The Evening Star. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 508, 26 August 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1871.

" For the cause that lacks assistance, For the n i-ong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do."

Who is Osmund I^yis ? To the high office of " Censor morum" he seems to have elevated himself, and the conscience of the people in his care. He designates himself as "hon. sec," and as " hon. sec." he calls men to order. Because Osmund Lewis is virtuous, men must not have their cakes and ale, and the ministers of religion must kiss his toe. In another column will be found about as neat a piece of impertinence from the pen of the " hon. sec." as it has been our lot to see ; and about as effective a snubbing as the position of a clergyman would allow. Osmund Lewis ia a man in authority, and appears to be the embodiment of the spirit of teetotalism. For teetotallers we have great respect, and, doubtless, Osmuud Lewis is a very estimable person, but when he and they intrude where they have no authority but their own self-assurance, then he and they deserve a public castigation. "We commend to our readers' notice the correspondence in another column. It appears from this that the Rev. Warlow Davies has been tried by a self-constituted court of inquisitors ; the evidence against him is not sufficiently damning, and with a Jesuitical spirit worthy of another age, he is meekly invited to criminate himself. We do not hesitate to say that ihe letter from the "hon. sec." deserves the dignity of framing. The spirit breathed in it is so gentle, so forbearing, so full of love for the erring brother, and anxiety to exculpate him before the world, that it commands our admiration. "As various comments," says the hou. sec, with a total abnegation of all ulterior designs, " Ab various comments have been made upon that discourse, it is the unanimous opinion of the committee that, were the sermon published, it might lead the friends of the temperance cause to arrive at a correct decision uponitß contents, and thus tend to remove much of the prejudice thereto which now exists." We ask our readers to mark the loving spirit here. It is only to remove the " prejudice thereto," and the "prejudice thereto" being removed, the whole object of this court of inquisitors will be attained. There ia no intention, oh, no! of censuring the preacher; no intention of orgai£ ising a feeling against him ; no intention of putting a curb on his plain speaking through the old women of his congregation; no intention of snivelling about among his people, and leading to disrespect for their pastor. Oh, dear, no! It is only in the meekness of brotherly love that they wish to get possession of the ijpsissimn verha of the discourse, in order that the " prejudice thereto" may be removed, and the ministerial character cleared from the cloud which now hangs so heavily upon it. We are pleased to see that Mr. Davies has not in any form recognised the right of this self-appointed court to call him

to account for his official actions, as a' little encouragement would evidently make these people intolerable. The fanatical portion of teetotallers so plumes itself on its moral elevation above everybody else that does not run to the same excess, that it takes for granted that the same respect should be shown by others ; and clergymen especially are claimed as its legitimate devotees. Starting with the axiom which is i*egarded as being universally admitted and incontrovertible, that a glass of beer is the devil's manufacture, and a glasaful of sin, it necessarily follows that a clergyman taking a glass of beer is a sinful man, and should be ashamed of himself. The reasoning is perfect, but the premises are absurd ; and seeing the evil which may occur from some of the best men in the community being held up habitually as siaful men, because they feel benefitted by a glass of beer, and take it in all good conscience, we hold that Mr. Davies was doing the work of his Divine Master in attacking the premises, and showing that a glass of beer, or a glass of wine, or even a glass of grog, is not sinful. Mr. Davies politely but firmly " takes the liberty of adding, that no amount of clamour shall deter" him from acting according to his convictions ; and we also take the liberty, not so politely, but equally firmly, of adding that the clamour of these wind-bags, puffed .up wifch their own conceit, is exceedingly detrimental to the cause of temperance, and tends to create a prejudice against ouo of the holiest and best of causes, in the mind of every mau of independent feeling.