344 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 9, 1832. 



I N T E Bl P E R A N C E . 



From the Newburyport Herald. 



- An esteemed friend has placed in onr Iwinds a 

 copy of an Address, delivered hy Rev. Henry 

 Ware, Jr. now a professor in Harvard University, 

 and a distinguished gentleman of the Unitarian 

 persii^ion ; and has called our attention to one or 

 two passages v/hich he is desirous of'si'eing repiib- 

 lisheA* They are as follows; and the present ques- 

 tion as to the principle of total abstinence and the 

 pledge to abstain. The writer asks, " Is there rea- 

 sonable objection to either?" and then proceeds to 

 reply, as follows : — 



" To the principle, certainly there can be none. 

 No one, who knows anything of the nature of the 

 evil in question, will dream of tiuding a remedy 

 in anything short of the absolute prohibition of the 

 intoxicating article. All experience proves, that 

 no man can be accounted safe who allows himself 

 to drink moderately. Dr Johnson once said, ' I 

 know what intemperance is, and I know what is 

 abstinence ; but I never yet coidd learn what is 

 moderation.' Thousands may say the same. They 

 can abstain ; but they cannot drink moderately.— 

 In abstinence there is no difficulty, comparatively 

 no self-denial, and there is safety. But to drink a 

 little, and stop as soon as the appetite is provoked ; 

 to deny an increasing gratification to a growing 

 thirst ; this is, for many men, too liard ; and to all 

 it is fearfully dangerous. There is no safety but 

 in resolute abstinence. What objection then can 

 there be to the principle ? Especially since it is 

 one of the demonstrated truths, that not a drop is 

 needed by any man in any circumstances, and t'lat 

 in most cases it is actually deleterious. How in- 

 deed should it be necessary, when the world went 

 on till within three hundred years without th(! in- 

 vention of ardent spirits ? And its use has been 

 common in New England less than ninety years. 

 " But it is not only this personal consideration 

 which justifies the principle. Every man nuist 

 recollect his relation to others. However impos- 

 sible that he shoiilil fall, he must consider, that it 

 may be essential to the very salvation of some 

 weaker neighbor, that he altogether abstain. But 

 he sees you take a litlk. Why should not he ? It 

 is hs innocent in him as in you ; and he is asham- 

 ed to betray a greater distrust of his own virtue, 

 than you of yours. If you risk it, he will; if you 

 brave the devil, he will not be so cowardly as 

 to retreat. Shall he alone turn poltroon, and run 

 away from a seasonable glass ? Not he ! and so, 

 for fear of beiug thought to think himself in dan- 

 ger, he drinks on and dies. Now, what right had 

 you to coimtcnance and abet the ruin of that man ? 

 Svhat right had you, by a foolish and uimecessary 

 gratification, to tempt him to sin and destruction ? 

 Remember the magnanimous declaration of Paul : 

 'If meat cause my brother to o!Tend, I will eat no 

 meat while the world stand'eth, lest I cause njy 

 brother to offend.' This should be the maxim of 

 every man ; and there can be no doubt, that if the 

 strong will act on the principle, they would con- 

 finri the moral courage and strengthen the moral 

 efforts of thousands, who would otherwise be lost. 

 For how many thousands are there, who have no 

 strength to run counter to example ! 



" Indeed it will not do to give up this principle 

 of entire abstinence ; it is the corner stone of the 

 cause ; on it rests all the success in which we re- 

 joice. Abandon it — allow men to drink moder 



ately and to judge for themselves, as you must, 

 what is moderate drinking, and you restore the 

 dominion of the denten at once. 



" But the pledge. Is that necessary ? Is that 

 expedient ? 



" On this point, I am aware, there is great dif- 

 ference of opinion. I\Jany of the true friends to 

 the cause, advocates of the great principle, hesi- 

 tate about the pledge. I know their objections, 

 conscientiously and religiously entertained ; they 

 are to be treated with respect. But after the most 

 careful consideration I have been able to give the 

 subject, I am constrain|(d to' say, that I think them 

 founded in error, and such as offer no suificient 

 reason for refusing to join the combination. 



" The error seems to be twofold : First, in sup- 

 posing that the pledge is always designed for his 

 sake who takes it, whereas it is often intended 

 chiefly for the sake of others ; and secondly, in 

 fancying that it contains a snare to his conscience, 

 by inducing him to act from unworthy itiotives. 



" First, these persons say : We do not use 

 these articles ; why is not this enough ? Why 

 pledge ourselves to that restraint which we already 

 practise ? 



" I answer, for the sake of others ; for the sake 

 of extending the knowledge and influence of your 

 .example. There is a large class of men almost 

 persuaded, who think on the whole, it would be 

 better to abandon to cup- altogether, who yet con- 

 tinue to drink habitually, though soberly, and who 

 thus encourage the intemiierate, because they are 

 not called to make an inunediate decision. Your 

 private example does not urge them to it any more 

 today than next year ; and they think that next 

 year will be more convenient. But when you 

 sign a paper and pass it to them, they are brought 

 to a decision on the spot. And it is precisely in 

 this way, that thousands, without a moment's hes- 

 itation, have been made practical advocates of the 

 cause. They were advocates at heart before ; yet 

 thev might never have become so openly, so as to 

 exert a wholesome influence, except they ha<l thus 

 been called on for an immediate decision. In this 

 way, therefore, your written engagement may 

 make your practice known to many, and thus tend 

 to influence many who never would otherwise 

 have learned what your practice is. 



" But again, they say : We lay snares for con- 

 science, in thus surrendering oiu- liberty. We do 

 not think a little occasional indulgence injurious 

 to us, though we do not desire it ; and why should 

 we tempt ourselves by the prohibition ? 



*' It is not strange that some should be affected 

 by this mode of viewing the matter. They relig- 

 iously dread to tamper with conscience and to put 

 its delicacy in jeopardy. But after all, are they 

 not mistaken as to the amount of the risk ? If 

 thev are accustomed to act on principle, is there 

 nuioh dp.nger that a)>petite or civility will get as- 

 cendency over it, because tl ey have told their 

 neighbors that it shall not ? for this is the amount 

 of it. Or suppose it amounted to something more, 

 yet should they not be ready to incur the risk for 

 the sake of the good which they may thus do to 

 others? For this is the point to be considered. 

 It is a question between a single regard to one's 

 own good, and a benevolent sacrifice to the good 

 of others. On the one side is a possible evil to 

 one's self; on the other, an inevitable evil to oth- 

 ers. Which is to be chosen ? To a conscientious 

 man who walks circumspectly, the personal dan- 

 ger is nothing; and he certainly cannot feel justi- 



fied in refusing to ilo what might jirove an essen- 

 tial office of benevolence, on the selfish ])lea, that 

 possibly he might thereby injure his own nnnd. 

 The duty then seems obvious. It is determined 

 liy the maxim of holy writ, ' Let no man seek his 

 own, but every man another's good ; ' and by that 

 already cited, ' I will eat no tifWat while the wjjrld 

 standeth, lest I cause my brother to offend.' 



" 1 would ask, also, why this objection should 

 be thought so peculiarly strong in this case, when 

 it is equally applicable to many other occasions on 

 which it is never brought forward ? ' We are prin- 

 cipled against making promises to do our duty ; 

 we choose to do it because it is our duty ; other- 

 wise we set snares for our consciences.' But you 

 do not act on this principle in other cases. It is 

 your duty to speak the truth in a court of justice, 

 vet you make a solemn engagement to do so. It 

 is your duty to pay your debts, yet you do not 

 hesitate to give a note of hand, promising payment. 

 It is your duty to be faithful to your wife, yet yoiv 

 did not refuse, when you took her hand lor better, 

 for worse, to engage to be so. And did you ever 

 find yourself less likely to speak the truth, pay 

 your debts, and honor your wife, because of these 

 promises ? Have you found them snares to your 

 conscience ? Certainly then there is no force in 

 the objection. It cannot stand before a candid 

 exiimination. 



" It is to be said further, in defence of this requi- 

 sition, that experience has j.roved it essential to 

 the prevalence of the cause ; we can expect its 

 complete triumiih oidy through the power which 

 is by this means imparted to its operations. It is 

 undoubtedly a fact, that the vigorous and rapid 

 spread of just sentiments on this subject, has been 

 mainly owing to their having been pressed upon 

 the notice of society, by the steady and persever- 

 ing pledge of temperate men. It is through this 

 means, that such nniltitndes have been led, not 

 only to reflect, but to act, to net promptly, deci- 

 dedly, fearlessly, unitedly ; and if the former 

 course of simply reasoning on the subject, and act- 

 ing silently, as insulated individuals, had been con- 

 tinued, nothing approaching the same results could 

 have been witnessed, nor could we now look for- 

 ward with so confident assurance to complete suc- 

 cess. Whatever objection, therefore, may seem to 

 lie against this part of the system, a little examin- 

 ation proves it to be unfounded ; while to admit it 

 in i)ractice would be ruinous to the cnterjirise. — 

 No ; so long as we require onr magistrates to bind 

 themselves to fidelity in office, we must not think 

 it unreasonable to bind ourselves to this duty. If 

 every sober man would do it, not all the obliga- 

 tion assuincd and discharged by the officers of 

 state, would eflect so much fijr the virtue and pros- 

 perity of the nation. We should then speedily 

 witness the results at which we aim." 



Silkworm Eggs. 

 FOR sale at the New England Seed Store, 50,noO 

 Silkwiinn Eggs, warranted good, in packages of 5,(100 

 each. Price $1 per thousand; with short practical in- 

 tructions for rearing them. April 11. 



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