which * was found to proceed from the store of Messrs. Clarke & Carswell, on the west ( 1 side of Broad-street, and which had pro -1 gressed so far in its destruction that nei -1 ther the building itself, or any of the con- ! ' tents, could be saved. The dwelling part ’ above the store, was occupied by Mr. j Carswell’s family, who escaped only with ! their clothing on them. The loss of the ’ firm is between 4 or $5,000, no insur- ' ’ ance. Mr. Kent’s loss, (who owned the * " building,) is said to be about $61,000 in j I notes and other valuable papers, besides the balding, which may be valued al L about S3OOO, no insurance. The loss of ( the firm is particularly afflicting, as these gentlemen had just started in business, and in it had embarked their all. Mr. ' Kent’s principal loss will be, that of his house. How this fire originated is yet a mystery, and may forever be : it is sup posed however, that it originated from some lucifer matches in the store. 5 __ , Fussy People. —ln the estimation ol i many, there is no class of persons whe ) are more fussy than old maids and ole 5 bachelors. But this is a great mistake. , There is one other class which is infinite!} . more so, and so much more so, that they joften not only render themselves ridicu lous, but as often disgusting in the eyes of the more rational and sober people of any community. This class is not satisfied in making themselves disagreeable at home, among their own neighbors and friends; they are not satisfied in stirring up a fuss there and let it live its time out and die there too; they are not satisfied in settling it strictly by the rules recognised by all "honorable gentlemen—in away that a Raleigh or a Bayard would settle it: No Indeed—they must needs come into the j territories of the peaceable; they must obtrude their private disputes and quar rels upon the public attention, who care i little or nothing for them or their quarrels, or the causes of it; they must squabble and quarrel in print; they must de nounce their adversary in the most choice phrases of Billingsgate; they must ad dress some half dozen cards — “To the Public;” they must keep the fuss from ■coming to a crisis, and shift the scene of it occasionally ; they must diplomatise and do it skilfully; they must fight all their battles on paper, with those formi dable weapons ofdestruction— the pen and the ink-horn ; they must do all this, and we assure them they will accomplish their desires, but not meet the reward anticipated. The reward of such is rid icule and disgust— their conduct fussy, and themselves fussy j)eople. Imported fusses we do not want, the home article is good enough for us. Talking Machine.—-X machine for this purpose is said to be in New York at this time, and is described m several of the papers of that city. It is said to be the invention of an Austrian, named Fa ber, who spent near twenty years of un remitting labor in accomplishing his task. Col. Webb, of the Courier & Enquirer, says it is the intention of the inventor to exhibit it publicly. He further states that he conversed with it in Latin and English, and from the nature of the con versation, we judge the gender of the machine to be masculine. 03" How sweet, how consoling the re flection, that we have at anv time made ourselves useful to others, without even the slightest inconvenience to ourselves, and sometimes, too, when we have even I been unconscious of the good wo have done. Let us take an instance of but re cent occurrence: In our city there is a gentleman, young and handsome, but of gigantic proper- I tions, and who has, even for his great I size, a larger pair of feet than necessary I for the harmony of his outline of frame. During the heavy rains which lately de luged our streets, they became in conse quence thereof, very muddy, and almost I impassable in many places. It was during I such a time as this, that a lady might I have been seen standing on the “ pace ,” I anxious to cross the muddy street, and I with sad countenance contemplating the plight she would be in on her arrival on the opposite side. Just at this time there might have been seen a smile playing around the rosy lips of this fair creature, and a flash of the eye that indicated something of wit and pleasure : for un derstand reader, that it was just at this time that the gentleman alluded to came up to the spot where this lady &>od, j alone in all her glory, with all her “fil ings” on, and was about to cross the street. He did so, and at each step, as he lifted up his ponderous foot, the spot was occupied by the foot of this lady in quick succession until safe, from mud and mire, she arrived on the opposite side, murmuring as she “ tread in the foot-steps of her illustrious predecessor, 1 ' i Heaven! bless this man, Oh! what bless ed feet he has!—but his strides are so long. For the Washingtonian. \ Messrs. Editors— -I understand that the Students of Franklin College enacted f another of those disgraceful scenes, for | which they have so distinguished them- f selves, on the occasion of the visit to i Athens of Mr. John W. Hawkins, the t listinguished Temperance reformer.- This gentleman was molested on both | aights of his lectures, and the conduct of the students to him, and the disrespect to the audience, was such as almost exceed* belief. This is not the first outrage of 1 £ I