"Resolved, That we will not, from this day, import tea, of any kind whatever, nor will we use it, nor suffer such as may now be on hand to be used in any of our families." They invited others throughout the country to join them. They did so; and the effects were felt across the Atlantic. They are felt throughout our country, and they will be felt in every land, to the end of time. What was the benefit of that combination? that visible agreement? that universal pledge? Strength, action, SUCCESS. Suppose each man, when the armies of oppression were poured in upon our country, had said, I will abstain from helping them; and I will abstain, too, from all visible agreement with others to oppose them. I will make no pledge; and when I fight, will fight single handed, and do my own fighting in my own way. Then had the enemy triumphed, and we never had been free. And if we could not conquer Britons without visible organized union, can we conquer that before which, not only Britons, but Americans, too, have fallen? and in vastly greater numbers than fell for their country's independence?

But another may say, Why should I join a temperance society? I am temperate. And suppose when the declaration of his country's independence was to be signed, a man among the noble band of patriots had said, Why ask me to sign it? I am a patriot already. Would not his patriotism have been something more than suspected?

But, says another, I should be ashamed if I could not abstain from ardent spirit without binding myself, and signing a paper. And suppose that one had said, when the declaration of independence was handed to him to sign, I should be ashamed if I could not be a patriot without binding myself, and signing a pledge. The object of signing that paper was not to make men patriots; but it was to lead all patriots to unite, and free their country. The great object of temperance societies is not to lead their members, by signing a paper, to abstain from the use of ardent spirit, and make them temperate; but it is to unite, in a visible, organized union, all that do abstain, and are temperate; in order to show, by example, the most powerful of teachers, that men of all ages and conditions, and in all kinds of business, are, in all respects, better without it. And when this is shown, as by visible, united example it may be, no one, enlightened on this subject, can avoid the conviction, that it is morally wrong to use it, or to furnish it for the use of others, because of the evils which are inseparably connected with the use of it.

But, says another, I do not like to bind -myself never to use it. I do not use it now, and do not intend to use it, yet who knows but that, at some future time, I may wish to use it? and perhaps may think it my duty to use it? And suppose when that immortal instrument, to which we have referred, came round to be signed, one had said, I do not like to bind myself never to serve king George; I do not serve him now, and do not mean to serve him, yet who knows but that at some future time I may wish to serve him, or perhaps may feel it to be my duty to do it? Many do think it to be their duty, and perhaps I may think it to be mine. I do not like to sign away my liberty. I wish to have the liberty to be a slave, when I choose. Would not that band of patriots have been ashamed, that they had such a one among them? And what would they have thought, if they found one doubting whether he could sign such a pledge, without in some way infringing upon his duty to G or lessening his own dignity and independence? Happily for our co

such among that noble band were not found. And more happy will it be, if such among their descendants never shall be found. The free institutions for which our fathers fought and bled, for which they were not ashamed to pledge their fortunes, their lives, and their sacred honor, will then be handed down inviolate to posterity. The object of the pledge of temperance societies is not to bind men never to use ardent spirit till they die, provided that, after full examination, they shall think it to be their duty to use it. They are voluntary associations of all that do not use it, and who are disposed, for the good of their children and their country, to unite in them. But should any one, at any future time, after an impartial examination, find that his duty to God, his children, or his country, requires him to drink ardent spirit, he is at full liberty, by making known his request and his reasons to the secretary of the society, to take a dismission, and have his name stricken off from the number of those who do not use it; and he stands on his own responsibility as he did before. But, as it is with freedom from submission to tyrants, so is it with freedom from the use of ardent spirit,-the longer and more per. fectly a man is free, the less disposed he is to return into bondage.

And of hundreds of thousands, who have united with temperance societies, on the plan of abstinence from the use of ardent spirit, none have been found, who have tried it two years, who would not acknowledge that they were better without it, nor is there the least reason to fear, when the experiment is fairly made, but that this will be the case with all. But why, it is asked, should women belong to temperance societies? Because, under the light of the gospel, which raises women in excellence of character and ability to do good to an equality with men, every association, composed of both, will more than double its influence over the public mind, especially over the minds of youth and children. And the grand object of efforts for the promotion of temperance is, the salvation of the children. And to accomplish it, we need, and must have, the influence of mothers as well as fathers; sisters as well as brothers.

There is another reason why all women should unite with temperance societies. More than a hundred thousand of the lovely daughters of the last generation were doomed to the tremendous curse of having drunken husbands, and rearing their little ones, under the blasting, withering influence of drunken fathers. But there is no need of it. Let the fathers and mothers, the brothers and sisters of this generation, all cease to use intoxicating drinks, and unite their influence in temperance societies, and the daughters of the next generation, and of all future generations, practising on this plan, shall be for ever free.

And there is another reason why women should belong to temperance societies. Multitudes of the last generation were made drunkards by the customs of society. Though the appetite for ardent spirit is not natural, and would never exist were it not formed by the use of it, it has been formed, not only in the cradle, but in many cases has been coeval almost with life itself. Even the mother, when her infant was unwell and she did not wish, during the night, to be kept awake with it, drank the poison herself; and the helpless babe slept like a drunkard, and for a similar reason; and the drunkard's appetite was formed there; and, as if that were not enough, as it lay in the cradle, she fed it with a teaspoon; and the drunkard's appetite was strengthened; and no sooner

could it walk, than the father, after he had been drinking, gave it the bottom of the glass, sweetened in the most enchanting manner; and the drunkard's appetite was confirmed. And before the heedless youth had hardly entered upon manhood, he stumbled into the drunkard's grave, was covered up, and his destroyers were glad to forget him. But there is no need of it. Let the customs of society be changed, and each individual unite with others, to touch not, taste not, and handle not the abominable thing; and the evil will be done away. Generations yet unborn, to all future ages, saved, by simply ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well, will rise up and call you blessed.

We, therefore, renewedly and earnestly request you, and all the members of your family, to sign the annexed pledge, and let your names be enrolled as members of the temperance society.

It is proposed, through the medium of state, county, town and district societies, and the efforts of friends of temperance, to put a copy of this, or a similar paper, into every family in the United States. In several states, the friends of temperance are now doing it; and with the most gratifying success. And could we exhibit to the world, the noble, the sublime spectacle, of thirteen millions of people rising in their strength, and voluntarily renouncing the tyranny of pernicious custom, and resolving henceforward not to be in bondage, even to themselves, but to be doubly free, we should be indeed the people which the Lord hath blessed. And it would do more than all which has ever yet been done, to render our free institutions permanent; and by the manifestation of their blessings, to spread their causes and their attendants, knowledge, virtue, and blessedness, throughout the world.

NOTE. The names will in a few days be called for, or, if not called for, you are requested to transmit thein to the secretary of the temperance society in your vicinity, that they may be enrolled as members of the society. And all that join the society are requested to use their influence, in all suitable ways, to induce all others to do the same.

PLEDGE.

We, whose names are hereunto annexed, believing that the use of ardent spirit, as a drink, is not only needless, but hurtful to the social, civil and religious interests of men; that it tends to form intemperate appetites and habits; and that while it is continued, the evils of intemperance can never be done away;-do therefore agree that we will not use it, or traffic in it; that we will not provide it as an article of entertainment, or for persons in our employment; and that, in all suitable ways, we will discountenance the use of it in the community.

For sale by AARON RUSSELL, No. 5, Cornhill, Boston, at $10,00 per thousand,

G. (P. 18.)

ON THE

IMMORALITY

OF

THE TRAFFIC IN ARDENT SPIRIT,

No. I.

ARDENT spirit is composed of alcohol and water, in nearly equal proportions. Alcohol is composed of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, in the proportion of about 14, 52, and 34 parts to the hundred. It is, in its nature, as manifested by its effects, a poison. When taken in any quantity, it disturbs healthy action in the human system, and in large doses suddenly destroys life. It resembles opium in its nature, and arsenic in its effects. And though when mixed with water, as in ardent spirit, its evils are somewhat modified, they are by no means prevented. Ardent spirit is an enemy to the human constitution, and cannot be used as a drink without injury. Its ultimate tendency invariably, is, to produce weakness, not strength; sickness, not health; death, not life

Consequently, to use it is an immorality. It is a violation of the will of God; and a sin in magnitude equal to all the evils, temporal and eternal, which flow from it. To furnish ardent spirit for the use of others, is a still greater sin, inasmuch as this tends to produce evils greater than for an individual merely, to drink it. And if a man knows, or has the opportunity of knowing, the nature and effects of the traffic in this article, and yet continues to be engaged in it, he is an immoral man, and ought to be viewed and treated as such throughout the world; for the following reasons, viz.

I. Ardent spirit, as a drink, is not needful. All men lived without it, and all the business of the world was conducted without it, for thousands of years. It is not three hundred years since it began to be generally used as a drink in Great Britain; nor one hundred years since it became common in America. Of course, it is not needful.

II. It is not useful. Those who do not use it, are, other things being equal, in all respects better than those who do. Nor does the fact that persons have used it with more or less frequency, in a greater or smaller quantity, for a longer or shorter time, render it either needful, or useful, or harmless, or right for them

to continue to use it. More than a million of persons in this country, and multitudes in other countries, who once did use it, and thought it needful, have, within five years, ceased to use it; and they have found that they are in all respects better without it. And this number is so great, of all ages, and conditions, and employments, as to render it certain, should the experiment be fairly made, that this would be the case with all. Of course, ardent spirit, as a drink, is not useful.

III. It is hurtful. Its whole influence is injurious to the body and the mind, for this world, and the world to come.

1. It forms an unnecessary, artificial, and very dangerous appetite; which, by gratification, like the desire for sinning in the man who sins, tends continually to increase. No man can form this appetite without increasing his danger of dying a drunkard, and exerting an influence which tends to perpetuate drunkenness and all its abominations to the end of the world. Its very formation, therefore, is a violation of the will of God. It is, in its nature, an immorality, and springs from an inordinate desire of a kind, or degree of bodily enjoyment-animal gratification, which God has shown to be inconsistent with his glory, and the nighest good of man. It shows that the person who forms it is not satisfied with the proper gratification of those appetites and passions which God has given him, or with that kind and degree of bodily enjoyment, which infinite wisdom and goodness have prescribed, as the utmost that can be possessed consistently with a person's highest happiness and usefulness, the glory of his Maker, and the good of the universe. That person covets more animal enjoyment: to obtain it, he forms a new appetite, and in doing this, he rebels against God. That desire for increased animal enjoyment, from which this rebellion springs, is sin; and all the evils which follow in its train, are only so many voices by which Jehovah declares "the way of transgressors is hard." The person who has formed an appetite for ardent spirit, and feels uneasy if he does not gratify it, has violated the divine arrangement; disregarded the divine will; and if he understands the nature of what he has done, and approves of it, and continues in it, it will ruin him. He will show that there is one thing, in which he will not have God to reign over him. And should he keep the whole law, and yet continue knowingly, habitually, wilfully, and perseveringly to offend in that one point, he will perish. Then, and then only, according to the Bible, can any man be saved, when he has respect to all the known will of God, and is disposed to be governed by it. He must carry out into practice, with regard to the body and the soul, "not my will, but thine be done." His grand object must be to know the will of God; and when he knows it, to be governed by it, and with regard to all things. This, the man who is not contented with that portion of animal enjoyment which the proper gratification of the appetites and passions which God has given him will afford,