USA > New York > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, and border wars of New York, containing a sketch of the early settlements in the county > Part 33
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It cannot have escaped observation, that the state of our society, for the last year or two, instead of bettering, has been waxing worse and worse.
Tavern-haunting, intemperate drinking, carousing and high scrapes, horse-jockeying and trafficking in depreciated and sus- pected bills ; enticing and leading away, one and another of our unwary, unsuspecting neighbors, into like excesses and dis- grace ; and traducing, slandering, threatening and endeavoring to intimidate and awe into silence, all who wish for better things, all who dare to discountenance and denounce the aban- doned and the profligate in the mad career of their vices :-
These enormities, at first stealing and crawling covertly and slyly in among us, have, of late, assumed a bolder aspect, and made rapid and gigantic strides, till, at length, grown bold by impunity, they have dared to brave appearances, and even to show their impudent, brazen front, in open day-setting truth, decency, good manners and good morals, at utter defiance.
With these facts staring us in the face, what have we left us, but to yield a pusillanimous and ignominious submission
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to the insulting empire of the wicked, whose tender mercies are cruelty, or, to unite, and place ourselves in the gap, array our breasts and our faces, as a mound and as a flint against the torrents of vice and the shafts of malice, that threaten to over- whelm us?
And can there be a single good member of society, who will hesitate for a moment, between these alternatives ? Impossible. We cannot but choose the latter.
We therefore unite, as a band of brothers, and under the sanctions and obligations of a sacred league, pledge ourselves to each other, to make common cause, in endeavoring, to the utmost of our abilities and opportunities, to check, arrest and suppress the growing evils described.
We engage to stand by each other, and with our whole in- fluence, example and precept, to strengthen one another's hands, and confirm one another's hearts in the good work of staying the progress of infectious vice, and turning back, upon itself, abashed and confounded, the whole phalanx of desperadoes, with their abettors and upholders; who, if left to themselves, would fain run down the good name, ruin the welfare, and even endanger the peace and safety of our common neighborhood ! And, as means of bringing about these wished for ends,-
We engage, as much as may be to avoid frequenting the taverns ourselves, and when occasion calls us thither, mean to make a point of discharging our incumbent duties, with all convenient dispatch, and being off about our business, ever designing while there, to demean ourselves civilly and peace- ably, and not to drink intemperately; that we may not, by our own sauntering and intemperance, encourage and hold in countenance the lazy herd of tavern-haunters and tipplers, habitually hanging about some of our inns, to the great annoy- ance of weary, wayworn travellers, as well as to the great dis- paragement and disgrace of themselves, and distress of their families and friends.
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And as to those tavern-keepers among us, who keep repu- table houses, and discourage tippling and tavern haunting, espe- cially of towns-people, and who steadily disallow of drunken- ness, profanity, high scrapes and immorality, generally, at their houses, and resolutely refuse dealing out liquors, when men have gotten enough for their good, and when more would only hurt them; to tavern-keepers of this description, we tender our best wishes, intending to patronize them, by recommending their houses, and giving them, so far as we conveniently can, the pre- ference of our custom, as often as occasion shall require our visit- ing public houses ; while at the same time, we design, by our influence, and by avoiding, as far as we consistently can, all houses of a different description, to disapprove and discounten- ance the conduct of those who keep them : and who render them- selves unworthy the approbation and support of the respectable part of the community, by encouraging or even allowing of shameful doings and disgraceful carryings-on, at their houses : and by feeding town-tipplers and drunkards with liquor, when they'have already gotten enough, and too much; and when they ought to deny, and send them home, to provide for their suf- fering families ; instead of pouring out, and being pleased with seeing them pour down, dram after dram, and grog after grog, till they are lost to shame, and worse than lost to themselves, their families, friends and society ;- till they become a nuisance, a living stench and chastisement, or a very pest and judgment to all about them !
And as to those young men and old, middle-aged, and boys, if of all such ages there be, who have betaken themselves, not to constant, but to occasional, high scrapes, bacchanalian frolics, and drunken carousals,-we counsel them to desist. We do not give them over, indiscriminately, for lost : but recall them, all of them, who are not past recovery, gone, and given over to a reprobate mind, and to believe in a lie, till they plunge headlong into destruction .- All those, not thus irreclaimably
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gone, insane and lost, we anxiously recall, and kindly invite back, to participate in our company and confidence; assuring them, if they will forsake the husks, whereon, with the swine, they fain would feed, and do but feed ;- if they will abandon bad company, and forsake their more hardened, dissolute com- panions, and return to better deeds, and better things, and better conduct, we are ready to meet them, with open arms, and to welcome their restoration to reputation and to good standing among the good.
But, we have another set of men, let loose upon us, incom- parably worse than the foregoing: a thousand times more incorrigible ; possessed, as it were, with seven evil spirits ; a set, who appear to make a business of mischief; who idle, drink, curse, swear, carouse, and carry on, at a high rate; who beset, molest, often take in, abuse, wrong, and deeply injure, their neighbors; who strike a dread and terror upon the good, and make even the bad blush, at their impieties and baseness ; who keep the neighborhood in a blaze, scattering as it were " firebrands, arrows, and death," wherever they go !
As to these, we have but little hopes of them ; and we can only admonish them, that we mean to keep a strict watch over them ! And, if they shall still dare to outrage decency, trample on the laws of God and man, and set civil authority at defiance, we are determined to unite, as one man, and make common cause, in bringing them to justice ; in causing them to be arraigned, convicted, and punished ! And, although they may rail at justice, religion, and the laws of the land; and at those who unite in putting them into execution, we can only ask,
" What rogue e'er felt the halter draw, With good opinion of the law ?"
We can only do our duty, and leave them, if they will, to avoid the consequences, by avoiding to expose themselves ;
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by facing to the right about, forsaking their bad practices ; becoming peaceable, unoffending, and useful citizens ! And then they may rest assured, neither the laws, nor those who put them in force, will hurt so much as a hair of their heads. To evil-doers only, are the laws and the civil magistrates a terror.
And if any mischief-makers, or peace-breakers, infesting our neighborhood, not having the fear of God before their eyes, but moved by the instigation of the devil, be they who they will, whether inhabitants, stragglers, or loiterers about among us, shall be discovered, by any of us, plotting or conspiring or purposing mischief, toward any of us, in our persons, repu- tation, or estates ; we pledge ourselves to each other, to give the earliest possible warning to those against whom such mis- chief shall be meditated; to the intent, that it may be pre- vented ; engaging moreover, that we, ourselves, will also endeavor, as far as in us lies, to prevent it; and, whenever unable to prevent, will unite in approving and encouraging every just and legal measure, to bring the perpetrators to condign punishment, assuring to all, who shall be active in bringing culprits to justice, our united aid, countenance and thanks.
And if there be a man who shall unite with us, in this sacred, social league, by affixing his name hereto; and who shall, notwithstanding, be so far lost to honor, and all else of man, that's worthy of a man, as to disregard and trample on the rights and duties he hereby engages to respect and fulfil ;- over him too, will we, the residue of us, have our united and individual watch; and, unless he forsake the evil of his ways, and evidence a better life by better conduct,- toward him too, will we extend our reprehension and our best endeavors that he be brought either to reformation, or to condign punishment !
Every person affixing his name hereto, shall thenceforth,
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till he either withdraw his name, or remove out of Meredith, be taken to belong to this league; and shall be considered under the sacred obligations of honor, as well as of honesty and good conscience, to endeavor to fulfil the engagements hereby taken upon himself: Accounting the same no other than those obvious and urgent duties, which find at once their injunction and their justification, in that golden rule of him who spake as never man spake : " Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them."
But if any person shall at any time wish to withdraw his name, and be no longer considered as belonging to this league, he may do it at pleasure, on applying to him who for the time being, may be keeper hereof, and erasing his name.
Any person affixing his name hereto, and residing within half a mile of the centre of the town, may be keeper hereof ; with the privilege to all others, who may subscribe, of free access to and perusal thereof.
Meredith, March 6th, 1810.
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LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
Cyrenus Stilson, Benjamin Sears,
Amos Bristol, Isaiah Jackson,
Elias Griswold,
Joseph Porter,
Abner Pratt,
William Bonton,
Josiah D. Wells,
Samuel A. Law,
Edward Jones,
Samuel Moody,
Joseph Bassett,
Eleazer Wright, Jr.
Nathaniel Mitchell, Josiah Brown,
Is. Burr,
Nathan Stilson,
Simeon P. Griswold, Daniel Smith, Ezra Thornton,
Simon Baldwin, Sylvester Rich, Pyam Mitchell,
Elisha Bisbee, Simeon Crane, Adam Saunders,
William Cramer, Mathew Wiard, Andrew Bill,
Samuel Shaw, Samuel Cottrell,
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APPENDIX.
John Chapman, Eldad Jackson, Jeremiah Cook, Henry Thornton, Abner Pratt, Jr. Joel Carr, Joel Hunt,
Ira Thornton,
Barton Bisbee, Joseph Shaw,
Charles Fish, Bildad Curtis,
Luke Brown,
Eleazer Millard,
Pearce Mitchell,
Daniel Millard,
Samuel Remington,
Oren Canfield,
David North,
Selah French,
Nathaniel Stewart, Jr.
Wells Spalding,
Horace Jones,
Anthony Judd,
Medad Jackson,
Truman Rowe,
Daniel Remington,
Truman Smith,
Edmund Brawhall,
John Thornton, Herman Harwood,
Isaac Benedict,
Nathan Stilson, Jr.
Ariel Denio,
James Vellentine,
Josiah Shaw,
Thomas Fish,
Joshua Strickland,
Lewis Brownson,
Thomas Forbush,
Moses Stilson,
Shelden Bassett,
Joshua Bailey, John Dibble,
Orton Thompson,
Elijah Georgey,
Asahel Baldwin,
Isaac Lake,
Charles P. Price,
Oliver Tuttle,
Philander Jones.
Josiah Garritt,
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