TEMPERANCE. History of the Movement.—The origin of the temperance movement dates from the beginning of the present century; and the merit of having taken the first steps in the matter belongs to America, where the vice of drunkenness appears to have reached an alarming height about that time. In the month of April, 1808, a society was established at Moreau, county of Saratoga, in the state of New York, consisting of 43 members; one of whose rules was as follows: " Art. 4. No member shall drink rum, gin, whisky, wine, or any distilled spirits, or compositions of the same, or any of them, except by' the advice of a physician, or in case of actual disease (also excepting at public dinners), under the penalty of 25 cents, provided that this article shall not infringe on any religious rite." This society had other rules prohibiting members (under penalties) from offering any of the above liquors, or from being intoxicated; but though it continued to exist for 14 years, it does not seem to have accomplished much good. Gradually, however, the attention of the clergy and of philanthropical laymen was called to the subject; and after a series of sermons had been preached and published against a vice whose rapid progress was threatening (according to Dr. B. J. Clarke) to make the Americans " a community of drunkards," a society was started at Boston (Feb., 1826), called The American Temperance Society, " to restrain and prevent the intemperate use of intoxicat ing liquors." In 1829, The New York State Temperance Society was formed; and before the close of the year, 1000 local societies, with 100,000 members, were in existence, and a periodical, entitled The Journal of Humanity, established to promote the new move ment. Rumors of the progress of temperance societies soon reached the old world, and in Aug., 1829, a society was started at New Ross, in the county of Wexford, Ireland, under the auspices of the rev. George Whitmore Carr, the members of which pledged themselves " to abstain from the use of distilled spirits, except as a medicine in the case of bodily ailment;" and further, "neither to allow the use of them in their families, nor to provide them for the entertainment of friends." Simultaneously, a movemont in favor of temperance was begun in Belfast and the north of Ireland, by the rev. Dr. Edgar, rev. Dr. Cook, and rev. Mr. Morgan, and before 12 months were over, 60 socie ties had been constituted, numbering about 3,500 members, both Catholics and Protest ants. Meanwhile, Scotland had not been uninfluenced. As early as Oct., 1829, Mr. John Dunlop, of Greenock, a justice of peace for Renfewshire, after lecturing on the subject of temperance in Glasgow, Sterling, and elsewhere, succeeded in forming a society at Greenock, the first in Scotland, and the precursor of The Glasgow and West of Scotland Temperance Society, formed in the ensuing November. Mr. Dunlop is thus entitled to be considered "the father of temperance societies in Great Britain." In his early labors, he was greatly assisted by Mr. William Collins of Glasgow, who became the editor and publisher of the limperance Record (1830-35). The rules of The Glasgow and West of Scotland Temperance Society were substantially the same as those of the American and Irish societies—the members voluntarily agreeing "to relinquish entirely the use of ardentspirits, except for medicinal purposes," although "the mod erate use of other liquors is not excluded." The zeal and activity of this society were remarkable. According to the report read at the first annual meeting (Dec. 30, 1830), it had circulated in the course of the year 425,800 tracts and 20,200 pamphlets, and num bered in Glasgow alone 6,072 adherents; while it was,stated that throughout Scotland at large there were 130 societies, and 25,478 members. It is not necessary to follow further in detall'the course of the temperance movement, strictly so called, in Scotland, except to remark, that numbers of the clergy now began to interest themselves in it, and at the dose of 1831, there were 187 ministers of various denominations in Scotland connected with the cause; but we must now notice the introduction of a new and more stringent application of the temperance principle. On Sept. 21, 1830, Mr. John Davie, and several other members of the temperance society of Dunfermline, pledged themselves to "total abstinence from all intoxicating liquors—small-beer excepted, and wine on sac ramental occasions;" and in the course of the next two years, "total abstinence societies" were started in Glasgow, Paisley, and other places. In 1830, the temperance movement extended to England. Mr. Henry Forbes, a merchant of Bradford in Yorkshire, hap. pening to be in Glasgow on business, had attended one of the meetings of the Glasgow society, became deeply interested, and on his return home took steps to organize a Bradford society (Feb. 2, 1830). Another society was formed at Warrington (April 4, 1830); a third at Manchester (May 12, 1830); and by the close of the year, about 30 tem perance societies were in existence, numbering in all 10,000 members. In June, 1831, The British and Foreign Temperance Society was organized in London, mainly through the persevering efforts of Mr. William Collins of Glasgow. This was for many years the leading society of the party, its patron being the bishop of London, and its vice presidents including several other prelates, distinguished officials both civil and military, and a few members of parliament. The pledge taken by its members was simple: " We agree to abstain from distilled spirits, except for medicinal purposes, and to dis countenance the causes and practice of intemperance." We have not space to narrate
its history and progress in detail, but we may notice that it was instrumental in awaken ing an interest in the temperance movement both in the army and navy, and that, in the course of a single year (1831-32), it could boast of having induced 400 old Greenwich pensioners to give up their grog! Gradually, however, the more fervid friends of temperance in England arrived at the same conclusion as the Dunfermline "reformers"—viz., that a crusade against gin and other "alcoholic" liquors was not enough; that "beer" was the great cause of drunken ness in their country, and that nothing but total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks would cure the evil. The movement in this direction first took shape at Preston in Lancashire, in Sept., 1832, when Mr. Joseph Livesey, and some other members of the temperance society there, pledged themselves "to abstain from all liquors of an intoxi cating quality, whether ale, porter, wine, or ardent spirits, except as medicines." An active propagandism in all the principal towns of Lancashire followed, and a considera ble number of adherents were gained to the new cause. In Sept., 1833, according to the commonly received story (see Burne's Teetotaller's Companion, p. 333), the notable word teetotal was first used. A certain Richard Turner, or, as he was more generally called, "Dicky Turner," a plasterer's laborer or lime-larry, who was much given to holding forth in the Lancashire dialect at the meetings of the new sect, happened in the course of a philippic against temperance to say: "I'll hev nowt to do wi' this moderation —botheration—pledge; I'll be reet down tee-tee-total for ever and ever." " Well done, Dicky!" said Mr. Livesey: "that shall be the name of our new pledge." This origin of the word, which appears to make it but a stuttering pronunciation of total, has, how ever, been disputed; and it is affirmed that the term is simply a Lancashire phrase for final, thorough, or complete; thus, when a man is discharged merely for want of work, he is said to be sacked, but when discharged from inability to work, teetotally sacked. Whatever may have been the origin of the term, the new sect was resolved to be "thorough." In April, 1834, a Youths' temperance Society, on strictly teetotal prin ciples, was formed at Preston, and before a year had passed, it reckoned nearly 1000 members. By dint of zeal, respectable teetotal societies were also established at Man chester (Aug., 1834), Lancaster (Nov., 1834), Colne (Dec., 1834), Isle of Man (Dec., 1835), and numerous other places. Meanwhile (Sept., 1835), a conference of Lancashire and Yorkshire delegates was held at Manchester, and a new general society formed under the title of The British Association for the Promotion of temperance on the Principle of Total Abstinence from all Intoxicating Liquors. This title clearly indicated the ambitious views of the new sect. It wished, and it hoped ere long, to speak in the name of the whole temperance party: and as early as 1836, one of the Yorkshire district societies, that of Wilsden, ventured to memorialize The British and Foreign Temperance Society of London on the subject of the total abstinence pledge. The answer that it received showed that a disruption was not far off. In Scotland and Ireland, the progress of teetotalism, as distinct from temperance, was not at first very marked; but its votaries were resolute, and held vehement discussions, public and private, with the advocates of the rival system, in which they were generally considered victcrious by the crowds before whom they disputed. During 1834-35, teetotalism was struggling hard for recognition in London—the influential leaders of the old temperance society being dead against it. At length, however, owing to the persevering efforts of Mr. Livesey of Preston and other enthusiasts, the teetotalers got a footing, and, in Sept., 1835, estab lished The British Teetotal Temperance Society, which, in Aug., 1836, was merged into The New British and Foreign Society for the Suppression of Intemperance. Teetotalism now in turn began to get the upper hand, and in the course of the next two or three years, the "moderate" party almost disappeared; the majority of its members doubtless passing over to the ranks of the total abstainers. But these new fell out among them. selves. Up to 1839, The New British and Foreign Society had two pledges, the long an4 the short; the former including the "neither give nor offer" clause; and the latter orniti ting it. The more rigorous teetotalers made strenuous efforts to get the "short" pledge abolished, which were as strenuously opposed, and in a very brief period the whole teetotal world was up in wild commotion on the subject. Various meetings of "dele gates" from the different societies in England, Scotland, and Ireland were held in don in May, 1839, under the presidency of earl Stanhope, and scenes of the utmost order ensued. The result was a temporary disruption, and the formation of two socie ties. Still the cause prospered in spite of fierce distractions. Strong provincial associa tions were formed in Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Lancashire, Norfolk, and Cornwall and Wales, almost always on the "long pledge" principle. In Scotland, the "long took deep root; indeed, after 1837-38, the " short pledge" was scarcely ever thought of. But it was in Ireland that the most brilliant successes attended the movement. In 1838, father Mathew (q.v.) commenced his extraordinary career, and in less than two years, 1,800,000 men and women were enrolled in Ireland's Great ,National Total Abstinence Society.