an to stay the gambler in his ruinous
course, and save the youth of our land from his alluring wiles. For this
I received IN PUBLIC the "God speeds" of ALL classes, and the prayers of
all Christians in secret. I soon learned I had much with which to
contend--opposition from directions I little anticipated. The gambler,
unfortunate man! he carried upon his countenance an expression of open
hate, indicating a deadly hostility to my reformatory movements. The
ignorant man, I found, was disposed to make his avarice the highway to
happiness. He was unwilling to favour any reform that would invade the
territory of his contracted selfishness. His reply, if he had any, would
be that stereotyped one, "such a course will have a tendency to make
more gamblers than it will cure." If his reasons were asked for such a
statement, you could get no satisfactory answer. Perhaps he would say,
"I am satisfied of the fact from my own disposition." He might as well
give a child's reason at once, and say, "CAUSE!" Such persons have
seldom heard a lecture, or read a syllable, and yet are always prating
with a great show of wisdom, but rather, in fact, of blind conceit.
Their silence would be of far more service to the cause of virtue than
their opinions. In many cases, it will be found that such persons are
not only ignorant, but dishonest.

Again, there is the rich, moral, or religious man, who takes another
position. He opposes with the declaration "his sons will not gamble:
they have such good and moral examples," &c. This is sometimes a want of
consideration, that prompts them thus to speak; with others, a secret
villany, driving them to such ultra positions, a mere tattered garment
to cover their own moral deformity. They must oppose the reformation, or
be held up to public disgrace. In nine cases out of ten, the opposer of
this class, is, or has been, a participant in the works of darkness
whose exposition he so much dreads.

Finding many disposed to act thus, and to teach their children to
imitate their own pernicious examples, I have made it a study to
demolish, if possible, the foundation of their positions. The success
attending my efforts to trace them out, assures me, that I am correct
when I affirm that two-thirds of all opposers are influenced in their
conduct by the basest of principles; one-sixth act through ignorance,
united with vice, and one-sixth are wholly ignorant and cannot be
morally accountable, if their want of infor