of Dr. Rush, of Philadelphia, on the prevalence of intem perance, and the approaching desolation following in its train. Alarmed at the prevailing custom of the region of country around him, teeming with lumber in all the towns and counties in the vicinity of the ever-rolling Hudson, in all which, intoxicating liquors of variety and plenty were considered as commodities of necessity for the daily use and comfort of all, or almost every family, and indispensable for the treatment of friends in social life-alarmed, we say, at the prevalence and results of such a custom! after having projected the plan of a Temperance organization, the doctor determined on a visit to his minister, the author of these memoirs, who was then the pastor of the flourishing Congregational church in the said town of Moreau. The visit was made on a dark evening, no moonshine, and cloudy. After riding on horseback about three miles through deep mud of clay road, in the breaking up of winter, the doctor knocked at his minister's door, and, on entrance, before taking seat in the house, he earnestly uttered the following words: "Mr. Armstrong, I have come to see you on important business." Then lifting up both hands, he continued, "We shall all become a community of drunkards in this town, unless something is done to arrest the progress of intemperance !”

This alarming address of Dr. Clark (like the grain of mustard-seed alluded to of old), contained the seed, the origin, the first principle, and the first practical development of the PROVIDENTIAL TREE OF TEMPERANCE, the root of which is found in the revelation of God's eternal purpose, by the predictions of His prophets thousands of years

ago—the trunk of which now stands on the earth, with its top towering up toward heaven, and the fruit of which is now blessing all Christendom, and the world, with the knowledge of Satan's devices to destroy the Church of God, and the method of infinite wisdom, and divine efficiency in rearing up a standard, and appointing instrumentalities to defeat the enemy by the annihilation of his flood of alcoholic water of death.

On that ever-memorable and eventful visit of Dr. Clark to the house of his minister, after the aforesaid introduction, he proceeded to develop his plan of temperance organization, which was heartily responded to by the pastor. And, in conformity with co-operating subsequent arrangements made at the house of Peter L. Mauny, a Temperance Society was organized in a school-house near to the door of Dr. B. J. Clark, on the 30th day of April, 1808, in Moreau, a town in the County of Saratoga, and State of New York, bordering on the Hudson river, in the vicinity of the villages of Fort Edward, Sandy Hill, and Glenn's Falls. The pledge was total abstinence from all kinds of distilled liquors, unless required by medical authority, and also retrenchment of wine, with some exceptions, as may be seen in the Fourth Article of the Constitution, ratified by the signature of forty-three pioneer male subscribers, a transcript of which will be found in these

memoirs.

The By-Laws of that Society required annual and quarterly meetings of its members, one of whom, by the previous appointment of the presiding officer, should deliver an Address on Temperance at each meeting, and

REMARKABLE REPORT OF A MEMBER.

21

made provision also for the establishment of a library; all which were observed with unanimity, and a good degree of punctuality. Col. Sidney Berry, formerly of the State of New Jersey, then ex-judge of the County of Saratoga, was elected President of the Society for the first year of its existence; and the author of these reminiscences was by him appointed to deliver the first quarterly temperance address, the copy of which, verbatim, is preserved in this book.

REMARKABLE REPORT OF A MEMBER.

On the first annual meeting of the Temperance Society aforesaid, members present were required to state the ef fects of said organization on the custom of his household, or family to which he belonged. The author of these reminiscences was present, and witnessed the following report from Captain Isaac B. Payn, an extensive farmer and lumber dealer. Addressing the President, he thus proceeded:

During a series of years past, before signing the temperance pledge, I have uniformly made it a rule, annually to purchase a hogshead of rum for the year's consumption, among laborers on the farm, and business of lumber. Sometimes, before the year came round, the hogshead would be emptied of its contents, and require a few gallons more for necessary use. At other times, the year would come round and find a few gallons in the hogshead; so that, on an average, a hogshead of rum each year has beer. consumed in my business concerns, to say nothing of the wines, cordials, and other liquors consumed by the family, their parties, and visiting friends.

"After signing the temperance pledge a year ago, instead of a hogshead, I purchased a five-gallon keg of rum, for my whole business concerns, both of farming and Jumber. And my reason for doing this was, because my business required a few excellent laborers, not one of whose help I could obtain without some liquor. During the year past, I have exerted the best influence in my power to reduce the quantity of liquor required by them to the lowest mark possible. This morning I examined my keg of liquor, and, as nearly as I could judge, without accurate measurement, the keg was half full. We have abandoned all kinds of liquor in the family as a beverage, and the difference of the quantity used among laborers the year past, has been reduced from a hogshead to the half of a five-gallon keg of rum, and my business was never better performed, nor to greater satisfaction."

CONSTITUTION.

The following is a copy, verbatim, of the Constitution of the First Temperance Organization, with the forty-three names of the subscribers, as it was subsequently abridged and revised by a committee of publication, for the purpose of promulgating the facts relating to the temperance reform thus far, of which committee the author of this work was one, who was especially favored with encouragement, and presents for the Temperance Society, by a highly esteemed correspondent of the City of New York, by the name of John Murray, who subsequently was enrolled among the pioneers of the Moreau and Northumberland Temperance Society, as an honorary member, as was also

Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia. It is believed that not more than one fifth of the pioneer members are now living to see A. D. 1852.

CONSTITUTION OF THE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY OF MOREAU AND

NORTHUMBERLAND.

"I own myself a friend to the laying down rules to ourselves of this sort, and rigidly abiding by them. They may be exclaimed against as stiff, but they are often salutary. The stricter the rule is, the more tenacious we grow of it; and many a man will abstain rather than break his rule, who would not easily be brought to exercise the same mortification from higher motives. Not to mention, that when our rule is once known, we are provided with an answer to every importunity."-PALEY'S ELEM. MOR. AND POL. PHILOSOPHY, p. 315.

ART. I. This Society shall be known by the name of the TEMPERATE SOCIETY OF MOREAU AND NORTHUMBERLAND,

ART. II. The last Monday in October, at 10 o'clock, A.M., shall forever hereafter be the time of annual meeting, and for the election of all officers, at such place as shall be appointed at the last annual meeting.

ART. III. The officers shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, Deputy Librarian (who shall act in case of the death, removal, or absence of the Librarian), and not less than three, nor more than seven Trustees, who shall be chosen by ballot.

ART. IV. No member shall drink rum, gin, whisky, wine, or any distilled spirits, or compositions of the same, or any of them, except by advice of a physician, or in case of actual disease; also, excepting wine at public dinners, under penalty of twenty-five cents; provided that this article shall not infringe on any religious ordinance.

SEC. 2. No member shall be intoxicated, under penalty of fifty

cents.

SEC. 3. No member shall offer any of said liquors to any other member, or urge any other person to drink thereof, under penalty of twenty-five cents for each offense.