Secret Band of Brothers | Page 3

such a black-hearted, treacherous band of men, as I am
about to describe, could have existed so long in a civilized and
Christian country.
With a trembling hand do I attempt to bring to light their ruling
principles, to develop a system of organized and accomplished villany.
My reasons for assuming so daring a position may seem to require an
explanation. It may be asked why I did not make this revelation before,
as far as I had knowledge, or what is the occasion of the present
exposition? To the preceding queries I will briefly reply.
First, There has been no period in my life, prior to 1846, when I could
dare to lay before the world what I contemplate doing at the present
time. It will be long remembered by many, that in August, 1842, I
renounced a profession, in which I had worse than squandered twelve
years, the sweet morning of my life. In doing so, I knew I must, of
necessity, experience deep mortification, in a personal exposure, which
would attend me through life.
Gambling, with all its concomitants, had taken full possession of my
depraved nature. Thus it was that I, like all wicked men, refused to
"come to the light," and I feared to oppose a craft so numerous as the
one of which I was a professed member. Well did I know that I was
carrying out a wrong and wicked principle. Conviction produced
reflection. After a careful deliberation of the whole subject, I declared
with a solemn oath, that, by the assistance of Almighty God, I would
renounce for ever a profession so ruinous in its every feature.
Immediately I felt the band severed, and my misgivings were scattered

to the winds. My former companions laughed at me. They scouted the
idea, that one so base as I should ever think of reformation. It moved
me not. My credit, I found, failed, after it was known that I had quit
gambling. A thousand different conjectures attended so strange a
proceeding on the part of one in my circumstances. Why should I
abandon card-playing, destroy valuable card plates, and lose their still
more profitable proceeds, return moneyed obligations, which would
have secured me an independent fortune? These things were a matter of
surprise with the cool and deliberate patrons of vice, and especially
with many, who, though they were often covered with a garb of
outward morality, were full of rottenness within. Some, who pass for
moral and religious persons, have in this thing exhibited a moral
obliquity that has often astonished me.
From a careful examination, I have learned the lamentable fact, that the
most prominent opposers of moral reforms are composed of two classes,
THE HARDENED SINNER, who makes money his god, and THE
EXTREMELY IGNORANT. Let not the reader understand, however,
that I suppose there are not ignorant rich men as well as poor--the latter
have their share of bad men, and so also have the former--but that vice
and ignorance are common to both.
In the year 1843, I commenced lecturing against the fearful vice of
gambling, for no other reason than 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;