The tax upon good morals should also be taken into the account. Drunkards are not the only individuals whose moral purity is destroyed by intoxicating liquors. These individuals are dispersed through every neighborhood in the county, scattering pollution and moral death wherever they go. Every youth, and almost every child is brought within their influence, and consequently liable to be tainted by their example.

We see then, from unquestionable facts, that intoxicating drink causes almost, if not quite all of our criminals, at least seven eights of our paupers, and more than half of our taxes.—It is ruining our youth as well as those of maturer years. It is corrupting the public morals, resisting the progress of religion, and filling the land with infidelity and atheism.

A question now arises, Is it right to partake of a beverage which is poisoning the sources of private happiness and national prosperity? Is it right in any way to encourage or sanction the use of such a beverage? Should some foreign monarch slay 30,000 inhabitants of the United States every year, should he double the amount of our public taxes, should he corrupt the morals of our country, and resist the progress of our religion, and threaten the destruction of our government, would it be right for this nation to continue a friendly intercourse with him? Would any one plead that he might possibly afford us aid in some time of distress, and therefore it was best to remain on terms of intimacy and friendship with him? No; millions of voices would exclaim with indignation, not for a moment. Come what will, we abandon forever that cruel tyrant. His friendship is death. Whoever favors him shall be branded as a traitor, and spurned from society. But all these evils, with a host of others of the most aggravated character, are brought upon us by intoxicating liquors.

Again, a question arises in view of the facts which we have detailed. Is it morally right any longer to grant licenses for the sale of ardent spirits? Ought we, by our town and village authorities, any longer to sell licenses for opening the fountains of sin, and pouring forth rivers of pollution and death upon the community? Is it right thus to sanction the use of an article which has produced nearly all of our criminals, and seven eights of our paupers and more than half of our taxes? Is it good economy, is it wisdom to do so?

In conclusion, the facts which have been presented, warrant us in saying, that every one who has a family to educate, or taxes to pay, or a country to love, or a God to serve, is directly interested in having all intoxicating liquors banished from the land.

FRANCIS SAYRE,
O. L. KIRTLAND
E. B. DAY,

Committee. T. F. ROMEYN.

The Executive Committee of the New-York State Temperance Society, in presenting to the PARENT INSTITUTION its Fourth Annual Report, respectfully submits the following SUMMARY OF

RESULTS.

I. Number of Auxiliaries in the State of New-York.-Including the State Society, fifteen hundred and thirty-eight temperance societies have been reported. Many more are known to exist from which no report has been received.

II. Present number of Members.-This by actual enumeration amounts to two hundred and thirty-one thousand and seventy-four; but here also it is proper to remark, that the number actually pledged to total abstinence greatly exceeds the sum arrived at by enumeration, as in some societies great increase has taken place since the reports were sent in, and from others complete returns have never been made. Increase in the year, sixty thousand eight hundred and four.

III. Temperance Stores and Taverns.-By these we understand those stores and taverns where the absence of spirituous liquors is the result and effect of the temperance reform. One thousand two hundred and two of these have been reported.

IV. Distilleries discontinued.-These amount to one hundred and thirty-one; a great part, but we think not all, of these have been discontinued in the course of the past year.

[New York State Report.]

The General Association of Massachusetts, composed of the great body of Evangelical Congregational Ministers in that State, say, "The Temperance Reformation has made rapid advances. In some associations, the number of pledges has, during the year, been more than doubled. In others there is not an individual licensed to sell strong drink, and in the most, if not all, the number of licenses has been greatly diminished. Many of our churches have become temperance churches. They admit none to their fellowship, who do not avow the principle of total abstinence from both the consumption and the traffic. And some of them have, by special vote, made the traffic in every form a disciplinable offence."

They also passed unanimously the following resolution, viz.

"As the traffic in ardent spirit, as a drink, is not only unnecessary but injurious to the social, civil, and religious interests of men, therefore the laws which sanction that traffic by licensing men to pursue it, are, in the judgment of this association, morally wrong; and ought to be so modified, that instead of licensing the sin, and thus sanctioning its continuance, they will only, as far as practicable and expedient, defend the community from its evils."

SEVENTH REPORT

OF THE

AMERICAN TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

THE present age is marked with strong and auspicious peculiarities. One of them is, increasing numbers of people are disposed to inquire, with regard to every moral principle and practice, "Is it right?" It is less satisfactory now, than in former times, that a thing is pleasant merely; that it is popular, has been practised a long time, by respectable men, or even by good men. question is, and with numbers increasing continually, “Is it right ?"

The

Another auspicious indication of the present time, is, the standard of right and wrong, with increasing numbers, is the Bible. This has, by good men, long been acknowledged in theory, as the only sufficient and perfect moral standard. But they are now, more than ever before, applying it to practice. Not only are they laboring with new vigor to send it to all nations, and convey a knowledge of its contents to all hearts; but they are appealing to it, as the criterion of thought and action; and are endeavoring, with new diligence, to bring every soul, under its all-controlling power.

It is not so decisive, as it once was, that a thing is legal, according to human statute; or honorable in human society; but the question is, does it accord with the will of God as revealed in the Bible? To the law, and the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, increasing numbers conclude, there is no light in them. Nor do they confine the supervision of the Bible, as much as they once did, to subjects that are purely religious. They are extending it to all the affairs of life. Business, amusements, legislation, every thing in which men are engaged, they feel bound to prosecute in accordance with the Bible; and whether they eat, or drink, or whatever they do, to do all in obedience to its dictates. Other things as the standard of feeling and conduct, are in their influence over men, diminishing; and the Bible is rising, and rising, toward that state, in which it shall appear to all, that the Lord hath magnified his word above all his name.

Another momentous indication of the present time, and one which takes hold with a mighty grasp on the destinies of men, is,,

the number is increasing who feel conscience-bound daily to listen to the Bible as the voice of God, speaking to them; and with fervent supplication for the teaching of his Spirit, that they may understand his will; and who, when they do understand it, are not afraid, or ashamed to do it.

The number is rapidly increasing, who when they learn that the Bible condemns a practice, will renounce it; and who, when they learn that it requires an action, will attempt, with the spirit which the Bible inculcates, to perform it, whether other men do this or not; and who will leave the consequences to the divine disposal.

There is a deeper and more pervading conviction, than ever before, of individual personal responsibility directly to God; binding each one, in all situations, for the character and tendency of his actions, to the retributions of eternity. Efforts to do good are not so much confined as they once were, to ways only which have the sanction of general example; or that are deemed by the great body of men, to be respectable. It is less necessary now, than it once was, for a good man to see a great multitude ahead, before he thinks it expedient for him to do right; or attempt, by sound argument, and kind persuasion, to induce others to do right.

The consequence is, it is becoming more and more common, if a man wishes to have good done, to do it himself; if a man wishes to have a little good done, to do that; and if he wishes to have great good done, to do that; and to do it now. There is less disposition than formerly to depend on other people, and to put off present duty to future time. Men are not so much afraid as they once were, or ashamed, if needful, to go in the path of duty, alone; and, whether others do it or not, attempt to do good as they have opportunity to all men; expecting that their labor will not be in vain in the Lord. The feeblest and most obscure do not now despair of exerting influence that shall be felt by all people, to all ages.

And men are less satisfied now, than they once were, with clipping off the twigs or lopping off the branches; they are more disposed to go to the root, and in order to make the fruit good, to make the tree good. They have learned that they cannot stop the stream, without drying up the fountain. They go more than formerly to principles, in their application to practice; and to remove the effects, undertake to remove the cause.

The consequence is, efforts to do good, are more successful than ever before. They take a wider range; exert a more pervading influence; and the same amount of effort accomplishes vastly greater results. And the more men do the will of God, the more plain his will is; and the blessings of obeying it, are more

obvious and abundant. And as that will is made known, it commends itself more strongly than ever before to the conscience; the blessings of obeying it attract greater attention, and the numbers who are moved by it to mighty deeds of kindness, are increasing, with a rapidity and to an extent never before known. Thus acting and reacting, "light and love," the grand means of universal moral renovation, are moving onward from conquering to conquer ; inspiring with new hope, cheering with new expectations, and exciting all who are governed by them, to higher and holier efforts, that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. A striking development of these principles has been made in the Temperance Reformation. A vicious practice had obtained, had received the sanction of legislation, and the support of the example of nearly the whole Christian world. But it was followed, as its natural and necessary result, by loss of property, character, life and soul, to an extent which must fill every person who comprehends it, with amazement. And the question was started, no doubt, by the spirit of God, "Is it right," to continue a practice. which produces such results; and which, if continued, will perpetuate and increase them to all future ages? The Bible was examined, and providences observed; divine teaching was sought, and the conviction was fastened on the mind, that the practice was not right; and that to prevent the evils which it produced, men must cease to perpetuate the cause.

And for the purpose of making known to them, especially to our own countrymen, the reasons why they should do this, the American Temperance Society was formed. Its object, is, by the diffusion of information and the exertion of kind moral influence, to attempt, with the divine blessing, to produce such a change of sentiment and practice with regard to intoxicating drink, that intemperance shall cease, and temperance, with all its attendant benefits to the body and the soul, shall universally prevail.

Temperance, in view of those who formed this Society, is the moderate and proper use of things beneficial; and abstinence from things hurtful. Ardent spirit, being in its nature, as manifested by its effects, a poison; and of course, one of the hurtful things, and in this country, the grand means of intoxication, their object required them to abstain from the drinking, and from the furnishing of it; and to endeavor, by all suitable means, to induce the whole community to do the same.

This object they have steadily pursued. And to give to moral influence the highest and best effect, they have attempted to embody, in voluntary associations, all, who practice on the above principle, and are willing to unite in them. The plan has received the smile of Heaven. It has been viewed with favor by the good, and has accomplished great results.