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CHAPTER II.

EARLY HISTORY

OF THE MOVEMENT IN AMERICA

AND IN GREAT BRITAIN :

1804 TO 1832.

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is certainly somewhat of a humiliating thought,

that notwithstanding the great evils arising from intemperance, so little was attempted by way of organized effort to stem the torrent of evil, at an earlier period. To say, however, that nothing had ever been done would not be strictly true, inasmuch as we find that in the year 1517, Sigismond de Diettrichstein established a society on the continent, the objects of which were to put an end to the custom of pledging of healths, and the practice of endeavouring to ensnare individuals into intoxication. Another temperance society was formed by the Duke of Hesse, in 1600, which had for a regulation, that no member should drink more than seven glasses of liquor at a time, and that this should not occur oftener than twice a day. A third society, we read of, was founded by the Count Palatine, Frederick V., under the denomination of the

"Ring of Gold." It will be at once seen, however, that such societies as these had little about them of the nature of our modern Temperance societies, and were scarcely calculated to remove the prevalent vice of intemperance.

Coming down, however, to the year 1804, it is somewhat remarkable that on both sides of the Atlantic the public attention should be called to the evils resulting from the use of intoxicating drinks, by two medical men, of some repute. During this year, Dr. Trotter, a Member of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh, and one of the physicians to the Fleet under the command of Earl Howe, published An Essay, Medical, Philosophical, and Chemical, on Drunkenness, and its effects on the Human Body. In America, Dr. Rush also published An Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits upon the Human Body and Mind. These works could not fail to have a salutary effect upon the public opinion, and hence it was not long before it became a general inquiry among the people in America, as to "What could be done to suppress Intemperance?" And the first direct step taken in the matter was in the month of April, 1808, when a society was established at Moreau, county of Saratoga, in the state of New York, consisting of fortythree members, who adopted the following, amongst others, as the rules of the society :

"Art. I.-This society shall be known as the TEMPERATE SOCIETY OF MOREAU AND NORTHUMBERLAND.

"Art. IV.-No member shall drink rum, gin, whiskey, wine, or any distilled spirits, or compositions of the same, or any of them,

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except by the advice of a physician, or in case of actual disease, (also excepting at public dinners,) under the penalty of twenty-five cents, provided that this article shall not infringe on any religious rite.

"Sec. 2.-No member shall be intoxicated under penalty of fifty

cents.

"Sec. 3.-No member shall offer any of the said liquors to any person to drink thereof, under the penalty of twenty-five cents."

This society continued in existence till the year 1822, though but little good appears to have been effected by it. In fact, intemperance had now assumed such a frightful aspect, that Dr. B. J. Clarke, a medical gentleman, upon one occasion, is reported to have said, "We shall certainly become a community of drunkards, unless something be done to arrest the progress of intemperance." The question therefore again arose, "What can be done?" The Rev. Dr. Beecher, in 1811, had preached six sermons against intemperance, which were afterwards published, and had a large circulation. The Rev. Justin Edwards, of Andover, had also preached a series of sermons against intemperance, in 1814. In 1819, Judge Hertwell published a small work on the same subject, and in 1823 the Rev. Mr. Nott published some sermons condemnatory of the same vice. Yet in 1825 the question was still discussed, “What shall be done?" On the 10th of January, 1826, a number of gentlemen met in the Vestry of Park Street Church, Boston, to take this question into further consideration; and after having united in prayer, and spent a considerable time in earnest and serious deliberation, they adopted the following resolutions :—

«1.-That it is expedient that more systematic and more vigorous efforts be made by the Christian public to restrain and prevent the intemperate use of intoxicating liquors.

«2.-That an individual of acknowledged talents, piety, industry, and sound judgment, should be selected and employed as a permanent agent, to spend his time, and use his best exertions, for the suppression and prevention of the intemperate use of intoxicating liquors."

A Committee having been appointed to make further arrangements, another meeting was convened on the 13th of February following, when the AMERICAN TEMPERANCE SOCIETY was established, and the following officers were chosen :-Hon. Marcus Morton, President; Hon. Samuel Hubbard, Vice-President; William Ropes, Esq., Treasurer; John Tappan, Esq., Auditor. Executive Committee-Rev. Leonard Woods, D.D., Rev. Justin Edwards, D.D., John Tappan Esq., Hon. George Odiorne, S. V. S. Wilder, Esq. Fifteen members were then chosen, and at a subsequent meeting held on March 12th, eighty-four other gentlemen were chosen as members of this society.

In 1829, the NEW YORK STATE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY was formed, and was favoured with the personal and pecuniary assistance of E. C. Delavan, Esq., who for seven years devoted a large portion of his time, and above 16,000 dollars to the furtherance of the interests of this society. The Rev. N. Hewitt, and the Rev. Dr. Edwards were successively the secretaries of this institution; and both of them laboured hard to promote the cause. From August 1829 to May 1831, Dr. Edwards, travelled more than 6,400 miles, and delivered

386 sermons or addresses; one of the addresses being delivered in the capital at Washington, to the members of both Houses of Congress. The cause therefore now progressed and at the close of 1829, 1,000 local societies with 100,000 members, were in active operation, and an organ of the movement was started by the parent society, entitled The Journal of Humanity.

Thus it appears that America was first in the field on the temperance question, and to the Americans certainly belongs the honour of having formed the first temperance society of modern date, and proved the possibility and utility of introducing combination and association into this department of philanthropy.

We turn our attention now to Europe, and

IRELAND

claims our first attention, although the claim for precedence on the part of Ireland has been disputed by Scotland; yet certain it is that although Mr. Dunlop was first in endeavouring to sow the seed in Scotland, it was in Ireland that the first organization was actually formed. The Rev. George Whitmore Carr, being very earnest in every good work, and much in the habit of visiting among the poor; and having heard of the movement in America, appears to have been struck with the fact that Ireland would also be benefited by the introduction of the temperance reformation; he accordingly at once established a society at New Ross, in the County of Wexford, south of Ireland, in August 1829,

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