Description
CANADA Temperance Medal La Societe De Temperance 41.7mm white metal medal 18.07 grams (Leroux 1791, McLachlan CXCVII (197), Charlton 2835 Variety 1) holed for suspension
Obverse: Jesus, Marie and Joseph, JESUS, MARIE, JOSEPH. SOYEZ FIDÈLE JUSQU'À LA MORT (Trans: Be Faithful Until Death)
Reverse: Crucifix in the centre with a heart above it, pierced with a dagger; below is a beaver resting on crossed boughs of maple leaves, IN HOC SIGNO VINCES. ET VOTRE ÂME SERA PERCÉE D'UN GLAIVE. SACRE COEUR DE MARIE. POUR L'AMOUR DE JESUS CRUCIFIE. JE SERAI TOUJOURS FIDELE A L'ENGAGEMENT QUE J'AI PRIS DANS LA SOCIETE DE TEMPERANCE (Trans: In this sign you will conquer. And your soul will be pierced with a glaive. Sacred heart of Mary. For the love of Jesus crucified. I will always be faithful to the commitment I made to The Temperance Society.)
Robert W. McLachlan notes in the American Journal of Numismatics (1881) that this medal was issued during the temperance reformation that was inaugurated by the preaching of Father Charles Chiniquy about the year 1853. Father Chiniquy is still celebrated as a preacher. Having formed a flourishing settlement of French Canadians at Kankakee IL., he officiated to them effectively as a parish priest. And when he gave up his connection with the Church of Rome, and accepted the Presbyterian doctrines, most of his settlers followed him. He now takes a prominent position in all works tending towards evangelizing the French Canadians.
From the Dictionary of Canadian Biography it is noted that, "on 29 March 1840 Chiniquy founded a temperance society, which 1,300 parishioners joined, promising to avoid intemperance, to refrain from strong drink, and to stay away from taverns. When in 1841 Chiniquy went further and proposed total abstinence, 812 parishioners signed up and wore temperance medals. There are two varieties.
