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THE WASHINGTONIAN.
AUGUSTA, MARCH Bth, 1845.
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE.
Rev. W. T. BaksTur, Dr. D. Hook,
“ W. J. H/iRU, J iKti H *aPKi;,fE*q.
'* C. S. Don, A. W. IVoki., Esq.
{£»• To Dhtawt Subscribers.—Post Masters are au.
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The Temperance cause is a good one,
our adversaries themselves being judges.
We do not know an individual who has
the hardihood to deny that the effort has
done good. Every body wishes it well.
Some may cavil at the failure of the
temperance society to eradicate the evil
at which it aims,—but it never arrogated
omnipotence to itself. Its means are
purely persuasive, and we have lived too
long in the world to be able to hope that
all men can be persuaded to their own
good when evil habits stand in the way.
But wo have “done what we could.”
We havo displayed the injurious effects of
intoxicating beverages upon the physical
frame. We have adverted to the men
tul and moral harm accruing from habits
of drink. We havo drawn faithfully the
picture of domestic wretchedness, crimi
nal conduct, and miserable pauperism so
often resulting from the use of spirituous
liquors. We have pointed to the enor
mous expense, tho waste of life, the so
cial disorders, and the danger to our
country, with which this habit of drink
ing stands chargenble.
Wo have appealed to motives of jus
tice, humanity, patriotism, and enlighted
self-interest, —and in hundreds of thou
sands of instances our appeals have been
generously responded to. Thero is a
very largo and most respectable body of
men in evory part of tha couniiy, of ev
ery political party, of every religious
creed, of every social condition, pledged
to uphold this enterprise of making and
keeping a nation sober. A large pro
portion of the virtue and intelligence
nnd influence of the whole country is
on our side. Wo hope to seo the day
when the drinking of intoxicating liquors
will ho as uncommon and as disreputa
ble as the habitual use of opium now is.
• , *
Temptation.
How insidious tho approach of tho
Tempter when be would catch the unwa
ry in his wiles!
A young man has resolved, perchance,
to break away from the habit, which he
knows to be ruinous in the end, of taking
a social glass. He has, it may be, been
led into excess that has filled him wilh
shame, and he is convinced that he is in
danger. This is his mood in his better
moments. His eyes are open—his head
is clear—his judgment convinced—his
consience awake. He resolves to touch
no more the inebriating beverage.
But seducing companions surround
him. They taunt him with sneers about
his “joining the Washingtonians”—they
ply him with arguments, and persuasions.
He yields:— only this once: —ho does not
reverse his resolution, but only postpones
its performance. He must escape im
portunity—his circumstances will not
permit him to adhere to his resolve at
that lime. He drinks, endeavors the
while to be gay, but cannot; —for he car
ries with him a dissatisfied mind, and an
accusing conscience.
Here, just here, the temperance socie
ty might come to his aid. Were he
pledged in honor to others, —and publicly
committed to total abstinence, he would
fiad it comparatively easy to rebut the
temptation. Even they who would en
tice him to drink, must see that he can
yield only with dishonor, and they will
not long molest him. The pledge would
be a safeguard, and a support to his bet
ter feelings and calm resolves.
We are not of those who attribute om
nipotence to the temperance pledge. Itl
will not accomplish everything. It wil
not give strength of mind to him whose
i purposes are feeble, whose resolves are
j at the mercy of every breeze that blows.
I It will do no good to him whose solemn*
! ly passed word is of no weight with him*
! self. It will not rescue the liar and the
j dishonorable. It is not a new revelation
|of religion. It is no wonder working
i talisman. Its whole operation is a plain,
! simple, common-sense affair. It brings
ito bear upon a good resolution, the
; strength which an honorable man’s re
gard to his promise furnishes. It restricts
; one’s liberty just as every good resolution
restricts our liberty— it debars us from
i doing wrong.
Took to the Young.
We have already gathered in the great
est part of our adult population, who are
within the reach of temperance argu
ments. We cannot now expect any
very large or very rapid accessions from
j that quarter.
But tie young!—there lies the field
lof hope. See that vour boys are early
enlisted in the temperance ranks, before
I they have acquired a taste for drinks, be
fore they have learned from craving ap
petite to plead for indulgence and steel
themselves against all arguments for to
tal abstinence. Washingtonians, look
to the schools. Remember that boys
will soon be men. In ordering your
grounds for beauty and utility, ycu arc
careful to put every tree, now while it is
but a slender twig, in its right place, well
knowing that, ere long it will be an enor
mous mass too unwieldy and too firm to
be moved. See that the boys are put in
the right place in society. See that they
take the right stand—they will make so
ciety in a few years.
The annual commencement of the Medical
College of Georgia, was held on Tuesday last,
tho 4th instant, at the Masonic Hall. The de
gree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred on
thirty three gentlemen, by tho Hon. Charles J.
Jenkins, President ofthe Board of Trustees. An
address to the graduating class was made by the
Rev. Wm. T. Brantly, Jun. which has been rep
resented to us as an able and eloquent production:
a copy of it has been requested for publication,
which request will we hope be granted. The
addrtss was followed by a highly interesting and
appropriate valedictory, by Dr. T. B. Gordon>
ono or the Ch-aduates. We subjoin a cata
logue of the graduates:— Constitutionalist.
Milton Antony, Georgia.
A. F. Anderson, S. Carolina.
A. R. Bexley, Georgia.
J. M. Bowers, “
t\ R. Caver, Alabama.
G. M. Cade, Georgia.
W. L. Cochran, S. Carolina.
W.E. M. Cousins, Florida.
W. H. Davis, S. Carolina.
W. H. Ellington, Alabama.
T. B. Gordon, Georgia.
J. M. Galphin, S. Carolina.
Thomas Graves, “
J. S. Holliday, Georgia.
J. A. Harlow,
A. L. Hammond, “
James Ilill, S. Carolina.
A, H. Jackson, Georgia.
Taliaferro Jones, “
J. H, Jennings, S. Carolina.
W. W. Leak, Georgia.
J. T. Lamar, “ ,
Jes3c Lowo, "
I. M.Moragne, S. Carolina.
R. M.'Parks, Georgia.
H. W. Rutherford, S. Carolina.
J. P. Ralls, Georgia.
R. M. Stell, “
R. B. Strong, Tennessee.
E. A. Stribling, Georgia.
J. W. Todd,
T. A. B. Wakefield, S. Carolina.
F. B. Wakefield, Georgia.
A Word to the Indifferent.
Notwithstanding all that has been said
and done lor tho promotion of temper
anco; though voluntary associations,
having the principle of total abstinence
for their basis, have been formed in every
section of our country, in most of the
States of Europe and in the distant
islands of the ocean; though men ofthe
profoundest erudition and most exalted
talents have devoted themselves to its ad
vocacy with an industry and zeal com
mensurate with the grandeur of the en
terprise; though the poor drunkard, him
self, has reformed and stood forth re
deemed from the deep degradation in
which he had sunk, and related the his
tory of his fall and happy recovery, till
drunkard after drunkard, listening "to the
tale, has resolved that he too would be
free; though Beecher, and Hevvett, and
Edwards, and Hawkins, and Matthew,
and Gough have electrified the civilized
world with their burning logic and glow
ing eloquence; though physicians and
lawyers, and jurists, and statesmen, and
divines have given their testimony and
influence in favor of this principle;
though woman, with her cheering smiles.
and persuasive eloquence and charitable
deeds, has joined in the crusade against
intemperance; though ten thousand in
fluences have been brought to bear in
favor of total abstinence, there are those
who stand aloof, determined to continue
the habits and usages of their ancestors,
utterly reckless of the consequences to
' themselves and to those connected with
them by the nearest and tenderest ties.
They will neither attend a temperance
meeting, nor join a temperance Society,
nor read a temperance paper, nor listen
patiently to a temperance sermon; but
pertinaciously persist in the shameful
practice of drinking intoxicating liquors
at dinner, in the social party, and at the
public festival, dragging down by the fa
tal influence of their example, hundreds
of the young and thoughtless to the deep
damnation of the drunkard.
How are sucti individuals to be reach
ed? What influence can be brought to
i bear effectually upon them? If they will
i not acknowledge the claims which this
cause has upon their favorable consider
] ation, how can they become its friends?
i We have sometimes thought that the
only way in which they can he reached,
is by the consistent example and friendly
admonition of the friends of our cause.
If temperance, men, moving in the circle
in which these individuals move, would
upon all occasions and under all circum
stances show their disapprobation of so
foolish and sinful a practise, it would
seem that, in time, they must be com
pelled out of respect for these, their
friends, to remove the temptation, to
abandon Ihe vicious indulgenc, and be
come the steadfast friends of our cause.
If their attention could be arrested,
though hut for a moment; could they
ho made to perceive the dangerous con
sequences arising from an indulgence in
habits of conviviality; would they but
look around them and see the havoc it
has made in the families of their friends ;
trace the descent of the young man from
the heights of respectability and compe
lence, to the lowest depths of ignominy
and want, witness its wholesale devas
tation of families and communities, pol
luting the fountains of virtue, embitter
ing the joys of domestic life, throwing a
dark and gloomy pall over paternal hopes,
and filling the world with lamentation,
mourning and woe, they would without a
moment’s delay, unite with us.
Will not that individual who may hap.
pen to peruse this article and who has
hitherto given no thought to this subject,
be induced by these remarks, candidly
and c haritably uttered, to pause and think
—ask himself the question, may I not by
my example allure some young man into
the paths of confirmed intemperance?
Am I acting the part of a good citizen, a
virtuous member of community in setting
such an example?
We could point to men who stand high
upon the lists of respectability, who are
spreading around them a most pernicious
influence, and who, could they but see
their true position, would abandon it with
out a moment’s hesitation. How would
it gladden the hearts of the friends of
temperance if, what are called the more
respectable and influential portions of
society would enter heartily into their
measures; nbnndon the foolish custom
of offering and accepting wine as a token
of hospitality and good fellowship, and
unite with them in giving universal prev
alence to the principle of total absti
nence !—Temperance Standard.
The License Law.
The Supreme Court of the United
States, at Washington, in the case of
Thurlow vs. The Commonwealth of Mas
sachusetts, were divided on the question,
and have continued the case until the
next term, which will commence on the
second Monday in January, 1846. This
result leaves the Licence Laws just where
they have previously stood, while it
shows what the friends of temperance
have to fear. Before the question comes
again before the Court, the probability is,
that one new Judge, at least, perhaps
two, ( will be added to the bench. The
election of the new Judges becomes a
matter of great importance to temper
ance men. All the facts which go to
show the good effects of legal action
should be collected and brought before
the people, and some of our benevolent
friends could hardly do the cause greater
service than by procuring the best writ
ten tract possible, on tiie advantages
OF ASSOCIATING MORAL AND LEGAL SUA
SION in the Temperance Reform. A
suitable premium would doubtless call
out a good tract which should be scatter
ed broadcast over the State.
Our friends should also be urged to
their most vigorous efforts in sustaining
the present laws and seeing that they be
fully carried into effect.
Whatever the result may be next year
in the Supreme Court at YVashington, all
temperance men should know that the
opinion which some of the rumsellers are
trying to circulate, that they will be able
to recover back the fines imposed upon
them by the State, is wholly groundless.
No citizen can Bue the State except in
accordance with some existing law, or
by special permission granted by the
Legislature. No such law exists, and
we hope to have a Legislature of such a
character that the Rumsellers will not
dare to apply to them for such a purpose.
— Temp. Standard.
A Wise Bird. —A captain of a vessel
had a canary which was much attached
to him, and would perch on his hand or
head. One day the captain had several
friends to dine with him; the cage door
was opened, and the bird after flying
around the room, perched on the head of
the captain. The party were then drink
ing wine, and he held up his glass, when
the bird hopped on the edge of it, and
drank some of the wine. The little crea
ture soon felt the effects and returned to
the cage completely intoxicated. Soon
after, at another party, the captain at
tempted the same, but the bird remember
ing what he had suffered before, would
not taste, but flew back to his cage.
Oh 1 that we were as wise as birds.
[Preston (Eng.) Advocate.
' "
Generous. —The U. S. Revenue Cut-!
ter Hamilton, Cnpt. Sturgis, spoke a brig
at anchor off Boston Light, and learning
that she was clogged with ice, a party of
men was sent on board, who not only dis
encumbered her from ice, hut also aided
in working her to the city. She anchor- ;
ed in the stream, hut her noble captain j
very generously informed those of the j
Cutter’s crew w'ho had rendered him
such important service that if they would !
remain on board, (and of course save him
the expense of employing lumpers,) and
lend a hand to haul his brig to the wharf,
he would give them some change to get
some grog with ! How truly magnani
mous ! And yet, would any civilized
community believe it, these ungrateful
sailors indignantly refused his coppers,
grog and all, purely on the score of being
Washingtonians! Perhaps, if the truth
were known, this noble captain is one of
those who are continually moaning about
the immorality of common sailors, and
are vet the first to tempt them to drink
grog for the purpose of glossing over their !
own meanness. There are still many \
ship-masters who believe that a common
sailor can he bought and sold for a glass
of grog. If this captain is of that class,
he tried the experiment this time on the
wrong men—the Cutter’s crew are all
tee-totallers.
The Albany Knickerbocker says, we j
met one fellow on New Year’s serenading j
a stable. lie was “so far gone” that i
he could’nt tell the hack of the lot from |
the front—the carriage house from the |
dwelling. He had an old ham-strung
guitar, along with him, and the way he I
was persuading a lady to “open her lat- ■
tice” to him, would have made an an
chorite laugh. Great invention of the 1
adversary, that gin and sugar, is’nt it?
From the Boston Evening Transcriot.
Chinese Surgery.
A work has recently been republished !
in London, giving an account of a long
residence in China, with a description of
the manners, prejudices and institutions
in the Celestial Empire. The hook is
written by a learned Catholic Priest—
Father Ripa—and was first published in j
Naples, being thought worthy of a care- j
ful translation. Many portions are in- \
tensely interesting and full of instruc- i
tion. YVe quote the Father’s curious 1
account of the mode of treatment to
which he was subjected by a Chinese
surgeon, for a severe wound he received
in his head by a fall from his horse :
“ YY r hen I recovered my senses, I found |
myself in a house, but every thing ap- j
peared dark and indistinct, and I felt as
if I had fallen from my horse two months 1
before. The Emperor sent me a Turk- j
ish surgeon, for he and his Court were
fully persuaded that ior falls Tartar sur- j
geons were better than Europeans. And
to confess the truth, although the mode j
of treatment was of a barbarous des
cription, and some of the remedies ap
peared useless, I was cured in a very
short time. This surgeon made me sit
up in my bed, placing near me a large
basin filled with water, in which he put a I
thick piece of ice, to reduce it to a free
zing point. Then stripping me to the
waist, he made me stretch my neck over
the basin, and with a cup, he continued
for a good while to pour the water on my
neck. The pain caused hy this opera
tion upon those nerves which take their
rise from the pia-mater was so great and
insufferable, that it seemed to me un
equalled. The surgeon said that this
would staunch the blood and restore me
to my senses, which was actually the
case ; for in a short time my sight be
came clear, and my mind resumed its
powers. He next bound my head with
a band, drawn tight by two men, who
held the ends, while he struck the inter
mediate part vigorously with a piece of
wood, which shook my head violently, and
- ;i ■ I
, gave me dreadful pain. This, if I re
member rightly, he said was to set the
j brain which he supposed had been dis
placed. It is true, however, that after
this second operation my head felt more
j free.
A third operation was now performed,
during which he made me, still stripped
to the waist, walk in the open air, sup
ported by two persons; and while thus
walking he unexpectedly threw a bowl of
j cold freezing water over my breast. As
this caused me to draw my breath with
great vehemence, and as my chest had
been injured by the fall, it may be easi
ly imagined what were my sufferings
under this infliction. The surgeon in
i formed me that if any rib had been dis
! located, this sudden and hard breathing
| would restore it to its natural position!
j The next proceeding was less painful and
! extravagant. The made me sit
; upon the ground, then assisted by two
i men he held a cloth upon my mouth and
I nose till I was nearly suffocated.
“This,” said the Chinese Esculapius,
“by causing a violent heaving of the
chest, will force back any rib that mav
have been bent inwards.” The wound
in the head not being deep, he healed it
by stuffing it with burnt cotton. He
then ordered that I should continue to
walk much supported by two persons;
that I should not sit long, nor be allowed
to sleep before ten o’clock at night, at
which time, and not before, I should take
a little hifun, that is, thin rice soup.
This continued walking caused me to
faint several times; but this had been
forscen by the surgeon, who had warned
me not to be alarmed. He assured me
that these walks in the open air, while
fasting, would prevent the blood from
settling on the chest, where it might cor
rupt. These remedies were barbarous
and excruciating; but I am bound in
truth to confess that in seven days I was
so completely restored as to be able to
resume my journey into Tartary.
—...» - - ' -
Caution to Amateur Mesmerists.
On Wednesday, the 27th trlt., a young
woman named Gorst was put into a mes
meric state by her uncle (Mr. Forshaw.)
with whom she resides, in Drinkwater’a
gardens, in Liverpool, and she continued
in that state lor 99 £ hours, (4 days 3£)
during the whole of which time she
scarcely partook of any nourishment.—
Her uncle finding himself unable to res-,
tore her, became alarmed, and sent for
several persons whom he deemed amate
urs of the art, with a view of bringing
her out of the somnnmbnlic state, but
their efforts not only proved ineffectual,
but tended, by the diversity of their op
erations to sink her into a still more pro
found sleep. In that state she continued
until the following Sunday evening,
when she was visited by two young men,
who possessed some knowledge of the
art, and who wns requested by the uncle
to do what lay in their power to restore
her. They accordingly commenced their
operations about seven o’clock but it was
ten o’clock before they succeeded in awa
kening her, and she wns then in a very
weak state from the want of food. On
Monday, they renewed their operations
but she did not sleep. On Tuesday, af
ter five minutes exertions, she slept twen
ty minutes. On Wednesday, she was
again operated on, and slept three quar
ters of an hour. On Thursday she was
in the somnambulic state, and required
operating upon two hours before she
could be awakened,‘which was, in a great
measure, caused by a person imprudent
ly informing her of what had taken place
in the interval between the preceding
Wednesday and Sunday evening. On
Friday she was with difficulty kept
awake. On Saturday she was much
better, and was enabled to engage in her
usual occupations. This case is a stri
king example of the danger which must
result from ignorant persons meddling
with an art of which they have scarcely
any knowledge.— Liverpool Times.
Reward of Industry.
We were shown on Saturday last, a
beautiful set of Silver Castors, which
were awarded by the Apalachicola Cham
ber of Commerce to Col. McDonald,
of this place, for the best lot of cotton
of twenty bales, sold in that city during
the last season. The Castors are plain
and neat —costing slOl in the city of
New York. Thus, has the worthy Col
onel been rewarded for his industry and
skill—and, as an inducement to others to
direct their attention more to the quality
than the quantity of their cotton—wo
will state, that Col. McDonald’s premi
um cotton commanded, when sold, at
least two cents more than the highest
market price for good cotton. For his
present crop nine cents have been offered
in the city of New York and refused.—
Had every planter in the cotton growing
legion, pursued Col. McDonald’s plan of
raising cotton, no one can begin to esti
mate the advantages the country would
now be reaping. When will the people
learn wisdom ?— Evfaula Shield