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HANDLINGAR TILL GEORGE SCOTTS VERKSAMHET I SVERIGE I 6 7
Bishop agreed to my sentiment that as such an opponent as
Reuter-dahl has taken the field, the friends of the Temperance cause
possessed of talent and influence ought to come forth from their
hiding-places and confront the enemy. R[euterdahl]s pamphlet I obtained
at Göth:g and on reading it I wondered that a man who possesses
such excellent, profound and clear views on the general question,
should attack so unmercifully a particular application of his general
views, thus throwing the protecting concealing mantle of his learning
and influence around the evilminded opponents of Temperance
Societies; and I remembered the case of an enlightened and pious
Clergyman in England who after stating similar objections against such
Societies at a public Temperance Meeting, was retiring in happy
contentedness with his strong arguments, when a reeling rascal
tapped him on the shoulder accosting him thus: »give me your hand,
you are a good fellow to oppose all this nonsense about signing a
temperance pledge». The Clergyman not expecting such a comment
on his proceedings, felt all the force of the application, returned
instantly to the meeting and enrolled his name. I wondered that
so honest & fair an antagonist as R. should take the opportunity
of your absence to insert in a periodical of which you are co-editor
an essay so diametrically opposed to your declared & published
principles; this was bad taste. I wondered that so deep a thinker should
fall into the snare of sacrificing plain and immoveable principles for
the sake of making a paltry personal attack on two men,
Wieselgren & Ahnfelt, for this is palpably the object of the pamphlet. It
will, I have no doubt, do good, the fact of its existence proves that
the Temperance reform is taking root and treading on the sore heel;
it will draw forth I have little fear amply sufficient replies, it will
I sincerely hope teach the friends of the Temperance cause prudence,
the absolute necessity of avoiding extreme and violent statements and
expressions, and this lesson needs to be acquired. Oh my dear Sir,
you must furnish us with a series of pamphlets from your cool, clear,
convincing, classical pen, as standards to which we can refer in
justification of our persevering exertions, when the often wild flights
of others are cast in our teeth.
If the friends of Temperance Societies are sometimes violent,
their enemies are no less so as witness the following extract from
a letter written by a zealous Clergyman in Finland (let Wieselgren
see it for his comfort); he says:–-»äfvensom ett parti strö-
skrifter, men icke af Swenska Nykterhetsföreningens, ty enligt min
öfvertygelse, stå Nykterhetsföreningarne i rak motsats mot den
lefvande Christendomen och äro ett af Djefvulens listigaste påfund i
dessa werldens yttersta tider att hindra Guds nådesarbete hos
själarna. Blir Christus wår genom den lefvande tron, så behöfvas inga
Nykterhetsföreningar och är icke Christus wår, så bär det
sannerligen till helvetet både för de supande och icke supande. I om-
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