this cause. We reasoned simply from the known tendencies of men under like circumstances. Moving on to their object in a mass, almost irresponsibly, they often sustain and encourage one another in modes of operation which most of them would individually condemn. They inflame each other's zeal,-which is not always according to knowledge,by exciting and intolerant addresses. Those who aim at some distinction, moreover, are unconsciously driven on by ambition to more vehemence and intolerance than they would else have been able to justify to their own minds. All human experience teaches us, that combinations animated by such a spirit will create hostility. Societies of this kind, instituted for object whatever, do almost always awaken an opposition, active and violent in proportion to the zeal with which its measures are pressed. We were therefore somewhat afraid of disturbing the natural operation of social influences, and interfering with the moral power of individual, living goodness, by artificial arrangements and mechanical ways of producing effect. An immense compelling force, breaking down opposition, is substituted for that gentle, well-directed, spiritual influence, which attracts and disarms it.

any

An able writer in the Edinburgh Review,* several years ago, spoke of the tendency of the age to this mode of action as follows: "It is an age of machinery in every outward and inward sense of that word. Nothing is now done directly or by hand. All is by rule and calculated contrivance. Old modes of exertion are all discredited and thrown aside. On every hand the living artisan is driven from his workshop to make room for a speedier inanimate one. The shuttle drops from the hands of the weaver, and falls into iron fingers that fly it faster. The sailor furls his sail, lays down his oar, and bids a strong, unwearied servant, on vaporous wings, bear him through the waters. There is no end to machinery. Even the horse is stripped of his harness, and finds a fleet fire-horse yoked in his stead. Nay, we have an artist that hatches chickens by steam, the very brood-hen is to be superseded! "Instruction, that mysterious communing of Wisdom with Ignorance, is no longer an indefinable, tentative process, requiring a study of individual aptitudes, and a perpetual variation of means and methods to attain the same

* For June, 1829. Vol. XLIX. pp. 442, 443.

end; but a secure, universal, straight-forward business, to be conducted in the gross, by proper mechanism, with such intellect as comes to hand." "Has any man, or any soci

ety of men a truth to speak, or a piece of spiritual work to do, they can nowise proceed at once and with the mere natural organs, but must first call a public meeting, appoint committees, issue prospectuses, in a word, construct or borrow machinery wherewith to do and speak it. Then every machine must have its moving power in some of the great currents of society. Every little sect among us, Unitarians, Utilitarians, Anabaptists, Phrenologists, must each have its periodical, its monthly or quarterly magazine, hanging out like its windmill into the popularis aura, to grind meal for the society.

...These things, which we state lightly enough here, are yet of deep import, and indicate a mighty change in our whole manner of existence. For the same habit regulates, not our modes of action alone, but our modes of thought and feeling. Men are grown mechanical in head and heart, as well as in hand. They have lost faith in individual endeavour, and in natural force of every kind. Not for internal perfection, but for external combinations and arrangements, for institutions and constitutions, for mechanism of one sort or another, do they hope and struggle. Their whole efforts, attachments, opinions turn on mechanism, and are of a mechanical character."

From the principle of working together to accomplish moral ends, ascribed by this writer to the mechanical tendencies of the age, there is doubtless good as well as evil to be expected. Many objects, such as the planting of colonies and the support of religious institutions, require funds and other aids which individuals cannot supply. Yet the remarks we have quoted are reasonable, and, qualify them as we may,

we think there is in them a good deal of wisdom and truth. We repeat, that we have all along looked with some apprehension upon the tendency of these modern movements, that supersede private efforts, and make individuals of no account, save as they contribute to the velocity or momentum of the machinery by which great moral results are to be wrought out. With these views of the effect of combinations generally, we confess that we entered into the temperance movement at first with some reluctance, a reluctance, however, which was soon overcome by a sense of the enormous and

unmanageable character of the evil to be contended with. The details of this evil are known to the public, and need not here be repeated. It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the amount of poverty, crime, and wretchedness, which appear on the very surface of society, as the natural fruits of intemperance. But what finite mind shall attempt to measure the secret, heartbreaking, domestic sorrow that springs from the same source ! the sorrow that sits desolate, forlorn, forsaken, and never tells her tale of wo! Our objections to associations of this kind were overcome when our attention was once awake to this obstinate, moral, social, and domestic mischief. It was the mighty power of a demon rushing through scenes of beauty and joy to blast them. Against this tremendous force the individual strength of man was indeed weakness.

A combined effort to banish the drinking of ardent spirits from the community seemed to be the more necessary, because it was a social vice, which grew out of a common error. It was necessary to disabuse the public mind of this error. Alcohol had long been held in general favor as a beverage. It was the usual offering of friendship and hospitality. It was mutually given and received as the expression of kindly and social sympathy. It was an easy and acceptable reward for trifling services, which had no pecuniary value. It was resorted to by the idle for pleasure, and by the laborious for refreshment. The field, the work-shop, the tavern, and the pleasure-party were all engaged in doing the work of public corruption. Every holiday gave to youth its lessons of sin, and strengthened the ruinous habits of riper years. Indeed, none were deemed too old or too young to enjoy the solace of this patent sustainer and restorer of nature's weakness, this sovereign balm for all "the ills that flesh is heir to." It was diluted and transformed so that children found pleasure in its sweetness, and it ministered comfort and strength to second childhood, tottering on the brink of the grave. So universally did this error work in the heart of society, that no wonder we have seen many a man, who started in the freshness of his young life full of hope and promise, soon become its victim, wasting his substance in riotous living," then prolonging his shameful life by plunder or charity, or pining in prison among convicted felons, or perchance a maniac writhing in chains, or an idiot moping in helpless and hopeless dotage. Against this mighty social error we felt that it was necessary to bring a

6.6

combined public expression of truth. We therefore took the pledge, with strong heart and hope, and bent ourselves earnestly and with such strength as we had, to the vast moral

machine.

The evil we had to contend with was traced directly to the prevalent habit of drinking ardent spirits, drinking moderately we mean, for all the intemperate were once moderate drinkers, and intended to remain such. For this habit a renovation of public opinion seemed to be the only remedy. And it was proper for the friends of temperance to give a united expression to this new opinion about distilled liquors, that their use might become disreputable, and at length wholly disappear from society. The adoption of the pledge of total abstinence seemed to be the readiest way of giving expression and force to the common feeling of the friends of reform on this subject. And therefore we adopted it. We wish to have it distinctly understood, that we entered into this combination against ardent spirits, not because they were the only mischievous articles in use, and not merely because we saw in the use of them a vehement tendency to abuse. We held that liability to abuse is no just ground for total abstinence from any thing really good. These articles we did not believe to be really good as drink, but the reverse. It appeared in evidence not to be refuted, that distilled liquors, used in any quantity, are always an injurious beverage to persons in health,

that all men are better without than with them. It moreover appeared in evidence, that there was such extreme danger, not merely of hurt, but of utter ruin, in using them even moderately, that out of any ten young men, who adopted this habit, there was a moral certainty that several would be destroyed by it. We say then distinctly, that it was this specific evil, which we deem more deadly than war, pestilence, and famine combined, — it was against this specific evil, and not against any other and doubtful, or less fatal practice, that we pledged ourselves to work in the temperance combination.

We say this distinctly and repeatedly, because we still think this is the true ground, and mean to maintain it until we see good reason for giving it up. Nor do we mean to bear in silence the imputation of being "enemies," or at best "inconistent friends" of temperance, for adhering to the principle with which we started.

At this point we are in danger of parting company with many of our friends, who insist upon placing fermented liquors on the same footing with distilled spirits, and immediately or gradually extending to them the pledge of total abstinence. We have great objections to this course, which we will proceed to set forth with such distinctness as we can.

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We object to destroying the simplicity of the obligation under which we have hitherto acted together with harmony and success. A loud outcry has been raised, that "we are making no progress." There is a party who cannot wait a reasonable time for the seed to germinate and grow after it has been sown; like the poor farmer who was found digging up his potatoes in June, because, he said, "To wait till September was a longer credit than he could afford to give." We hear such persons exclaiming, “What, shall we never advance, -shall we never get on? We came up two years ago to the pledge of total abstinence from distilled spirits! Shall we stand for ever on this old ground?" Just as if the object of the Temperance Society was, not to promote temperance, but to bring the greatest possible number of articles under the ban of the community! We ask such brethren, why we should not stand on this old ground, if it is the true ground, where we ought to work and can work with effect. We suppose that the wise projectors of this movement measure its success, not by the length and breadth to which the principle of total abstinence is extended, but by the number and fidelity of those who adopt it.

Our hope of success, as a Society, lies chiefly in the simple and specific character of the pledge. We believe it possible to convince men generally of the duty and expediency of abstaining wholly from a class of articles proved to be so pernicious in their use. But we do not believe that they can be convinced of the duty and expediency of abstaining from every thing which is pernicious merely in its abuse. The more you extend the pledge, the more you weaken its obligation; else why have any pledge? Are not the laws of nature and the laws of God an obligation sufficiently strong? Should a hundred men pledge themselves to abstain from all immorality of every kind, who supposes that such a vow would add any force to the obligations under which they were born? We wish to have men obey all the laws of temperance, whether in drinking or eating, or other enjoyments; but we have no faith