and more than three thousand drunkards ceased to use intoxicating drinks. More than ten thousand persons, as appears from numer ous facts, have, by the change in the sentiments and practices of the community, already been saved from becoming drunkards. The quantity of ardent spirit used over extensive districts of country, has been greatly diminished; and pauperism, crime, sickness, insanity, and premature deaths have been diminished in proportion.

"And when persons have ceased to use intoxicating drinks, they have not only become more sober, healthy, diligent and economical, and their condition for this life been greatly improved; but they have, in much greater numbers, become hopefully pious, and experienced an entire change of character and of prospects for the life to come. And could appropriate means be used, over our whole country, a change, with the divine blessing, might be effected, which would save, annually, millions of property, and thousands and tens of thousands of lives; a change which would remove one of the greatest dangers to our social, civil, and religious institutions, one of the greatest obstructions to the efficacy of the gospel, and all the means of grace; and one of the chief causes, throughout our land, of human wretchedness and wo.

But for ability to employ these means, and accomplish these objects, the American Temperance Society is dependent upon what the friends of temperance are disposed to furnish. Its whole permanent income is not six hundred dollars a year; a sum insufficient to print and circulate, as extensively as is desirable, even its Annual Report. Numerous and pressing applications, from all parts of the country, are made for publications, and for agents; but the Society has not the means of complying with these requests. And without assistance, its labors, which, in time past have been so greatly blessed, and which are so intimately connected with the welfare of the present and all future generations of men, for both worlds, must in a great measure cease. Whether they shall be continued, or not, now depends upon this, whether the friends of the object will furnish the means.

The Committee, therefore, in reliance on Him who has all hearts in his hands, have resolved to make application to as many as practicable, of the known friends of temperance, who are blessed with property, and respectfully and earnestly request them to furnish the necessary means. Should one hundred individuals give one hundred dollars a year, or could a sum equal to that be obtained, abstinence from the use of ardent spirit might, it is believed, be extended throughout our country, and throughout the Christian world. The next generation, and all future generations of men night come forward into life without the habit of using it, without any appetite for it, or expectation of any benefit to be de

rived froin the use of it. Then the gospel and all the means of grace may be expected to produce more than double their past effects; and all efforts for the intellectual, moral and spiritual benefit of man be crowned with greatly augmented success. And in no way, probably, could the same amount of property do greater good to mankind.

The Committee, therefore, in fulfilment of the high trust assigned to them, and for the purpose of promoting the great interests of our country and the world, respectfully and earnestly request the friends of temperance to assist them in this great and monientous work. And although they have no desire to dictate as to the manner, or the amount, yet as it is very desirable that they should know what means they can obtain in order to lay out their plans, and direct their operations accordingly, they take the liberty to present the following form of subscription, viz.-To enable the American Temperance Society, by means of the press, and of living agents, to extend the principle of abstinence from the use of ardent spirit, throughout our country,-we the subscribers agree to pay annually to said society, so long as it shall appear to us to be proper, the sums annexed to our names.

GEORGE ODIORNE,
JOHN TAPPAΝ,

HEMAN LINCOLN,

JUSTIN EDWARDS,

Committee.

ENOCH HALE, JR.

Boston, Jan. 16, 1832.

P. S. Although, for the reasons above mentioned, and also on account of the greater ease and diminished expense of collecting it, an annual subscription is viewed by the Committee as more desirable than a donation, yet if any person prefer to assist by a donation, he is requested to write donation against his name. And any amount, furnished in either way, and sent to the Treasurer, 97 Milk street, Boston, will be thankfully received, and faithfully appropriated to the great object of the society."

The Circular referred to in the 3d resolution has been prepar ed. It is a pamphlet of twelve pages, and has been stereotyped. It is sold by A. Russell, No. 5, Cornhill, Boston, at $10 per thousand, and is adapted to universal circulation.

Should one hundred individuals give one hundred dollars a year, or could a sum equal to that be obtained, a copy of it might be put into every family in the United States: millions be added to Temperance Societies, and their operations be continued till the use of ardent spirit as a drink, and the traffic in it, shall be done away.

More than 100,000 copies of the pamphlet referred to, have already been printed; and all who are disposed to promote the good of mankind, are requested to aid in furnishing means, and in giving to it a universal circulation.

The Corresponding Secretary has continued to devote his whole time to the concerns of the Society. He superintended the stereotyping and printing of the Fourth Report, and assisted in its circulation. He also prepared the circulars which have been referred to; has traveled more than 1700 miles, and addressed public bodies more than 150 times. He has prepared numerous articles which have been circulated extensively through the medium of periodicals, and public papers; has published forty letters on the immorality of the traffic in ardent spirit; conducted the correspondence, and superintended the general concerns of the Society. An abstract of the letters on the immorality of the traffic in ardent spirit, have, at the request of friends of the cause, been published in a pamphlet, and are found in the Appendix to this Report.*

Meaus have been furnished for the employment of an agent six months in the city of New York, who was appointed by, and la bored under the direction of the Committee of the New York City Temperance Society. An agent also of the Baptist denomination has been employed for eight months, in the State of Illinois. Other agents have been employed by State and County societies; numerous individuals have performed voluntary agencies; addresses have been delivered by clergymen, attorneys, physicians and others; the press, with its powerful and all-pervading voice, has continued to speak, and the conviction to deepen and extend, that the use of ardent spirit as a drink, the manufacture of it, and the traffic in it, is an immorality of a high and aggravated character; wholly opposed in its nature and influence to the spirit and requirements of the Christian religion; at war with the honor and government of Jehovah, and hostile to the holiness and happiness of mankind. The conviction is becoming general, that the men who understand the nature and effects of ardent spirit, and yet continue to traffic in it, are accessories to the evils, and accomplices in al! the crimes which it occasions; that they give fearful evidence that they regard money more than God, and are willing, for the sake of it, to destroy, for both worlds, their fellow-men. Sober men of all classes, who have examined this subject, are moving onward to the settled and permanent conclusion, that such mer. cannot, while they continue to do this, give that credible evidence of being good men, which would justify an impartial community, in receiving and treating them as such.

Multitudes, during the past year, have spoken out on this subject,

* Appendix G.

and with great clearness and strength, corroborated what others had said before.

Rev. Henry Ware, jr. professor of pulpit eloquence and the pastoral care in Harvard University, says, "No proposition seems to me susceptible of more satisfactory demonstration than this,-and I am sure that no person can give it one hour's serious thought without assenting to it,-that, in the present state of information on this subject, no man can think to act on Christian principles, or do a patriot's duty to his country, and at the same time make or sell the instrument of intoxication." And shall men continue to be received as giving credible evidence of being Christians, who knowingly carry on an employment, in which they cannot think to act on Christian principle? and which is utterly inconsistent, even with a patriot's duty? which, in the language of this writer, is "no less than employing his time, capital and industry to prepare for use, and offer for use, that which has been proved to be the principal source of misery and crime in modern society? providing for men the convenient and tempting means of ruining their health, and their business; beggaring their families, becoming vagabonds, and a nuisance while alive, and sinking prematurely to a dishonorable grave?" and when "the nature of his calling renders this inevitable, and he cannot be a dealer in spirits without becoming accessory to all this vice and ruin?" Is he who, for the sake of money, perseveringly continues to do this, to be received and treated as giving credible evidence that he is a good man? An injured and suffering community, by the voice of accumulating millions, answers-No.

The Rev. Francis Wayland, D. D. President of Brown Univerty in Providence, Rhode Island, in an address lately delivered, after stating that it has been shown that more than $90,000,000 are annually lost to the country by the use of ardent spirit, in addition to all the other evils which flow from it, puts to the conscience of each one who continues, whether by wholesale or retail, to be engaged in the traffic, or in any way to furnish ardent spirit for the use of his fellow men, the following questions, viz.

"First. Can it be right for me to derive my living from that which is spreading disease, and poverty, and premature death throughout my neighborhood? How would it be in any similar case? Would it be right for me to derive my living from selling poison, or from propagating plague, or leprosy around me?

Second. Can it be right for me to derive my living from that which is debasing the minds, and ruining the souls of my neighbors? How would it be in any other case? Would it be right for me to derive my living from the sale of a drug which produced misery, or madness; or from the sale of obscene books which ex

cited the passions, and brutalized the minds, and ruined the souls of my fellow men?

Third. Can it be right for me to derive my living from that which destroys forever the happiness of the domestic circlewhich is filling the land with women and children in a condition far more deplorable than that of widows and orphans?

Fourth. Can it be right for me to derive my living from that which is known to be the cause of nine-tenths of all the crimes which are perpetrated against society?

Fifth. Can it be right for me to derive my living from that which brings upon society nine-tenths of all the pauperism which exists, and which the rest of the community are obliged to pay for?

Sixth. Can it be right for me to derive my living from that which accomplishes all these at once, and which does it without ceasing?

Do you say that you do not know that the liquor which you are selling will produce these results? Do you not know that nine hundred and ninety-nine gallons produce these effects for one which is used innocently? I ask, then,

Seventh. Would it be right for me to sell poison on the ground that there was one chance in a thousand that the purchaser would not die of it?

Eighth. Do you say that you are not responsible for the acts of your neighbor? Is this clearly so? Is not he who knowingly furnishes a murderer with a weapon, considered an accomplice? Is not he who navigates a slave ship, considered a pirate?

If these things be so, and that they are so, who can dispute, I ask you, my respected fellow citizens, what is to be done? Let me ask, is not this trade altogether wrong? Why, then, should we not altogether abandon it?

If any man think otherwise and choose to continue it, I have but one word to say. My brother, when you order a cargo of intoxicating drink, think how much misery you are importing into the community. As you store it up, think how many curses you are heaping together against yourself. As you roll it out of your warehouse, think how many families each cask will ruin. Let your thoughts then revert to your own fireside, your wife, and your little ones; look upward to Him who judgeth righteously, and ask yourself, my brother, IS THIS RIGHT?

The Hon. Reuben H. Walworth, Chancellor of the State of New York and President of the New York State Temperance Society, in an address lately delivered, says, "Though my public duties have not allowed me to participate in this great work in the manner I could have desired, I have witnessed with delight its rapid progress, and shall ever esteem it the highest honor I could