,university of ,michigan's ,making of   
,america collection47                   
,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,every effort  
has been made to replicate this text as 
faithfully as possible2 please see      
detailed list of printing issues at the 
end of the text4 ,the original page     
numbering of each tract has been        
maintained2 for ease of reference1 the  
preparer of the e-text has assigned each
 tract a letter1 and appended the       
identifying letters to the original page
 numbers4          99       99       99 
99       99   ,,select ,,temperance     
,,tracts4   ,illustration3 ,scene in a  
bar-room    ,,published ,,by ,,the      
,,american ,,tract ,,society1  #aej     
,,nassau-,,street1 ,,new ,,york4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,,contents4                             
,pages   ,,effects ,,of ,,ardent        
,,spirits4 ,by ,dr4 ,rush               
#h ,a   ,,traffic ,,in ,,ardent         
,,spirits4 ,by ,rev4 ,dr4 ,edwards      
#cb ,b   ,,rewards ,,of ,,drunkenness   

#d ,c   ,,the ,,well-,,conducted ,,farm 
#ab ,d   ,,kittredge',s ,,address ,,on  
,,effects ,,of ,,ardent ,,spirits       
#bd ,e   ,,dickinson',s ,,appeal ,,to   
,,youth                                 
#h ,f   ,,alarm ,,to ,,distillers ,,and 
,,their ,,allies                        
#h ,g   ,,putnam ,,and ,,the ,,wolf     
#bd ,h   ,,hitchcock ,,on ,,the         
,,manufacture ,,of ,,ardent ,,spirits   
#bh ,i   ,m',,ilvaine',s ,,address ,,to 
,,young ,,men                           
#bd ,j   ,,who ,,slew ,,all ,,these8    
#d ,k   ,,sewall ,,on ,,intemperance    
#bd ,l   ,,bible ,,argument ,,for       
,,temperance                            
#ab ,m   ,,four ,,reasons ,,against     
,,the ,,use ,,of ,,alcoholic ,,liquors  
#ab ,n   ,,debates ,,of ,,conscience    
,,on ,,ardent ,,spirits                 
#af ,o   ,,barnes ,,on ,,traffic ,,in   
,,ardent ,,spirits                      
#bd ,p   ,,the ,,fools' ,,pence         
#h ,q   ,,the ,,poor ,,man',s ,,house   
,,repaired                              

#ab ,r   ,,jamie2 ,,or ,a ,,word ,,from 
,,ireland ,,for ,,temperance            
#af ,s   ,,the ,,wonderful ,,escape     
#d ,t   ,,the ,,eventful ,,twelve       
,,hours                                 
#af ,u   ,,the ,,lost ,,mechanic        
,,restored                              
#d ,v   ,,reformation ,,of ,,drunkards  
#d ,w   ,,tom ,,starboard ,,and ,,jack  
,,halyard                            #bd
 ,x   ,,the ,,ox ,,sermon               
#h ,y          99       99       99     
99       99     ,,the ,,effects ,,of    
,,ardent ,,spirits ,,upon ,,the ,,human 
,,body ,,and ,,mind4  ,,by ,,benjamin   
,,rush1 ,m4 ,d4   ,by ardent spirits1 ,i
 mean those liquors only which are      
obtained by distillation from fermented 
substances of any kind4 ,to their       
effects upon the bodies and minds of    
men1 the following inquiry shall be     
exclusively confined4  ,the effects of  
ardent spirits divide themselves into   
such as are of a prompt1 and such as are
 of a chronic nature4 ,the former       

discover themselves in drunkenness2 and 
the latter in a numerous train of       
diseases and vices of the body and mind4
  ,i4 ,i shall begin by briefly         
describing their prompt or immediate    
effects in a fit of drunkenness4  ,this 
odious disease--for by that name it     
should be called--appears with more or  
less of the following symptoms1 and most
 commonly in the order in which ,i shall
 enumerate them4  #a4 ,unusual          
garrulity4  #b4 ,unusual silence4  #c4  
,captiousness1 and a disposition to     
quarrel4  #d4 ,uncommon good-humor1 and 
an insipid simpering1 or laugh4  #e4    
,profane swearing and cursing4  #f4 ,a  
disclosure of their own or other        
people's secrets4  #g4 ,a rude          
disposition to tell those persons in    
company whom they know1 their faults4   
#h4 ,certain immodest actions4 ,i am    
sorry to say this sign of the first     
stage of drunkenness sometimes appears  
in women1 who1 when sober1 are uniformly
 remarkable for chaste and decent       

manners4  #i4 ,a clipping of words4     
#aj4 ,fighting2 a black eye1 or a       
swelled nose1 often mark this grade of  
drunkenness4  #aa4 ,certain extravagant 
acts which indicate a temporary fit of  
madness4 ,those are singing1 hallooing1 
roaring1 imitating the noises of brute  
animals1 jumping1 tearing off clothes1  
dancing naked1 breaking glasses and     
china1 and dashing other articles of    
household furniture upon the ground or  
floor4 ,after a while the paroxysm of   
drunkenness is completely formed4 ,the  
face now becomes flushed1 the eyes      
project1 and are somewhat watery1       
winking is less frequent than is        
natural2 the under lip is protruded--the
 head inclines a little to one          
shoulder--the jaw falls--belchings and  
hiccough take place--the limbs          
totter--the whole body staggers4 ,the   
unfortunate subject of this history next
 falls on his seat--he looks around him 
with a vacant countenance1 and mutters  
inarticulate sounds to himself--he      

attempts to rise and walk3 in this      
attempt he falls upon his side1 from    
which he gradually turns upon his back3 
he now closes his eyes and falls into a 
profound sleep1 frequently attended with
 snoring1 and profuse sweats1 and       
sometimes with such a relaxation of the 
muscles which confine the bladder and   
the lower bowels1 as to produce a       
symptom which delicacy forbids me to    
mention4 ,in this condition he often    
lies from ten1 twelve1 and twenty-four  
hours1 to two1 three1 four1 and five    
days1 an object of pity and disgust to  
his family and friends4 ,his recovery   
from this fit of intoxication is marked 
with several peculiar appearances4 ,he  
opens his eyes and closes them again--he
 gapes and stretches his limbs--he then 
coughs and pukes--his voice is          
hoarse--he rises with difficulty1 and   
staggers to a chair--his eyes resemble  
balls of fire--his hands tremble--he    
loathes the sight of food--he calls for 
a glass of spirits to compose his       

stomach--now and then he emits a        
deep-fetched sigh1 or groan1 from a     
transient twinge of conscience2 but he  
more frequently scolds1 and curses every
 thing around him4 ,in this stage of    
languor and stupidity he remains for two
 or three days1 before he is able to    
resume his former habits of business and
 conversation4  ,pythagoras1 we are     
told1 maintained that the souls of men  
after death expiated the crimes         
committed by them in this world1 by     
animating certain brute animals2 and    
that the souls of those animals1 in     
their turns1 entered into men1 and      
carried with them all their peculiar    
qualities and vices4 ,this doctrine of  
one of the wisest and best of the ,greek
 philosophers1 was probably intended    
only to convey a lively idea of the     
changes which are induced in the body   
and mind of man by a fit of drunkenness4
 ,in folly1 it causes him to resemble a 
calf--in stupidity1 an ass--in roaring1 
a mad bull--in quarrelling and fighting1

 a dog--in cruelty1 a tiger--in fetor1 a
 skunk--in filthiness1 a hog--and in    
obscenity1 a he-goat4  ,it belongs to   
the history of drunkenness to remark1   
that its paroxysms occur1 like the      
paroxysms of many diseases1 at certain  
periods1 and after longer or shorter    
intervals4 ,they often begin with       
annual1 and gradually increase in their 
frequency1 until they appear in         
quarterly1 monthly1 weekly1 and         
quotidian or daily periods4 ,finally1   
they afford scarcely any marks of       
remission1 either during the day or the 
night4 ,there was a citizen of          
,philadelphia1 many years ago1 in whom  
drunkenness appeared in this protracted 
form4 ,in speaking of him to one of his 
neighbors1 ,i said1 ,does he not        
sometimes get drunk8 ,you mean1 said his
 neighbor1 is he not sometimes sober8   
,it is further remarkable1 that         
drunkenness resembles certain           
hereditary1 family1 and contagious      
diseases4 ,i have once known it to      

descend from a father to four out of    
five of his children4 ,i have seen      
three1 and once four brothers1 who were 
born of sober ancestors1 affected by it2
 and ,i have heard of its spreading     
through a whole family composed of      
members not originally related to each  
other4 ,these facts are important1 and  
should not be overlooked by parents1 in 
deciding upon the matrimonial           
connections of their children4  ,,ii4   
,let us next attend to the chronic      
effects of ardent spirits upon the body 
and mind4 ,in the body they dispose to  
every form of acute disease2 they       
moreover excite fevers in persons       
predisposed to them from other causes4  
,this has been remarked in all the      
yellow-fevers which have visited the    
cities of the ,united ,states4          
,hard-drinkers seldom escape1 and rarely
 recover from them4 ,the following      
diseases are the usual consequences of  
the habitual use of ardent spirits3  #a4
 ,a decay of appetite1 sickness at      

stomach1 and a puking of bile1 or a     
discharge of a frothy and viscid phlegm1
 by hawking1 in the morning4  #b4       
,obstructions of the liver4 ,the fable  
of ,prometheus1 on whose liver a vulture
 was said to prey constantly1 as a      
punishment for his stealing fire from   
heaven1 was intended to illustrate the  
painful effects of ardent spirits upon  
that organ of the body4  #c4 ,jaundice1 
and dropsy of the belly and limbs1 and  
finally of every cavity in the body4 ,a 
swelling in the feet and legs is so     
characteristic a mark of habits of      
intemperance1 that the merchants in     
,charleston1 ,i have been told1 cease to
 trust the planters of ,south ,carolina 
as soon as they perceive it4 ,they very 
naturally conclude industry and virtue  
to be extinct in that man1 in whom that 
symptom of disease has been produced by 
the intemperate use of distilled        
spirits4  #d4 ,hoarseness1 and a husky  
cough1 which often terminate in         
consumption1 and sometimes in an acute  

and fatal disease of the lungs4  #e4    
,diabetes1 that is1 a frequent and      
weakening discharge of pale or sweetish 
urine4  #f4 ,redness1 and eruptions on  
different parts of the body4 ,they      
generally begin on the nose1 and after  
gradually extending all over the face1  
sometimes descend to the limbs in the   
form of leprosy4 ,they have been called 
rum-buds1 when they appear in the face4 
,in persons who have occasionally       
survived these effects of ardent spirits
 on the skin1 the face after a while    
becomes bloated1 and its redness is     
succeeded by a death-like paleness4     
,thus1 the same fire which produces a   
red color in iron1 when urged to a more 
intense degree1 produces what has been  
called a white-heat4  #g4 ,a fetid      
breath1 composed of every thing that is 
offensive in putrid animal matter4  #h4 
,frequent and disgusting belchings4 ,dr4
 ,haller relates the case of a notorious
 drunkard having been suddenly          
destroyed1 in consequence of the vapor  

discharged from his stomach by belching1
 accidentally taking fire by coming in  
contact with the flame of a candle4  #i4
 ,epilepsy4  #aj4 ,gout1 in all its     
various forms of swelled limbs1 colic1  
palsy1 and apoplexy4  #aa4 ,lastly1     
madness4 ,the late ,dr4 ,waters1 while  
he acted as house-pupil and apothecary  
of the ,pennsylvania hospital1 assured  
me1 that in one-third of the patients   
confined by this terrible disease1 it   
had been induced by ardent spirits4     
,most of the diseases which have been   
enumerated are of a mortal nature4 ,they
 are more certainly induced1 and        
terminate more speedily in death1 when  
spirits are taken in such quantities1   
and at such times1 as to produce        
frequent intoxication2 but it may serve 
to remove an error with which some      
intemperate people console themselves1  
to remark1 that ardent spirits often    
bring on fatal diseases without         
producing drunkenness4 ,i have known    
many persons destroyed by them who were 

never completely intoxicated during the 
whole course of their lives4 ,the       
solitary instances of longevity which   
are now and then met with in            
hard-drinkers1 no more disprove the     
deadly effects of ardent spirits1 than  
the solitary instances of recoveries    
from apparent death by drowning1 prove  
that there is no danger to life from a  
human body lying an hour or two under   
water4  ,the body1 after its death from 
the use of distilled spirits1 exhibits1 
by dissection1 certain appearances which
 are of a peculiar nature4 ,the fibres  
of the stomach and bowels are           
contracted--abscesses1 gangrene1 and    
schirri are found in the viscera4 ,the  
bronchial vessels are contracted--the   
bloodvessels and tendons in many parts  
of the body are more or less ossified1  
and even the hair of the head possesses 
a crispness which renders it less       
valuable to wig-makers than the hair of 
sober people4  ,not less destructive are
 the effects of ardent spirits upon the 

human mind4 ,they impair the memory1    
debilitate the understanding1 and       
pervert the moral faculties4 ,it was    
probably from observing these effects of
 intemperance in drinking upon the mind1
 that a law was formerly passed in      
,spain which excluded drunkards from    
being witnesses in a court of justice4  
,but the demoralizing effects of        
distilled spirits do not stop here4     
,they produce not only falsehood1 but   
fraud1 theft1 uncleanliness1 and murder4
 ,like the demoniac mentioned in the    
,new ,testament1 their name is ,legion1 
for they convey into the soul a host of 
vices and crimes4  ,a more affecting    
spectacle cannot be exhibited than a    
person into whom this infernal spirit1  
generated by habits of intemperance1 has
 entered3 it is more or less affecting1 
according to the station the person     
fills in a family1 or in society1 who is
 possessed by it4 ,is he a husband8 ,how
 deep the anguish which rends the bosom 
of his wife6 ,is she a wife8 ,who can   

measure the shame and aversion which she
 excites in her husband8 ,is he the     
father1 or is she the mother of a family
 of children8 ,see their averted looks  
from their parent1 and their blushing   
looks at each other4 ,is he a           
magistrate8 or has he been chosen to    
fill a high and respectable station in  
the councils of his country8 ,what      
humiliating fears of corruption in the  
administration of the laws1 and of the  
subversion of public order and          
happiness1 appear in the countenances of
 all who see him4 ,is he a minister of  
the gospel8 ,here language fails me4 ,if
 angels weep1 it is at such a sight4    
,in pointing out the evils produced by  
ardent spirits1 let us not pass by their
 effects upon the estates of the persons
 who are addicted to them4 ,are they    
inhabitants of cities8 ,behold their    
houses stripped gradually of their      
furniture1 and pawned1 or sold by a     
constable1 to pay tavern debts4 ,see    
their names upon record in the dockets  

of every court1 and whole pages of      
newspapers filled with advertisements of
 their estates for public sale4 ,are    
they inhabitants of country places8     
,behold their houses with shattered     
windows--their barns with leaky         
roofs--their gardens overrun with       
weeds--their fields with broken         
fences--their hogs without yokes--their 
sheep without wool--their cattle and    
horses without fat--and their children1 
filthy and half-clad1 without manners1  
principles1 and morals4 ,this picture of
 agricultural wretchedness is seldom of 
long duration4 ,the farms and property  
thus neglected and depreciated1 are     
seized and sold for the benefit of a    
group of creditors4 ,the children that  
were born with the prospect of          
inheriting them1 are bound out to       
service in the neighborhood2 while their
 parents1 the unworthy authors of their 
misfortunes1 ramble into new and distant
 settlements1 alternately fed on their  
way by the hand of charity1 or a little 

casual labor4  ,thus we see poverty and 
misery1 crimes and infamy1 diseases and 
death1 are all the natural and usual    
consequences of the intemperate use of  
ardent spirits4  ,i have classed death  
among the consequences of hard drinking4
 ,but it is not death from the immediate
 hand of the ,deity1 nor from any of the
 instruments of it which were created by
 him3 it is death from suicide4 ,yes1   
thou poor degraded creature who art     
daily lifting the poisoned bowl to thy  
lips1 cease to avoid the unhallowed     
ground in which the self-murderer is    
interred1 and wonder no longer that the 
sun should shine1 and the rain fall1 and
 the grass look green upon his grave4   
,thou art perpetrating gradually1 by the
 use of ardent spirits1 what he has     
effected suddenly by opium or a halter4 
,considering how many circumstances from
 surprise1 or derangement1 may palliate 
his guilt1 or that1 unlike yours1 it was
 not preceded and accompanied by any    
other crime1 it is probable his         

condemnation will be less than yours at 
the day of judgment4  ,i shall now take 
notice of the occasions and             
circumstances which are supposed to     
render the use of ardent spirits        
necessary1 and endeavor to show that the
 arguments in favor of their use in such
 cases are founded in error1 and that in
 each of them ardent spirits1 instead of
 affording strength to the body1        
increase the evils they are intended to 
relieve4  #a4 ,they are said to be      
necessary in very cold weather4 ,this is
 far from being true1 for the temporary 
warmth they produce is always succeeded 
by a greater disposition in the body to 
be affected by cold4 ,warm dresses1 a   
plentiful meal just before exposure to  
the cold1 and eating occasionally a     
little gingerbread1 or any other cordial
 food1 is a much more durable method of 
preserving the heat of the body in cold 
weather4  #b4 ,they are said to be      
necessary in very warm weather4         
,experience proves that they increase1  

instead of lessening the effects of heat
 upon the body1 and thereby dispose to  
diseases of all kinds4 ,even in the warm
 climate of the ,west ,indies1 ,dr4     
,bell asserts this to be true4 ,rum1    
says this author1 whether used          
habitually1 moderately1 or in excessive 
quantities1 in the ,west ,indies1 always
 diminishes the strength of the body1   
and renders men more susceptible of     
disease1 and unfit for any service in   
which vigor or activity is required4,a  
,as well might we throw oil into a      
house1 the roof of which was on fire1 in
 order to prevent the flames from       
extending to its inside1 as pour ardent 
spirits into the stomach to lessen the  
effects of a hot sun upon the skin4  #c4
 ,nor do ardent spirits lessen the      
effects of hard labor upon the body4    
,look at the horse1 with every muscle of
 his body swelled from morning till     
night in the plough1 or a team2 does he 
make signs for a draught of toddy1 or a 
glass of spirits1 to enable him to      

cleave the ground1 or to climb a hill8  
,no2 he requires nothing but cool water 
and substantial food4 ,there is no      
nourishment in ardent spirits4 ,the     
strength they produce in labor is of a  
transient nature1 and is always followed
 by a sense of weakness and fatigue4    
,,danger ,,from ,,ardent ,,spirits4     
,every man is in danger of becoming a   
drunkard who is in the habit of drinking
 ardent spirits--#a4 ,when he is warm4  
#b4 ,when he is cold4 #c4 ,when he is   
wet4 #d4 ,when he is dry4 #e4 ,when he  
is dull4 #f4 ,when he is lively4 #g4    
,when he travels4 #h4 ,when he is at    
home4 #i4 ,when he is in company4 #aj4  
,when he is alone4 #aa4 ,when he is at  
work4 #ab4 ,when he is idle4 #ac4       
,before meals4 #ad4 ,after meals4 #ae4  
,when he gets up4 #af4 ,when he goes to 
bed4 #ag4 ,on holidays4 #ah4 ,on public 
occasions4 #ai4 ,on any day2 or1 #bj4   
,on any occasion4     ,footnote ,a3 ,see
 his ,inquiry into the ,causes which    
,produce1    and the ,means of          

,preventing ,diseases among ,british    
,officers1    ,soldiers1 and others1 in 
the ,west ,indies4     ,,on ,,the       
,,traffic ,,in ,,ardent ,,spirit4       
,ardent spirit is composed of alcohol   
and water1 in nearly equal proportions4 
,alcohol is composed of hydrogen1       
carbon1 and oxygen1 in the proportion of
 about fourteen1 fifty-two1 and         
thirty-four parts to the hundred4 ,it   
is1 in its nature1 as manifested by its 
effects1 a poison4 ,when taken in any   
quantity it disturbs healthy action in  
the human system1 and in large doses    
suddenly destroys life4 ,it resembles   
opium in its nature1 and arsenic in its 
effects4 ,and though when mixed with    
water1 as in ardent spirit1 its evils   
are somewhat modified1 they are by no   
means prevented4 ,ardent spirit is an   
enemy to the human constitution1 and    
cannot be used as a drink without       
injury4 ,its ultimate tendency          
invariably is1 to produce weakness1 not 
strength2 sickness1 not health2 death1  

not life4  ,consequently1 to use it is  
an immorality4 ,it is a violation of the
 will of ,god1 and a sin in magnitude   
equal to all the evils1 temporal and    
eternal1 which flow from it4 ,nor can   
the furnishing of ardent spirit for the 
use of others be accounted a less sin1  
inasmuch as this tends to produce evils 
greater than for an individual merely to
 drink it4 ,and if a man knows1 or has  
the opportunity of knowing1 the nature  
and effects of the traffic in this      
article1 and yet continues to be engaged
 in it1 he may justly be regarded as an 
immoral man2 and for the following      
reasons1 viz4  ,ardent spirit1 as a     
drink1 is not needful4 ,all men lived   
without it1 and all the business of the 
world was conducted without it1 for     
thousands of years4 ,it is not three    
hundred years since it began to be      
generally used as a drink in ,great     
,britain1 nor one hundred years since it
 became common in ,america4 ,of course  
it is not needful4  ,it is not useful4  

,those who do not use it are1 other     
things being equal1 in all respects     
better than those who do4 ,nor does the 
fact that persons have used it with more
 or less frequency1 in a greater or     
smaller quantity1 for a longer or       
shorter time1 render it either needful1 
or useful1 or harmless1 or right for    
them to continue to use it4 ,more than a
 million of persons in this country1 and
 multitudes in other countries1 who once
 did use it1 and thought it needful1    
have1 within five years1 ceased to use  
it1 and they have found that they are in
 all respects better without it4 ,and   
this number is so great1 of all ages1   
and conditions1 and employments1 as to  
render it certain1 should the experiment
 be fairly made1 that this would be the 
case with all4 ,of course1 ardent       
spirit1 as a drink1 is not useful4  ,it 
is hurtful4 ,its whole influence is     
injurious to the body and the mind for  
this world and the world to come4  #a4  
,it forms an unnecessary1 artificial1   

and very dangerous appetite2 which1 by  
gratification1 like the desire for      
sinning1 in the man who sins1 tends     
continually to increase4 ,no man can    
form this appetite without increasing   
his danger of dying a drunkard1 and     
exerting an influence which tends to    
perpetuate drunkenness1 and all its     
abominations1 to the end of the world4  
,its very formation1 therefore1 is a    
violation of the will of ,god4 ,it is1  
in its nature1 an immorality1 and       
springs from an inordinate desire of a  
kind or degree of bodily                
enjoyment--animal gratification1 which  
,god has shown to be inconsistent with  
his glory1 and the highest good of man4 
,it shows that the person who forms it  
is not satisfied with the proper        
gratification of those appetites and    
passions which ,god has given him1 or   
with that kind and degree of bodily     
enjoyment which infinite wisdom and     
goodness have prescribed as the utmost  
that can be possessed consistently with 

a person's highest happiness and        
usefulness1 the glory of his ,maker1 and
 the good of the universe4 ,that person 
covets more animal enjoyment2 to obtain 
it he forms a new appetite1 and in doing
 this he rebels against ,god4  ,that    
desire for increased animal enjoyment   
from which rebellion springs is sin1 and
 all the evils which follow in its train
 are only so many voices by which       
,jehovah declares the way of            
transgressors is hard4 ,the person who  
has formed an appetite for ardent       
spirit1 and feels uneasy if he does not 
gratify it1 has violated the divine     
arrangement1 disregarded the divine     
will1 and if he understands the nature  
of what he has done1 and approves of it1
 and continues in it1 it will ruin him4 
,he will show that there is one thing in
 which he will not have ,god to reign   
over him4 ,and should he keep the whole 
law1 and yet continue knowingly1        
habitually1 wilfully1 and perseveringly 
to offend in that one point1 he will    

perish4 ,then1 and then only1 according 
to the ,bible1 can any man be saved1    
when he has respect to all the known    
will of ,god1 and is disposed to be     
governed by it4 ,he must carry out into 
practice1 with regard to the body and   
the soul1 ,not my will1 but thine be    
done4 ,his grand object must be1 to know
 the will of ,god1 and when he knows it1
 to be governed by it1 and with regard  
to all things4 ,this1 the man who is not
 contented with that portion of animal  
enjoyment which the proper gratification
 of the appetites and passions which    
,god has given him will afford1 but     
forms an appetite for ardent spirit1 or 
continues to gratify it after it is     
formed1 does not do4 ,in this respect1  
if he understands the nature and effects
 of his actions1 he prefers his own will
 to the known will of ,god1 and is      
ripening to hear1 from the lips of his  
,judge1 ,those mine enemies1 that would 
not that ,i should reign over them1     
bring them hither and slay them before  

me4 ,and the men who traffic in this    
article1 or furnish it as a drink for   
others1 are tempting them to sin1 and   
thus uniting their influence with that  
of the devil for ever to ruin them4     
,this is an aggravated immorality1 and  
the men who continue to do it are       
immoral men4  #b4 ,the use of ardent    
spirit1 to which the traffic is         
accessory1 causes a great and wicked    
waste of property4 ,all that the users  
pay for this article is to them lost1   
and worse than lost4 ,should the whole  
which they use sink into the earth1 or  
mingle with the ocean1 it would be      
better for them1 and better for the     
community1 than for them to drink it4   
,all which it takes to support the      
paupers1 and prosecute the crimes which 
ardent spirit occasions1 is1 to those   
who pay the money1 utterly lost4 ,all   
the diminution of profitable labor which
 it occasions1 through improvidence1    
idleness1 dissipation1 intemperance1    
sickness1 insanity1 and premature       

deaths1 is to the community so much     
utterly lost4 ,and these items1 as has  
often been shown1 amount in the ,united 
,states to more than #ajj1jjj1jjj a     
year4 ,to this enormous and wicked waste
 of property1 those who traffic in the  
article are knowingly accessory4  ,a    
portion of what is thus lost by others1 
they obtain themselves2 but without     
rendering to others any valuable        
equivalent4 ,this renders their business
 palpably unjust2 as really so as if    
they should obtain that money by        
gambling2 and it is as really immoral4  
,it is also unjust in another respect3  
it burdens the community with taxes both
 for the support of pauperism1 and for  
the prosecution of crimes1 and without  
rendering to that community any adequate
 compensation4 ,these taxes1 as shown by
 facts1 are four times as great as they 
would be if there were no sellers of    
ardent spirit4 ,all the profits1 with   
the exception perhaps of a mere pittance
 which he pays for license1 the seller  

puts into his own pocket1 while the     
burdens are thrown upon the community4  
,this is palpably unjust1 and utterly   
immoral4 ,of #a1ifi paupers in different
 almshouses in the ,united ,states1     
#a1gij1 according to the testimony of   
the overseers of the poor1 were made    
such by spirituous liquor4 ,and of      
#a1gfd criminals in different prisons1  
more than #a1cjj were either intemperate
 men1 or were under the power of        
intoxicating liquor when the crimes for 
which they were imprisoned were         
committed4 ,and of #dd murders1         
according to the testimony of those who 
prosecuted or conducted the defence of  
the murderers1 or witnessed their       
trials1 #dc were committed by           
intemperate men1 or upon intemperate    
men1 or those who at the time of the    
murder were under the power of strong   
drink4  ,the ,hon4 ,felix ,grundy1      
,united ,states senator from ,tennessee1
 after thirty years' extensive practice 
as a lawyer1 gives it as his opinion    

that four-fifths of all the crimes      
committed in the ,united ,states can be 
traced to intemperance4 ,a similar      
proportion is stated1 from the highest  
authority1 to result from the same cause
 in ,great ,britain4 ,and when it is    
considered that more than #bjj murders  
are committed1 and more than #ajj1jjj   
crimes are prosecuted in the ,united    
,states in a year1 and that such a vast 
proportion of them are occasioned by    
ardent spirit1 can a doubt remain on the
 mind of any sober man1 that the men who
 know these facts1 and yet continue to  
traffic in this article1 are among the  
chief causes of crime1 and ought to be  
viewed and treated as immoral men8 ,it  
is as really immoral for a man1 by doing
 wrong1 to excite others to commit      
crimes1 as to commit them himself2 and  
as really unjust wrongfully to take     
another's property with his consent1 as 
without it4 ,and though it might not be 
desirable to have such a law1 yet no law
 in the statute-book is more righteous  

than one which should require that those
 who make paupers should support them1  
and those who excite others to commit   
crimes1 should pay the cost of their    
prosecution1 and should1 with those who 
commit them1 bear all the evils4 ,and so
 long as this is not the case they will 
be guilty1 according to the divine law1 
of defrauding1 as well as tempting and  
corrupting their fellow-men4 ,and though
 such crimes cannot be prosecuted1 and  
justice be awarded in human courts1     
their perpetrators will be held to      
answer1 and will meet with full and     
awful retribution at the divine         
tribunal4 ,and when judgment is laid to 
the line1 and righteousness to the      
plummet1 they will appear as they really
 are1 criminals1 and will be viewed and 
treated as such for ever4  ,there is    
another view in which the traffic in    
ardent spirit is manifestly highly      
immoral4 ,it exposes the children of    
those who use it1 in an eminent degree1 
to dissipation and crime4 ,of #fij      

children prosecuted and imprisoned for  
crimes1 more than #djj were from        
intemperate families4 ,thus the venders 
of this liquor exert an influence which 
tends strongly to ruin not only those   
who use it1 but their children2 to      
render them far more liable to idleness1
 profligacy1 and ruin1 than the children
 of those who do not use it2 and through
 them to extend these evils to others1  
and to perpetuate them to future        
generations4 ,this is a sin of which all
 who traffic in ardent spirit are       
guilty4 ,often the deepest pang which a 
dying parent feels for his children1 is 
lest1 through the instrumentality of    
such men1 they should be ruined4 ,and is
 it not horrible wickedness for them1 by
 exposing for sale one of the chief     
causes of this ruin1 to tempt them in   
the way to death8 ,if he who takes money
 from others without an equivalent1 or  
wickedly destroys property1 is an       
immoral man1 what is he who destroys    
character1 who corrupts children and    

youth1 and exerts an influence to extend
 and perpetuate immorality and crime    
through future generations8 ,this every 
vender of ardent spirit does2 and if he 
continues in this business with a       
knowledge of the subject1 it marks him  
as an habitual and persevering violater 
of the will of ,god4  #c4 ,ardent spirit
 impairs1 and often destroys reason4 ,of
 #gha maniacs in different insane       
hospitals1 #cib1 according to the       
testimony of their own friends1 were    
rendered maniacs by strong drink4 ,and  
the physicians who had the care of them 
gave it as their opinion1 that this was 
the case with many of the others4 ,those
 who have had extensive experience1 and 
the best opportunities for observation  
with regard to this malady1 have stated1
 that probably from one-half to         
three-fourths of the cases of insanity1 
in many places1 are occasioned in the   
same way4 ,ardent spirit is a poison so 
diffusive and subtile that it is found1 
by actual experiment1 to penetrate even 

the brain4  ,dr4 ,kirk1 of ,scotland1   
dissected a man a few hours after death 
who died in a fit of intoxication2 and  
from the lateral ventricles of the brain
 he took a fluid distinctly visible to  
the smell as whiskey2 and when he       
applied a candle to it in a spoon1 it   
took fire and burnt blue2 the lambent   
blue flame1 he says1 characteristic of  
the poison1 playing on the surface of   
the spoon for some seconds4  ,it        
produces also1 in the children of those 
who use it freely1 a predisposition to  
intemperance1 insanity1 and various     
diseases of both body and mind1 which1  
if the cause is continued1 becomes      
hereditary1 and is transmitted from     
generation to generation2 occasioning a 
diminution of size1 strength1 and       
energy1 a feebleness of vision1 a       
feebleness and imbecility of purpose1 an
 obtuseness of intellect1 a depravation 
of moral taste1 a premature old age1 and
 a general deterioration of the whole   
character4 ,this is the case in every   

country1 and in every age4  ,instances  
are known where the first children of a 
family1 who were born when their parents
 were temperate1 have been healthy1     
intelligent1 and active2 while the last 
children1 who were born after the       
parents had become intemperate1 were    
dwarfish and idiotic4 ,a medical        
gentleman writes1 ,i have no doubt that 
a disposition to nervous diseases of a  
peculiar character is transmitted by    
drunken parents4 ,another gentleman     
states that1 in two families within his 
knowledge1 the different stages of      
intemperance in the parents seemed to be
 marked by a corresponding deterioration
 in the bodies and minds of the         
children4 ,in one case1 the eldest of   
the family is respectable1 industrious1 
and accumulates property2 the next is   
inferior1 disposed to be industrious1   
but spends all he can earn in strong    
drink4 ,the third is dwarfish in body   
and mind1 and1 to use his own language1 
a poor1 miserable remnant of a man4  ,in

 another family of daughters1 the first 
is a smart1 active girl1 with an        
intelligent1 well-balanced mind2 the    
others are afflicted with different     
degrees of mental weakness and          
imbecility1 and the youngest is an      
idiot4 ,another medical gentleman       
states1 that the first child of a       
family1 who was born when the habits of 
the mother were good1 was healthy and   
promising2 while the four last children1
 who were born after the mother had     
become addicted to the habit of using   
opium1 appeared to be stupid2 and all1  
at about the same age1 sickened and died
 of a disease apparently occasioned by  
the habits of the mother4  ,another     
gentleman mentions a case more common1  
and more appalling still4 ,a respectable
 and influential man early in life      
adopted the habit of using a little     
ardent spirit daily1 because1 as he     
thought1 it did him good4 ,he and his   
six children1 three sons and three      
daughters1 are now in the drunkard's    

grave1 and the only surviving child is  
rapidly following in the same way1 to   
the same dismal end4  ,the best         
authorities attribute one-half the      
madness1 three-fourths of the pauperism1
 end four-fifths of the crimes and      
wretchedness in ,great ,britain to the  
use of strong drink4  #d4 ,ardent spirit
 increases the number1 frequency1 and   
violence of diseases1 and tends to bring
 those who use it to a premature grave4 
,in ,portsmouth1 ,new ,hampshire1 of    
about #g1ejj people1 twenty-one persons 
were killed by it in a year4 ,in ,salem1
 ,massachusetts1 of #aha deaths1 twenty 
were occasioned in the same way4 ,of    
ninety-one adults who died in ,new      
,haven1 ,connecticut1 in one year1      
thirty-two1 according to the testimony  
of the ,medical ,association1 were      
occasioned1 directly or indirectly1 by  
strong drink1 and a similar proportion  
had been occasioned by it in previous   
years4 ,in ,new ,brunswick1 ,new        
,jersey1 of sixty-seven adult deaths in 

one year1 more than one-third were      
caused by intoxicating liquor4 ,in      
,philadelphia1 of #d1bib deaths1 #gjj   
were1 in the opinion of the ,college of 
,physicians and ,surgeons1 caused in the
 same way4 ,the physicians of           
,annapolis1 ,maryland1 state that1 of   
thirty-two persons1 male and female1 who
 died in #ahbh1 above eighteen years of 
age1 ten1 or nearly one-third1 died of  
diseases occasioned by intemperance2    
that eighteen were males1 and that of   
these1 nine1 or one-half1 died of       
intemperance4 ,they also say1 ,when we  
recollect that even the temperate use1  
as it is called1 of ardent spirits1 lays
 the foundation of a numerous train of  
incurable maladies1 we feel justified in
 expressing the belief1 that were the   
use of distilled liquors entirely       
discontinued1 the number of deaths among
 the male adults would be diminished at 
least one-half4  ,says an eminent       
physician1 ,since our people generally  
have given up the use of spirit1 they   

have not had more than half as much     
sickness as they had before2 and ,i have
 no doubt1 should all the people of the 
,united ,states cease to use it1 that   
nearly half the sickness of the country 
would cease4 ,says another1 after forty 
years' extensive practice1 ,half the men
 every year who die of fevers might     
recover1 had they not been in the habit 
of using ardent spirit4 ,many a man1    
down for weeks with a fever1 had he not 
used ardent spirit1 would not have been 
confined to his house a day4 ,he might  
have felt a slight headache1 but a      
little fasting would have removed the   
difficulty1 and the man been well4 ,and 
many a man who was never intoxicated1   
when visited with a fever1 might be     
raised up as well as not1 were it not   
for that state of the system which daily
 moderate drinking occasions1 who now1  
in spite of all that can be done1 sinks 
down and dies4  ,nor are we to admit for
 a moment the popular reasoning1 as     
applicable here1 that the abuse of a    

thing is no argument against its use2   
for1 in the language of the late        
,secretary of the ,college of           
,physicians and ,surgeons of            
,philadelphia1 ,samuel ,emlen1 ,m4 ,d41 
,all use of ardent spirits1 i4 e4 as a  
drink1 is an abuse4 ,they are           
mischievous under all circumstances4    
,their tendency1 says ,dr4 ,frank1 when 
used even moderately1 is to induce      
disease1 premature old age1 and death4  
,and ,dr4 ,trotter states1 that no cause
 of disease has so wide a range1 or so  
large a share1 as the use of spirituous 
liquors4  ,dr4 ,harris states1 that the 
moderate use of spirituous liquors has  
destroyed many who were never drunk2 and
 ,dr4 ,kirk gives it as his opinion1    
that men who were never considered      
intemperate1 by daily drinking have     
often shortened life more than twenty   
years2 and that the respectable use of  
this poison kills more men than even    
drunkenness4 ,dr4 ,wilson gives it as   
his opinion1 that the use of spirit in  

large cities causes more diseases than  
confined air1 unwholesome exhalations1  
and the combined influence of all other 
evils4  ,dr4 ,cheyne1 of ,dublin1       
,ireland1 after thirty years' practice  
and observation1 gives it as his        
opinion1 that should ten young men begin
 at twenty-one years of age to use but  
one glass of two ounces a day1 and never
 increase the quantity1 nine out of ten 
would shorten life more than ten years4 
,but should moderate drinkers shorten   
life only five years1 and drunkards only
 ten1 and should there be but four      
moderate drinkers to one drunkard1 it   
would in thirty years cut off in the    
,united ,states #cb1djj1jjj years of    
human life4 ,an aged physician in       
,maryland states1 that when the fever   
breaks out there1 the men who do not use
 ardent spirit are not half as likely as
 other men to have it2 and that if they 
do have it1 they are ten times as likely
 to recover4 ,in the island of ,key     
,west1 on the coast of ,florida1 after a

 great mortality1 it was found that     
every person who had died had been in   
the habit of using ardent spirit4 ,the  
quantity used was afterwards diminished 
more than nine-tenths1 and the          
inhabitants became remarkably healthy4  
,a gentleman of great respectability    
from the south1 states1 that those who  
fall victims to southern climes1 are    
almost invariably addicted to the free  
use of ardent spirit4 ,dr4 ,mosely1     
after a long residence in the ,west     
,indies1 declares1 that persons who     
drink nothing but cold water1 or make it
 their principal drink1 are but little  
affected by tropical climates2 that they
 undergo the greatest fatigue without   
inconvenience1 and are not so subject as
 others to dangerous diseases2 and ,dr4 
,bell1 that rum1 when used even         
moderately1 always diminishes the       
strength1 and renders men more          
susceptible of disease2 and that we     
might as well throw oil into a house1   
the roof of which is on fire1 in order  

to prevent the flames from extending to 
the inside1 as to pour ardent spirits   
into the stomach to prevent the effect  
of a hot sun upon the skin4  ,of        
seventy-seven persons found dead in     
different regions of country1           
sixty-seven1 according to the coroners' 
inquests1 were occasioned by strong     
drink4 ,nine-tenths of those who die    
suddenly after the drinking of cold     
water1 have been habitually addicted to 
the free use of ardent spirit2 and that 
draught of cold water1 that effort1 or  
fatigue1 or exposure to the sun1 or     
disease1 which a man who uses no ardent 
spirit will bear without inconvenience  
or danger1 will often kill those who use
 it4 ,their liability to sickness and to
 death is often increased tenfold4 ,and 
to all these evils1 those who continue  
to traffic in it1 after all the light   
which ,god in his providence has thrown 
upon the subject1 are knowingly         
accessory4 ,whether they deal in it by  
whole sale or retail1 by the cargo or   

the glass1 they are1 in their influence1
 drunkard-makers4 ,so are also those who
 furnish the materials2 those who       
advertise the liquors1 and thus promote 
their circulation2 those who lease their
 tenements to be employed as dram-shops1
 or stores for the sale of ardent       
spirit2 and those also who purchase     
their groceries of spirit dealers rather
 than of others1 for the purpose of     
saving to the amount which the sale of  
ardent spirit enables such men1 without 
loss1 to undersell their neighbors4     
,these are all accessory to the making  
of drunkards1 and as such will be held  
to answer at the divine tribunal4 ,so   
are those men who employ their shipping 
in transporting the liquors1 or are in  
any way knowingly aiding and abetting in
 perpetuating their use as a drink in   
the community4  ,it is estimated that   
four-fifths of those who were swept away
 by the late direful visitation of      
,,cholera1 were such as had been        
addicted to the use of intoxicating     

drink4 ,dr4 ,bronson1 of ,albany1 who   
spent some time in ,canada1 and whose   
professional character and standing give
 great weight to his opinions1 says1    
,intemperance of any species1 but       
particularly intemperance in the use of 
distilled liquors1 has been a more      
productive cause of cholera than any    
other1 and indeed than all others4 ,and 
can men1 for the sake of money1 make it 
a business knowingly and perseveringly  
to furnish the most productive cause of 
cholera1 and not be guilty of blood--not
 manifest a recklessness of character   
which will brand the mark of vice and   
infamy on their foreheads8 ,drunkards   
and tipplers1 he adds1 have been        
searched out with such unerring         
certainty as to show that the arrows of 
death have not been dealt out with      
indiscrimination4 ,an indescribable     
terror has spread through the ranks of  
this class of beings4 ,they see the     
bolts of destruction aimed at their     
heads1 and every one calls himself a    

victim4 ,there seems to be a natural    
affinity between cholera and ardent     
spirit4 ,what1 then1 in days of exposure
 to this malady1 is so great a nuisance 
as the places which furnish this poison8
 ,says ,dr4 ,rhinelander1 who1 with ,dr4
 ,de ,kay1 was deputed from ,new ,york  
to visit ,canada1 ,we may be asked who  
are the victims of this disease8 ,i     
answer1 the intemperate it invariably   
cuts off4 ,in ,montreal1 after #a1bjj   
had been attacked1 a ,montreal paper    
states1 that not a drunkard who has been
 attacked has recovered of the disease1 
and almost all the victims have been at 
least moderate drinkers4 ,in ,paris1 the
 #cj1jjj victims were1 with few         
exceptions1 those who freely used       
intoxicating liquors4 ,nine-tenths of   
those who died of the cholera in ,poland
 were of the same class4  ,in ,st4      
,petersburgh and ,moscow1 the average   
number of deaths in the bills of        
mortality1 during the prevalence of the 
cholera1 when the people ceased to drink

 brandy1 was no greater than when they  
used it during the usual months of      
health--showing that brandy1 and        
attendant dissipation1 killed as many   
people in the same time as even the     
cholera itself1 that pestilence which   
has spread sackcloth over the nations4  
,and shall the men who know this1 and   
yet continue to furnish it for all who  
can be induced to buy1 escape the       
execration of being the destroyers of   
their race8 ,of more than #a1jjj deaths 
in ,montreal1 it is stated that only two
 were members of ,temperance societies4 
,it was also stated1 that as far as was 
known no members of ,temperance         
societies in ,ireland1 ,scotland1 or    
,england1 had yet fallen victims to that
 dreadful disease4  ,from ,montreal1    
,dr4 ,bronson writes1 ,cholera has stood
 up here1 as it has done everywhere1 the
 advocate of ,temperance4 ,it has       
pleaded most eloquently1 and with       
tremendous effect4 ,the disease has     
searched out the haunt of the drunkard1 

and has seldom left it without bearing  
away its victim4 ,even moderate drinkers
 have been but little better off4       
,ardent spirits1 in any shape1 and in   
all quantities1 have been highly        
detrimental4 ,some temperate men        
resorted to them during the prevalence  
of the malady as a preventive1 or to    
remove the feeling of uneasiness about  
the stomach1 or for the purpose of      
drowning their apprehensions1 but they  
did it at their peril4  ,says the       
,london ,morning ,herald1 after stating 
that the cholera fastens its deadly     
grasp upon this class of men1 ,the same 
preference for the intemperate and      
uncleanly has characterized the cholera 
everywhere4 ,intemperance is a          
qualification which it never overlooks4 
,often has it passed harmless over a    
wide population of temperate country    
people1 and poured down1 as an          
overflowing scourge1 upon the drunkards 
of some distant town4 ,says another     
,english publication1 ,all experience1  

both in ,great ,britain and elsewhere1  
has proved that those who have been     
addicted to drinking spirituous liquors1
 and indulging in irregular habits1 have
 been the greatest sufferers from       
cholera4 ,in some towns the drunkards   
are all dead4 ,rammohun ,fingee1 the    
famous ,indian doctor1 says1 with regard
 to ,india1 that people who do not take 
opium1 or spirits1 do not take this     
disorder even when they are with those  
who have it4 ,monsieur ,huber1 who saw  
#b1afj persons perish in twenty-five    
days in one town in ,russia1 says1 ,it  
is a most remarkable circumstance1 that 
persons given to drinking have been     
swept away like flies4 ,in ,tiflis1     
containing #bj1jjj inhabitants1 every   
drunkard has fallen--all are dead1 not  
one remains4  ,dr4 ,sewall1 of          
,washington city1 in a letter from ,new 
,york1 states1 that of #bjd cases of    
cholera in the ,park hospital1 there    
were only six temperate persons1 and    
that those had recovered2 while #abb of 

the others1 when he wrote1 had died2 and
 that the facts were similar in all the 
other hospitals4  ,in ,albany1 a careful
 examination was made by respectable    
gentlemen into the cases of those who   
died of the cholera in that city in     
#ahcb1 over sixteen years of age4 ,the  
result was examined in detail by nine   
physicians1 members of the medical staff
 attached to the board of health in that
 city--all who belong to it1 except two1
 who were at that time absent--and      
published at their request under the    
signature of the ,chancellor of the     
,state1 and the five distinguished      
gentlemen who compose the ,executive    
,committee of the ,new ,york ,state     
,temperance ,society1 and is as follows3
 number of deaths1 #cff2 viz4           
intemperate1 #adj2 free drinkers1 #ee2  
moderate drinkers1 mostly habitual1     
#aca2 strictly temperate1 who drank no  
ardent spirits1 #e2 members of          
,temperance societies1 #b2 and when it  
is recollected that of more than #e1jjj 

members of ,temperance societies in the 
city of ,albany1 only two1 not one in   
#b1ejj1 fell by this disease1 while it  
cut off more than one in fifty of the   
inhabitants of that city1 we cannot but 
feel that men who furnish ardent spirit 
as a drink for their fellow-men1 are    
manifestly inviting the ravages1 and    
preparing the victims of this fatal     
malady1 and of numerous other mortal    
diseases2 and when inquisition is made  
for blood1 and the effects of their     
employment are examined for the purpose 
of rendering to them according to their 
work1 they will be found1 should they   
continue1 to be guilty of knowingly     
destroying their fellow-men4  ,what     
right have men1 by selling ardent       
spirit1 to increase the danger1 extend  
the ravages1 and augment and perpetuate 
the malignancy of the cholera1 and      
multiply upon the community numerous    
other mortal diseases8 ,who cannot see  
that it is a foul1 deep1 and fatal      
injury inflicted on society8 that it is 

in a high degree cruel and unjust8 that 
it scatters the population of our       
cities1 renders our business stagnant1  
and exposes our sons and our daughters  
to premature and sudden death8 ,so      
manifestly is this the case1 that the   
board of health of the city of          
,washington1 on the approach of the     
cholera1 declared the vending of ardent 
spirit1 in any quantity1 to be a        
nuisance2 and1 as such1 ordered that it 
be discontinued for the space of ninety 
days4 ,this was done in self-defence1 to
 save the community from the sickness   
and death which the vending of spirit is
 adapted to occasion4 ,nor is this      
tendency to occasion disease and death  
confined to the time when the cholera is
 raging4  ,by the statement of the      
physicians in ,annapolis1 ,maryland1 it 
appears that the average number of      
deaths by intemperance for several      
years1 has been one to every #cbi       
inhabitants2 which would make in the    
,united ,states #dj1jjj in a year4 ,and 

it is the opinion of physicians1 that as
 many more die of diseases which are    
induced1 or aggravated1 and rendered    
mortal by the use of ardent spirit4 ,and
 to those results1 all who make it1 sell
 it1 or use it1 are accessory4  ,it is a
 principle in law1 that the perpetrator 
of crime1 and the accessory to it1 are  
both guilty1 and deserving of           
punishment4 ,men have been brought to   
the gallows on this principle4 ,it      
applies to the law of ,god4 ,and as the 
drunkard cannot go to heaven1 can       
drunkard-makers8 ,are they not1 when    
tried by the principles of the ,bible1  
in view of the developments of          
,providence1 manifestly immoral men8 men
 who1 for the sake of money1 will       
knowingly be instrumental in corrupting 
the character1 increasing the diseases1 
and destroying the lives of their       
fellow-men8  ,but1 says one1 ,i never   
sell to drunkards2 ,i sell only to sober
 men4 ,and is that any better8 ,is it a 
less evil to the community to make      

drunkards of sober men than it is to    
kill drunkards8 ,ask that widowed mother
 who did her the greatest evil3 the man 
who only killed her drunken husband1 or 
the man who made a drunkard of her only 
son8 ,ask those orphan children who did 
them the greatest injury3 the man who   
made their once sober1 kind1 and        
affectionate father a drunkard1 and thus
 blasted all their hopes1 and turned    
their home1 sweet home1 into the emblem 
of hell2 or the man who1 after they had 
suffered for years the anguish1 the     
indescribable anguish of the drunkard's 
children1 and seen their heart-broken   
mother in danger of an untimely grave1  
only killed their drunken father1 and   
thus caused in their habitation a great 
calm8 ,which of these two men brought   
upon them the greatest evil8 ,can you   
doubt8 ,you1 then1 do nothing but make  
drunkards of sober men1 or expose them  
to become such4 ,suppose that all the   
evils which you may be instrumental in  
bringing upon other children1 were to   

come upon your own1 and that you were to
 bear all the anguish which you may     
occasion2 would you have any doubt that 
the man who would knowingly continue to 
be accessory to the bringing of these   
evils upon you1 must be a notoriously   
wicked man8  #e4 ,ardent spirit destroys
 the soul4  ,facts in great numbers are 
now before the public1 which show       
conclusively that the use of ardent     
spirit tends strongly to hinder the     
moral and spiritual illumination and    
purification of men2 and thus to prevent
 their salvation1 and bring upon them   
the horrors of the second death4  ,a    
disease more dreadful than the cholera1 
or any other that kills the body merely1
 is raging1 and is universal1           
threatening the endless death of the    
soul4 ,a remedy is provided             
all-sufficient1 and infinitely          
efficacious2 but the use of ardent      
spirit aggravates the disease1 and with 
millions and millions prevents the      
application of the remedy and its       

effect4  ,it appears from the fifth     
report of the ,american ,temperance     
,society1 that more than four times as  
many1 in proportion to the number1 over 
wide regions of country1 during the     
preceding year1 have apparently embraced
 the gospel1 and experienced its saving 
power1 from among those who had         
renounced the use of ardent spirit1 as  
from those who continued to use it4     
,the committee of the ,new ,york ,state 
,temperance ,society1 in view of the    
peculiar and unprecedented attention to 
religion which followed the adoption of 
the plan of abstinence from the use of  
strong drink1 remark1 that when this    
course is taken1 the greatest enemy to  
the work of the ,holy ,spirit on the    
minds and hearts of men1 appears to be  
more than half conquered4  ,in three    
hundred towns1 six-tenths of those who  
two years ago belonged to ,temperance   
societies1 but were not hopefully pious1
 have since become so2 and eight-tenths 
of those who have within that time      

become hopefully pious1 who did not     
belong to ,temperance societies1 have   
since joined them4 ,in numerous places1 
where only a minority of the people     
abstained from the use of ardent spirit1
 nine-tenths of those who have of late  
professed the religion of ,christ1 have 
been from that minority4 ,this is       
occasioned in various ways4 ,the use of 
ardent spirit keeps many away from the  
house of ,god1 and thus prevents them   
from coming under the sound of the      
gospel4 ,and many who do come1 it causes
 to continue stupid1 worldly-minded1 and
 unholy4 ,a single glass a day is enough
 to keep multitudes of men1 under the   
full blaze of the gospel1 from ever     
experiencing its illuminating and       
purifying power4 ,even if they come to  
the light1 and it shines upon them1 it  
shines upon darkness1 and the darkness  
does not comprehend it2 while multitudes
 who thus do evil will not come to the  
light1 lest their deeds should be       
reproved4 ,there is a total contrariety 

between the effect produced by the ,holy
 ,spirit1 and the effect of spirituous  
liquor upon the minds and hearts of men4
 ,the latter tends directly and         
powerfully to counteract the former4 ,it
 tends to make men feel in a manner     
which ,jesus ,christ hates1 rich        
spiritually1 increased in goods1 and in 
need of nothing2 while it tends for ever
 to prevent them from feeling1 as       
sinners must feel1 to buy of him gold   
tried in the fire1 that they may be     
rich4 ,those who use it1 therefore1 are 
taking the direct course to destroy     
their own souls2 and those who furnish  
it1 are taking the course to destroy the
 souls of their fellow-men4  ,in one    
town1 more than twenty times as many1 in
 proportion to the number1 professed the
 religion of ,christ during the past    
year1 of those who did not use ardent   
spirit1 as of those who did2 and in     
another town more than thirty times as  
many4 ,in other towns1 in which from    
one-third to two-thirds of the people   

did not use it1 and from twenty to forty
 made a profession of religion1 they    
were all from the same class4 ,what1    
then1 are those men doing who furnish   
it1 but taking the course which is      
adapted to keep men stupid in sin till  
they sink into the agonies of the second
 death8 ,and is not this an immorality  
of a high and aggravated description8   
and one which ought to mark every man   
who understands its nature and effects1 
and yet continues to live in it1 as a   
notoriously immoral man8 ,what though he
 does not live in other immoralities--is
 not this enough8 ,suppose he should    
manufacture poisonous miasma1 and cause 
the cholera in our dwellings2 sell1     
knowingly1 the cause of disease1 and    
increase more than one-fifth over wide  
regions of country the number of adult  
deaths1 would he not be a murderer8 ,i  
know1 says the learned ,judge ,crunch1  
that the cup which contains ardent      
spirit is poisoned2 ,i know that it may 
cause death1 that it may cause more than

 death1 that it may lead to crime1 to   
sin1 to the tortures of everlasting     
remorse4 ,am ,i not1 then1 a murderer8  
worse than a murderer8 as much worse as 
the soul is better than the body8 ,if   
ardent spirits were nothing worse than a
 deadly poison--if they did not excite  
and inflame all the evil passions--if   
they did not dim that heavenly light    
which the ,almighty has implanted in our
 bosoms to guide us through the obscure 
passages of our pilgrimage--if they did 
not quench the ,holy ,spirit in our     
hearts1 they would be comparatively     
harmless4 ,it is their moral effect--it 
is the ruin of the soul which they      
produce1 that renders them so dreadful4 
,the difference between death by simple 
poison1 and death by habitual           
intoxication1 may extend to the whole   
difference between everlasting happiness
 and eternal death4  ,and1 say the ,new 
,york ,state ,society1 at the head of   
which is the ,chancellor of the ,state1 
,disguise that business as they will1 it

 is still1 in its true character1 the   
business of destroying the bodies and   
souls of men4 ,the vender and the maker 
of spirits1 in the whole range of them1 
from the pettiest grocer to the most    
extensive distiller1 are fairly         
chargeable1 not only with supplying the 
appetite for spirits1 but with creating 
that unnatural appetite2 not only with  
supplying the drunkard with the fuel of 
his vices1 but with making the drunkard4
  ,in reference to the taxes with which 
the making and vending of spirits loads 
the community1 how unfair towards others
 is the occupation of the maker and     
vender of them6 ,a town1 for instance1  
contains one hundred drunkards4 ,the    
profit of making these drunkards is     
enjoyed by some half a dozen persons2   
but the burden of these drunkards rests 
upon the whole town4 ,we do not suggest 
that there should be such a law1 but we 
ask whether there would be one law in   
the whole statute-book more righteous   
than that which should require those who

 have the profit of making our drunkards
 to be burdened with the support of     
them4  ,multitudes who once cherished   
the fond anticipation of happiness in   
this life and that to come1 there is    
reason to believe1 are now wailing      
beyond the reach of hope1 through the   
influence of ardent spirit2 and         
multitudes more1 if men continue to     
furnish it as a drink1 especially sober 
men1 will go down to weep and wail with 
them to endless ages4         99        
99       99       99       99  ,but1    
says one1 the traffic in ardent spirit  
is a lawful business2 it is approbated  
by law1 and is therefore right4 ,but the
 keeping of gambling houses is1 in some 
cases1 approbated by human law4 ,is that
 therefore right8 ,the keeping of       
brothels is1 in some cases1 approbated  
by law4 ,is that therefore right8 ,is it
 human law that is the standard of      
morality and religion8 ,may not a man be
 a notoriously wicked man1 and yet not  
violate human law8 ,the question is1 ,is

 it right8 ,does it accord with the     
divine law8 ,does it tend in its effects
 to bring glory to ,god in the highest1 
and to promote the best good of mankind8
 ,if not1 the word of ,god forbids it2  
and if a man who has the means of       
understanding its nature and effects    
continues to follow it1 he does it at   
the peril of his soul4  ,but1 says      
another1 if ,i should not sell it1 ,i   
could not sell so many other things4 ,if
 you could not1 then you are forbidden  
by the word of ,god to sell so many     
other things4 ,and if you continue to   
make money by that which tends to       
destroy your fellow-men1 you incur the  
displeasure of ,jehovah4 ,but if ,i     
should not sell it1 ,i must change my   
business4 ,then you are required by the 
,lord to change your business4 ,a voice 
from the throne of his excellent glory  
cries1 ,turn ye1 turn ye from this evil 
way2 for why will ye die8  ,if ,i should
 turn from it1 ,i could not support my  
family4 ,this is not true2 at least1 no 

one has a right to say that it is true  
till he has tried it1 and done his whole
 duty by ceasing to do evil and learning
 to do well1 trusting in ,god1 and has  
found that his family is not supported4 
,jehovah declares1 that such as seek the
 ,lord1 and are governed by his will1   
shall not want any good thing4 ,and till
 men have made the experiment of obeying
 him in all things1 and found that they 
cannot support their families1 they have
 no right to say that it is necessary   
for them to sell ardent spirit4 ,and if 
they do say this1 it is a libel on the  
divine character and government4 ,there 
is no truth in it4 ,he who feeds the    
sparrow and clothes the lily1 will1 if  
they do right1 provide for them and     
their families2 and there is no shadow  
of necessity1 in order to obtain        
support1 for them to carry on a business
 which destroys their fellow-men4  ,but 
others will do it1 if ,i do not4 ,others
 will send out their vessels1 steal the 
black man1 and sell him and his children

 into perpetual bondage1 if you do not4 
,others will steal1 rob1 and commit     
murder1 if you do not2 and why may not  
you do it1 and have a portion of the    
profit1 as well as they8 ,because1 if   
you do1 you will be a thief1 a robber1  
and a murderer1 like them4 ,you will    
here be partaker of their guilt1 and    
hereafter of their plagues4 ,every      
friend1 therefore1 to you1 to your      
,maker1 or the eternal interests of men1
 will1 if acquainted with this subject1 
say to you1 ,as you value the favor of  
,god1 and would escape his righteous and
 eternal indignation1 renounce this work
 of death2 for he that soweth death1    
shall also reap death4  ,but our fathers
 imported1 manufactured1 and sold ardent
 spirit1 and were they not good men8    
,have not they gone to heaven8 ,men who 
professed to be good once had a         
multiplicity of wives1 and have not some
 of them too gone to heaven8 ,men who   
professed to be good once were engaged  
in the slave-trade1 and have not some of

 them gone to heaven8 ,but can men who  
understand the will of ,god with regard 
to these subjects1 continue to do such  
things now1 and yet go to heaven8 ,the  
principle which applies in this case1   
and which makes the difference between  
those who did such things once1 and     
those who continue to do them now1 is   
that to which ,jesus ,christ referred   
when he said1 ,if ,i had not come and   
spoken to them1 they had not had sin2   
but now they have no cloak for their    
sin4 ,the days of that darkness and     
ignorance which ,god may have winked at 
have gone by1 and he now commandeth all 
men to whom his will is made known to   
repent4 ,your fathers1 when they were   
engaged in selling ardent spirit1 did   
not know that all men1 under all        
circumstances1 would be better without  
it4 ,they did not know that it caused   
three-quarters of the pauperism and     
crime in the land--that it deprived many
 of reason--greatly increased the number
 and severity of diseases1 and brought  

down such multitudes to an untimely     
grave4 ,the facts had not then been     
collected and published4 ,they did not  
know that it tended so fatally to       
obstruct the progress of the ,gospel1   
and ruin1 for eternity1 the souls of    
men4 ,you do know it1 or have the means 
of knowing it4 ,you cannot sin with as  
little guilt as did your fathers4 ,the  
facts1 which are the voice of ,god in   
his providence1 and manifest his will1  
are now before the world4 ,by them he   
has come and spoken to you4 ,and if you 
continue1 under these circumstances1 to 
violate his will1 you will have no      
cloak1 no covering1 no excuse for your  
sin4 ,and though sentence against this  
evil work is not executed at once1      
judgment1 if you continue1 will not     
linger1 nor will damnation slumber4     
,the accessory and the principal1 in the
 commission of crime1 are both guilty4  
,both by human laws are condemned4 ,the 
principle applies to the law of ,god2   
and not only drunkards1 but             

drunkard-makers--not only murderers1 but
 those who excite others to commit      
murder1 and furnish them with the known 
cause of their evil deeds1 will1 if they
 understand what they do1 and continue  
thus to rebel against ,god1 be shut out 
of heaven4  ,among the ,jews1 if a man  
had a beast that went out and killed a  
man1 the beast1 said ,jehovah1 shall be 
slain1 and his flesh shall not be eaten4
 ,the owner must lose the whole of him  
as a testimony to the sacredness of     
human life1 and a warning to all not to 
do any thing1 or connive at any thing   
that tended to destroy it4 ,but the     
owner1 if he did not know that the beast
 was dangerous1 and liable to kill1 was 
not otherwise to be punished4 ,but if he
 did know1 if it had been testified to  
the owner that the beast was dangerous1 
and liable to kill1 and he did not keep 
him in1 but let him go out1 and he      
killed a man1 then1 by the direction of 
,jehovah1 the beast and the owner were  
both to be put to death4 ,the owner1    

under these circumstances1 was held     
responsible1 and justly too1 for the    
injury which his beast might do4 ,though
 men are not required or permitted now  
to execute this law1 as they were when  
,god was the ,magistrate1 yet the reason
 of the law remains4 ,it is founded in  
justice1 and is eternal4 ,to the        
pauperism1 crime1 sickness1 insanity1   
and death temporal and eternal1 which   
ardent spirit occasions1 those who      
knowingly furnish the materials1 those  
who manufacture1 and those who sell it1 
are all accessory1 and as such will be  
held responsible at the divine tribunal4
 ,there was a time when the owners did  
not know the dangerous and destructive  
qualities of this article--when the     
facts had not been developed and        
published1 nor the minds of men turned  
to the subject2 when they did not know  
that it caused such a vast portion of   
the vice and wretchedness of the        
community1 and such wide-spreading      
desolation to the temporal and eternal  

interests of men2 and although it then  
destroyed thousands1 for both worlds1   
the guilt of the men who sold it was    
comparatively small4 ,but now they sin  
against light1 pouring down upon them   
with unutterable brightness2 and if they
 know what they do1 and in full view of 
its consequences continue that work of  
death--not only let the poison go out1  
but furnish it1 and send it out to all  
who are disposed to purchase--it had    
been better for them1 and better for    
many others1 if they had never been     
born4 ,for1 briefly to sum up what we   
have said1  #a4 ,it is the selling of   
that1 without the use of which nearly   
all the business of this world was      
conducted1 till within less than three  
hundred years1 and which of course is   
not needful4  #b4 ,it is the selling of 
that which was not generally used by the
 people of this country for more than a 
hundred years after the country was     
settled1 and which by hundreds of       
thousands1 and some in all kinds of     

lawful business1 is not used now4 ,once 
they did use it1 and thought it needful 
or useful4 ,but by experiment1 the best 
evidence in the world1 they have found  
that they were mistaken1 and that they  
are in all respects better without it4  
,and the cases are so numerous as to    
make it certain1 that should the        
experiment be fairly made1 this would be
 the case with all4 ,of course it is not
 useful4  #c4 ,it is the selling of that
 which is a real1 a subtile and very    
destructive poison--a poison which1 by  
men in health1 cannot be taken without  
deranging healthy action1 and inducing  
more or less disease1 both of body and  
mind2 which is1 when taken in any       
quantity1 positively hurtful2 and which 
is of course forbidden by the word of   
,god4  #d4 ,it is the selling of that   
which tends to form an unnatural1 and a 
very dangerous and destructive appetite2
 which1 by gratification1 like the      
desire of sinning in the man who sins1  
tends continually to increase1 and which

 thus exposes all who form it to come to
 a premature grave4  #e4 ,it is the     
selling of that which causes a great    
portion of all the pauperism in our     
land2 and thus1 for the benefit of a    
few--those who sell--brings an enormous 
tax on the whole community4 ,is this    
fair8 ,is it just8 ,is it not exposing  
our children and youth to become        
drunkards8 ,and is it not inflicting    
great evils on society8  #f4 ,it is the 
selling of that which excites to a great
 portion of all the crimes that are     
committed1 and which is thus shown to be
 in its effects hostile to the moral    
government of ,god1 and to the social1  
civil1 and religious interests of men2  
at war with their highest good1 both for
 this life and the life to come4  #g4   
,it is the selling of that1 the sale and
 use of which1 if continued1 will form  
intemperate appetites1 which1 if formed1
 will be gratified1 and thus will       
perpetuate intemperance and all its     
abominations to the end of the world4   

#h4 ,it is the selling of that which    
makes wives widows1 and children        
orphans2 which leads husbands often to  
murder their wives1 and wives to murder 
their husbands2 parents to murder their 
children1 and children to murder their  
parents2 and which prepares multitudes  
for the prison1 for the gallows1 and for
 hell4  #i4 ,it is the selling of that  
which greatly increases the amount and  
severity of sickness2 which in many     
cases destroys reason2 which causes a   
great portion of all the sudden deaths1 
and brings down multitudes who were     
never intoxicated1 and never condemned  
to suffer the penalty of the civil law1 
to an untimely grave4  #aj4 ,it is the  
selling of that which tends to lessen   
the health1 the reason1 and the         
usefulness1 to diminish the comfort1 and
 shorten the lives of all who habitually
 use it4  #aa4 ,it is the selling of    
that which darkens the understanding1   
sears the conscience1 pollutes the      
affections1 and debases all the powers  

of man4  #ab4 ,it is the selling of that
 which weakens the power of motives to  
do right1 and increases the power of    
motives to do wrong1 and is thus shown  
to be in its effects hostile to the     
moral government of ,god1 as well as to 
the temporal and eternal interests of   
men2 which excites men to rebel against 
him1 and to injure and destroy one      
another4 ,and no man can sell it without
 exerting an influence which tends to   
hinder the reign of the ,lord ,jesus    
,christ over the minds and hearts of    
men1 and to lead them to persevere in   
iniquity1 till1 notwithstanding all the 
kindness of ,jehovah1 their case shall  
become hopeless4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,suppose a man1   
when about to commence the traffic in   
ardent spirit1 should write in great    
capitals on his sign-board1 to be seen  
and read of all men1 what he will do1   
viz41 that so many of the inhabitants of
 this town or city1 he will1 for the    
sake of getting their money1 make       

paupers1 and send them to the almshouse1
 and thus oblige the whole community to 
support them and their families2 that so
 many others he will excite to the      
commission of crimes1 and thus increase 
the expenses1 and endanger the peace and
 welfare of the community2 that so many 
he will send to the jail1 and so many   
more to the state prison1 and so many to
 the gallows2 that so many he will visit
 with sore and distressing diseases2 and
 in so many cases diseases which would  
have been comparatively harmless1 he    
will by his poison render fatal2 that in
 so many cases he will deprive persons  
of reason1 and in so many cases will    
cause sudden death2 that so many wives  
he will make widows1 and so many        
children he will make orphans1 and that 
in so many cases he will cause the      
children to grow up in ignorance1 vice1 
and crime1 and after being nuisances on 
earth1 will bring them to a premature   
grave2 that in so many cases he will    
prevent the efficacy of the ,gospel1    

grieve away the ,holy ,ghost1 and ruin  
for eternity the souls of men4 ,and     
suppose he could1 and should give some  
faint conception of what it is to lose  
the soul1 and of the overwhelming guilt 
and coming wretchedness of him who is   
knowingly instrumental in producing this
 ruin2 and suppose he should put at the 
bottom of the sign this question1 viz41 
,what1 you may ask1 can be my object in 
acting so much like a devil incarnate1  
and bringing such accumulated           
wretchedness upon a comparatively happy 
people8 and under it should put the true
 answer1 ,,money2 and go on to say1 ,i  
have a family to support2 ,i want money1
 and must have it2 this is my business1 
,i was brought up to it2 and if ,i      
should not follow it ,i must change my  
business1 or ,i could not support my    
family4 ,and as all faces begin to      
gather blackness at the approaching     
ruin1 and all hearts to boil with       
indignation at its author1 suppose he   
should add for their consolation1 ,if ,i

 do not bring this destruction upon you1
 somebody else will4 ,what would they   
think of him8 what would all the world  
think of him8 what ought they to think  
of him8 ,and is it any worse for a man  
to tell the people beforehand honestly  
what he will do1 if they buy and use his
 poison1 than it is to go on and do it8 
,and what if they are not aware of the  
mischief which he is doing them1 and he 
can accomplish it through their own     
perverted and voluntary agency8 ,is it  
not equally abominable1 if he knows it1 
and does not cease from producing it8   
,and if there are churches whose members
 are doing such things1 and those       
churches are not blessed with the       
presence and favor of the ,holy ,ghost1 
they need not be at any loss for the    
reason4 ,and if they should never again1
 while they continue in this state1 be  
blessed with the reviving influence of  
,god's ,spirit1 they need not be at any 
loss for the reason4 ,their own members 
are exerting a strong and fatal         

influence against it2 and that too after
 ,divine ,providence has shown them what
 they are doing4 ,and in many such cases
 there is awful guilt with regard to    
this thing resting upon the whole       
church4 ,though they have known for     
years what these men were doing2 have   
seen the misery1 heard the oaths1       
witnessed the crimes1 and known the     
wretchedness and deaths which they have 
occasioned1 and perhaps have spoken of  
it1 and deplored it among one another2  
many of them have never spoken on this  
subject to the persons themselves4 ,they
 have seen them scattering firebrands1  
arrows1 and death temporal and eternal1 
and yet have never so much as warned    
them on the subject1 and never besought 
them to give up their work of death4    
,an individual lately conversed with one
 of his professed ,christian brethren   
who was engaged in this traffic1 and    
told him not only that he was ruining   
for both worlds many of his fellow-men1 
but that his ,christian brethren viewed 

his business as inconsistent with his   
profession1 and tending to counteract   
all efforts for the salvation of men2   
and the man1 after frankly acknowledging
 that it was wrong1 said that this was  
the first time that any of them had     
conversed with him on the subject4 ,this
 may be the case with other churches2   
and while it is1 the whole church is    
conniving at the evil1 and the whole    
church is guilty4 ,every brother1 in    
such a case1 is bound1 on his own       
account1 to converse with him who is    
thus aiding the powers of darkness1 and 
opposing the kingdom of ,jesus ,christ1 
and try to persuade him to cease from   
this destructive business4  ,the whole  
church is bound to make efforts1 and use
 all proper means to accomplish this    
result4 ,and before half the individual 
members have done their duty on this    
subject1 they may expect1 if the        
offending brother has1 and manifests the
 spirit of ,christ1 that he will cease  
to be an offence to his brethren1 and a 

stumbling-block to the world1 over which
 such multitudes fall to the pit of woe4
 ,and till the church1 the whole church1
 do their duty on this subject1 they    
cannot be freed from the guilt of       
conniving at the evil4 ,and no wonder if
 the ,lord leaves them to be as the     
mountains of ,gilboa1 on which there was
 neither rain or dew4 ,and should the   
church receive from the world those who 
make it a business to carry on this     
notoriously immoral traffic1 they will  
greatly increase their guilt1 and ripen 
for the awful displeasure of ,god4 ,and 
unless members of the church shall cease
 to teach1 by their business1 the fatal 
error that it is right for men to buy   
and use ardent spirit as a drink1 the   
evil will never be eradicated1          
intemperance will never cease1 and the  
day of millennial glory never come4     
,each individual who names the name of  
,christ is called upon1 by the          
providence of ,god1 to act on this      
subject openly and decidedly for him1   

and in such a manner as is adapted to   
banish intemperance and all its         
abominations from the earth1 and to     
cause temperance and all its attendant  
benefits universally to prevail4 ,and if
 ministers of the ,gospel and members of
 ,christian churches do not connive at  
the sin of furnishing this poison as a  
drink for their fellow-men2 and men who1
 in opposition to truth and duty1       
continue to be engaged in this          
destructive employment1 are viewed and  
treated as wicked men2 the work which   
the ,lord hath commenced and carried    
forward with a rapidity1 and to an      
extent hitherto unexampled in the       
history of the world1 will continue to  
move onward till not a name1 nor a      
trace1 nor a shadow of a drunkard1 or a 
drunkard-maker1 shall be found on the   
globe4  ,,professed ,,christian--,in the
 manufacture or sale of ardent spirit as
 a drink1 you do not1 and you cannot    
honor ,god2 but you do1 and1 so long as 
you continue it1 you will greatly       

dishonor ,him4 ,you exert an influence  
which tends directly and strongly to    
ruin1 for both worlds1 your fellow-men4 
,should you take a quantity of that     
poisonous liquid into your closet1      
present it before the ,lord1 confess to 
him its nature and effects1 spread out  
before him what it has done and what it 
will do1 and attempt to ask him to bless
 you in extending its influence2 it     
would1 unless your conscience is already
 seared as with a hot iron1 appear to   
you like blasphemy4 ,you could no more  
do it than you could take the           
instruments of gambling and attempt to  
ask ,god to bless you in extending them 
through the community4 ,and why not1 if 
it is a lawful business8 ,why not ask   
,god to increase it1 and make you an    
instrument in extending it over the     
country1 and perpetuating it to all     
future generations8 ,even the worldly   
and profane man1 when he hears about    
professing ,christians offering prayer  
to ,god that he would bless them in the 

manufacture or sale of ardent spirit1   
involuntarily shrinks back and says1    
,that is too bad4 ,he can see that it is
 an abomination4 ,and if it is too bad  
for a professed ,christian to pray about
 it1 is it not too bad for him to       
practise it8 ,if you continue1 under all
 the light which ,god in his providence 
has furnished with regard to its hurtful
 nature and destructive effects1 to     
furnish ardent spirit as a drink for    
your fellow-men1 you will run the       
fearful hazard of losing your soul1 and 
you will exert an influence which       
powerfully tends to destroy the souls of
 your fellow-men4 ,every time you       
furnish it you are rendering it less    
likely that they will be illuminated1   
sanctified1 and saved1 and more likely  
that they will continue in sin and go   
down to the chambers of death4  ,it is  
always worse for a church-member to do  
an immoral act1 and teach an immoral    
sentiment1 than for an immoral man1     
because it does greater mischief4 ,and  

this is understood1 and often adverted  
to by the immoral themselves4 ,even     
drunkards are now stating it to their   
fellow-drunkards1 that church-members   
are not better than they4 ,and to prove 
it1 are quoting the fact1 that although 
they are not drunkards1 and perhaps do  
not get drunk1 they1 for the sake of    
money1 carry on the business of making  
drunkards4 ,and are not the men and     
their business of the same character8   
,the deacon1 says a drunkard1 will not  
use ardent spirit himself3 he says1 ',it
 is poison6' ,but for six cents he will 
sell it to me4 ,and though he will not  
furnish it to his own children1 for he  
says1 ',it will ruin them6' yet he will 
furnish it to mine4 ,and there is my    
neighbor1 who was once as sober as the  
deacon himself1 but he had a pretty     
farm1 which the deacon wanted1 and for  
the sake of getting it he has made him a
 drunkard4 ,and his wife1 as good a     
woman as ever lived1 has died of a      
broken heart1 because her children would

 follow their father4 ,no1 you cannot   
convince even a drunkard1 that the man  
who is selling him that which he knows  
is killing him1 is any better than the  
drunkard himself4 ,nor can you convince 
a sober man1 that he who1 for the sake  
of money1 will1 with his eyes open1 make
 drunkards of sober men1 is any less    
guilty than the drunkards he makes4  ,is
 this writing upon their employment     
,holiness unto the ,lord1 without which 
no one1 from the ,bible1 can expect to  
be prepared for the holy joys of heaven8
 ,as ardent spirit is a poison which1   
when used even moderately1 tends to     
harden the heart1 to sear the           
conscience1 to blind the understanding1 
to pollute the affections1 to weaken and
 derange and debase the whole man1 and  
to lessen the prospect of his eternal   
life1 it is the indispensable duty of   
each person to renounce it4 ,and he     
cannot refuse to do this without        
becoming1 if acquainted with this       
subject1 knowingly accessory to the     

temporal and eternal ruin of his        
fellow-men4 ,and what will it profit him
 to gain even the whole world by that   
which ruins the soul8  ,my friend1 you  
are soon to die1 and in eternity to     
witness the influence1 the whole        
influence1 which you exert while on     
earth1 and you are to witness its       
consequence in joy or sorrow to endless 
being4 ,imagine yourself now1 where you 
soon will be1 on your death-bed4 ,and   
imagine that you have a full view of the
 property which you have caused to be   
wasted1 or which you have gained without
 furnishing any valuable equivalent2 of 
the health which you have destroyed1 and
 the characters which you have          
demoralized2 of the wives that you have 
made widows1 and the children that you  
have made orphans2 of all the lives that
 you have shortened1 and all the souls  
that you have destroyed4 ,o6 imagine    
that these are the only rod and staff   
which you have to comfort you as you go 
down the valley of the shadow of death1 

and that they will all meet you in full 
array at the judgment and testify       
against you4 ,what will it profit you1  
though you have gained more money than  
you otherwise would1 when you have left 
it all far behind in that world which is
 destined to fire1 and the day of       
perdition of ungodly men8 ,what will it 
profit1 when you are enveloped in the   
influence which you have exerted1 and   
are experiencing its consequences to    
endless ages2 finding for ever that as a
 man soweth so must he reap1 and that if
 he has sowed death he must reap death8 
,do not any longer assist in destroying 
men1 nor expose yourself and your       
children to be destroyed4 ,do good1 and 
good only1 to all as you have           
opportunity1 and good shall come unto   
you4     ,,the ,,rewards ,,of           
,,drunkenness4  ,illustration3 ,drunk1  
with remonstrating wife1 and small child
   ,if you wish to be always thirsty1 be
 a ,drunkard2 for the oftener and more  
you drink1 the oftener and more thirsty 

you will be4  ,if you seek to prevent   
your friends raising you in the world1  
be a ,drunkard2 for that will defeat all
 their efforts4  ,if you would          
effectually counteract your own attempts
 to do well1 be a ,drunkard2 and you    
will not be disappointed4  ,if you wish 
to repel the endeavors of the whole     
human race to raise you to character1   
credit1 and prosperity1 be a ,drunkard2 
and you will most assuredly triumph4    
,if you are determined to be poor1 be a 
,drunkard2 and you will soon be ragged  
and pennyless4  ,if you would wish to   
starve your family1 be a ,drunkard2 for 
that will consume the means of their    
support4  ,if you would be imposed on by
 knaves1 be a ,drunkard2 for that will  
make their task easy4  ,if you would    
wish to be robbed1 be a ,drunkard2 which
 will enable the thief to do it with    
more safety4  ,if you would wish to     
blunt your senses1 be a ,drunkard2 and  
you will soon be more stupid than an    
ass4  ,if you would become a fool1 be a 

,drunkard2 and you will soon lose your  
understanding4  ,if you wish to unfit   
yourself for rational intercourse1 be a 
,drunkard2 for that will accomplish your
 purpose4  ,if you are resolved to kill 
yourself1 be a ,drunkard2 that being a  
sure mode of destruction4  ,if you would
 expose both your folly and secrets1 be 
a ,drunkard2 and they will soon be made 
known4  ,if you think you are too       
strong1 be a ,drunkard2 and you will    
soon be subdued by so powerful an enemy4
  ,if you would get rid of your money   
without knowing how1 be a ,drunkard2 and
 it will vanish insensibly4  ,if you    
would have no resource when past labor  
but a workhouse1 be a ,drunkard2 and you
 will be unable to provide any4  ,if you
 are determined to expel all comfort    
from your house1 be a ,drunkard2 and you
 will soon do it effectually4  ,if you  
would be always under strong suspicion1 
be a ,drunkard2 for little as you think 
it1 all agree that those who steal from 
themselves and families will rob others4

  ,if you would be reduced to the       
necessity of shunning your creditors1 be
 a ,drunkard2 and you will soon have    
reason to prefer the by-paths to the    
public streets4  ,if you would be a dead
 weight on the community1 and cumber the
 ground1 be a ,drunkard2 for that will  
render you useless1 helpless1           
burdensome1 and expensive4  ,if you     
would be a nuisance1 be a ,drunkard2 for
 the approach of a ,drunkard is like    
that of a dunghill4  ,if you would be   
hated by your family and friends1 be a  
,drunkard2 and you will soon be more    
than disagreeable4  ,if you would be a  
pest to society1 be a ,drunkard2 and you
 will be avoided as infectious4  ,if you
 do not wish to have your faults        
reformed1 continue to be a ,drunkard1   
and you will not care for good advice4  
,if you would smash windows1 break the  
peace1 get your bones broken1 tumble    
under carts and horses1 and be locked up
 in watch-houses1 be a ,drunkard2 and it
 will be strange if you do not succeed4 

,if you wish all your prospects in life 
to be clouded1 be a ,drunkard2 and they 
will soon be dark enough4  ,if you would
 destroy your body1 be a ,drunkard2 as  
drunkenness is the mother of disease4   
,if you mean to ruin your soul1 be a    
,drunkard2 that you may be excluded from
 heaven4  ,finally1 if you are          
determined to be utterly destroyed1 in  
estate1 body1 and soul1 be a ,drunkard2 
and you will soon know that it is       
impossible to adopt a more effectual    
means to accomplish your--,,end4  ,all  
the crimes on earth1 says ,lord ,bacon1 
do not destroy so many of the human     
race1 nor alienate so much property1 as 
drunkenness4  ,drunkenness expels       
reason--drowns the memory--defaces      
beauty--diminishes strength--inflames   
the blood--causes internal1 external1   
and incurable wounds--is a witch to the 
senses1 a devil to the soul1 a thief to 
the purse--the beggar's companion1 the  
wife's woe1 and children's sorrow--makes
 a strong man weak1 and a wise man a    

fool4 ,he is worse than a beast1 and is 
a self-murderer1 who drinks to others'  
good health1 and robs himself of his    
own4 ,he is worse than a beast1 for no  
animal will designedly intoxicate       
itself2 but a drunkard swallows his     
liquor1 well knowing the condition to   
which it will reduce him1 and that these
 draughts will deprive him of the use of
 his reason1 and render him worse than a
 beast4 ,by the effects of liquor his   
evil passions and tempers are freed from
 restraint2 and1 while in a state of    
intoxication1 he commits actions1 which1
 when sober1 he would have shuddered to 
have thought of4 ,many an evil deed has 
been done1 many a ,,murder has been     
committed1 when those who did these     
things were intoxicated4  ,tremble1     
then1 if ever you taste the intoxicating
 draught4 ,reflect1 before you put the  
cup to your lips4 ,remember that you are
 forming a habit which will lead on to  
the commission of every crime to which  
the propensities of your nature1        

rendered violent by indulgence1 can urge
 you4 ,before you are aware1 you may    
find yourself awaking from a fit of     
intoxication1 guilty of offences against
 the laws of your country which will    
draw down just vengeance upon your head2
 abhorring yourself1 and an abhorrence  
in the sight of heaven4  ,drunkenness1  
persisted in1 will assuredly destroy    
your soul1 and consign you to           
everlasting misery4 ,hear what the word 
of ,god declares4  ,awake1 ye drunkards1
 and weep4 ,joel #a3e4  ,who hath woe8  
who hath sorrow8 who hath contention8   
who hath wounds without cause8 ,they    
that tarry long at the wine1 they that  
go to seek mixed wine4 ,look not thou   
upon the wine2 at the last it biteth    
like a serpent1 and stingeth like an    
adder4 ,prov4 #bc3bi-cb4  ,woe unto them
 that rise up in the morning1 that they 
may follow strong drink2 that continue  
until night1 till wine inflame them4    
,isa4 #e3aa4  ,woe unto them that are   
mighty to drink wine1 and men of        

strength to mingle strong drink4 ,isa4  
#e3bb4  ,the works of the flesh are     
manifest1 which are these3 uncleanness1 
murders1 drunkenness1 revellings1 and   
such like2 of the which ,i tell you1    
that they which do such things shall not
 inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,gal4     
#e3ai1 #ba4  ,these are awful           
declarations1 and they will certainly be
 fulfilled upon him who continues to    
delight in drunkenness2 he cannot enjoy 
the love of ,god1 he will not be        
received into heaven4  ,separate        
yourself1 then1 utterly front this      
ensnaring sin4 ,touch not2 taste not2   
handle not4 ,in ,,entire ,,abstinence is
 your only safety4 ,this persevered in1 
you shall never fall4 ,wherever and     
however the temptation is presented1    
avoid it--turn from it1 and pass away4  
,turn also from every sin4 ,commit your 
way unto the ,lord1 and he will direct  
your paths4 ,a glorious provision is    
made for your salvation1 through the    
atoning blood of ,christ4 ,god so loved 

the world1 that he gave his             
only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever      
believeth in him should not perish1 but 
have everlasting life4 ,john #c3af4     
,commit your soul and your all to him4  
,he will guide you through life1 enable 
you to vanquish every foe1 and crown you
 with victory in heaven4  ,,published   
,,by ,,the ,,american ,,tract ,,society4
     ,,the ,,well-,,conducted ,,farm4   
,illustration3 ,farmer dismissing drunk 
workman   ,mr4 ,b----1 a respectable    
farmer in ,massachusetts1 came1 a number
 of years ago1 into the possession of a 
farm of about six hundred acres4 ,on    
this farm he employed eight or ten men4 
,these men were in the habit1 and had   
been for years1 of taking each a portion
 of ardent spirit1 when they labored1   
every day4 ,they had grown up in the    
practice of taking it1 and the idea was 
fixed in their minds that they could not
 do without4 ,it was the common opinion 
in the place1 that1 for laboring men1   
who had to work hard1 some ardent spirit

 was necessary4 ,mr4 ,b---- for a time  
followed the common practice1 and       
furnished his men with a portion of     
spirit daily4 ,but after much attentive 
observation and mature reflection1 he   
became deeply impressed with the        
conviction that the practice was not    
only useless1 but hurtful4 ,he became   
convinced that it tends to lead men to  
intemperance2 to undermine their        
constitutions2 and to sow the seeds of  
death1 temporal and eternal4 ,and he    
felt that he could not be justified in  
continuing to cultivate his farm by     
means of a practice which was ruining   
the bodies and souls of his fellow-men4 
,he therefore called his men together1  
and told them1 in a kind and faithful   
manner1 what were his convictions4 ,he  
told them that he was perfectly         
satisfied that the practice of taking   
ardent spirits was not only needless1   
but hurtful--that it tended to weaken   
and destroy both the body and mind2 and 
that he could not1 consistently with his

 duty1 be instrumental in continuing a  
practice which he had no doubt tended to
 destroy them both for this world and   
the world to come4 ,he therefore1 from  
that time1 should furnish them with no  
ardent spirits4  ,one of them said that 
he could not work without it2 and if he 
did not furnish them with it1 he would  
not stay with him4 ,very well1 said ,mr4
 ,b----2 hand me your bill1 and be off4 
,the man replied1 that he presumed all  
the others would leave him4 ,very well1 
said ,mr4 ,b----2 tell them1 any of them
 who choose to leave--all of them1 if   
they choose to go--to hand in their     
bills1 and they shall have their money  
to-night4 ,if they stay1 however1 they  
shall have nourishing food and drink1 at
 any time1 and in any abundance which   
they wish2 and at the close of the year 
each one shall have twelve dollars1 that
 is1 one dollar a month1 in addition to 
his wages4 ,but ,i shall furnish no     
spirits of any kind1 neither shall ,i   
have it taken by men in my employment4  

,i had rather my farm would grow up to  
weeds1 than be cultivated by means of so
 pernicious a practice as that of taking
 ardent spirits4 ,however1 none of the  
men left1 except that one4 ,and when he 
saw that all the others concluded to    
stay1 he came back1 and said1 that as   
the others had concluded to stay1 and do
 without rum1 he believed that he could1
 and he should be glad to stay1 too1 if 
,mr4 ,b---- had no objection4 ,but he   
told him1 ,no1 he did not wish him to   
stay2 he would make of him an example1  
and he must go4 ,so he departed4 ,the   
rest went to work1 and he furnished them
 with no spirits from that time through 
the season4 ,yet his work1 he said1 was 
done with less trouble1 in a better     
manner1 and in better season1 than ever 
before4 ,some of his men1 however1 he   
found1 when they went abroad1 did take  
ardent spirits4 ,they sometimes procured
 it at the tavern1 or a store2 and in   
some instances took it secretly1 while  
on his farm4 ,the evil1 therefore1      

although greatly lessened1 was not      
entirely done away4  ,when he came to   
hire men again1 he let it be known that 
he did not wish to hire any man who was 
not willing to abstain entirely1 and at 
all times1 from the use of ardent       
spirits4 ,his neighbors told him that he
 could not hire men on those conditions2
 that men could not be found who would  
do without rum1 especially in haying and
 harvesting4 ,well1 he said1 then he    
would not hire them at all4 ,his farm   
should grow up to weeds4 ,as to         
cultivating it by the help of rum1 he   
would not4 ,by allowing men in his      
employment1 and for whose conduct he was
 in a measure responsible1 to take      
ardent spirits1 he should be lending his
 influence to continue a practice1 or he
 should at least be conniving at a      
practice1 which was destroying more     
lives1 making more mothers widows1 and  
children orphans1 than famine1          
pestilence1 and sword3 a practice which 
was destroying by thousands1 and tens of

 thousands1 not only the bodies1 but the
 souls of men1 rendering them1 and their
 children after them1 wretched for this 
world1 and the world to come4 ,no1 said 
he1 ,i will clear my hands of this      
enormous guilt4 ,i will not by practice 
encourage1 or by silence1 or having men 
in my employment who take ardent        
spirits1 connive at this deadly evil4   
,however1 he found no difficulty in     
hiring men1 and of the best kind4 ,and  
when his neighbors saw1 that by giving  
one dollar a month more than others1 he 
could hire as many men as he pleased1   
they gave up that objection4 ,but they  
said1 it was bad policy2 for the men    
would not do so much work1 and he would1
 in the end1 be a loser4 ,but he told   
them that1 although they might not at   
first do quite so much1 he presumed that
 they would in the end do more4 ,but if 
they should not1 only let them do1 said 
he1 what they easily can1 and ,i shall  
be satisfied4 ,my ,maker does not       
require of me any more than ,i can do   

without rum1 7for he used no ardent     
spirits himself7 and ,i shall require no
 more of them4 ,his men went to work4   
,and his business prospered exceedingly4
 ,his men were remarkably uniform in    
their temper and deportment2 still1 and 
peaceable4  ,he found them every day    
alike1 and he could always safely trust 
them4 ,what he expected to have done1 he
 found was done1 in good season1 and in 
the best manner4 ,his men never made so 
few mistakes1 had so few disputes among 
themselves2 they never injured and      
destroyed so few tools1 found so little 
fault with their manner of living1 or   
were1 on the whole1 so pleasant to one  
another1 and to their employer4 ,the men
 appeared1 more than ever before1 like  
brethren of the same family1 satisfied  
with their business1 contented1 and     
happy4  ,at the close of the year1 one  
of them came to ,mr4 ,b----1 and1 with  
tears in his eyes1 said1 ,sir1 ,i       
thought that you were very hard1 in     
keeping us from drinking rum4 ,i had    

always been accustomed to it1 and ,i    
thought that ,i could not do without it4
 ,and for the first three months1 said  
he1 it was hard1 very hard4 ,i had such 
a caving in here--putting his hands up  
to his side--,i had such a desperate    
caving in here1 that ,i thought ,i      
should die4 ,but1 as you gave us good   
wages1 and good pay1 and the rest       
resolved to stand it without rum1 ,i    
thought ,i would4  ,and now1 said he1 ,i
 am well and happy4 ,i work with ease1  
sleep sweetly1 and when ,i get up in the
 morning1 instead of having1 as ,i used 
to1 my mouth and throat--to use his own 
words--so full of cobwebs1 as to be     
spitting cotton wool all the time1 my   
mouth and throat are clear as a whistle4
 ,i feel active1 have a good appetite1  
and can eat any thing4  ,formerly1 when 
,i worked hard1 ,i was at night tired1  
and could not sleep4 ,when ,i got up in 
the morning ,i was so sore and stiff1 so
 filled up in my throat1 and my appetite
 was so gone1 that ,i could do nothing  

till ,i had taken a glass of rum and    
molasses4 ,i then stood it till         
breakfast4 ,but my breakfast did not    
relish1 and what ,i took did not seem to
 nourish me4 ,soon after ,i got to work 
,i was so hollow and so tired1 that ,i  
felt desperate ugly till #aa o'clock4   
,then ,i took a new vamper4 ,and by the 
strength of that ,i got on till dinner4 
,then ,i must have a little more to give
 me an appetite4 ,at three o'clock in   
the afternoon ,i must have              
recourse--these were his words--to the  
hair of the same dog1 to keep up my     
sinking spirits4 ,and thus ,i got along 
till night4 ,then ,i must have a little 
to sharpen appetite for supper4 ,and    
after supper ,i could not sleep1 till ,i
 had taken another nightcap4  ,thus ,i  
continued1 said he1 year after year1    
undermining a constitution which was    
naturally very robust2 and growing worse
 and worse1 until ,i came under your    
wise and excellent regulations4 ,and    
now1 said he1 ,i am cured4 ,i am cured4 

,i can now do more labor than when ,i   
took spirits1 without half the fatigue1 
and take nothing stronger than pure cold
 water4 ,if a man would give me the same
 wages that you do1 and a dollar a day  
in addition1 to return to the practice  
of drinking rum1 ,i would laugh at him4 
,all this was the free1 spontaneous     
effusion of his own mind1 in view of the
 great change wrought in his feelings by
 leaving off entirely the use of ardent 
spirits4  ,another of the workmen came  
to ,mr4 ,b---- and said1 that he had    
found it very hard to do without rum at 
first2 but he could now freely say1 that
 he never enjoyed so good health1 or    
felt so well1 as he did then4 ,he said  
that in cold weather in the winter1 and 
after chopping all day in the woods1    
especially if exposed to rains1 or if   
his feet were wet1 he had for a long    
time been accustomed to a very bad      
rheumatism1 and at night to a dreadful  
headache4 ,he took spirits temperately1 
and he supposed it was necessary to     

guard him against these evils4 ,still he
 suffered them2 and he found nothing    
that would prevent them4 ,but since he  
had left off entirely the use of        
spirits1 he had had no rheumatism1 and  
been entirely free from the headache4   
,another of the workmen said he thought 
at first that he could do very well     
without spirits three quarters of the   
year2 but that1 in haying and           
harvesting1 he should want a little4    
,but he had found that a dish of bread  
and milk1 or some other nourishing food1
 at #aa o'clock1 answered his purpose at
 all times just as well as grog1 and he 
thought a little better4 ,and as he was 
now entirely free from the habit of     
taking spirits1 he would not on any     
account be placed in a situation where  
he should be tempted to renew it4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,such were the feelings of men who had  
always been accustomed to the practice  
of taking spirits1 till they came into  
,mr4 ,b----'s employment1 and who       

afterwards had not taken a drop4 ,they  
had tried both sides1 and had found1 by 
experience1 that the practice of taking 
ardent spirits is utterly useless2 nay1 
that it is positively hurtful4 ,it was  
their united testimony1 that they       
enjoyed better health1 were more happy1 
could do more work1 and with less       
fatigue1 than when they took spirits4   
,they said1 to be sure1 that they found 
it hard to do without it at first4 ,and 
so would a man who had been in the habit
 of taking laudanum1 or any poison1 that
 was not fatal1 but was stimulating and 
pleasant to the taste1 however          
destructive it might be in the end to   
his constitution4 ,but after they had   
freed themselves from the habit of      
taking spirits1 they found no           
inconvenience2 but were in all respects 
better than they were before4 ,and they 
acknowledged that they were exceedingly 
indebted to him1 who1 by his wise       
regulations1 had been the means of      
improving their condition4 ,the         

following were some of the advantages to
 them4  #a4 ,they had a better appetite1
 partook of their food with a keener    
relish1 and it was more nourishing to   
them than before4  #b4 ,they possessed  
much greater vigor and activity1 both of
 body and mind4  #c4 ,they performed the
 same labor with much greater ease2 and 
were in a great measure free from that  
lassitude and fatigue to which they were
 before accustomed4  #d4 ,they had      
greater wages1 and they laid up a much  
greater portion of what they had4       
,before1 numbers used to spend a great  
portion of their wages in scenes of     
amusement and dissipation4 ,now1 they   
have no inclination to frequent such    
scenes4 ,the consequence is1 they lay up
 more money4 ,they are1 also1 more      
serious in their deportment1 spend more 
of their leisure time in useful reading1
 much oftener peruse the ,scriptures1   
and attend public worship2 and they are 
more attentive to all the means of      
grace4 ,in a word1 they are more likely 

to become useful and happy in this life1
 and to be prepared for lasting         
blessedness in the life to come4  #e4   
,their example will be more likely to be
 useful to those around them2 and that  
for both worlds4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,the following are
 some of the advantages to their        
employer4  #a4 ,the men1 he says1 in the
 course of the year1 do more work1 in a 
better manner1 and at a much less       
expense of tools4  #b4 ,he can now with 
much greater ease have a place for every
 thing1 and every thing in its place4   
#c4 ,when a stone has fallen from the   
wall it is now laid up1 as the men are  
passing by1 without his mentioning it4  
,the gates are locked1 and the bars put 
up2 so that the cattle do not1 as       
before1 get in and destroy the crops4   
#d4 ,his summer work is done in such    
season1 that earth1 loam1 etc41 is      
carted into the yard in the fall1       
instead of being carted in in the       
spring1 as before4 ,the consequence is1 

when carried out it is richer1 and      
renders the farm more productive4  #e4  
,his barns1 in winter1 are kept clean1  
and less fodder is wasted4 ,the cattle  
and horses are daily curried1 and appear
 in better order4  #f4 ,when his men go 
into the forests1 instead1 as before1 of
 cutting down the nearest1 thriftiest1  
and largest trees1 they cut those that  
are decayed1 crooked1 and not likely to 
grow any better2 pick up those that are 
blown down1 and thus leave the forests  
in a better state4  #g4 ,the men are    
more uniform1 still1 and peaceable2 are 
less trouble in the house1 and more     
contented with their manner of living4  
#h4 ,at morning and evening prayer1 they
 are more ready than before to attend1  
and in season2 appearing to esteem it   
not only a duty1 but a privilege and a  
pleasure to be present1 and unite with  
the family in the daily worship of ,god4
  #i4 ,on the ,sabbath1 instead of      
wishing1 as before1 to stay at home1 or 
to spend the day in roving about the    

fields1 rivers1 and forests1 they choose
 statedly and punctually to attend      
public worship4 ,in a word1 their whole 
deportment1 both at home and abroad1 is 
improved1 and to a greater extent than  
any1 without witnessing it1 can well    
imagine4  ,all these and many more      
advantages resulted from their          
abstaining entirely1 and at all times1  
from the use of ardent spirits4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,nor were the benefits confined to them 
and their employer4 ,some of his        
neighbors1 witnessing the complete      
success of his system1 have themselves  
adopted it4 ,when ,mr4 ,b---- went into 
that part of the country1 many of the   
farmers in his neighborhood were in     
debt4 ,their farms were mortgaged1 some 
for #cjj1 some for #ejj1 and some for   
#ajjj1 or more4 ,they complained much of
 hard times1 especially for farmers4    
,mr4 ,b---- told them that so long as   
they continued to drink rum1 they must  
expect hard times2 for it was no profit1

 but a great expense1 and in more ways  
than they imagined4 ,they came to him to
 borrow money to save their farms from  
attachment4 ,but he told them1 ,no4 ,it 
will do men who continue to drink rum no
 good to have money4 ,nay1 it will be to
 them an evil4 ,the sooner their        
property is gone1 and they have nothing 
with which to buy rum1 the better4 ,for 
then they will do less mischief than if 
they have money1 and continue to drink  
rum4 ,but1 said he1 if you will leave   
off the use of spirits1 and not take a  
drop for three months1 ,i will lend you 
money1 and you may keep it1 by paying   
the interest1 as long as you continue to
 take no ardent spirits4 ,but when ,i   
learn that you begin to take it1 ,i     
shall call for the money4 ,some went    
away in disgust4 ,others said1 ,as ,mr4 
,b---- can do without rum1 why cannot   
we8 and if we can1 it will be a great   
saving of expense4 ,they made the       
experiment1 and found that they could1  
without the least inconvenience1 do     

without it4 ,after a few months1 they   
made known to ,mr4 ,b---- the result2   
and he helped them to as much money as  
they needed4 ,they continued to do      
without spirits1 and they had none used 
by men in their employment4 ,their      
business began to prosper1 and their    
prospects to brighten4 ,their debts are 
now paid1 and their farms free from all 
incumbrance4 ,the times with them have  
altered1 and they are now thriving1     
respectable1 and useful members of the  
community4  ,others1 who a few years ago
 were in no worse a condition than they1
 but who continued the practice of      
drinking spirits1 have lost their farms2
 lost their reputation2 lost their      
health1 and eventually their lives2 and 
there is reason to fear1 their souls4   
,by the temperate but habitual use of   
spirits1 they formed an intemperate     
appetite4 ,this at first was            
occasionally1 and then habitually       
indulged2 and they were ruined for both 
worlds4 ,the evil may extend to their   

children1 and children's children4  ,but
 those who have entirely relinquished   
the use of spirits1 until the desire for
 it is removed1 have experienced a      
wonderful transformation in their       
feelings1 their conduct1 and their      
prospects4 ,and the change is visible   
not only in them1 but their families1   
and all their concerns4 ,their windows  
are not broken out as before2 nor their 
gates and garden-fences falling down4   
,the kitchen does not smoke as it used  
to do1 because they keep it more clean1 
have drier and better wood1 and lay it  
on the fire in a better manner4 ,the    
wife does not scold as she once did1    
because she is well provided for1 is    
treated kindly1 and has encouragement to
 labor4 ,the children are not now in    
rags1 but are comfortably and decently  
clad2 they are obedient1 respectful1 and
 mannerly2 and appear to be growing up  
in the nurture and admonition of the    
,lord4 ,in short1 they appear almost    
like a new race of beings4 ,and if they 

should never again adopt the practice of
 taking ardent spirits1 there is vastly 
more reason than before1 to hope that   
they will be led by the word and ,spirit
 of ,god to such a course of conduct as 
will greatly increase their happiness   
and usefulness on earth1 and be the     
means of preparing them1 through grace1 
for the everlasting joys of heaven4     
,should each individual in our country  
adopt the same course1 the following are
 some of the advantages which would     
result from it4  #a4 ,they would enjoy  
better health1 be able to perform more  
labor1 and would live to a greater age4 
#b4 ,the evils of intemperance would    
soon be done away3 for all who are now  
intemperate1 and continue so1 will soon 
be dead1 and no others will be found to 
succeed them4  #c4 ,there will be a     
saving every year of more than thirty   
millions of dollars1 which are now      
expended for ardent spirits4 ,there will
 be a saving of more than two-thirds of 
all the expense of supporting the poor1 

which1 in ,massachusetts alone1 would   
amount to more than #fjj1jjj annually4  
,and there would be a saving of all that
 idleness and dissipation which         
intemperance occasions1 and of the      
expense of more than two-thirds of all  
the criminal prosecutions in the land4  
,in one of our large cities1 in which   
there were one thousand prosecutions for
 crimes1 more than eight hundred of them
 were found to have sprung from the use 
of ardent spirits4  #d4 ,there would be 
a saving of a vast portion of sickness2 
and of the lives probably of thirty     
thousand persons every year4  ,let these
 four considerations be added together1 
and traced in their various bearings and
 consequences upon the temporal and     
eternal welfare of men2 and then let    
each individual say1 whether1 in view of
 all the evils connected with the       
practice of taking ardent spirits1 he   
can1 in the sight of ,god1 be justified 
in continuing the practice4 ,that it is 
not necessary1 has been fully proved4   

,no one thinks it to be necessary1      
except those who use it4 ,and they would
 not think so1 if they were not in the  
habit of using it4 ,let any man leave   
off entirely the use of ardent spirits  
for only one year1 and he will find by  
his own experience that it is not       
necessary or useful4 ,the fathers of    
,new ,england did not use it1 nor did   
their children4 ,they were never1 as a  
body1 in the practice of taking it4 ,and
 yet they enjoyed better health1        
attained to a larger stature1 and1 with 
fewer comforts of life1 performed more  
labor1 endured more fatigue1 and lived1 
upon an average1 to a greater age than  
any generation of their descendants who 
have been in the practice of taking     
spirits4 ,as it was not necessary for   
the fathers of ,new ,england1 it is     
certain that it is not necessary for    
their descendants1 or for any portion of
 our inhabitants4 ,hundreds of healthy1 
active1 respectable1 and useful men1 who
 now do not use it1 can testify that it 

is not necessary4 ,and this will be the 
testimony of every one who will only    
relinquish entirely the use of it4  ,it 
is by the temperate and habitual use of 
ardent spirits1 that intemperate        
appetites are formed4 ,and the temperate
 use of it cannot be continued1 without1
 in many cases1 forming intemperate     
appetites2 and after they are formed1   
multitudes will be destroyed by their   
gratification4  ,natural appetites1 such
 as are implanted in our constitution by
 the ,author of nature1 do not by their 
gratification increase in their demands4
 ,what satisfied them years ago1 will   
satisfy them now4 ,but artificial       
appetites1 which are formed by the      
wicked practices of men1 are constantly 
increasing in their demands4 ,what      
satisfied them once1 will not satisfy   
them now4 ,and what satisfies them now1 
will not satisfy them in future4 ,they  
are constantly crying1 ,give1 give4 ,and
 there is not a man1 who is in the      
habitual use of ardent spirits1 who is  

not in danger of dying a drunkard4      
,before he is aware1 an intemperate     
appetite may be formed1 the             
gratification of which may prove his    
temporal and eternal ruin4 ,and if the  
practice should not come to this result 
with regard to himself1 it may with     
regard to his children1 and children's  
children4 ,it may with regard to his    
neighbors1 and their children4 ,it may  
extend its baleful influences far and   
wide2 and transmit them1 with all their 
innumerable evils1 from generation to   
generation4  ,can1 then1 temperate1     
sober men be clear from guilt1 in       
continuing a practice which is costing  
annually more than #cj1jjj1jjj2         
increasing more than threefold the      
poor-rates1 and the crimes of the       
country2 undermining the health and     
constitution of its inhabitants2 and    
cutting of annually thirty thousand     
lives6  ,there is tremendous guilt      
somewhere4 ,and it is a truth which     
ought to press with overwhelming force  

upon the mind of every sober man1 that a
 portion of this guilt rests upon every 
one who1 with a knowledge of facts1     
continues the totally unnecessary and   
awfully pernicious practice of taking   
ardent spirits4 ,each individual ought1 
without delay1 in view of eternity1 to  
clear himself1 and neither by precept   
nor example1 ever again encourage or    
even connive at this deadly evil4       
,,address ,,on ,,the ,,effects ,,of     
,,ardent ,,spirits4  ,,by ,,jonathan    
,,kittredge1 ,,esq4  ,illustration3     
,drunk man arriving home to impoverished
 family   ,,fellow-,,citizens--,that    
intemperance1 in our country1 is a great
 and growing evil1 all are ready to     
admit4 ,when we look abroad1 and examine
 into the state of society1 we find the 
number of those who are in the constant 
and habitual practice of an excessive   
use of ardent spirits to be alarming4   
,we see the effects that they produce   
among our friends and our neighbors1 but
 the evil is so common1 and it is so    

fashionable to drink1 and ,i had almost 
said1 to drink to excess1 that the sight
 of it has lost half its terror1 and we 
look upon an intemperate man without    
those feelings of disgust and abhorrence
 which his real situation and character 
are calculated to produce4 ,this is the 
natural result of things4 ,the mind     
becomes familiar with the contemplation1
 the eye accustomed to the sight2 we pay
 but little attention to the object--he 
passes on--we laugh at the exhibition1  
and grow callous and indifferent to the 
guilt4 ,our pity is not excited1 our    
hearts do not ache at the scenes of     
intoxication that are almost daily      
exhibited around us4 ,but if for a      
moment we seriously reflect upon the    
real situation of the habitually        
intemperate2 if we call to mind what    
they have been--what they now are2 if we
 cast our eye to the future1 and realize
 what1 in a few years1 they will be2 if 
we go further1 and examine into the     
state of their families1 of their wives 

and their children1 we shall discover a 
scene of misery and wretchedness that   
will not long suffer us to remain cold1 
and indifferent1 and unfeeling4  ,this  
examination we can all make for         
ourselves4 ,we can all call to mind the 
case of some individual1 whom we have   
known for years1 perhaps from his       
infancy1 who is now a poor1 miserable   
drunkard4 ,in early life his hopes and  
prospects were as fair as ours4 ,his    
family was respectable1 and he received 
all those advantages which are          
necessary1 and which were calculated to 
make him a useful and respectable member
 of society4 ,perhaps he was our        
school-fellow1 and our boyhood may have 
been passed in his company4 ,we         
witnessed the first buddings of his     
mental powers1 and know that he         
possessed an active1 enterprising mind4 
,he grew up into life with every        
prospect of usefulness4 ,he entered into
 business1 and1 for a while1 did well4  
,his parents looked to him for support  

in old age1 and he was capable of       
affording it4 ,he accumulated property1 
and1 in a few years1 with ordinary      
prudence and industry1 would have been  
independent4 ,he married1 and became the
 head of a family1 and the father of    
children1 and all was prosperous and    
happy around him4 ,had he continued as  
he began1 he would now have been a      
comfort to his friends1 and an honor to 
the community4 ,but the scene quickly   
changed4 ,he grew fond of ardent        
spirits4 ,he was seen at the store and  
the tavern4 ,by degrees he became       
intemperate4 ,he neglected his business1
 and his affairs went to gradual decay4 
,he is now a drunkard1 his property is  
wasted1 his parents have died of broken 
hearts1 his wife is pale and emaciated1 
his children ragged1 and squalid1 and   
ignorant4 ,he is the tenant of some     
little cabin that poverty has erected to
 house him from the storm and the       
tempest4 ,he is useless1 and worse than 
useless3 he is a pest to all around him4

 ,all the feelings of his nature are    
blunted2 he has lost all shame2 he      
procures his accustomed supply of the   
poison that consumes him2 he staggers   
through mud and through filth to his    
hut2 he meets a weeping wife and        
starving children2 he abuses them1 he   
tumbles into his straw1 and he rolls and
 foams like a mad brute1 till he is able
 to go again4 ,he calls for more rum--he
 repeats the scene from time to time1   
and from day to day1 till soon his      
nature faints1 and he becomes sober in  
death4  ,let us reflect1 that this      
guilty1 wretched creature had an        
immortal mind--he was like us1 of the   
same flesh and blood--he was our        
brother1 destined to the same eternity1 
created by1 and accountable to1 the same
 ,god2 and will1 at last1 stand at the  
same judgment-bar2 and who1 amid such   
reflections1 will not weep at his       
fate--whose eye can remain dry1 and     
whose heart unmoved8  ,this is no       
picture of the imagination4 ,it is a    

common and sober reality4 ,it is what we
 see almost every day of our lives2 and 
we live in the midst of such scenes and 
such events4 ,with the addition or      
subtraction of a few circumstances1 it  
is the case of every one of the common  
drunkards around us4 ,they have not     
completed the drama--they are alive--but
 they are going to death with rapid     
strides1 as their predecessors have     
already gone4 ,another company of       
immortal minds are coming on to fill    
their places1 as they have filled       
others4 ,the number is kept good1 and   
increasing4 ,shops1 as nurseries1 are   
established in every town and           
neighborhood1 and drunkards are raised  
up by the score4 ,they are made--they   
are formed--for no man was ever born a  
drunkard--and1 ,i may say1 no man was   
ever born with a taste for ardent       
spirits4 ,they are not the food which   
nature has provided4 ,the infant may cry
 for its mother's milk1 and for         
nourishing food1 but none was ever heard

 to cry for ardent spirits4 ,the taste  
is created1 and in some instances may be
 created so young1 that1 perhaps1 many  
cannot remember the time when they were 
not fond of them4  ,and here permit me  
to make a few remarks upon the          
formation1 or creation of this taste4 ,i
 will begin with the infant1 and ,i may 
say that he is born into rum4 ,at his   
birth1 according to custom1 a quantity  
of ardent spirits is provided2 they are 
thought to be as necessary as any thing 
else4 ,they are considered as           
indispensable as if the child could not 
be born without them4 ,the father treats
 his friends and his household1 and the 
mother partakes with the rest4 ,the     
infant is fed with them1 as if he could 
not know the good things he is heir to  
without a taste of ardent spirits4 ,they
 are kept on hand1 and often given to   
him as medicine1 especially where the   
parents are fond of them themselves4 ,by
 this practice1 even in the cradle1 his 
disrelish for ardent spirits is done    

away4 ,he grows up1 and during the first
 months or years of his existence1 his  
taste and his appetite are formed4 ,as  
he runs about1 and begins to take notice
 of passing events1 he sees his father  
and friends drink2 he partakes1 and     
grows fond of them4 ,in most families1  
ardent spirits are introduced and used  
on every extraordinary occasion4        
,without mentioning many1 that the      
knowledge and experience of every man   
can supply1 ,i will instance only the   
case of visitors4  ,a gentleman's       
friends and acquaintance call on him4   
,he is glad to see them1 and fashion and
 custom make it necessary for him to    
invite them to the sideboard4 ,this is  
all done in his best style1 in his most 
easy and affable manner4 ,the best set  
of drinking-vessels are brought forward1
 and make quite a display4 ,the children
 of the family notice this2 they are    
delighted with the sight and the        
exhibition2 they are pleased with the   
manners1 and gratified with the         

conversation of the visitors on the     
occasion4 ,as soon as they go abroad1   
they associate the idea of drinking with
 all that is manly and genteel4 ,they   
fall into the custom1 and imitate the   
example that is set them4 ,circumstances
 and situations expose one to more      
temptations than the rest4 ,perhaps his 
resolution1 or his moral principle1 is  
not so strong2 and in this way1 one out 
of twenty-five of those who live to     
thirty years of age becomes intemperate4
 ,he becomes so1 perhaps not from any   
uncommon predisposition to the vice1 but
 is at first led on by fashion1 and     
custom1 and favorable circumstances1    
till at last he plunges headlong into   
the vortex of dissipation and ruin4 ,our
 natural disrelish for ardent spirits is
 first done away--a relish for them is  
then created4 ,they next become         
occasional1 next habitual drinks4 ,the  
habit gains strength1 till1 at last1 the
 daily drinker is swept away by the     
first adverse gale4  ,it is on this     

principle1 and let the fact operate as a
 caution to those who need it1 that many
 men of fair unblemished characters1 who
 have made a temperate1 but habitual use
 of ardent spirits in days of           
prosperity1 have1 on a change of        
fortune1 become notorious drunkards2    
while those who have refrained in       
prosperity1 have encountered all the    
storms of adversity unhurt4 ,we         
frequently hear a man's intemperance    
attributed to a particular cause1 as    
loss of friends1 loss of property1      
disappointed love1 or ambition2 when1 if
 the truth were known1 it would be seen 
that such men had previously been       
addicted to the use of ardent spirits1  
perhaps not immoderately1 and fly to    
them on such events as their solace and 
support4 ,intemperance requires an      
apprenticeship1 as much as law or       
physic2 and a man can no more become    
intemperate in a month1 than he can     
become a lawyer or a physician in a     
month4 ,many wonder that certain        

intemperate men1 of fine talents1 noble 
hearts1 and manly feelings1 do not      
reform2 but it is a greater wonder that 
any ever do4 ,the evil genius of        
intemperance gradually preys upon the   
strength of both body and mind1 till the
 victim1 when he is caught1 finds1 that 
although he was a giant once1 he is now 
a child4 ,its influence is seductive and
 insinuating1 and men are often         
irretrievably lost before they are aware
 of it4 ,let them beware how they take  
the first step4 ,it is by degrees that  
men become intemperate4 ,no man ever    
became so all at once--it is an         
impossibility in the nature of things4  
,it requires time to harden the heart1  
to do away shame1 to blunt the moral    
principle1 to deaden the intellectual   
faculties1 and temper the body4 ,the    
intemperance of the day is the natural  
and legitimate consequence of the       
customs of society--of genteel and      
respectable society4 ,it is the common  
and ordinary use of ardent spirits1 as  

practised in our towns and villages1    
that has already peopled them with      
drunkards1 and which1 unless checked1   
will fill them with drunkards4 ,the     
degree of intemperance that prevails1   
and the quantity of ardent spirits used1
 in our most respectable towns1 is      
almost incredible4 ,perhaps some facts  
on this subject will be interesting4    
,as it regards the degree of            
intemperance that prevails1 it may be   
safely said1 that one out of a hundred  
of the inhabitants of this part of the  
country is a common drunkard4 ,by a     
common drunkard is meant one who is     
habitually intemperate1 who is often    
intoxicated1 and who is restrained from 
intoxication neither by principle nor   
shame4 ,of such there are from ten to   
twenty1 and upward1 in every inhabited  
township4 ,there is another class who   
are intemperate1 and many of them are   
occasional drunkards4 ,this class is    
more numerous than the former1 and one  
out of about forty of the inhabitants   

belongs to one or the other class4 ,is  
not this a horrid state of society8 ,but
 any one can satisfy himself of the     
truth of the statement1 by making the   
examination himself4  ,the quantity of  
ardent spirits yearly consumed in our   
towns1 varies from six to ten thousand  
gallons4 ,it will answer the argument ,i
 intend to draw from it1 to state the   
annual quantity in this town to be six  
thousand gallons1 although short of the 
truth4 ,this would be three gallons to  
every inhabitant1 or twenty-one gallons 
to every legal voter4 ,the cost of this 
liquid1 at the low price of fifty cents 
per gallon1 will be three thousand      
dollars1 which will pay all your town1  
county1 and state taxes three years1 and
 is as much as it costs you to support  
and maintain all your privileges1 civil1
 religious1 and literary4 ,in one       
hundred years you would drink up all the
 town in ardent spirits2 or it would    
cost just such a town as this1 with all 
your farms1 stock1 and personal         

property1 to furnish the inhabitants    
with ardent spirits1 at the present rate
 of drinking1 only one hundred years4   
,but should the town continue to drink  
as they now do for fifty years1 and in  
the mean time suffer the cost of the    
spirits to accumulate by simple interest
 only1 the whole town1 at the end of the
 term1 could not pay their rum bills4   
,it can be no consolation that all other
 towns would be alike insolvent4  ,but  
this is not all4 ,add to this sum the   
loss of time and the waste of property  
occasioned by it1 independent of its    
cost1 and it swells the amount to a     
monstrous size4 ,here you have an       
account of the cost of ardent spirits1  
calculated within bounds4 ,at present   
there is a great complaint about the    
pressure of the times1 and the complaint
 is doubtless well-founded4 ,hard times 
is in every body's mouth2 but if you had
 for the last year only abstained from  
the use of ardent spirits1 you would now
 have been independent and easy in your 

circumstances4 ,three thousand dollars1 
which you have paid for them1 divided   
among you1 would pay all the debts you  
are called upon to pay4 ,i do not mean  
that no one wants more than his         
proportion of this sum1 but there are   
some who want none of it1 and who would 
circulate it1 by loan or otherwise1     
among those who do want it1 and it would
 relieve the whole town from the        
distress they are now in4  ,if this town
 had an income that would pay all its   
taxes1 you would consider it a matter of
 great joy and congratulation4 ,but if  
it had an income that would discharge   
all its taxes1 and each man1 instead of 
paying1 should receive the amount he now
 pays1 you would consider your situation
 highly prosperous and enviable4        
,discontinue the use of ardent spirits1 
and you have it4 ,use none1 and your    
situation1 as a town1 will be as good1  
yea1 far better than if you had an      
income of three thousand dollars yearly1
 to be divided among its inhabitants4   

,if we carry this calculation farther1  
we shall find1 on the principle adopted1
 that there are in the state of ,new    
,hampshire #b1dda common drunkards1 and 
#c1ffc intemperate1 or occasional       
drunkards--in the whole1 #f1ajd2 and    
that the state consumes #gcb1dhc gallons
 of ardent spirits annually1 which cost1
 at #ej cents a gallon1 #cff1bda4 ,in   
the ,united ,states1 there would be     
#if1cgi common1 and #bdj1idi common and 
occasional drunkards2 and the country   
would consume annually #bh1iac1hhg      
gallons of ardent spirits1 which cost1  
at #ej cents per gallon1                
#ad1def1idc--;as much as it costs to    
support the whole system of our national
 government1 with all that is laid out  
in improvements1 roads1 canals1         
pensions1 etc41 etc41 and is more than  
one-half of the whole revenue of the    
,union for the last year4 ,it must be   
remembered that this calculation        
embraces only the quantity and cost of  
the spirits1 and is on the supposition  

that this town consumes only #f1jjj     
gallons1 at #ej cents per gallon1 and is
 a fair criterion for the state and     
nation4 ,as it regards this state1 it   
would be safe nearly to double the      
quantity1 and to treble the cost of the 
spirits2 and as it regards the nation1  
it would be safe to double all my       
calculations4 ,in the ,united ,states1  
the quantity of ardent spirits yearly   
consumed1 may be fairly estimated at    
#fj1jjj1jjj gallons1 the cost at        
#cj1jjj1jjj1 and the number of          
drunkards1 of both kinds1 at #dhj1jjj4  
,but we all know1 and it is common to   
remark1 that the cost of the article is 
comparatively nothing2 that it hardly   
makes an item in the calculation of     
pernicious consequences resulting from  
the consumption of ardent spirits4 ,were
 we to embrace the usual concomitants1  
and estimate the value of time lost1 the
 amount of property wasted1 of disease  
produced1 and of crime committed1 where 
ardent spirits are the only cause1 it   

would transcend our conceptions1 and the
 imagination would be lost in the       
contemplation4 ,the number of drunkards 
in the ,united ,states would make an    
army as large as that with which        
,bonaparte marched into ,russia2 and    
would be sufficient to defend the       
,united ,states from the combined force 
of all ,europe4 ,convert our drunkards  
into good soldiers1 and one-tenth of    
them would redeem ,greece from the      
,turks4 ,convert them into apostles1 and
 they would ,christianize the world4    
,and what are they now8 ,strike them    
from existence1 and who would feel the  
loss8 ,yes1 strike them from existence1 
and the ,united ,states would be        
benefited by the blow4  ,but this is not
 half4 ,i cannot tell you half the      
effects of ardent spirits4 ,and yet     
ardent spirits are said to be useful and
 necessary4 ,it is false6 ,it is nothing
 but the apology that love of them      
renders for their use4 ,there are only  
two cases in which1 ,dr4 ,rush says1    

they can be administered without injury1
 and those are cases of persons like to 
perish1 and where substitutes may be    
applied of equal effect4 ,what rational 
man would use them1 for the sake of     
these two possible cases8 ,as well might
 he introduce rattlesnakes among his    
children1 because their oil is good in  
diseases with which they may possibly be
 afflicted4  ,the number of persons in  
the ,united ,states who are mentally    
deranged1 ,i do not know2 probably there
 are several thousands2 and it is       
ascertained1 that one-third of those    
confined in the insane hospitals of     
,philadelphia and ,new ,york1 are       
rendered insane by the use of ardent    
spirits4 ,yes1 one-third of the poor1   
miserable maniacs of our land1 are made 
such by the use of that which1 in the   
opinion of some1 is a very useful and   
necessary article1 and which they cannot
 do without4 ,this article has deprived 
one-third of the crazy wretches of our  
land of their reason--of that which     

makes them men--of the very image of    
their ,god4  ,out of the number of the  
intemperate in the ,united ,states1 ten 
thousand die annually from the effects  
of ardent spirits4 ,and what a death6   
,to live a drunkard is enough2 but to   
die so1 and to be ushered into the      
presence of your angry ,judge1 only to  
hear the sentence1 ,depart1 thou        
drunkard6 ,ah6 language fails1 and ,i   
leave it to your imagination to fill up 
the horrid picture4  ,this death happens
 in various ways4 ,some are killed      
instantly2 some die a lingering1 gradual
 death2 some commit suicide in fits of  
intoxication2 and some are actually     
burnt up4  ,i read of an intemperate    
man1 a few years since1 whose breath    
caught fire by coming in contact with a 
lighted candle1 and he was consumed4 ,at
 the time1 ,i disbelieved the story1 but
 my reading has since furnished me with 
well authenticated cases of a combustion
 of the human body from the use of      
ardent spirits4 ,trotter mentions ten   

such cases1 and relates them at length4 
,they are attended with all the proof we
 require to believe any event4 ,they are
 attested by living witnesses1 examined 
by learned men1 and published in the    
journals of the day without             
contradiction4 ,it would be unnecessary 
to relate the whole1 but ,i will state  
one of them1 and from this an idea can  
be formed of the rest4 ,it is the case  
of a woman eighty years of age1         
exceedingly meagre1 who had drunk       
nothing but ardent spirits for several  
years4 ,she was sitting in her          
elbow-chair1 while her waiting-maid went
 out of the room for a few moments4 ,on 
her return1 seeing her mistress on fire1
 she immediately gave an alarm2 and some
 people coming to her assistance1 one of
 them endeavored to extinguish the      
flames with his hands1 but they adhered 
to them as if they had been dipped in   
brandy or oil on fire4 ,water was       
brought and thrown on the body in       
abundance1 yet the fire appeared more   

violent1 and was not extinguished till  
the whole body had been consumed4 ,the  
lady was in the same place in which she 
sat every day1 there was no             
extraordinary fire1 and she had not     
fallen4,b     ,footnote ,b3 ,trotter on 
,drunkenness1 pp4 #gh1 #gi4  ,this1 with
 nine other cases1 related by the same  
author1 was a consumption of the body   
produced by the use of ardent spirits4  
,the horror of a drunkard's death       
beggars description4 ,need ,i point to  
yonder grave1 just closed over the      
remains of one who went from the cup of 
excess to almost instant death8 ,you all
 know it4  ,but this is not all4 ,one   
half the poor you support by taxes and  
individual charity1 are made poor by the
 use of ardent spirits4 ,this has been  
demonstrated by actual inquiry and      
examination4 ,in the city of ,new ,york1
 where there are more poor1 and where   
more is done for them than in any other 
city of the ,united ,states1 a committee
 appointed for the purpose1 ascertained 

by facts1 that more than one half of the
 city poor were reduced to poverty by   
intemperance4 ,this is also the case    
throughout the ,union4 ,and here permit 
me to state a case1 with which ,i am    
acquainted4 ,i do it with a double      
object4 ,i do it to show that the use of
 ardent spirits produces poverty and    
distress1 and the disuse of them        
restores to wealth and comfort4  ,a     
gentleman in the city of ,new ,york1 who
 carried on ship-building on an         
extensive scale1 and employed a great   
number of hands daily1 and paid them all
 in the same manner1 and nearly to the  
same amount1 was struck with the        
difference in their situations4 ,a few1 
and only a few1 were able1 from their   
wages1 to support their families2 but   
these were out of debt1 and independent 
in their circumstances4 ,they always had
 money on hand1 and frequently suffered 
their wages to lie in the hands of their
 employer4 ,the rest were poor and      
harassed1 the former easy and           

comfortable in their circumstances1 and 
he resolved1 if possible1 to ascertain  
the cause of the difference4 ,on inquiry
 and examination1 he found that those of
 them who were above-board used no      
ardent spirits1 while the others were in
 the constant and daily use of them4 ,he
 satisfied himself that this use of     
ardent spirits was the only cause of the
 difference in their condition4 ,he     
determined1 if he could1 to prevail upon
 them all to abstain altogether from    
their use4 ,on a thorough and parental  
representation of the case to them1 he  
succeeded1 and they all agreed to make  
use of none for a year4 ,at the end of  
the year they were all1 to a man1 out of
 debt1 had supported their families in  
better condition1 had done more work1   
destroyed fewer tools1 and were hearty  
and robust1 and enjoyed better health4  
,this fact speaks volumes1 and needs no 
comment4 ,adopt the same practice in    
this town1 and the result will be the   
same4 ,what1 drink none8 ,yes1 ,i say1  

drink none--one gallon for this town is 
just four quarts too much4 ,in addition 
to the miseries of debt and poverty     
which they entail upon a community1 they
 are the parent of one half the diseases
 that prevail1 and one half the crimes  
that are committed4 ,it is ardent       
spirits that fill our poor-houses and   
our jails2 it is ardent spirits that    
fill our penitentiaries1 our mad-houses1
 and our state prisons2 and it is ardent
 spirits that furnish victims for the   
gallows4 ,they are the greatest curse   
that ,god ever inflicted on the world1  
and may well be called the seven vials  
of his wrath4 ,they are more destructive
 in their consequences than war1 plague1
 pestilence1 or famine2 yea1 than all   
combined4 ,they are slow in their march1
 but sure in their grasp4 ,they seize   
not only the natural1 but the moral man4
 ,they consign the body to the tomb1 and
 the soul to hell4  ,while on earth1 the
 victim of intemperance is as stupid as 
an ass1 as ferocious as a tiger1 as     

savage as a bear1 as poisonous as the   
asp1 as filthy as the swine1 as fetid as
 a goat1 and as malignant as a fiend4   
,no matter what may be the original     
materials of the man2 his figure may    
possess every grace of the sculptor2 his
 mind may be imbued with every art and  
science2 he may be fit to command at the
 head of armies1 to sway a ,roman       
senate1 to wield the destinies of       
nations2 his heart may be the seat of   
every virtue2 but ardent spirits will   
strip him of the whole1 and convert him 
into a demon4 ,need ,i tell how8 ,need  
,i point out the change that ebriety    
produces in the moral and social        
affections8 ,need ,i present the sword  
red with a brother's blood8 ,it was in a
 drunken revel that the infuriate       
,alexander slew his best friend and most
 beloved companion ,clytus4 ,and it was 
in a drunken revel that he proclaimed   
himself a god1 and died4  ,but have not 
ardent spirits one good quality1 one    
redeeming virtue8 ,none4 ,i say1 none4  

,there is nothing1 not even the shadow  
of a virtue1 to rescue them from        
universal and everlasting execration4   
,but they are good as a medicine4 ,no1  
not as a medicine4 ,there is no         
physician1 that does not love them1 that
 needs them in his practice4 ,there is  
no disease that they cure or relieve1   
that cannot be cured or relieved without
 them4 ,they add to no man's health2    
they save no man's life4,c     ,footnote
 ,c3 ,the writer is aware that spirits  
or alcohol are    necessary in some     
preparations of the chemist and         
apothecary4    ,but it is the use of    
them as drinks which he is combating1   
and    which1 he is assured by          
respectable physicians1 are not only    
unnecessary1 but hurtful1 in sickness   
and in health4 ,were they    to exist   
only in the apothecary's shop in the    
state of    alcohol1 it would be all    
that the world needs of them4 ,some     
physicians1 nevertheless1 may think them
 useful in two or    three cases or     

conditions of the body2 but it is       
apprehended1    that if they should     
discontinue the use of them altogether1 
except in certain tinctures1 etc41 they 
would be as successful    as they now   
are4 ,they are often used where they    
would not be1    if they were not the   
most common thing that could be found4  
,it is impossible to name a single good 
thing that they do4 ,give them to the   
divine2 do they add to his piety1 to his
 zeal1 to his faithfulness1 to his love 
of ,god or man8 ,no2 they destroy them  
all4 ,give them to the physician2 do    
they increase his skill1 his power to   
discriminate amid the symptoms of       
disease1 his judgment to apply the      
appropriate remedies1 his kind and      
affectionate solicitude8 ,nay1 verily1  
they destroy them all4 ,give them to the
 legal advocate2 do they increase his   
knowledge1 his perception to discover   
the points of his case1 his readiness to
 apply the evidence1 his ability to     
persuade a court and jury8 ,no2 they    

destroy them all4 ,give them to the     
mechanic2 do they assist his ingenuity1 
his judgment1 or his taste8 ,no2 they   
destroy them all4 ,give them to the     
laborer2 do they add to his strength8   
,do they enable him to bear fatigue1 to 
endure heat and cold8 ,can he do more   
work1 or do it better8 ,no2 they are the
 ruin of the whole4 ,they reduce his    
strength1 weaken his frame1 make him    
more susceptible to heat and cold1      
disorganize his whole system1 and unfit 
him for labor4  ,but there are some men1
 say you1 who use ardent spirits1 and   
who get along very well4 ,admitted4     
,they endure it4 ,so there are some men 
who get along very well with poor health
 and feeble constitutions4 ,are poor    
health and feeble constitutions1        
therefore1 no evils8 ,is the prosperity 
of such to be attributed to them8 ,as   
much as is that of the former to the use
 of ardent spirits4 ,was ever a man made
 rich by the use of ardent spirits8     
,never2 but millions have been made     

beggars by it4  ,yet some say1 they feel
 better by drinking ardent spirits4 ,let
 us examine this excuse4 ,it is nothing 
but an excuse1 and he who loves rum and 
is ashamed to own it1 says he feels     
better to drink it4 ,let us inquire how4
 ,are they conducive to health8 ,on this
 subject let the physician decide4 ,one1
 as great as this country has produced1 
,dr4 ,rush1 says that the habitual use  
of ardent spirits usually produces the  
following diseases3 ,a loss of appetite1
 sickness at the stomach1 obstruction of
 the liver1 jaundice and dropsy1        
hoarseness and a husky cough1 which     
often ends in consumption1 diabetes1    
redness and eruptions of the skin1 a    
fetid breath1 frequent and disgusting   
belchings1 epilepsy1 gout1 and madness4 
,this is the train of diseases produced 
by the use of ardent spirits1 and the   
usual1 natural1 and legitimate          
consequences of their use4 ,and now1 ,i 
ask1 can that which1 of its own nature1 
produces these diseases1 make a man feel

 better8 ,reason might answer2 and were 
she on her throne1 uninfluenced and     
unbiassed by the love of ardent spirits1
 she would unequivocally answer1 ,no4   
,and we find that those who say they    
feel better to drink ardent spirits1 are
 those who are in health1 but love rum1 
and it gratifies their appetite1 and    
this is what they mean by feeling       
better4  ,i will examine for a moment   
the effect1 the immediate effect of     
ardent spirits upon the man4 ,i will    
take a man in health1 and give him a    
glass of ardent spirits4 ,the effect is1
 to produce mental derangement and false
 notions and conceptions4 ,but one glass
 will not have much effect4 ,i will give
 him another1 and1 if he loves rum1 he  
feels better2 another1 and he feels     
better2 another1 better yet4 ,by this   
time he has got to feel pretty well2    
quite happy4 ,he has no fear or shame4  
,he can curse1 and swear1 and break     
things4 ,he is fit for treason1         
stratagems1 and spoils4 ,he fears no    

consequences1 and can accomplish        
impossibilities4 ,if he is a cripple1 he
 fancies he can dance like a satyr2 if  
he is slow and unwieldy1 he can run like
 a hart2 if he is weak and feeble in    
strength1 he can lift like ,samson1 and 
fight like ,hercules2 if he is poor and 
pennyless1 he is rich as ,croesus on his
 throne1 and has money to lend4 ,this is
 all a correct representation4 ,it is   
what happens universally with the       
drunkard4 ,i know one man who is        
intemperate1 who is poor1 and never     
known to have five dollars at a time1   
who1 when he is intoxicated1 has often1 
and does usually1 offer to lend me a    
thousand dollars4 ,poor1 miserable1 and 
deluded man6 ,but he feels well2 he is  
one of those who feel better to drink4  
,he is mentally deranged2 his           
imagination is disordered4 ,he fancies  
bliss1 and felicity1 and plenty1 and    
abundance1 which do not exist2 and he   
awakes to misery1 and poverty1 and      
shame1 and contempt4 ,yet this is the   

exact feeling of all those who feel     
better to drink spirits4 ,he who drinks 
but a glass1 has not the same degree1   
but precisely the same kind of feeling  
with the one ,i have described4  ,and   
this is all--this is all that rum does  
to make a man feel better4 ,if his wife 
and children are starving1 he feels it  
not4 ,he feels better4 ,if his affairs  
are going to ruin1 or are already       
plunged into ruin1 he is not sensible to
 his condition4 ,if his house is on     
fire1 he sings the maniac's song1 and   
regards it not4 ,he feels better4  ,let 
him who likes this better feeling enjoy 
it4 ,enjoy it1 did ,i say8 ,no4 ,reclaim
 him1 if possible4 ,convince him that he
 labors under a delusion4 ,restore him  
to truth1 and to reason2 banish the cup 
from his mouth1 and change the brute    
into the man4  ,and now1 need any more  
be said to persuade mankind to abandon  
the use of ardent spirits8 the appalling
 facts1 in relation to them1 are known  
to all4 ,experience and observation     

teach us that they are the source of    
ruin1 and misery1 and squalid           
wretchedness1 in a thousand shapes4     
,they are the three-headed monster2 they
 are the ,gorgons with their thousand   
snakes2 their name is ,legion4 ,and     
shall ,i yet find advocates for their   
use8 ,will this enlightened community   
yet say1 they are useful and necessary8 
,all those who have used them1 and      
discontinued the use of them1 say they  
are totally unnecessary and useless4 ,we
 see that those who live without them   
enjoy more happiness and better health  
than those who use them--that they live 
longer lives4 ,but oh1 the folly1 the   
stupidity1 and the delusion of          
rum-drinkers6  ,but perhaps it may be   
said1 that the effects and consequences 
that ,i have mentioned1 result from the 
abuse1 and not from the proper and      
moderate use of ardent spirits2 and that
 on many occasions1 in small quantities1
 they are useful4 ,let us examine the   
circumstances and occasions when they   

are said to be necessary2 and perhaps ,i
 cannot do it better than in the words  
of another4  ,they are said to be       
necessary in very cold weather4 ,this is
 far from being true2 for the temporary 
heat they produce is always succeeded by
 a greater disposition in the body to be
 affected by cold4 ,warm dresses1 a     
plentiful meal just before exposure to  
the cold1 and eating occasionally a     
cracker or any other food1 is a much    
more durable method of preserving the   
heat of the body in cold weather4 ,in   
confirmation of this1 the case of the   
vessel wrecked off the harbor of        
,newburyport1 a few years since1 may be 
adduced4 ,on an intensely cold night1   
when all the men of that vessel were in 
danger of freezing to death1 the master 
advised them to drink no ardent spirits4
 ,he told them1 if they did1 they must  
surely freeze4 ,some took his advice1   
while others1 notwithstanding his most  
earnest entreaties1 disregarded it4 ,the
 result was1 that of those who used the 

spirits1 some lost their hands1 some    
their feet1 and some perished2 while the
 rest survived unhurt4  ,they are said  
to be necessary in very warm weather4   
,experience proves that they increase1  
instead of lessening the effects of heat
 upon the body1 and thereby expose it to
 diseases of all kinds4 ,even in the    
warm climate of the ,west ,indies1 ,dr4 
,bell asserts this to be true4 ,rum1    
says this author1 whether used          
habitually1 moderately1 or in excessive 
quantities1 always diminishes the       
strength of the body1 and renders man   
more susceptible to disease1 and unfit  
for any service in which vigor or       
activity is required4 ,as well might we 
throw oil into a house1 the roof of     
which was on fire1 in order to prevent  
the flames from extending to its inside1
 as pour ardent spirits into the        
stomach1 to lessen the effects of a hot 
sun upon the skin4 ,and here permit me  
to add1 that they are said to be        
necessary in cold weather to warm1 and  

in warm weather to cool4 ,the bare      
statement of the argument on these two  
points confounds itself4  ,nor do ardent
 spirits lessen the effects of hard     
labor upon the body4 ,look at the horse1
 with every muscle of his body swelled  
from morning till night1 in a plough or 
a team4 ,does he make signs for a glass 
of spirits1 to enable him to cleave the 
ground or climb a hill8 ,no2 he requires
 nothing but cold water and substantial 
food4 ,there is no nourishment in ardent
 spirits4 ,the strength they produce in 
labor is of a transient nature1 and is  
always followed by a sense of weakness  
and fatigue4,d     ,footnote ,d3 ,dr4   
,rush4  ,some people1 nevertheless1     
pretend that ardent spirits add to their
 strength1 and increase their muscular  
powers2 but this is all a delusion4     
,they think they are strong when they   
are weak4 ,rum makes them boast1 and    
that is all4 ,the truth is1 it weakens  
them in body1 but strengthens them in   
imagination4 ,was not one reason why    

,samson was forbidden by the angel of   
,god to drink either wine or strong     
drink1 that he might thus increase and  
preserve his strength8 ,when you hear a 
man telling how strong rum makes him1   
you may be sure he is weak1 both in body
 and mind4  ,there is one other occasion
 for using ardent spirits1 which it will
 be proper to examine4 ,they are said to
 be necessary to keep off the contagion 
of disease1 and are recommended to      
attendants upon the sick4 ,but the      
united testimony of all physicians      
proves1 that the intemperate are first  
attacked by epidemic disorders4 ,this is
 almost universally the case in the     
southern states1 and in the ,west       
,indies4 ,experience also proves that   
those attendants upon the sick1 who     
refrain from the use of ardent spirits1 
escape1 while those who use them are    
swept away4 ,if facts could convince1   
the use of ardent spirits would be      
abolished4 ,but the love of rum is      
stronger on the human mind than the     

truth of ,heaven4  ,if1 then1 ardent    
spirits are not necessary in sickness2  
if they do not prevent the effects of   
heat and cold2 if they do not add to our
 strengths1 and enable us to perform    
more labor2 when are they necessary8    
,why1 people in health say1 they want to
 drink them now and then--they do them  
good4 ,what good8 ,if they are well1 why
 do they need them8 ,for nothing but to 
gratify the taste1 and to produce a     
feeling of intoxication and derangement1
 slight in its degree when moderately   
used1 as they are by such people1 but   
the character of the feeling is no less 
certain4 ,it is the same feeling that   
induces the drunkard to drink4 ,one man 
takes a glass to do him good1 to make   
him feel better2 another wants two2     
another three2 another six2 and by this 
time he is intoxicated1 and he never    
feels well till he is so4 ,he has the   
same feeling with the man who drinks a  
single glass1 but more of it2 and that  
man who1 in health1 drinks one glass to 

make him feel better1 is just so much of
 a drunkard2 one-sixth1 if it takes six 
glasses to intoxicate him4 ,he has      
one-sixth of the materials of a drunkard
 in his constitution4  ,but it is this  
moderate use of ardent spirits that     
produces all the excess4 ,it is this    
which paves the way to downright and    
brutal intoxication4 ,abolish the       
ordinary and temperate use of ardent    
spirits1 and there would not be a       
drunkard in the country4 ,he who advises
 men not to drink to excess1 may lop off
 the branches2 he who advises them to   
drink only on certain occasions1 may    
fell the trunk2 but he who tells them   
not to drink at all1 strikes and digs   
deep for the root of the hideous vice of
 intemperance2 and this is the only     
course to pursue4 ,it is this temperate 
use of ardent spirits that must be      
discontinued4 ,they must be no longer   
necessary when friends call1 when we go 
to the store to trade1 to the tavern to 
transact business1 when we travel the   

road on public days--in fact1 they must 
cease to be fashionable and customary   
drinks4 ,do away the fashion and custom 
that attend their use1 and change the   
tone of public feeling1 so that it will 
be thought disgraceful to use them as   
they are now used by the most temperate 
and respectable men1 and an end is for  
ever put to the prevalence of the       
beastly disease of intoxication4 ,let   
those who cannot be reclaimed from      
intemperance go to ruin1 and the quicker
 the better1 if you regard only the     
public good2 but save the rest of our   
population2 save yourselves2 save your  
children6 ,raise not up an army of      
drunkards to supply their places4       
,purify your houses4 ,they contain the  
plague of death2 the poison that1 in a  
few years1 will render some of your     
little ones what the miserable wretches 
that you see staggering the streets are 
now4 ,and who1 ,i ask1 would not do it8 
,what father1 who knew that one of his  
sons that he loves was1 in a few years1 

to be what hundreds you can name are    
now1 would hesitate1 that he might save 
him1 to banish intoxicating drinks from 
his premises for ever8  ,but if all will
 do it1 he is saved2 and he who         
contributes but a mite in this work of  
,god1 deserves the everlasting gratitude
 of the republic4 ,if the names of a    
,brainerd1 of a ,swartz1 of a ,buchanan1
 have been rendered immortal by their   
efforts to convert the heathen to       
,christianity1 the names of those men   
who shall succeed in converting         
,christians to temperance and sobriety1 
should be written in letters of         
ever-during gold1 and appended by angels
 in the temple of the living ,god4 ,the 
sum of their benevolence would be       
exceeded only by ,his1 who came down    
from heaven for man's redemption4 ,then 
banish it2 this is the only way to save 
your children4 ,as long as you keep     
ardent spirits in your houses1 as long  
as you drink it yourselves1 as long as  
it is polite and genteel to sip the     

intoxicating bowl1 so long society will 
remain just what it is now1 and so long 
drunkards will spring from your loins1  
and so long drunkards will wear your    
names to future generations4 ,and there 
is no other way given under heaven1     
whereby man can be saved from the vice  
of intemperance1 but that of total      
abstinence4  ,and1 if ardent spirits are
 the parent of all the poverty1 and     
disease1 and crime1 and madness1 that ,i
 have named1 and if they produce no     
good1 what rational man will use them8  
,if he loves himself1 he will not2 if he
 loves his children1 he will not2 and as
 ,hamilcar brought ,hannibal to the     
altar1 at eight years of age1 and made  
him swear eternal hatred to the ,romans1
 so every parent should bring his       
children to the altar1 and make them    
swear1 if ,i may so speak1 eternal      
hatred to ardent spirits4 ,he should    
teach them by precept and example4 ,he  
should instil into his children a hatred
 of ardent spirits1 as much as he does  

of falsehood and of theft4 ,he should no
 more suffer his children to drink a    
little1 than he does to lie a little1   
and to steal a little4  ,and what other 
security have you for your children1 or 
for yourselves8 ,yes1 for yourselves4 ,i
 knew a man who1 a few years ago1 was as
 temperate as any of you2 was as        
respectable as any of you1 as learned as
 any of you1 and as useful in life as   
any of you2 ,i have heard him from the  
sacred desk again and again2 but by the 
same use of ardent spirits that most men
 justify and advocate1 under the        
mistaken notion that they were          
beneficial to him1 he has at last fallen
 the victim of intemperance4 ,and this  
is not a solitary example4 ,i had almost
 said1 it is a common example4 ,i could 
easily add to the number4  ,and now1    
what security have you for yourselves8  
,you have none but in the course ,i have
 recommended4 ,if it is necessary for   
the intemperate man to write on every   
vessel containing ardent spirits1 ,taste

 not1 touch not1 handle not1 and to     
brand them as full of the very wrath of 
,god1 it is also necessary for the      
temperate man to do so1 to save himself 
from intemperance4  ,but the difficulty 
on this subject is to convince men of   
their individual danger2 that           
intemperance stands at their own doors1 
and is knocking for an entrance into    
their own houses2 that they and their   
children are the victims that he seeks4 
,but if the places of the present       
generation of drunkards are to be       
supplied1 whence will the victims come  
but from your own children8 ,and who    
knows but that the infant the mother is 
now dandling upon her knee1 and pressing
 to her bosom1 however lovely he may    
appear1 however respectable and elevated
 she is1 will be selected to be one of  
that degraded1 and squalid1 and filthy  
class that1 in her old age1 will walk   
the streets as houseless1 hopeless1 and 
abandoned drunkards8 ,you have no       
security1 no assurance4  ,but we are apt

 to think that the wretches whom we see 
and have described were always so2 that 
they were out of miserable and degraded 
families2 and that they are walking in  
the road in which they were born4 ,but  
this is not so4 ,among the number may be
 found a large proportion who were as   
lovely in their infancy1 as promising in
 their youth1 and as useful in early    
life1 as your own children1 and have    
become drunkards--,i repeat it1 and     
never let it be forgotten--have become  
drunkards by the temperate1 moderate1   
and habitual use of ardent spirits1 just
 as you use them now4 ,were it not for  
this use of ardent spirits1 we should   
not now hear of drunken senators and    
drunken magistrates2 of drunken lawyers 
and drunken doctors2 churches would not 
now be mourning over drunken ministers  
and drunken members2 parents would not  
be weeping over drunken children1 wives 
over drunken husbands1 husbands over    
drunken wives1 and angels over a drunken
 world4  ,then cease4 ,no longer use    

that which is the source of infinite    
mischief1 without one redeeming benefit2
 which has entailed upon you1 upon your 
children1 and upon society1 woes        
unnumbered and unutterable4 ,banish it  
from your houses3 it can be done4 ,you  
have only to will1 and it is effected4  
,use it not at home4 ,let it never be   
found to pollute your dwellings4 ,give  
it not to your friends or to your       
workmen4 ,touch it not yourselves1 and  
suffer not your children to touch it2   
and let it be a part of your morning and
 evening prayer1 that you and your      
children may be saved from intemperance1
 as much as from famine1 from sickness1 
and from death4         99       99     
99       99       99  ,reader1 have you 
perused this pamphlet2 and are you still
 willing to drink1 use1 or sell this    
soul-destroying poison8 ,if so--if you  
are willing to risk your own soul1      
disgrace your friends1 and ruin your    
children by this fell destroyer1 then go
 on2 but remember1 that to the drunkard 

is allotted the blackness of darkness   
and despair for ever4 ,but if not--if   
you feel the magnitude of the evil2 if  
you are willing to do something to      
correct it1 sit not down in hopeless    
silence1 but arouse to action2 resist   
the devil1 and he will flee from you2   
not only banish it from your houses1 but
 from your stores1 your shops1 your     
farms2 give it not to your workmen2     
refuse to employ those who use it2      
invite1 entreat1 conjure your friends   
and neighbors to refrain wholly from the
 use of it2 never forgetting that the   
day of final account is at hand2 that   
what we do for ,christ1 and for the good
 of our fellow-men1 must be done soon2  
and that those who sacrifice interest   
for the sake of conscience1 and who are 
instrumental in turning men from their  
errors1 shall not lose their reward4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,this address was originally delivered  
before a large public meeting in ,lyme1 
,new ,hampshire1 ,jan4 #h1 #ahbg4       

,,appeal ,,to ,,youth4  ,a ,,tract ,,for
 ,,the ,,times4  ,,by ,,rev4 ,,austin   
,,dickinson4   ,to arrest a great moral 
evil1 and elevate the general standard  
of character in a community1 the        
influence of the young is all-important4
 ,they can1 if they please1 put an end  
to the most demoralizing scourge that   
has ever invaded our country1 and       
introduce a state of society far more   
pure and elevated than the world has yet
 seen4  ,consider then1 beloved youth1  
some of the numerous motives for        
abstaining from intoxicating liquor and 
other hurtful indulgences1 and employing
 your time and faculties with a view to 
the highest improvement and usefulness4 
,the use of such liquor1 as a beverage1 
will do you no good4 ,it will not       
increase your property or credit3 no    
merchant would deem a relish for it any 
recommendation for a clerk or partner in
 business4 ,it will not invigorate your 
body or mind2 for chemistry shows1 that 
alcohol contains no more nutriment than 

fire or lightning4 ,it will not increase
 the number of your respectable friends3
 no one1 in his right mind1 would esteem
 a brother or neighbor the more1 or     
think his prospects the better1 on      
account of his occasional use of        
intoxicating liquor4 ,nor will it in the
 least purify or elevate your           
affections1 or help to fit you for the  
endearments of domestic life1 or social 
intercourse2 but on the contrary1       
,scripture and observation alike        
testify1 that wine and its kindred      
indulgences take away the heart4 ,why1  
then1 should a rational being1 capable  
of the purest happiness1 and capable of 
blessing others by an example of        
temperance1 indulge in a beverage in no 
respect useful to those in health1 but  
the occasion of countless miseries6     
,but strict temperance has a direct     
influence on the health and vigor of    
both mind and body4 ,the most eminent   
physicians bear uniform testimony to its
 propitious effect4 ,and the ,spirit of 

inspiration has recorded1 ,he that      
striveth for the mastery1 is temperate  
in all things4 ,many striking examples  
might be adduced4 ,the mother of        
,samson1 that prodigy of human strength1
 was instructed by an angel of ,god to  
preserve him from the slightest touch of
 wine1 or strong drink1 or any unclean  
thing4 ,and ,luther1 who burst the      
chains of half ,europe1 was as          
remarkable for temperance1 as for great 
bodily and intellectual vigor4 ,sir     
,isaac ,newton1 also1 while composing   
his ,treatise on ,light1 a work         
requiring the greatest clearness of     
intellect1 it is said1 very scrupulously
 abstained from all stimulants4 ,the    
immortal ,edwards1 too1 repeatedly      
records his conviction and experience of
 the happy effect of strict temperance1 
both on mind and body4 ,and recent      
reformations from moderate drinking have
 revealed numerous examples of renovated
 health and spirits in consequence of   
the change4  ,but not to multiply       

instances1 let any youth1 oppressed with
 heaviness of brain or dulness of       
intellect1 judiciously try the          
experiment of temperance in all things1 
united with habitual activity1 and he   
will be surprised at the happy effect4  
,consider1 again1 that in the purest    
state of morals1 and the most elevated  
and refined circles1 the use of         
intoxicating drink is now               
discountenanced1 and regarded as        
unseemly4 ,inspiration has declared1 ,it
 is not for kings to drink wine1 nor for
 princes strong drink4 ,and who would   
not regard any of the truly noble1 as   
lowering themselves by disparaging this 
sentiment8 ,what clerical association1  
or what convention of philanthropists1  
would now be found mingling strong      
drink8 ,what select band of students1   
hoping soon to officiate honorably at   
the altar of ,god1 before the bench of  
justice1 or in the chamber of           
affliction1 would now call for brandy or
 wine8 ,what circle of refined females  

would not feel themselves about as much 
degraded by familiarity with such       
indulgences1 as by smoking1 or profane  
language8 ,or what parent1 inquiring for
 an eligible boarding-school1 would     
think of asking1 whether his son or     
daughter might there have the aid of    
such stimulus1 or the example of its    
use8 ,if1 then1 intoxicating liquor is  
thus disparaged in the most moral and   
intelligent circles1 why should it not  
be universally abjured by individuals8  
,why should not the young1 especially1  
of both sexes1 keep themselves          
unspotted1 and worthy of the most       
elevated society8  ,consider1 moreover1 
that if the habit of drinking be        
indulged1 it may be difficult1 if not   
impossible1 should you live1 to break   
off in more advanced life4 ,thus1 even  
in this day of reform1 there are        
individuals1 calling themselves         
respectable1 so accustomed to drink1 or 
traffic in the poison1 that all the     
remonstrances of philanthropists and    

friends1 the wailings of the lost1 the  
authority of ,heaven1 and the anathema  
of public sentiment combined1 cannot now
 restrain them4 ,let the youth1 then1   
who turns with shame from such examples 
of inconsistency1 beware of a habit so  
hardening to the conscience1 so         
deadening to the soul4  ,but1 to        
increase your contempt for the habit of 
drinking1 think how it especially       
prevails among the most degraded        
portions of the community4 ,inquire     
through the city1 or village1 for those 
who are so polluted as to be shut out   
from all decent society--so inured to   
vice that they cannot be looked upon but
 with utter disgust2 learn their        
history1 and you invariably find that   
the insidious glass has been their      
companion1 their solace1 and their      
counsellor4 ,and should not dark        
suspicion and decided reprobation be    
stamped upon that which is thus         
associated with the lowest debasement   
and crime8  ,such drink1 in its very    

nature1 has a perverting and debasing   
tendency--leading to foul speeches1     
foolish contracts1 and every sensual    
indulgence4 ,those under its influence  
will say and do1 what1 in other         
circumstances1 they would abhor3 they   
will slander1 reveal secrets1 throw away
 property1 offend modesty1 profane      
sacred things1 indulge the vilest       
passions1 and cover themselves and      
friends with infamy4 ,hence the solemn  
caution1 ,look not thou on the wine1    
when it giveth its color in the cup3 at 
the last it biteth like a serpent1 and  
stingeth like an adder3 thine eyes shall
 behold strange women1 and thy heart    
utter perverse things4 ,those who1 by   
gaming or intrigue1 rob others of their 
property1 and those who allure the      
simple to ruin1 it is said1 fully       
understand its perverting influence4 ,is
 it not a little one8 say they2 and so  
the unwise are caused to fall1 by little
 and little4      ,she urged him still  
to fill another cup2     99 99 99 and in

 the dark1 still night1     ,when ,god's
 unsleeping eye alone can see1     ,he  
went to her adulterous bed4 ,at morn    
,i looked1 and saw him not among the    
youths2     ,i heard his father mourn1  
his mother weep2     ,for none returned 
that went with her4 ,the dead     ,were 
in her house2 her guests in depths of   
hell3     ,she wove the winding-sheet of
 souls1 and laid     ,them in the urn of
 everlasting death4  ,such is ever the  
tendency of the insidious cup4 ,for the 
unerring word declares1 ,wine is a      
mocker1 strong drink is raging2 and     
whosoever is deceived thereby is not    
wise4 ,they are out of the way through  
strong drink2 they err in vision1 they  
stumble in judgment4  ,indeed1 the whole
 spirit of the ,bible1 as well as       
uncorrupted taste1 is in direct         
hostility to this indulgence4 ,its      
language in regard to all such          
stimulants to evil is1 ,touch not1 taste
 not1 handle not4 ,and to such as glory 
in being above danger1 it says1 with    

emphasis1 ,we1 then1 that are strong1   
ought to bear the infirmities of the    
weak1 and not to please ourselves4  ,he 
who hath declared1 ,drunkards shall not 
inherit the kingdom of ,god1 cannot1    
surely1 be expected to adopt1 as heirs  
of his glory1 any who1 under all the    
light that has been shed on this        
subject1 perseveringly resolve to sip   
the exhilarating glass for mere selfish 
pleasure1 when they know that their     
example may probably lead others to     
endless ruin4 ,common sense1 as well as 
humanity1 revolts at the thought4  ,on  
the other hand1 strict temperance is    
pleasing to the ,most ,high4 ,hence1 it 
is said of him who was honored to       
announce the ,saviour's advent1 ,he     
shall be great in the sight of the      
,lord1 and shall drink neither wine nor 
strong drink4  ,moreover1 the habit of  
strict temperance1 being allied to other
 virtues1 will secure for you the       
respect and confidence of the best      
portions of the community1 as well as   

the approbation of ,god1 and thus lead  
to your more extensive usefulness4 ,the 
youth who promptly comes up to the      
pledge and practice of total abstinence1
 and persuades others to do so1 gives   
evidence of decision and moral          
courage--gives evidence of an intellect 
predominating over selfish indulgence1  
and superior to the laugh of fools2 and 
such is the man whom an intelligent     
community will delight to honor4  ,but  
you are to live1 not merely for         
self-advancement1 or happiness3         
consider1 then1 that true patriotism and
 philanthropy rightfully demand your    
cordial support of the ,temperance      
cause4 ,a thick1 fiery vapor1 coming up 
from the pit1 has been overspreading our
 whole land and blighting half its      
glory4 ,thousands1 through the noxious  
influence of this vapor1 have yearly    
sunk to that pit1 to weep and lament for
 ever4 ,thousands more are groping their
 miserable way thither1 who1 but for    
this pestilence1 might be among our     

happiest citizens4 ,still greater       
numbers1 of near connections1 are in    
consequence1 covered with shame4 ,ah1   
who can say1 he has had no relative     
infected by this plague8 ,but           
,providence1 in great mercy1 has        
revealed the only effectual course for  
exterminating the plague--total         
abstinence from all that can intoxicate4
 ,and the adoption of this course1      
instead of involving any real sacrifice1
 might be an annual saving to the nation
 of many millions of dollars4 ,what     
youth1 then1 who loves his country1 will
 not cheerfully cooperate with the most 
respected of every profession in        
encouraging this course8 ,who does not  
see its certain efficacy1 and the       
grandeur of the result8  ,were a foreign
 despot1 with his armies1 now invading  
our country1 every youthful bosom would 
swell with indignation4 ,and will you   
not combine to arrest the more cruel    
despot1 ,intemperance1 whose vessels are
 daily entering our ports1 whose        

magazines of death are planted at the   
corners of our streets1 and whose       
manufactories are like the worm that    
dieth not1 and the fire that is not     
quenched8  ,were all who have1 in the   
compass of a year1 been found drunk in  
the land1 assembled in one place1 they  
would make a greater army than ever     
,bonaparte commanded4 ,and yet1 unless  
patriot hearts and hands interpose1     
myriads more1 from generation to        
generation1 coming on in the same track1
 will go down like these to the         
drunkard's grave4  ,were all the        
thousands that annually descend to the  
drunkard's grave1 cast out at once into 
an open field1 their loathsome carcases 
would cover many acres of ground4 ,and  
yet the source of all this pollution and
 death is moderate drinking4  ,were the 
thousands of distilleries and breweries1
 still at work day and night in the     
land1 placed in one city or county1 they
 would blacken all the surrounding      
heavens with their smoke4 ,and could all

 the oaths1 obscenities1 and blasphemies
 they occasion every hour1 be uttered in
 one voice1 it would be more terrific   
than seven thunders4  ,and are those    
armies of drunkards1 that liquid fire1  
those carcases of the slain1 those      
ever-burning manufactories1 and those   
blasphemies in the ear of ,heaven1 less 
appalling1 less stirring to patriotism1 
because scattered throughout the land8  
,shall there be no burst of indignation 
against this monster of despotism and   
wickedness1 because he has insidiously  
entered the country1 instead of coming  
in by bold invasion8 ,shall he still    
deceive the nation1 and pursue his      
ravages8 ,or shall he not1 at once1 be  
arrested1 when it can be done without   
cost1 and with infinite gain8  ,it must 
not be forgotten1 that1 in this country1
 every drunkard has equal power in the  
elective franchise with the most        
virtuous citizen4 ,nor must it be       
forgotten1 that should the reform now   
cease1 and intemperance again increase  

for the fifty years to come1 in only the
 same ratio that it did for twenty years
 previous to the commencement of general
 reform in #ahbf1 about one-third of our
 voters would be drunkards4 ,what1 then1
 would be the character of our beloved  
republic8  ,but should intemperance     
increase in that ratio for eighty years1
 a majority of our voters would be      
drunkards1 and our population amount to 
several hundred millions4 ,who then     
could turn back the burning tide2 or who
 could govern the maddening multitudes8 
,it is not a vain thing1 then1 that     
patriots have waked up to this subject4 
,their trumpet should now thrill through
 the land1 and urge all the young to    
enlist1 at once1 on the side of virtue4 
,these can1 if they will1 cause the     
river of abominations to be dried up4   
,but the subject of temperance has still
 another aspect1 far more serious4 ,it  
must be a solemn consideration to such  
as realize1 in any measure1 the worth of
 the soul and the necessity of its      

regeneration1 that indulgence in the use
 of intoxicating drink1 in this day of  
light1 may grieve the ,holy ,spirit1    
whose presence alone can insure         
salvation4 ,indeed1 to say nothing of   
the deadening influence of such liquor  
on the conscience1 unless heaven and    
hell can mingle together1 we cannot1    
surely1 expect ,god to send his ,spirit 
to cooperate with that which is         
peculiarly offensive to the most devoted
 and self-denying of his friends1 and   
which ,satan employs1 more than any     
other agent1 in fitting men for his     
service4 ,for1 what communion hath light
 with darkness8--what concord hath      
,christ with ,belial8 ,beware1 then1 of 
the arch-deceiver1 in this matter4 ,it  
is not a vain thing for you1 because it 
is your life4  ,it is obvious that if   
such stimulants were wholly done away1  
the ,gospel would have far mightier     
sway1 and human nature generally assume 
a higher character4 ,pure moral stimulus
 would take the place of what is low1   

sensual1 and selfish4 ,better health1   
better temper1 higher intellect1 and    
more generous benevolence would         
everywhere appear4  ,it is obvious1     
likewise1 that ,providence has great    
designs to be accomplished by the       
younger portions of this generation4    
,unto us are committed those oracles    
which declare1 ,instead of thy fathers  
shall be thy children1 whom thou mayest 
make princes in all the earth4 ,and     
already do ,i see1 in the silent        
kindling of unnumbered minds1 in our    
,sabbath-schools and other institutions1
 the presage of unexampled good to the  
nations4 ,who1 then1 of the rising race1
 is so dead to generous feeling1 so deaf
 to the voice of ,providence1 so blind  
to the beauty of moral excellence1 that 
he will not now aspire to some course of
 worthy action8 ,let this motto1 then1  
stand out like the sun in the firmament3
 ,,he ,,that ,,striveth ,,for ,,the     
,,mastery1 ,,is ,,temperate ,,in ,,all  
,,things4  ,one word in reference to    

making and observing a pledge for       
abstinence4 ,as it respects yourself1 it
 will show a resolute1 independent mind1
 and be deciding the question once for  
all1 and thus supersede the necessity of
 deciding it a thousand times1 when the 
temptation is offered4 ,it will1        
moreover1 supersede the inconvenience of
 perpetual warfare with appetite and    
temptation4 ,and as it respects others1 
of feebler minds1 or stronger appetites1
 your example may be immeasurably       
important4 ,multitudes may thus be      
secured to a life of sobriety1 who1 but 
for this pledge1 would never have had   
the requisite firmness4 ,your influence 
may thus extend on the right hand and on
 the left1 and down to future ages2 and 
by such united pledges and efforts1     
countless multitudes may be saved from a
 life of wretchedness1 a death of       
infamy1 and an eternity of woe4  ,but   
does any one still say1 ,i will unite in
 no pledge1 because in no danger8       
,suppose you are safe2 have you then no 

benevolence8 ,are you utterly selfish8  
,think of the bosom now wrung with agony
 and shame1 over a drunken husband1 or  
father1 or brother4 ,and have you no    
pity8 ,think of the millions of hopes1  
for both worlds1 suspended on the       
success of the temperance cause4 ,and   
will you do nothing to speed its        
triumph8  ,do you say1 your influence is
 of no account8 ,it was one poor man    
that saved a little city1 when a great  
king besieged it4 ,another saved a great
 city1 when the anger of ,jehovah was   
provoked against it4 ,small as your     
influence may be1 you are accountable to
 ,god and your country2 and your finger 
may touch some string that shall vibrate
 through the nation4  ,but are you      
conscious of possessing talent8 ,then   
rally the circle of your acquaintance1  
and enlist them in the sacred cause4    
,and do you save a little by abstinence8
 ,then give a little to extend the      
benign influence4 ,what youth cannot1 at
 least1 circulate a few ,tracts1 and    

perhaps enlist as many individuals8 ,and
 who can estimate the endless influence 
of those individuals1 or their capacity 
for rising with you in celestial        
splendor8  ,but have you wealth1 or     
power with the pen8 ,then speak by ten  
thousand tongues3 send winged messengers
 through the city1 the country1 the     
town1 the village1 the harbor2 and thus 
may you enjoy now the highest of all    
luxuries--the luxury of doing good4     
,and1 at the same time1 trusting in     
,,him who came from the abodes of light1
 to seek and save the lost1 you may     
secure durable riches in that world1    
where1 saith the ,scripture1 neither    
covetous1 nor drunkards1 nor            
extortioners1 nor revilers1 nor the     
slothful1 nor mere lovers of pleasure1  
nor any thing that defileth1 shall ever 
enter2 but where ,,they ,,that ,,be     
,,wise shall shine forth as the         
brightness of the firmament for ever and
 ever4  ,when these opposite characters 
and their changeless destinies are      

seriously weighed1 none1 surely1 can    
hesitate which to prefer4 ,but1 what    
thou doest1 do quickly4         99      
99       99       99       99           
,,note4--,a premium of fifty dollars1   
offered by a friend1 was awarded to the 
author of this ,tract4         99       
99       99       99       99           
,,published ,,by ,,the ,,american       
,,tract ,,society4     ,,alarm ,,to     
,,distillers4  ,,by ,,rev4 ,,baxter     
,,dickinson1 ,d4 ,d4   ,the art of      
turning the products of the earth into a
 fiery spirit was discovered by an      
,arab1 about nine hundred years ago4    
,the effects of this abuse of nature's  
gifts were soon viewed with alarm4      
,efforts were made1 even by a heathen   
people1 to arrest the evil2 and it shows
 the mighty agency and cunning of       
,satan1 that ,christian nations should  
ever have been induced to adopt and     
encourage this deadliest of man's       
inventions4 ,in the guilt of encouraging
 the destructive art1 our own free      

country has largely participated4 ,in   
the year #ahae1 as appears from         
well-authenticated statistics1 our      
number of distilleries had risen to     
nearly forty thousand2 and1 until within
 a few years past1 the progress of      
intemperance threatened all that was    
fair and glorious in our prospects4 ,the
 reformation recently commenced is one  
of the grandest movements of our world2 
and to secure its speedy triumph1 the   
concurrence of distillers is obviously  
indispensable4 ,they must cease to      
provide the destroying element4 ,this   
they are urged to do by the following   
considerations3  #a4 ,the business of   
distilling confers no benefits on your  
fellow-men4 ,ardent spirit is not needed
 as an article of living4 ,in the first 
ages of the world1 when human life was  
protracted to hundreds of years1 it was 
unknown4 ,by the first settlers of this 
country it was not used4 ,it was        
scarcely used for a whole century4 ,and 
those temperate generations were        

remarkably robust1 cheerful1 and        
enterprising4 ,to this we may add1 that 
several hundred thousand persons1       
accustomed to use it1 have given it up  
entirely within a few years past2 and   
their united testimony is1 that they    
have made no sacrifice either of health1
 or strength1 or any real comfort4      
,indeed few1 if any1 except such as have
 the intemperate appetite1 will now     
seriously contend that distilled liquor 
is necessary or useful4 ,the little that
 may perhaps be desirable as medicine1  
might be made by the apothecary1 or the 
physician4  ,the talents ,god has given 
you might be applied to advance the     
welfare of your fellow-men4 ,it is your 
duty--your highest honor--thus to apply 
them4 ,and on the bed of death1 in near 
prospect of the judgment1 it will surely
 be a melancholy reflection that1 as    
regards the happiness of mankind1 your  
life has been an utter blank4  #b4 ,the 
business of distilling is not only      
useless1 but is the occasion of many and

 great evils4 ,recent examination has   
developed a number of appalling facts1  
which few1 if any1 pretend to question4 
,it is admitted that the use of ardent  
spirit has been a tax on the population 
of our country1 of from fifty to a      
hundred millions of dollars annually4   
,it is admitted that three-fourths of   
all the crimes of the land result from  
the use of intoxicating liquor4 ,it is  
admitted that at least three-fourths of 
all the sufferings of poverty arise from
 the same source4 ,it is admitted that  
upwards of thirty thousand of our       
citizens have annually descended to the 
drunkard's grave4 ,it is admitted1 by   
those who believe the ,bible1 that      
drunkards shall not inherit eternal     
life1 but must have their part in the   
lake that burneth with fire and         
brimstone4 ,in a word1 it is admitted   
that health1 fortune1 social happiness1 
intellect1 conscience1 heaven1 are all  
swept away by the tide of intemperance4 
,and now1 what you are specially bound  

to ponder is1 that this burning tide1   
with all its desolations1 flows from    
those very fountains you have           
opened--the boiling flood can be        
perpetuated only by those fires which   
your hands kindle1 and which it is your 
daily task to tend4  ,the position you  
occupy1 then1 is one of most fearful    
responsibility4 ,you are directly and   
peculiarly accessary to a degree of     
guilt and misery which none but the     
infinite mind can comprehend4 ,i hear   
for you a loud remonstrance from every  
court of justice1 from every prison of  
collected crime1 from every chamber of  
debasement1 and from every graveyard1 as
 well as from the dark world of despair4
 ,i hear the cries of unnumbered        
mothers1 and widows1 and orphans1 all   
with one voice imploring you to         
extinguish those fires1 to dry up those 
fountains1 and to abandon an occupation 
pregnant with infamy1 and death1 and    
perdition4  #c4 ,the business of        
distilling destroys1 to a great extent1 

the bounties of ,providence4 ,many of   
the substances converted into ardent    
spirit are indispensable to the comfort 
of man--some of them the very staff of  
life4 ,but the work of distillation not 
only destroys them as articles of food1 
but actually converts them to poison4   
,an incalculable amount of grain1 and   
tens of thousands of hogsheads of sugar 
and molasses1 besides enormous          
quantities of other useful articles1 are
 every year thus wickedly perverted in  
this ,christian land4 ,who does not know
 the odious fact that1 in many places1  
the distillery has regulated the price  
of bread8 ,who does not know that this  
engine of iniquity has at times so      
consumed the products of industry as to 
make it difficult for the poorer classes
 to get a supply8 ,the poor we have     
always with us2 and cries of the        
suffering are often heard from other    
lands4 ,such facts1 it would seem1 might
 reach the conscience of all who are    
wantonly destroying ,heaven's gifts4    

,can you1 for a little selfish gain1    
persist in converting the bread of      
multitudes into pestilential fire8 ,how 
utterly unlike the example of ,him who1 
while feeding thousands by miracle1     
could still say1 ,gather up the         
fragments which remain1 that nothing be 
lost4  #d4 ,by continuing this          
destructive business1 you greatly offend
 the virtuous and respectable part of   
the community4 ,the temperance          
reformation has been commenced and      
prosecuted by enlightened men4 ,it is   
not the enterprise of any political     
party or religious sect4 ,it has the    
general support of ministers and        
,christians of different denominations1 
of statesmen1 judges1 lawyers1          
physicians1 and hundreds of thousands in
 the walks of private life4 ,they regard
 the enterprise as one1 on the success  
of which hang the liberties of our      
republic and the happiness of future    
millions4  ,you cannot be surprised1    
then1 that they look with pain on       

operations directly adapted to defeat   
their plans1 and perpetuate the dread   
evil they deplore4 ,you cannot suppose  
that their eye will light on the        
fountains of this mighty evil but with  
inexpressible grief1 disgust1 and       
indignation4 ,and if you have the common
 magnanimity of our nature1 you will    
surely cease to outrage the feelings of 
the virtuous throughout the nation4  #e4
 ,you pursue a pernicious calling1 in   
opposition to great light4 ,the time was
 when good men extensively engaged in   
the distilling business1 and when few   
seemed to be aware of its fearfully     
mischievous tendency4 ,the matter had   
not been a subject of solemn and        
extensive discussion4 ,the sin was one  
of comparative ignorance4 ,but          
circumstances have changed4 ,inquiry has
 thrown upon the community a flood of   
light4 ,the evil of intemperance has    
been exhibited in its complicated       
horrors4 ,ardent spirit has been found  
to be not only useless1 but fearfully   

destructive2 so that the guilt of       
manufacturing it is now enormously      
aggravated4  ,good men were once engaged
 in importing slaves4 ,they suspected   
not the iniquity of the business2 and an
 apology can be offered for them1 on the
 ground of ignorance4 ,but their trade  
has now come to be regarded by the      
civilized world in the same odious light
 as piracy and murder4 ,the man who     
engages in it is stamped with           
everlasting infamy4 ,and the reason is1 
that1 like the distiller1 he now sins   
amid that fulness of light which an age 
of philanthropy has poured around him4  
#f4 ,perseverance in the business of    
distilling must necessarily be at the   
expense of your own reputation and that 
of your posterity4 ,you are creating and
 sending out the materials of discord1  
crime1 poverty1 disease1 and            
intellectual and moral degradation4 ,you
 are contributing to perpetuate one of  
the sorest scourges of our world4 ,and  
the scourge can never be removed till   

those deadly fires you have kindled are 
all put out4 ,that public sentiment     
which is worthy of respect calls upon   
you to extinguish them4 ,and the note of
 remonstrance will wax louder and louder
 till every smoking distillery in the   
land is demolished4 ,a free and         
enlightened people cannot quietly look  
on while an enemy is working his engines
 and forging the instruments of national
 bondage and death4  ,without a         
prophet's vision1 ,i foresee the day    
when the manufacture of intoxicating    
liquor1 for common distribution1 will be
 classed with the arts of counterfeiting
 and forgery1 and the maintenance of    
houses for midnight revelry and         
corruption4 ,like these1 the business   
will become a work only of darkness1 and
 be prosecuted only by the outlaw4      
,weigh well1 then1 the bearing of your  
destructive employment on personal and  
family character4 ,the employment may   
secure for you a little gain1 and       
perhaps wealth4 ,but1 in a day of       

increasing light and purity1 you can    
never rid treasures1 thus acquired1 of a
 stigma1 which will render him miserably
 poor who holds them4 ,upon the dwelling
 you occupy1 upon the fields you        
enclose1 upon the spot that entombs your
 ashes1 there will be fixed an          
indescribable gloom and odiousness1 to  
offend the eye and sicken the heart of a
 virtuous community1 till your memory   
shall perish4 ,quit1 then1 this vile    
business1 and spare your name1 spare    
your family1 spare your children's      
children such insupportable shame and   
reproach4  #g4 ,by prosecuting this     
business in a day of light and reform1  
you peculiarly offend ,god1 and jeopard 
your immortal interests4 ,in times of   
ignorance1 ,god1 in a sense1 winked at  
error4 ,but let the error be persisted  
in under a full blaze of light1 and it  
must be the occasion of a dread         
retribution from his throne4  ,the      
circumstances of the distiller are now  
entirely changed4 ,his sin was once a   

sin of ignorance1 but is such no longer4
 ,he knows he is taking bread from the  
hungry1 and perverting the bounties of  
,providence4 ,he knows he is undermining
 the very pillars of our republic4 ,he  
knows that1 by distilling1 he confers no
 benefits upon mankind4 ,he knows he is 
directly accessory to the temporal      
wretchedness and the endless wailing of 
multitudes4 ,and knowing these things1  
and keeping on his way1 he accumulates  
guilt which the ,holy ,one cannot       
overlook4 ,if endless exclusion from    
heaven be the drunkard's doom1 can he be
 held guiltless who deliberately        
prepared for him1 and perhaps placed in 
his hand1 the cup of death and          
damnation8 ,this is not the decision    
either of ,scripture or of common sense4
 ,wilfully persevering to furnish the   
sure means of death1 you carry to the   
judgment the murderer's character as    
clearly as the midnight assassin4  ,and 
now1 what is the ,,apology for          
prosecuting a business so manifestly    

offensive to ,god1 and ruinous to       
yourself1 as well as others8 ,do you    
say1 ,it is necessary as a means of     
support8 ,but whence have you derived   
authority to procure a living at the    
sacrifice of conscience1 character1 and 
the dearest interests of others8 ,and is
 the maintenance of a public nuisance   
really necessary to your support8 ,in a 
country like this1 the plea of necessity
 for crime is glaringly impious4 ,many  
and varied departments of honest and    
honorable industry are before you1 all  
promising a generous reward2 and1       
neglecting them for a wicked and        
mischievous occupation1 you must bear   
the odium of a most sordid avarice1 or  
implacable malignity4  ,you virtually1  
too1 impeach the character of ,god4 ,you
 proclaim that he has made your comfort1
 and even subsistence1 to depend upon   
the practice of iniquity4 ,it is an     
imputation he must repel with abhorrence
 and wrath4 ,nor is it sustained by the 
conscience1 reason1 or experience of any

 man4  ,but possibly you urge1 in       
self-justification1 ,others will        
manufacture spirit1 if ,i do not4 ,but  
remember1 the guilt of one is no excuse 
for another4 ,every one of us shall give
 account of himself to ,god4 ,if others 
pursue a business at the sacrifice of   
character and of heaven1 it becomes you 
to avoid their crime1 that you may      
escape their doom4  ,it is not certain1 
however1 that others will prosecute the 
destructive business1 if you abandon it4
 ,men of fore-thought will not now      
embark their silver and gold on a       
pestilential stream1 soon to be dried up
 under that blaze of light and heat     
which a merciful ,god has enkindled4    
,they will not deem it either wise or   
safe to kindle unholy and deadly fires  
where the pure river of the water of    
life is so soon to overflow4 ,in the eye
 of thousands1 the distillery on your   
premises adds nothing to their value4   
,indeed1 should they purchase those     
premises1 the filthy establishment would

 be demolished as the first effort of   
improvement4 ,and every month and hour  
is detracting from its value1 and       
blackening the curse that rests upon it4
  ,let the thousands now concerned in   
distilling at once put out their fires1 
and the act would cause one general     
burst of joy through the nation2 and any
 effort to rekindle them would excite an
 equally general burst of indignation   
and abhorrence4 ,none but a monster of  
depravity would ever make the attempt4  
,but again1 perhaps you say1 ,no one is 
obliged to use the spirit that is made4 
,but remember1 that you make it only to 
be used4 ,you make it with the desire1  
with the hope1 with the expectation that
 it will be used4 ,you know it has been 
used by thousands--by millions--and has 
strewed the land with desolation1 and   
peopled hell with its victims2 and you  
cannot but acknowledge that you would at
 once cease to make the liquor1 did you 
not hope it would continue to be used4  
,indeed1 you must see that just in      

proportion to your success will be the  
amount of mischief done to your         
fellow-men4  ,it seems hardly needful to
 say that the foregoing considerations  
are all strictly applicable to ,,such   
,,as ,,furnish ,,the ,,materials for the
 distiller4 ,were these withheld1 his   
degrading occupation would of course    
cease4 ,by suffering1 then1 the fruits  
of your industry to pass into his hands1
 you perpetuate his work of death4 ,you 
share all his guilt1 and shame1 and     
curse4 ,and remember1 too1 that the     
bushel of grain1 the barrel of cider1   
the hogshead of molasses1 for which you 
thus gain a pittance1 may be returned   
from the fiery process only to hasten   
the infamy and endless ruin of a beloved
 son1 or brother1 or friend4  ,nor is   
the crime of the ,,retailer of ardent   
spirit essentially different4 ,he takes 
the poison from the distiller1 and      
insidiously deals it out to his         
fellow-men4 ,it is truly stirring to    
one's indignation to notice his variety 

of artifice for rendering it enticing4  
,his occupation is one which the civil  
authorities have1 in some places1 with a
 noble consistency1 ceased to tolerate2 
and one which must soon be put down by  
the loud voice of public sentiment4     
,indeed1 the retailer1 the distiller1   
and he who furnishes the materials1 must
 be looked upon as forming a ,,triple   
,,league1 dangerous alike to private and
 social happiness1 and to the very      
liberties of the nation4 ,and an        
awakened people cannot rest till the    
deadly compact is sundered4 ,why not1   
then1 anticipate a little the verdict   
and the vengeance of a rising tone of   
public sentiment1 and at once proclaim  
the unholy alliance dissolved8 ,why not 
anticipate the verdict of an infinitely 
higher tribunal--why not believe ,god's 
threatening1 and escape the eternal     
tempest that lowers for him who putteth 
the cup to his neighbor's lips8 ,why not
 cooperate promptly in a public reform  
that is regarded with intense interest  

in heaven1 on earth1 and in hell8  ,o   
review1 as men of reason1 and           
conscience1 and immortality1 this whole 
business4 ,and if you have no ambition  
to benefit your fellow-men--if you can  
consent to ruin many for both worlds--if
 you can persist in wasting and         
perverting the bounties of a kind       
,providence--if you can outrage the     
feelings of the most enlightened and    
virtuous--if you can pursue a work of   
darkness amid noonday light--if you can 
sacrifice a good name1 and entail odium 
on all you leave--and if you can        
deliberately offend ,god1 and jeopard   
your immortal interests for paltry gain1
 then go on--go on a little longer2 but1
 ,o ,,my ,,soul1 ,,come ,,not ,,thou    
,,into ,,their ,,secret2 ,,unto ,,their 
,,assembly1 ,,mine ,,honor1 ,,be ,,not  
,,thou ,,united4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,,note4--,a       
premium1 offered by a friend of         
temperance1 was awarded to the author of
 this ,tract4   ,,published ,,by ,,the  

,,american ,,tract ,,society4           
,,putnam ,,and ,,the ,,wolf2  ,,or1     
,,the ,,monster ,,destroyed4  ,,an      
,,address ,,originally ,,delivered ,,at 
,,pomfret1 ,,conn41  ,,by ,,rev4 ,,john 
,,marsh4  ,illustration3 ,weeping drunk 
with wife and child   ,i remember1 when 
a boy1 reading a story which chilled my 
blood in my veins2 but which taught me  
never to sit down and try to bear an    
evil which might1 by bold and           
persevering effort1 be remedied4 ,the   
story was this4 ,a certain district of  
country was infested by a wild beast4   
,the nuisance was intolerable4 ,the     
inhabitants rallied1 and hunted it day  
and night1 until they drove it into a   
deep den4 ,there1 with dogs1 guns1      
straw1 fire1 and sulpher1 they attacked 
the common enemy2 but all in vain4 ,the 
hounds came back badly wounded1 and     
refused to return4 ,the smoke of blazing
 straw had no effect2 nor had the fumes 
of burnt brimstone4 ,the ferocious      
animal would not quit its retirement4   

,and now the shadows of evening gathered
 around them4 ,the clock struck nine1   
and ten4 ,and should they lose their    
prey8 ,they must1 unless some one should
 be so daring as to descend into this   
den of monsters and destroy the enemy4  
,one man offered to go2 but his         
neighbors remonstrated against the      
perilous enterprise4 ,perilous indeed it
 was2 but live so they could not1 and   
stripping off his coat and waistcoat and
 having a long rope fastened round his  
legs1 by which he might be pulled back1 
he entered with a flaming torch in his  
hand1 head foremost4 ,the most          
terrifying darkness appeared in front of
 the dim circle afforded by his light4  
,it was still as the house of death4    
,but proceeding onwards with            
unparalleled courage1 he discovered the 
glaring eyeballs of the ferocious beast1
 who was sitting at the extremity of the
 cavern4 ,for a moment he retreated2 but
 again descended with his musket4 ,the  
beast howled1 rolled its eyes1 snapped  

its teeth1 and threatened him with      
instant death1 when he levelled1 fired1 
and brought it forth dead1 to the view  
of his trembling and exulting neighbors4
  ,little did ,i then think that ,i     
should one day see the country rallied  
on the same spot1 to hunt a more        
terrible monster1 whose destruction will
 require ,putnam courage4  ,the old     
enemy1 gentlemen1 which your fathers    
hunted about these hills and dales1 was 
visible to the eye1 and could be reached
 with powder and ball2 but the enemy    
whom you assault is1 like the foe of    
human bliss which entered the garden of 
,eden1 invisible1 and therefore not to  
be described1 and not to be destroyed by
 force of arms4 ,that enemy did1 indeed1
 to effect his purpose1 assume the form 
of a serpent2 and ours has been said1 as
 belonging to the same family1 to have  
occasionally the same aspect4 ,a        
gentleman in ,missouri has recently     
described a dreadful worm which1 he     
says1 infests that country4 ,it is of a 

dead lead color1 and generally lives    
near a spring1 and bites the unfortunate
 people who are in the habit of going   
there to drink4 ,the symptoms of its    
bite are terrible4 ,the eyes of the     
patient become red and fiery2 the tongue
 swells to an immoderate size and       
obstructs utterance1 and delirium of the
 most horrid character ensues4 ,the name
 of this reptile is1 ',,the ,,worm ,,of 
,,the ,,still4' ,i suspect it is one of 
the same family which is infesting the  
peaceful villages of ,new ,england1 and 
whose ravages have alarmed the country1 
and caused you this day to leave your   
homes and seek its destruction4 ,i would
 not here inquire minutely into its     
history4 ,it is said to have originated 
in ,arabia1 the country of the false    
prophet4 ,the aborigines of our forests 
never knew it4 ,they could proudly tread
 on the rattlesnake and copperhead1 but 
never fell before the worm of the still4
 ,o woful day when it found its way to  
our coasts2 when here it first generated

 its offspring4  ,yet there are men who 
think we belie it2 who say that we are  
needlessly alarmed2 that we are hunting 
a friend2 that we are driving one from  
our country without whose aid we can    
never check the ravages of disease1 or  
perform our labor1 or have any hilarity4
 ,it is not1 say they1 a poisonous foe4 
,it is a pleasant cordial2 a cheerful   
restorative2 the first friend of the    
infant2 the support of the enfeebled    
mother2 a sweet luxury1 given by the    
parent to the child2 the universal token
 of kindness1 friendship1 and           
hospitality4 ,it adorns the sideboards  
and tables of the rich1 and enlivens the
 social circles of the poor2 goes with  
the laborer as his most cheering        
companion2 accompanies the mariner in   
his long and dreary voyage2 enlivens the
 carpenter1 the mason1 the blacksmith1  
the joiner1 as they ply their trade2    
follows the merchant to his counter1 the
 physician to his infected rooms1 the   
lawyer to his office1 and the divine to 

his study1 cheering all and comforting  
all4 ,it is the life of our trainings1  
and town-meetings1 and elections1 and   
bees1 and raisings1 and harvests1 and   
sleighing-parties4 ,it is the best      
domestic medicine1 good for a cold and a
 cough1 for pain in the stomach1 and    
weakness in the limbs1 loss of appetite 
and rheumatism1 and is a great support  
in old age4 ,it makes a market for our  
rye and apples2 sustains #ajj1jjj       
families who are distilling and vending1
 and pours annually millions of dollars 
into our national treasury4 ,had the    
wolf possessed the cunning of the fox1  
she would have told ,putnam as smooth a 
story as this4 ,but it would have made  
no difference4 ,the old man's cornfields
 were fattened by the blood of his      
sheep1 and he would give no quarter4    
,and the blood of our countrymen has    
been poured out at the shrine of the    
demon ,intemperance1 and we must give   
none4 ,talk we of alcohol as a friend6  
,as well may a mother praise the        

crocodile which has devoured her        
offspring4  ,look1 my countrymen1 at the
 ravages of intemperance4 ,fix your eye 
on its waste of property4  ,at the      
lowest calculation1 it has annually     
despoiled us of a hundred millions of   
dollars--of thirty millions for an      
article which is nothing worth1 and     
seventy or eighty millions more to      
compensate for the mischiefs that       
article has done--money enough to       
accomplish all that the warmest patriot 
could wish for his country1 and to fill1
 in a short period1 the world with      
,bibles and a preached ,gospel4 ,what   
farmer would not be roused1 should a    
wild beast come once a year into his    
borders and destroy the best cow in his 
farmyard8 ,but #f-a_/d cents a day for  
ardent spirit wastes #bb #ha cents a    
year1 and in #dj years nearly #a1jjj1   
which is a thousand times as much as    
scores of drunkards are worth at their  
burial4  ,see the pauperism it has      
produced4 ,we have sung of our goodly   

heritage1 and foreign nations have      
disgorged their exuberant population    
that they might freely subsist in this  
land of plenty4 ,but in this granary of 
the world are everywhere seen houses    
without windows1 fields without tillage1
 barns without roofs1 children without  
clothing1 and penitentiaries and        
almshouses filled to overflowing2 and a 
traveller might write--,,beggars ,,made 
,,here4 ,we are groaning under our      
pauperism1 and talking of taxes1 and    
hard times1 and no trade2 but           
intemperance has stalked through our    
land and devoured our substance4 ,it has
 entered the houses of our unsuspecting 
inhabitants as a friend1 and taken the  
food from their tables1 and the clothing
 from their beds1 and the fuel from     
their fire1 and turned their lands over 
to others1 and drove them from their    
dwellings to subsist on beggary and     
crime1 or drag out a miserable existence
 in penitentiaries and almshouses4      
,two-thirds1 or #aej1jjj of the wretched

 tenants of these abodes of poverty in  
the ,united ,states1 were reduced by    
intemperance4 ,so themselves confess4   
,it was rum1 brandy1 and whiskey1 that  
did it4 ,and the ,prison ,discipline    
report tells of #ej1jjj cases of        
imprisonment for debt annually in the   
,united ,states1 in consequence of the  
use of ardent spirits4 ,o1 its sweeps of
 property can never be known4  ,look at 
the crime it has occasioned4  ,it is    
said that there is a spring in ,china   
which makes every man that drinks it a  
villain4 ,eastern tales are founded on  
some plain matter of fact4 ,this spring 
may be some distillery or dram-shop2 for
 this is the natural effect of alcohol4 
,it breaks down the conscience1 quickens
 the circulation1 increases the courage1
 makes man flout at law and right1 and  
hurries him to the perpetration of every
 abomination and crime4 ,excite a man by
 this fluid1 and he is bad enough for   
any thing4 ,he can lie1 and steal1 and  
fight1 and swear1 and plunge the dagger 

into the bosom of his nearest friend4   
,no vice is too filthy1 no crime too    
tragical for the drunkard4 ,the records 
of our courts tell of acts committed    
under the influence of rum1 which curdle
 the blood in our veins4 ,husbands      
butcher their wives2 children slaughter 
their parents4 ,far the greater part of 
the atrocities committed in our land1   
proceed from its maddening power4 ,i    
declare in this public manner1 and with 
the most solemn regard to truth1 said   
,judge ,rush1 some years ago in a charge
 to a grand jury1 that ,i do not        
recollect an instance since my being    
concerned in the administration of      
justice1 of a single person being put on
 his trial for manslaughter which did   
not originate in drunkenness2 and but   
few instances of trial for murder where 
the crime did not spring from the same  
unhappy cause4 ,of #hie complaints      
presented to the police court in ,boston
 in one year1 #djj were under the       
statute against common drunkards4 ,of   

#a1jfa cases of criminal prosecution in 
a court in ,north ,carolina1 more than  
#hjj proceeded from intemperance4 ,five 
thousand complaints are made yearly in  
,new ,york to the city police of        
outrages committed by intoxicated       
persons2 and the late city attorney     
reports1 that of twenty-two cases of    
murder which it had been his duty to    
examine1 every one of them had been     
committed in consequence of intemperate 
drinking4 ,nine-tenths of all the       
prisoners under my care1 says ,captain  
,pillsbury1 warden of our own state     
prison1 are decidedly intemperate men1  
and were brought to their present       
condition1 directly or indirectly1      
through intoxicating liquor4 ,many have 
confessed to me with tears1 that they   
never felt tempted to the commission of 
crime1 thus punishable1 but when under  
the influence of strong drink4 ,and the 
,prison ,discipline report states1 that 
of #abe1jjj criminals committed to our  
prisons in a single year1 #ic1gej were  

excited to their commission of crime by 
spirituous liquors4  ,look at its       
destruction of intellect4  ,it reduces  
man to a beast1 to a fool1 to a devil4  
,the excessive drinker first becomes    
stupid1 then idiotic1 then a maniac4    
,men of the finest geniuses1 most acute 
minds1 and profound learning1 have      
dwindled under the touch of this        
withering demon to the merest           
insignificance1 and been hooted by boys 
for their silly speeches and silly      
actions1 or chained in a madhouse as    
unsafe in society4 ,of eighty-seven     
admitted into the ,new ,york hospital in
 one year1 the insanity of twenty-seven 
was occasioned by ardent spirit2 and the
 physicians of the ,pennsylvania        
hospital report1 that one-third of the  
insane of that institution were ruined  
by intemperance4 ,what if one-sixth of  
our maniacs were deprived of their      
reason by the bite of the dogs1 the     
friendly inmates of our houses1 or by   
some vegetable common on our table2 who 

would harbor the dangerous animal1 or   
taste the poisonous vegetable8 ,but1    
one-third of our maniacs are deranged by
 alcohol4 ,indeed1 every drunkard is in 
a temporary delirium2 and no man who    
takes even a little into his system1    
possesses that sound judgment1 or is    
capable of that patient investigation or
 intellectual effort1 which would be his
 without it4 ,just in proportion as man 
comes under its influence1 he           
approximates to idiotism or madness4    
,look at its waste of health and life4  
,the worm of the still1 says the        
,missouri gentleman1 never touches the  
brute creation1 but as if the most      
venomous of all beings1 it seizes the   
noblest prey4 ,it bites man4 ,and where 
it once leaves its subtle poison1       
farewell to health--farewell to long    
life4 ,the door is open1 and in rush    
dyspepsia1 jaundice1 dropsy1 gout1      
obstructions of the liver1 epilepsy--the
 deadliest plagues let loose on fallen  
man--all terminating in delirium tremens

 or mania a potu1 a prelude to the      
eternal buffetings of foul spirits in   
the world of despair4 ,one out of every 
forty1 or three hundred thousand of our 
population1 have taken up their abode in
 the lazar-house of drunkenness1 and    
thirty thousand die annually the death  
of the drunkard4 ,these sweeps of death 
mock all the ravages of war1 famine1    
pestilence1 and shipwreck4 ,the         
yellow-fever in ,philadelphia1 in #agic1
 felt to be one of the greatest curses  
of heaven1 destroyed but four thousand4 
,in our last war the sword devoured but 
five hundred a year3 intemperance       
destroys two hundred a week4 ,shipwrecks
 destroy suddenly1 and the country      
groans when forty or fifty human beings 
are suddenly engulfed in the ocean2 but 
more than half of all the sudden deaths 
occur in fits of intoxication4 ,it      
needed not a fable to award the prize of
 greatest ingenuity in malice and murder
 to the demon who invented brandy1 over 
the demon who invented war4  ,look at   

its murder of souls4  ,not satisfied    
with filling jails1 and hospitals1 and  
graveyards1 it must people hell4 ,every 
moral and religious principle is        
dissipated before it4 ,the heart        
becomes1 under its influence1 harder    
than the nether mill-stone4 ,it has gone
 into the pulpit and made a ,judas of   
the minister of ,christ4 ,it has        
insinuated itself into the church1 and  
bred putrefaction and death among the   
holy4 ,it has entered the anxious room  
in seasons of revival1 and quenched     
conviction in the breast of the         
distressed sinner1 or sent him1         
exhilarated with a false hope1 to       
profess religion1 and be a curse to the 
church4 ,it has accompanied men1        
,sabbath after ,sabbath1 to the house of
 ,god1 and made them insensible as      
blocks of marble to all the thunders of 
,sinai and sweet strains of ,zion4 ,it  
has led to lying1 profane swearing1     
,sabbath-breaking1 tale-bearing1        
contention2 and raised up an army1 ,i   

may almost say1 in every village1 who   
wish for no ,sabbath1 and no ,bible1 and
 no ,saviour1 and who cry out with      
stammering tongues1 ,away with him1     
crucify him4 ,it has1 without doubt1    
been the most potent of all the         
emissaries of ,satan1 to obliterate the 
fear of the ,lord1 turn men away from   
the ,sabbath and the sanctuary1 steel   
them against the word1 the providence1  
and grace of ,god1 stupefy the          
conscience1 bring into action every dark
 and vile passion1 and fill up with     
immortal souls the dark caverns of      
eternal night4 ,let a man1 day by day1  
hover around a dram-shop1 and sip and   
sip at his bottle1 and the devil is sure
 of him4 ,no ministers1 no ,sabbaths1 no
 prayers1 no tears from broken-hearted  
and bleeding relatives1 can avail to    
save him4 ,he holds that man by a chain 
which nothing but ,omnipotence can      
break4  ,and look1 too1 at its waste of 
human happiness4  ,yes1 look--look for  
yourselves4 ,the woes of drunkenness    

mock all description4 ,some tell of the 
happiness of drinking4 ,o1 if there is a
 wretched being on earth1 it is the     
drunkard4 ,his property wasted1 his     
character gone1 his body loathsome1 his 
passions wild1 his appetite craving the 
poison that kills him1 his hopes of     
immortality blasted for ever2 it is all 
,me miserable1     ,which way ,i fly is 
hell1 myself am hell4  ,and his family4 
,i can never look at it but with        
feelings of deepest anguish4            
,domestic happiness1 thou only bliss    
,of paradise that hast escaped the fall1
  thou art shipwrecked here4 ,sorrow1   
woe1 wounds1 poverty1 babblings1 and    
contention1 have entered in and dwell   
here4 ,yet we have #cjj1jjj such        
families in the land2 and if each family
 consists of four individuals1 more than
 a million persons are here made        
wretched by this curse of curses4  ,and 
his death4 ,o1 to die in our houses1    
amid our friends1 and with the          
consolations of religion1 strips not    

death of its character as the king of   
terrors4 ,but to die as the drunkard    
dies1 an outcast from society1 in some  
hovel or almshouse1 on a bed of straw1  
or in some ditch1 or pond1 or frozen in 
a storm2 to die of the brain-fever1     
conscience upbraiding1 hell opening1 and
 foul spirits passing quick before his  
vision to seize him before his          
time--this1 this is woe2 this is the    
triumph of sin and ,satan4 ,yet1 in the 
last ten years1 #cjj1jjj have died in   
our land the death of the drunkard2     
rushing1 where8--,drunkards shall not   
inherit the kingdom of ,god--rushing    
into hell1 where their worm dieth not1  
and their fire can never be quenched4   
,and if the demon is suffered to        
continue his ravages1 #cjj1jjj more of  
our existing population will1 in the    
same way1 rush into eternal burnings4   
,and his funeral4 ,have you ever been at
 a drunkard's funeral8 ,i do not ask1   
did you look at his corpse8 ,it was     
cadaverous before he died4 ,but did you 

look at his father as he bent over the  
grave and exclaimed in agony1 ,o1 my    
son1 my son1 would to ,god ,i had died  
for thee1 my son4 ,did you look at his  
widow1 pale with grief1 and at his      
ragged1 hunger-bitten children at her   
side1 and see them turn away to share   
the world's cold pity1 or1 perhaps1     
rejected and forlorn1 follow the same   
path to death and hell8  ,such are the  
ravages of the demon we hunt4 ,its      
footsteps are marked with blood4 ,we    
glory in our liberties1 and every fourth
 of ,july our bells ring a merry peal1  
as if we were the happiest people on    
earth4 ,but ,o1 our country1 our        
country6 ,she has a worm at her vitals1 
making fast a wreck of her physical     
energies1 her intellect1 and her moral  
principle2 augmenting her pauperism and 
her crime2 nullifying her elections--for
 a drunkard is not fit for an           
elector--and preparing her for          
subjection to the most merciless tyranny
 that ever scourged any nation under    

heaven4 ,we talk of our religion1 and   
weep over the delusions of the false    
prophet and the horrors of ,juggernaut2 
but a more deceitful prophet is in our  
churches than ,mahomet1 and a more      
bloody idol than ,juggernaut rolls      
through our land1 crushing beneath its  
wheels our sons and our daughters4 ,woe1
 woe1 woe to ,zion4 ,satan is in ,eden4 
,and if no check is put to the ravages  
of the demon1 our benevolent            
institutions must die1 our sanctuaries  
be forsaken1 our beautiful fields be    
wastes1 and the church will read the    
history of her offspring in the third of
 ,romans3 ,their throat is an open      
sepulchre2 their mouth is full of       
cursing and bitterness2 their feet are  
swift to shed blood--all1 blasting our  
bright hope of the speedy approach of   
millennial glory4  ,there is cause1     
then1 for the general alarm that has    
been excited in our country2 reason for 
this extensive and powerful combination 
to hunt and destroy the monster4 ,much1 

by divine help1 has been done4 ,he has  
been routed and brought to the light of 
day2 the mischief he has done has been  
exposed2 his apologists have been       
confronted2 he is driven into his den1  
and now how can he be destroyed8 ,that  
he must be destroyed there can be no    
question4 ,the man who does not wish for
 the suppression of intemperance must   
have the heart of a fiend2 especially1  
if he wishes to grow rich on the        
miseries of his fellow-men4 ,and he must
 be destroyed now4 ,it is now or never4 
,men may say enough has been done1 and  
talk about his being held where he is4  
,he cannot be held there4 ,he has the   
cunning of a serpent1 and he will escape
 through some fissure in the rock4 ,he  
is now in our power4 ,the temperance    
movement1 which has on it the impress of
 the finger of ,god1 has brought him    
within our grasp2 and if we let him     
escape1 the curse of curses will be     
entailed upon our children4 ,how then   
can he be destroyed8 ,i answer1 and     

thousands answer1 by starvation4 ,no    
weapon can reach him so long as you feed
 him4 ,but who has a heart so traitorous
 to humanity as to feed this monster8   
,every man who now1 in the face of the  
light that is shed upon this subject1   
distils1 or vends1 or uses intoxicating 
liquor2 every distillery1 and every     
dram-shop in the land1 nourishes this   
foe to human peace2 every man who takes 
the alcoholic poison into his system1 or
 imparts it to others1 except as he     
takes and imparts other poisons to check
 disease1 gives life to the beast4 ,i   
need not stop to prove it4 ,it is       
manifest to the child4 ,let every       
distillery in the land cease1 and every 
dram-shop be closed1 and total          
abstinence become the principle of every
 individual1 and the demon will be dead2
 yes1 take away from him his wine1 his  
brandy1 and his whiskey1 and he will    
perish for ever4 ,but here is the very  
brunt of the battle4 ,we have hunted the
 monster through the land1 and driven   

him into his den2 and now we must stand 
at the very mouth of the cavern1 and    
contend with our fellow-men and         
fellow-sufferers--yes1 and              
fellow-,christians too--who are either  
afraid to attack the monster1 or are    
determined he shall live4  ,and first1  
we are met by a body of men who tell us 
that alcohol is useful4 ,and what if it 
is8 ,what if every benefit that the     
moderate and immoderate drinker can     
think of1 flows from it8 ,what will this
 do to compensate for its giant evils   
which are desolating our land8 ,is man  
so bent on self-gratification that he   
will have every sweet1 though it be     
mingled with poison8 ,will he exercise  
no reason2 make no discrimination       
between unmixed good and good followed  
by desolating woes8 ,tea was good4 ,but1
 said our fathers1 if with it we must   
have all the horrors of ,british        
tyranny1 away with it from our          
dwellings4 ,my countrymen1 the voice of 
your fathers' blood cries to you from   

the ground1 ',my sons1 scorn to be      
slaves6' ,away with the shameful plea   
that you cannot do without an article   
which subjects you to an evil ten       
thousand times worse than all the       
horrors of ,british tyranny4 ,you kindle
 the fires of liberty by pointing to the
 woes of the prison-ship1 and the bones 
of your countrymen whitening on the     
shores of ,new ,jersey4 ,o1 crouch not  
to a tyrant who binds a million in his  
chains1 and demands thirty thousand     
annually for his victims4 ,i blush for  
the imbecility of the man who must have 
an article on his farm which eats up his
 substance and his vitals1 and may turn 
his son into an idiot and a brute4      
,better have no farm4 ,better go at     
once1 with his family1 into the         
poor-house1 and be supported by public  
charity4  ,next comes canting           
,hypocrisy1 with his ,bible in his hand1
 telling us that every creature of ,god 
is good1 and nothing to be refused1 if  
it be received with thanksgiving4 ,what 

does he mean2 that ardent spirit is the 
gift of ,god8 ,pray1 in what stream of  
his bounty1 from what mountain and hill 
does it flow down to man8 ,o1 it is in  
the rye1 and the apple1 and the sugar1  
and the ,mussulman has taught us        
,christians how to distil it4 ,and so   
the poet tells us ,satan taught his     
legions how to make gunpowder4 ,there   
are1 said he1     ,deep under ground1   
materials dark and crude1     ,of       
spirituous and fiery spume4     ,these1 
in their dark nativity1 the deep        
,shall yield us1 pregnant with internal 
flame2     ,which1 into hollow engines1 
long and round1     ,thick ramm'd1 at   
th' other bore with touch of fire       
,dilated and infuriate1 shall send forth
     ,from far1 with thundering noise1  
among our foes     ,such implements of  
mischief as shall dash     ,to pieces   
and o'erwhelm whatever stands           
,adverse4     ,th' invention all        
admired2 up they turn'd     ,wide the   
celestial soil2 sulphurous and nitrous  

foam     ,they found1 they mingled2 and1
 with subtle art     ,concocted and     
adjusted1 they reduced     ,to blackest 
grain4  ,and now1 to carry out the      
argument1 gunpowder1 and guns1 and      
swords1 are the gift of ,god1 and men   
must needs use them1 and kill one       
another as fast as possible4  ,but      
nothing1 it is plead1 was made in vain4 
,spirit is good for something1 and to   
banish it from use1 and promise that we 
will touch not1 taste not1 handle not1  
is contempt of the works of ,god4 ,i    
should like to have seen what the       
,pomfret hero would have done with a man
 who should have stood before him1 and  
said1 ,don't you destroy that wolf2 ,god
 made it1 and it may be good for        
something4  ,next1 we are checked in our
 principle of starvation by a set of    
thoughtless youth and presumptuous men1 
who say there is no danger from the     
demon if we keep him low4 ,all his      
ravages have been occasioned by his     
being full fed4 ,let him sip but little1

 feed him prudently1 and he will do no  
harm4  ,good1 says the demon1 growling  
in his den2 that is all ,i want4 ,the   
doctrine of prudent use is the basis of 
my kingdom4 ,temperate drinking has made
 all the drunkards in the land1 and keep
 it up in all your towns and villages1  
and ,i shall be satisfied4  ,o the      
delusion6 ,prudent use6 ,what is the    
testimony of every chemist and physician
 in the land8 ,alcohol is a poison4     
,not a bloodvessel1 says ,dr4 ,mussey1  
however minute1 not a thread of nerve in
 the whole animal machine escapes its   
influence4 ,it disturbs the functions of
 life2 it increases for a time the      
action of the living organs1 but lessens
 the power of that action2 hence the    
deep depression and collapse which      
follow preternatural excitement4 ,by    
habitual use it renders the living fibre
 less and less susceptible to the       
healthy operation of unstimulating food 
and drink1 its exciting influences soon 
become incorporated with all the living 

actions of the body1 and the diurnal    
sensations of hunger1 thirst1 and       
exhaustion1 are strongly associated with
 the recollection of its exhilarating   
effects1 and thus bring along with them 
the resistless desire for its           
repetition4 ,more than fifty per cent4  
of common spirits are alcohol1 this     
deadly substance1 holding rank with     
henbane1 hemlock1 prussic acid1         
foxglove1 poison sumach4 ,nausea1       
vertigo1 vomiting1 exhilaration of      
spirits for a time1 and subsequent      
stupor1 and even total insensibility and
 death1 are their accompaniments4       
,broussais remarks1 ,a single portion of
 ardent spirit taken into the stomach   
produces a temporary phlogosis4 ,now1 ,i
 submit it to every considerate man1    
whether there can be any prudent use of 
a poison1 a single portion of which     
produces the same disease of which the  
drunkard dies1 and a disease which      
brings along with it a resistless desire
 for a repetition of the draught4       

,thoughtless1 self-sufficient men say1  
they can control this desire1 can govern
 their appetite1 can enjoy the          
exhilaration of strong drink1 and yet be
 temperate4 ,let them look at the poor  
inebriate wallowing in his pollution4   
,he once stood just where they stand2   
boasted just as they boast2 had as fair 
character1 and as kind friends1 and as  
precious a soul and bright hopes of     
heaven as they have4 ,let them tell why 
he does not control his appetite4       
,perhaps they say1 he is a fool4 ,ah1   
what made him a fool8 ,or1 his reason is
 gone4 ,and what took away his reason8  
,or1 he has lost his character4 ,and    
what took away his character8 ,or1 his  
sense of shame is departed4 ,and what   
took away his sense of shame8 ,ah1 here 
is the dreadful secret1 which it may be 
well for all1 boasting of their power of
 self-control1 to know4 ,at the very    
moment when the man thinks he stands    
firm1 and reason can control appetite1  
his moral sense departs1 his shame is   

gone1 and he turns1 through the power of
 his morning bitters and oft-repeated   
drams1 into the brute and the maniac4   
,with the moral sensibilities laid      
waste1 reason here has only the power of
 the helmsman before the whirlwind4     
,twenty years ago1 says ,nott1 a        
respectable householder came in the     
morning with a glass of bitters in his  
hand1 and offered it to his guest1      
saying1 ',take it2 it will do you good4 
,i have taken it for some years1 and ,i 
think it does me good2 and ,i never want
 any more4' ,time passed on1 and        
presently the bottle of bitters in the  
closet was exchanged for the barrel of  
whiskey in the cellar2 and the poor man 
was often at the tap for just as much as
 would do him good1 and he never wanted 
any more4 ,time passed on1 and a        
hogshead was needful2 and its contents  
were exhausted with the same intent1 and
 the same self-deceivings4 ,at length   
the home of his family was relinquished 
to his creditors2 his polluted body was 

lodged in a jail1 from which he         
presently issued a drunken vagabond1 and
 wandered a wretched being1 until he    
found a drunkard's grave4 ,it is but the
 history of thousands4 ,no laws of      
nature act with more uniformity than the
 laws of intemperance4 ,no inoculation  
sends with more certainty disease into  
the system than drinking strong drink4  
,hundreds have made an agonizing        
struggle to escape from perdition4 ,they
 have seen their sin and danger2 they   
have walked the streets in agony2 they  
have gone to their homes and looked at  
their wives and children1 and into the  
pit of despair4 ,but their feverish     
stomach has cried1 ,give1 give6 and they
 have drank often and often1 with the   
solemn promise that it should be the    
last time2 until they have exclaimed1   
with a once interesting youth1 ,i know  
,i am a ruined man1 but ,i cannot stop4 
,some1 indeed1 through much care and    
strength of constitution1 may escape2   
but the plague1 if it appear not in     

their skin and their bone1 may break out
 in their children4 ,i will drink some1 
said an aged deacon of a church of      
,christ2 for it does me good4 ,god was  
merciful1 though he tempted ,heaven1 and
 it is said that he died with his       
character untarnished2 but six loathsome
 sons drank up his substance1 with the  
leprosy in their foreheads4 ,what a     
meeting must there be between that      
deacon and his sons on the judgment-day6
 ,the doctrine of prudent use must be   
abandoned4 ,it can have no standard4    
,every man thinks he drinks prudently1  
whether he takes one glass a day or     
five1 and is just as much excited and   
just as liable to drunkenness as all    
drunkards were when they stood where he 
now stands4 ,he only that entirely      
abstains can properly be called a       
temperate man4 ,and he only is clear    
from the guilt of spreading intemperance
 through the land4 ,moderate drinkers   
are the life of this bloody system which
 is wringing with agony the hearts of   

thousands4 ,did all at once drink to    
excess1 alcohol would be viewed with    
dread1 as is laudanum and arsenic4      
,better that all who tasted it were at  
once made drunkards2 then1 drunkards    
would be as scarce as suicides4 ,but men
 now sip moderately and are reputable2  
they think themselves safe1 but one in  
every forty sinks to drunkenness2 and   
thus1 among twelve millions of people1  
drinking moderately1 the demon has      
perpetually #cjj1jjj victims4 ,and for  
these1 while all are thus paying homage 
to the bottle1 what is the hope8 ,the   
lost wretch may wake from his brutality 
and crime1 and resolve that he will     
reform1 and his broken-hearted wife may 
hope that the storms of life are over1  
and his babes may smile at his strange  
kindness and care2 but the universal    
presence of the intoxicating fluid1 and 
the example of the wise and the good    
around him1 will thwart all his         
resolutions1 and he will go back1 like  
the dog to his vomit4 ,all the          

drunkenness1 then1 that shall pollute   
our land1 must be traced to moderate    
drinkers4 ,they feed the monster4 ,they 
keep in countenance the distillery and  
the dram-shop1 and every drunkard that  
reels in the streets4 ,moderate use is  
to this kingdom of blood what the       
thousand rivulets and streams are to the
 mighty river4 ,o how have we been      
deceived4 ,we long searched for the     
poison that was destroying our life4    
,the drop said1 ,it is not in me--,i am 
but a drop1 and can do no harm4 ,the    
little stream said1 ,it is not me4 ,am  
,i not a little one1 and can do no harm8
 ,and the demon ,intemperance1 as she   
prowled around us1 said1 ,let my drops  
and my rivulets alone2 they can do no   
harm4 ,go stop1 if you can1 the mighty  
river4 ,we believed her4 ,but the river 
baffled our efforts4 ,its torrents      
rolled on1 and we contented ourselves   
with snatching here and there a youth   
from destruction4 ,but we now see that  
the poison is in the drops and the      

rivulets2 and that without these1 that  
river of death1 which is sweeping the   
young and the old into the ocean of     
despair1 would cease for ever4 ,and we  
call upon these self-styled prudent1    
temperate drinkers1 to pause and look at
 the tremendous responsibility and guilt
 of entailing drunkenness upon their    
country for ever4  ,but we are met with 
more serious opposers to the plan of    
starvation4 ,they are1 they say1 the    
bone and muscle of the country4 ,they   
come from the farms1 the shipyards1 and 
workshops1 and say1 ,if you starve out  
this monster1 we shall be starved out1  
for we cannot do our work and get a     
living without rum or whiskey2 though1  
according to their own confession1 they 
have found it hard living with4 ,their  
rum and their whiskey have cost them    
double and treble their other           
taxes--their sons have become vile1     
their workmen turbulent1 their tools    
have been broken1 and many of themselves
 are already sinking under its          

enfeebling influence4  ,with such it is 
hard to reason4 ,they have tried but one
 side1 and are incapable of judging the 
case4 ,we can only tell them there is no
 danger4 ,not a particle of nourishment 
does spirit afford them4 ,the hard      
drinker totters as he walks4 ,the poor  
inebriate can neither stand nor go4 ,we 
can point them to hundreds and thousands
 of their own profession1 honest men1   
who solemnly testify that they are      
healthier and stronger1 can perform more
 labor1 and endure the frosts of winter 
and heat of summer better without it    
than with it4 ,we can ask them whether  
they fully believe that the ,god of     
heaven1 a ,god of love1 has put them    
under the dire necessity of using daily 
an article which1 with such awful       
certainty1 makes drunkards2 and whether1
 when he has said1 ,woe to him that     
giveth his neighbor drink1 he has said1 
too1 you must all drink it2 it is       
necessary for you4 ,but such never can  
be taught and convinced but by          

experience2 and to such we would say1   
,try it for yourselves4  ,our next      
opposition1 gentlemen1 is from a band   
clothed in white--professors of our holy
 religion--enlisted soldiers of ,christ1
 engaged to every work of benevolence3  
they come--,o tell it not in ,gath6--to 
intercede for the monster1 and oppose   
our enterprise4 ,is not this1 you ask1 a
 libel8 ,alas1 too often1 reports of    
temperance societies tell of opposition 
from professors of religion4  ,what can 
be the meaning of this8 ,has not        
intemperance been the greatest curse to 
the church8 ,has it not caused her to   
bleed at every pore8 ,and have not her  
members cried to heaven that the        
destroyer might perish8 ,and now1 when  
,god has put into their hands a weapon  
by which it may at once be exterminated1
 will they hesitate8 ,will they hang    
back8 ,will they say1 we cannot make the
 sacrifice8 ,o where lies this          
astonishing witchery8 ,what has put the 
church to sleep8 ,what has made her     

angry at the call to come out from the  
embrace of her deadliest foe8 ,o what   
has he1 who drinks the cup of the ,lord1
 to do with the cup of devils8 ,does he 
need it to make him serious or          
prayerful1 or to enable him better to   
understand the word of ,god1 or bear    
reproach for ,christ1 or discharge his  
,christian duties1 or open his heart in 
charity8 ,does it not palsy the heart1  
quench the spirit of prayer1 seal up    
every holy and benevolent feeling1 and  
turn many from ,christ1 that they walk  
no more with him8 ,what can a professor 
mean who refuses to enlist under the    
temperance banner8 ,does he really want 
the monster to live8 ,does he pray that 
he may8 ,will he stand aloof from this  
conflict8 ,is he determined to deny     
himself in nothing8 ,to care not if     
others perish8 ,to risk shipwreck of    
character and conscience1 and to keep in
 countenance every drunkard and         
dram-shop around him8 ,is it nothing to 
him that intemperance shall spread like 

a malaria1 to every city1 and village1  
and neighborhood1 until the land shall  
send up nothing but the vapors of a     
moral putrefaction1 and none shall here 
pray1 or preach1 or seek ,god2 but      
ignorance1 and crime1 and suffering1    
withering comfort and hope1 shall go    
hand in hand1 until we can be purified  
only by a rain of fire and brimstone    
from heaven8 ,o for shame1 for shame6   
,let the ,christian1 pleading for a     
little intoxicating liquor1 be alarmed2 
let him escape as for his life from the 
kingdom of darkness4 ,come out of her1  
my people1 that ye be not partakers of  
her sins1 and that ye receive not of her
 plagues4  ,next to diseased appetite1  
the love of money is the most potent    
principle in the breast of depraved man4
 ,thirty-six thousand distillers1 and   
eighty-five thousand venders of ardent  
spirits in our land1 form a tremendous  
host in opposition to our enterprise4   
,they live everywhere4     ,pass where  
we may1 through city or through town1   

,village or hamlet1 of this merry land1 
99 99 99 99 every twentieth pace        
,conducts the unguarded nose to such a  
whiff     ,of stale debauch1 forth      
issuing from the sties     ,that law has
 licensed1 as makes ,temperance ,,reel4 
,they live wherever the demon has his   
haunts4 ,or rather1 he lives where they 
live2 for they feed him4 ,and while he  
fattens on the article they make and    
vend1 they receive in return the silver 
and gold of his deluded victims4 ,now1  
how can this formidable host1 who cry   
out1 ,our craft is in danger1 by this   
demon we have our wealth--how can they  
be met8 ,can they be met at all8 ,yes1  
they can--for they are men2 generally   
reputable men2 in cases not a few1 pious
 men2 and all have consciences1 and may 
be made to feel their accountableness to
 ,god4 ,now let them be told that they  
keep this monster alive2 that to their  
distilleries and shops may be traced all
 the poverty1 and contention1 and tears1
 and blood1 which drunkenness produces2 

that their occupation is to poison the  
young and the old2 and by dealing out   
gallons1 and quarts1 and pints1 and     
gills1 they fill up1 with drunkards1 the
 highway to hell2 that they do all this 
to get the money of the wretched        
victims2 that the tears of              
broken-hearted widows and orphan        
children are entering into the ears of  
the ,lord of ,sabaoth1 and that neither 
,god nor their consciences will hold    
them guiltless in this thing1 and sure  
,i am that they will be filled with     
horror at their own doings1 and quit    
their business4  ,if there are some so  
hardened and dead to all the best       
interests of men as to persist1 against 
the light of the age1 in the business of
 making drunkards1 let public           
indignation burn against them till they 
can no longer stand before its fires4   
,let a distillery be viewed as a man    
would view the inquisition1 where the   
racks1 the tortures1 and the fires1     
consume the innocent4 ,let the dram-shop

 be ranked1 as ,judge ,dagget says it   
should be1 with the haunts of           
counterfeiters1 the depositories of     
stolen goods1 and the retreats of       
thieves2 and over its door let it be    
written1 ,the way to hell1 leading down 
to the chambers of death4 ,the time has 
been when a vender could deal out1 day  
by day1 the liquid poison to the        
tottering drunkard1 attend his funeral1 
help lay him in the grave2 then go home1
 post up his books1 turn the widow and  
her babes into the streets to perish    
with hunger or be supported by charity1 
and yet sustain a good reputation4 ,but 
in future1 whenever the community shall 
stand around the grave of a drunkard1   
let the eyes of all be fixed on the     
inhuman vender2 let him be called to    
take one solemn look into the grave of  
the slain and the pit of the damned2 and
 if he will return to the ruin of his   
fellow-men1 let the voice of his        
brother's blood cry to him from the     
ground1 and his punishment be greater   

than he can bear4  ,perhaps some        
reputable vender is offended at the     
freedom of these remarks4 ,i would ask  
him if he has never been offended at the
 smell of that filthy drunkard who has  
hung around him8 ,i would ask him if his
 conscience has never stung him as      
ragged children have come to him in     
bleak ,november to have him fill their  
father's bottle8 ,i would ask him if his
 soul has never shook within him as he  
passed1 in the darkness of night1 the   
graveyard where three1 four1 or five of 
his neighbors lie without even a        
tombstone1 who found their death at his 
counter8 ,his traffic may be profitable1
 but let him beware lest while he feeds 
the monster it turns and devours him and
 his offspring4 ,at least1 let him      
solemnly inquire1 before ,god1 whether  
he can be a virtuous man and knowingly  
promote vice2 or an honest man1 and rob 
his neighbor by selling an article which
 promotes sorrow1 disease1 and death4   
,i congratulate you1 gentlemen1 on the  

stand which you have taken against the  
monster ,intemperance1 and on the       
success with which your efforts have    
been crowned4 ,you are doing a work for 
this country for which future           
generations will call you blessed4 ,let 
your watchword be onward1 extermination1
 death2 and victory will be yours4 ,our 
weapons are simple1 but mighty4 ,o what 
a discovery is this principle of entire 
abstinence6 ,let the name of its author 
be embalmed with that of ,luther1 and   
,howard1 and ,raikes1 and ,wilberforce4 
,what has it not already done for our   
suffering country6 ,what a change meets 
the eye as it wanders from ,georgia to  
,maine--from the ,atlantic to our       
western borders4 ,here we see farms     
tilled2 there buildings raised2 here    
churches built2 there vessels reared1   
launched1 and navigated too2            
manufactories conducted2 fisheries      
carried on2 prisons governed2 commercial
 business transacted2 journeys          
performed2 physicians visiting their    

patients2 legislators enacting laws2    
lawyers pleading for justice2 judges    
deciding the fate of men1 and ministers 
preaching the everlasting               
,gospel--without intoxicating liquor4   
,here we see importers unwilling to risk
 the importation of spirituous liquor   
into the land2 there distillers         
abandoning their distilleries as curses 
to themselves and the community2 and    
merchants1 not a few1 expelling the     
poison from their stores1 and some      
pouring it upon the ground1 choosing    
that the earth should swallow it rather 
than man4 ,and all this in the short    
space of three years4 ,what has done it8
 ,entire abstinence4 ,what then will not
 be done1 when1 instead of #ej1jjj who  
now avow it1 #ejj1jjj shall give their  
pledge that they will abandon a kingdom 
founded in blood4 ,and can they not be  
found in this land of humane men1 and   
patriots1 and ,christians8 ,yes1 they   
can4 ,onward then1 gentlemen4 ,listen   
not to those who say you are carrying   

matters too far4 ,so said the wolf4 ,she
 loved life1 and she loved blood4 ,but  
did she ever regard the cry of the      
sheep8 ,the monster ,intemperance has   
been glutted with blood2 and never      
spared1 and had no pity4 ,he still howls
 for blood2 and many plead that he may  
have some4 ,but depend upon it1 their   
pleas are only those of debased appetite
 and avarice4 ,rally the community      
against them4 ,enlighten the public     
mind4 ,collect facts4 ,let your towns   
and villages be searched with candles4  
,go into the dens4 ,bring the monster   
and his suffering victims to light1 and 
the public indignation will no longer   
slumber4  ,of one thing ,i will remind  
you4 ,the demon will daunt the timid4   
,it is noisy and fiery4 ,attack it1 and 
it will roll its eyes1 and snap its     
teeth1 and threaten vengeance4 ,attempt 
to starve it1 and it will rave like the 
famished tiger4 ,thousands have fed it  
against their consciences1 rather than  
meet its fury4 ,but fear not4 ,the use  

of ardent spirit meets no support in the
 ,bible or the conscience1 and the      
traffic meets none4 ,be firm4 ,be       
decided4 ,be courageous4 ,connect your  
cause with heaven4 ,it is the cause of  
,god2 the cause for which ,immanuel     
died4 ,o1 as men and patriots1 banish   
intemperance1 with all its sources1 from
 your country and the land4 ,as         
ministers and ,christians1 banish it for
 ever from the churches of the living   
,god4 ,let the demon no longer hide in  
the sanctuary4 ,let ,,entire            
,,abstinence be written in capitals over
 the door of every church4 ,expel for   
ever the accursed enemy1 that the       
,spirit of the ,lord may descend and    
bless us with life and peace4  ,to those
 not connected with the ,temperance     
,association1 ,i would say1 ,look at    
this enterprise4 ,it injures no man1    
wrongs no man1 defrauds no man1 has no  
sectarian or political object in view2  
it would only relieve our infant nation 
of a burden and a curse which is fast   

placing it side by side with buried     
,sodom4 ,as wise men1 judge ye of its   
importance and merits4 ,as men hastening
 to judgment1 act in relation to it4 ,a 
solemn responsibility rests upon you4   
,shall the land now be rid of           
intemperance8 ,you reply1 ,yes--and talk
 of wholesome laws1 and high licenses1  
and prudent use4 ,three green withes on 
,samson6 ,entire abstinence is the only 
weapon which will destroy the monster4  
,but we can practise that without giving
 our pledge4 ,true4 ,but until you give 
it1 he will count you his friend and    
haunt your dwelling4 ,in this cause     
there is no neutrality4 ,have you       
supported this cruel kingdom of darkness
 and death8 ,will you do it longer8     
,shall conscience be riven by the act8  
,shall the land that bears you be       
cursed2 the young around you be sporting
 with hell2 the awakened sinner be      
drowning conviction at his bottle2 the  
once fair communicant be disgraced2 the 
once happy congregation be rent2 its    

ministry be driven from the altar1 and  
its sanctuary crumble to ruin8 ,shall   
our benevolent institutions fail1 and   
our liberties be sacrificed8 ,shall ,god
 be grieved8 ,shall wailings from the   
bottomless pit hereafter reproach and   
agonize you as the cause of the ruin1   
perhaps of your children and children's 
children8 ,methinks one common pulsation
 beats in your hearts1 and you answer1  
,no--no4 ,methinks ,i see you rising in 
the majesty of freemen and ,christians1 
in behalf of an injured country and     
church1 and destroying at once the demon
 among you4     ,,argument ,,against    
,,the ,,manufacture ,,of ,,ardent       
,,spirits3  ,,addressed ,,to ,,the      
,,distiller ,,and ,,the ,,furnisher ,,of
 ,,the ,,materials4  ,,by ,,rev4        
,,edward ,,hitchcock1 ,d4 ,d4   ,a sense
 of duty impels me to address this      
portion of my fellow-citizens1 in the   
hope that ,i may persuade them to       
abandon the employment by which they    
furnish ardent spirits to the community4

 ,i am not about to charge them as the  
intentional authors of all the evils our
 country suffers from intemperance1 nor 
wholly to clear myself from the guilt2  
for some of these men are my neighbors  
and personal friends1 and ,i know them  
to be convinced that the excessive use  
of ardent spirits is a frightful evil   
among us1 and that they would cheerfully
 join in some measures for its          
suppression1 though not yet satisfied   
that those now in train are judicious or
 necessary4 ,not long ago1 ,i was in    
essentially the same state of mind1 and 
encouraged these men in the manufacture 
of spirits1 by the purchase and use of  
them4 ,now ,i would fain believe that   
the minds of all these individuals are  
open to conviction1 and that the same   
arguments which satisfied me that ,i was
 wrong1 will satisfy them4  ,in the     
first place1 therefore1 ,i would reason 
with these men as a chemical            
philosopher4 ,the distiller is a        
practical chemist2 and although he may  

never have studied chemistry in the     
schools1 he cannot but have often       
thought of the theory of his operations4
 ,and the farmer who receives at the    
distillery1 in return for his rye1      
cider1 or molasses1 a liquid powerful   
substance1 obtained from them1 will very
 naturally inquire by what strange      
transformation these articles have been 
made to yield something apparently so   
very different from their nature4       
,probably1 some of them may have        
concluded that the spirits exist        
naturally in the grain1 and apples1 and 
sugar-cane1 just as flour1 and cider1   
and molasses do4 ,and hence they have   
inferred1 first1 that ,god intended the 
spirits for the use of man1 as much as  
the flour1 the apples1 or the molasses2 
and that it is just as proper to        
separate the spirits by distillation1 as
 it is to obtain the flour by grinding  
and bolting4 ,secondly1 that there can  
be nothing injurious or poisonous in the
 spirits1 any more than in the apples1  

the grain1 or the molasses2 the only    
injury1 in either case1 resulting from  
using too much4 ,thirdly1 that spirits  
must be nourishing to the body1         
constituting1 as they seem to do1 the   
very essence of the fruit1 grain1 and   
molasses1 which are confessedly         
nutritious4  ,now1 these inferences are 
all rendered null and void by the fact  
that ardent spirits1 or alcohol1 which  
is their essence1 do not exist naturally
 in apples1 grain1 or sugar-cane4 ,no   
one ever perceived the odor or the taste
 of alcohol in apples1 or the cider     
obtained from them1 while it was new and
 sweet2 but after it had fermented for a
 time1 by a due degree of warmth1 the   
sweetness in a measure disappeared1 and 
alcohol was found to be present4 ,and   
just so in obtaining spirits from rye1  
or any other substance2 a sweet liquor  
is at first obtained1 which1 by         
fermentation1 is found to be partly     
converted into alcohol4 ,this sweetness 
results from the sugar which the        

substances naturally contain1 or which  
is formed by the process4 ,this sugar is
 next destroyed1 or decomposed1 by the  
fermentation1 and its parts go to make  
up a new substance1 then first brought  
into existence1 called alcohol4 ,if the 
fermentation be carried on still        
farther1 another new substance is       
produced1 viz41 vinegar4 ,carried still 
farther1 putrid1 unhealthy exhalations  
are the result1 such as we find rising  
from swamps and other places where      
vegetable matter is decaying4 ,if1 then1
 we may conclude1 because alcohol is    
obtained from grain and other nutritious
 substances1 that therefore ,god        
intended it for the use of man1 the same
 reason will show that he intended man  
should breathe these poisonous          
exhalations4 ,if alcohol cannot be      
poisonous or injurious1 because derived 
from harmless and salutary substances1  
neither can these exhalations be so2    
nor1 indeed1 those more putrid and      
deadly ones arising from the            

putrefaction of sweet animal food4 ,and 
if alcohol must be nutritious1 because  
apples1 grain1 and molasses are so1 it  
follows that these exhalations are      
nutritious4  ,having thus explained the 
chemistry of this subject1 ,i would1    
secondly1 address these men as a        
physician4 ,i mean merely1 that ,i wish 
to present before them the views of the 
most distinguished and impartial        
physicians concerning ardent spirits4   
,it is important1 then1 to remark1 that 
physicians have decided that alcohol is 
a powerful poison4 ,and how do they     
prove this8 ,simply by comparing its    
effects with those of other             
poisons--particularly the poisons       
derived1 as alcohol is1 from            
vegetables--such as henbane1 poison     
hemlock1 prussic acid1 thorn-apples1    
deadly nightshade1 foxglove1 poison     
sumach1 oil of tobacco1 and the essence 
of opium4 ,these poisons1 taken in      
different quantities1 according to their
 strength1 produce nausea1 dizziness1   

exhilaration of spirits with subsequent 
debility1 and even total insensibility2 
in other cases1 delirium and death2 and 
alcohol does the same4 ,these poisons   
weaken the stomach1 impair the memory   
and all the powers of the mind1 and     
sometimes bring on palsy1 apoplexy1 and 
other violent disorders2 and so does    
alcohol4 ,do you say that ardent        
spirits1 as they are commonly drank1 do 
not produce these effects except in a   
very slight degree8 ,neither do these   
substances1 when much weakened by       
mixture with other things4 ,even rum and
 brandy1 of the first proof1 contain    
only about fifty parts of alcohol in the
 hundred2 and even the high wines1 as   
they are called1 are by no means pure   
alcohol2 yet less than an ounce of proof
 spirits1 given to a rabbit1 killed it  
in less than an hour4 ,three quarters of
 an ounce of alcohol1 introduced into   
the stomach of a large and robust dog1  
killed him in three and a half hours4   
,in larger quantities1 as almost every  

one knows1 this same substance has      
proved immediately fatal to men4 ,do you
 say that many drink spirits for years1 
and are not destroyed2 and do you hence 
inquire how they can be poisonous8 ,so  
,i reply1 not a few take small          
quantities of other poisons every day   
for years1 and continue alive4 ,a horse1
 indeed1 may take the eighth part of an 
ounce of arsenic every day1 and yet be  
thriving4 ,but how many are there1 do   
you suppose1 who habitually drink ardent
 spirits1 and yet suffer no bad effects 
from it8 ,have they no stomach          
complaints1 no nervous maladies1 no     
headaches8 ,do they live to a great age8
 ,not one out of a hundred of those who 
daily drink ardent spirits1 escapes     
uninjured2 though their sickness and    
premature decay1 resulting from this    
cause1 are generally imputed to other   
causes2 and as many as this would escape
 if arsenic were used1 in moderate      
quantities1 instead of spirits4         
,farmers and distillers1 whom ,i        

address1 pause1 ,i beseech you1 and     
meditate upon this fact4 ,it is poison  
into which you convert your rye and     
apples2 it is poison which1 under the   
name of whiskey and cider-brandy1 you   
put into your cellars2 it is poison     
which you draw out from the brandy and  
whiskey casks for drink1 and which you  
offer your children and friends for     
drink2 it is poison which you sell to   
your neighbors2 it is producing the same
 effects as other poisons upon you and  
upon them2 that is1 it is undermining   
your constitutions1 and shortening your 
lives and happiness4 ,you would not dare
 thus to manufacture and distribute     
among the community calomel or arsenic1 
if these were in use1 leaving it to     
every man to determine how large doses  
he should take4 ,yet it would not be    
half as dangerous for men of all        
descriptions to deal out and administer 
these substances to themselves and      
others1 for there would be none of that 
bewitching temptation to excess1 in the 

case of calomel and arsenic1 which      
attends ardent spirits4 ,but if by      
carelessly distributing calomel or      
arsenic in society1 you had destroyed   
only one life1 your conscience would be 
exceedingly burdened with the guilt4    
,and who is to bear the guilt of        
destroying the thirty or forty thousand 
who are cut off annually in this country
 by intemperance8 ,suppose the          
distilleries were all to stop1 how many 
would then die from hard drinking8  ,but
 if alcohol is poisonous in a degree1   
yet it is often necessary1 you say4     
,physicians say not1 except in a very   
few cases as a medicine2 and even in    
these cases it is doubtful whether they 
have not other remedies as good1 or     
better4 ,spirits are necessary1 you say1
 to enable a man to endure great        
extremes of heat1 cold1 fatigue1 and in 
exposure to wet1 and attendance upon the
 sick4 ,if this be correct1 farmers will
 sometimes need them4 ,but many of the  
most hard-working and thorough farmers  

in the land have1 within a few years    
past1 tried the experiment of laboring  
without spirits2 and their unanimous    
testimony is1 that they are stronger1   
healthier1 and better able to bear all  
extremes and severe fatigue without     
them4 ,have you ever tried the same     
experiment8 ,be persuaded to make the   
trial1 at least for one year1 before you
 reject so much substantial testimony4  
,if spirits are necessary for any class1
 we should suppose it would be the ,west
 ,indian slave4 ,but on three contiguous
 estates1 says ,dr4 ,abbot1 of more than
 four hundred slaves1 has been made1    
with fine success1 the experiment of a  
strict exclusion of ardent spirits at   
all seasons of the year4 ,the success   
has very far exceeded the proprietor's  
most sanguine hopes4 ,peace1 and        
quietness1 and contentment1 reign among 
the negroes2 creoles are reared in much 
greater numbers than formerly2 the      
estates are in the neatest and highest  
state of cultivation2 and order and     

discipline are maintained with very     
little correction1 and the mildest      
means4  ,sailors are another class who  
must sometimes need spirits1 if they are
 needed in case of great exposure to    
cold and wet4 ,but several crews have   
attempted to winter in high northern    
latitudes1 and those furnished with     
spirits have nearly all perished1 while 
those not furnished with them have      
nearly all survived4 ,when exposed to   
cold and wet1 and partially immersed in 
the sea for hours1 those who have not   
used spirits have commonly outlived     
those who drank them4  ,soldiers are    
exposed to even more and severer        
extremes and vicissitudes than sailors4 
,but ,dr4 ,jackson1 a most distinguished
 physician in the ,british army1 asserts
 that spirits are decidedly injurious to
 soldiers on duty1 rendering them less  
able to endure labor and hardship4 ,and 
a general officer in the same army thus 
testifies3 ,but1 above all1 let every   
one who values his health1 avoid        

drinking spirits when heated2 that is   
adding fuel to the fire1 and is apt to  
produce the most dangerous inflammatory 
complaints4 ,not a more dangerous error 
exists1 than the notion that the        
habitual use of spirituous liquors      
prevents the effects of cold4 ,on the   
contrary1 the truth is1 that those who  
drink most frequently of them are       
soonest affected by severe weather4 ,the
 daily use of these liquors tends       
greatly to emaciate and waste the       
strength of the body1 etc4  ,the ,roman 
soldiers marched with a weight of armor 
upon them which a modern soldier can    
hardly stand under2 and they conquered  
the world4 ,yet they drank nothing      
stronger than vinegar and water4  ,i    
have worn out two armies in two wars1   
says the ,dr4 ,jackson mentioned above1 
by the aids of temperance and hard work1
 and probably could wear out another    
before my period of old age arrives4 ,i 
eat no animal food1 drink no wine or    
malt liquor1 or spirits of any kind2 ,i 

wear no flannel1 and neither regard wind
 nor rain1 heat nor cold1 when business 
is in the way4  ,those men in ,europe   
who are trained for boxing-matches would
 require spirits if they were necessary 
for giving bodily strength and health1  
since the object of this training is to 
produce the most perfect health1 and the
 greatest possible strength4 ,but ardent
 spirits are not used by them at all2   
and even wine is scarcely allowed4  ,in 
protracted watching by the bed of       
sickness1 food and intervals of rest are
 the only real securities against       
disease and weakness4 ,spirits          
peculiarly expose a man to receive the  
disease1 if it be contagious1 and if    
not1 they wear out the strength sooner  
than it would otherwise fail4  ,the most
 exposed and trying situations in life1 
then1 need not the aid of ardent        
spirits2 nay1 they are in such cases    
decidedly injurious4 ,they are not1     
therefore1 necessary1 but injurious for 
men in all other situations4 ,the       

distiller must1 therefore1 give up the  
necessity of using them in the community
 as a reason for continuing their       
manufacture4  ,but spirits1 it may be   
said1 do certainly inspire a man with   
much additional strength4 ,yes2 and     
physicians tell us how4 ,it is by       
exciting the nervous system1 and thus   
calling into more vigorous action the   
strength that ,god has given the        
constitution to enable it to resist     
heat1 cold1 and disease4 ,if this       
strength do not previously exist in the 
system1 spirits can never bestow it2 for
 they do not afford the least           
nourishment1 as food does4 ,they merely 
call into action the stock of strength  
which food has already implanted is the 
body4 ,hence the debility and weakness  
which always succeed their use when the 
excitement has passed by4 ,hence1 too1  
it follows1 that spirits can never give 
any additional permanent strength to the
 body4  ,but this is not all2 for       
physicians infer from this statement1   

that the use of spirits1 even in        
moderate quantities1 tends prematurely  
to exhaust and wear out the system4 ,it 
urges on the powers of life faster than 
health requires1 and thus wears them out
 sooner1 by a useless waste of strength 
and spirits4 ,true1 a moderate drinker  
may not notice any striking bad effects 
upon his health1 from this cause1 for   
many years2 nay1 the excitement it      
produces may remove1 for the time being1
 many uncomfortable feelings which he   
experiences1 and which are the early    
warnings that nature gives him that she 
is oppressed1 for the secret poison is  
at work within2 and if such a man is    
attacked by a fever1 or other acute     
disease1 physicians know that he is by  
no means as likely to recover as the    
water-drinker1 because the spirits have 
partially exhausted the secret strength 
of his constitution1 all of which is now
 wanted to resist the disease4 ,let     
every man who indulges in the use of    
spirits ponder well the declaration of a

 committee of one of the most           
enlightened medical societies in our    
land3 ,beyond comparison greater is the 
risk of life1 undergone in nearly all   
diseases1 of whatever description1 when 
they occur in those unfortunate men who 
have been previously disordered by these
 poisons4 ,such men1 too1 it may be     
added1 are much more liable to the      
attacks of disease than those who       
totally abstain from alcohol4 ,in both  
these ways1 therefore1 the use of       
spirits1 even in the greatest           
moderation1 tends to shorten life4      
,distillers of ardent spirits1 ,i       
entreat you1 think seriously of these   
things1 as you tend the fires under your
 boilers4 ,farmers1 as you drive your   
load of cider or rye to the distillery1 
meditate upon them1 ,i beseech you4 ,you
 have here the opinions and advice of   
the most able and impartial physicians  
in this country and in ,europe4 ,true1  
you may find here and there one1 of     
little or no reputation and learning1   

who1 either because he thinks it for his
 interest1 or is attached to ardent     
spirits himself1 will oppose such views 
of the subject4 ,but no physician of    
distinction and good moral character    
would dare1 at this day1 to come out    
publicly in opposition to the principles
 above advanced1 sanctioned as they are 
by the united testimony of science and  
experience4 ,o1 shut not your ears      
against this powerful voice4  ,in the   
third place1 ,i would expostulate with  
these men as a friend to my country4    
,can it be that they are acquainted with
 the extent of the mischiefs which our  
country already suffers from            
intemperance8 ,do they know that        
fifty-six millions of gallons of ardent 
spirits are annually consumed in the    
,united ,states1 or more than four and  
an half gallons to each inhabitant2 and 
that about forty-four millions of this  
quantity are prepared in the            
distilleries of our own country2 that   
ten millions of gallons are distilled   

from molasses1 and more than nine       
million bushels of rye are used for this
 purpose8 ,do they know that these      
forty-four millions of gallons1 as      
retailed1 must cost the community not   
less than #bb1jjj1jjj2 that they render 
from two hundred to three hundred       
thousand of our citizens intemperate2   
that in consequence of this intemperance
 the country sustains an annual loss1 in
 the productive labor of these          
drunkards1 of not far from #cj1jjj1jjj2 
and a loss of more than twenty-five     
thousand lives1 from her middle-aged    
citizens1 who are thus cut off          
prematurely8 ,that two-thirds of the    
pauperism in the country1 costing from  
#f1jjj1jjj to #h1jjj1jjj1 and two-thirds
 of the crime among us1 perpetrated by  
an army of eighty or ninety thousand    
wretches1 result from the same cause2   
and that from forty to fifty thousand of
 the cases of imprisonment for debt1    
annually1 are imputed to the same cause8
 ,that the pecuniary losses proceeding  

from the carelessness and rashness of   
intemperate sailors1 servants1 and      
agents1 are immense2 and that the       
degradation of mind1 the bodily and     
mental sufferings of drunkards and their
 families1 and the corruption of morals 
and manners1 are altogether beyond the  
reach of calculation to estimate1 and of
 words to express8,e      ,footnote ,e3 
,in order to obtain the result in this  
paragraph1     the well-established     
estimates that have often been made1    
concerning the cost and evils of ardent 
spirits in our     country1 have been   
reduced about one fourth or fifth part1 
to     make allowance for the amount    
imported from abroad4  ,can it be that  
these men have ever soberly looked      
forward to see what must be the ultimate
 effects1 upon our free and beloved     
country1 of this hydra-headed evil1     
unless it be arrested8 ,can they be     
aware that1 judging by the past         
proportion of deaths from intemperance  
in the most regular and moral parts of  

the land1 one third of the six million  
adults now living will die from the same
 cause8 ,do they know how the           
intemperate entail hereditary diseases  
and a thirst for ardent spirits upon    
their descendants1 and how rapidly1     
therefore1 the bodily vigor of our      
citizens is giving way before their     
deadly influence8 ,and can they doubt   
that vigor of mind will decay in the    
same proportion8 ,corruption of manners 
and morals too1 how rapidly it will     
spread under the operation of this      
poison6 ,nor can religious principle    
stand long before the overwhelming      
inundation2 and just in the degree in   
which alcoholic liquors are used1 will  
the ,sabbath1 and the institutions of   
religion1 and the ,bible be neglected   
and trodden under foot4 ,and when the   
morality1 and religion1 and the         
conscience of the majority of our nation
 are gone1 what but a miracle can save  
our liberties from ruin8 ,corrupt the   
majority1 and what security is there in 

popular elections8 ,corrupt the         
majority1 and you have collected        
together the explosive materials that   
need only the touch of some demagogue's 
torch to scatter the fair temple of our 
independence upon the winds of heaven4  
,but admitting that this picture is not 
overdrawn1 yet the distiller and the    
furnisher of materials may perhaps say1 
that all this does not particularly     
concern them4 ,they are not intemperate1
 they force no man to drink1 or even to 
buy their spirits3 nay1 they generally  
refuse to sell to the intemperate4 ,the 
intemperate are the persons to whom     
these expostulations should be          
addressed4 ,as for the distiller and the
 farmer1 who manufacture the poison1    
they are following a lawful calling1 and
 have a right to the honest proceeds of 
their business4  ,the principle1 then1  
which ,i understand you to advocate1 is 
this3 that provided your employment be  
not contrary to the laws of the state1  
you are under no obligation to inquire  

particularly as to its influence upon   
the public happiness after the products 
of your labor get out of your own hands4
 ,if this be a correct principle for    
your guidance1 it is certainly a correct
 one for others4 ,let us apply it to the
 intemperate man4  ,i expostulate with  
him on the destructive influence of his 
habits upon his country4 ,but have ,i   
not a right1 says he1 to use my own     
property in such a way as ,i choose1    
provided ,i do not violate the laws of  
the land8 ,if ,i may not employ a       
portion of my money in purchasing       
spirits1 neither have you a right to lay
 out yours for a carriage1 or for       
painting your house1 or for any thing   
else which some of your neighbors may   
regard as unnecessary4 ,i buy no more   
spirits than my health and comfort      
require2 and ,i have as good a right to 
judge of the quantity1 as you have in   
respect to the needless articles of     
dress and furniture which you procure4  
,i urge the man who keeps a licensed    

gambling-house to abandon a pursuit that
 is ruining his country4 ,but ,i am not 
violating the laws1 he replies1 nor     
compelling any man to gamble and drink  
to excess in my house4 ,the whole       
responsibility1 therefore1 rests upon   
those who do it4 ,expostulate with them4
 ,i have a right to my earnings4  ,you  
see where this principle leads4 ,is it  
one that a true patriot ought to adopt8 
,no3 he alone is a true patriot who is  
ready to abandon every pursuit that is  
injuring his country1 however profitable
 it may be to himself1 and however      
tolerated by the civil law4 ,nor ,i     
would not attempt to extenuate the guilt
 of the intemperate man1 nor of the     
merchant who sells him spirits2 but ,i  
do say1 that if those who distil1 and   
those who furnish the materials1 were to
 abandon the business altogether1 it    
would almost put an end to intemperance 
in the land4 ,for only a small          
proportion of the spirits used is       
imported2 and its price must always     

continue so high that but few could     
afford to be drunkards were the domestic
 manufacture to cease4 ,you have it in  
your power1 then1 to put a stop to this 
most dreadful national evil1 and thus to
 save our liberties and all that is dear
 to us from ruin4 ,your fathers poured  
out their blood like water to purchase  
our independence1 and to build up a     
bulwark around our rights4 ,but the ten 
thousand distilleries which you ply are 
so many fiery batteries1 pouring forth  
their forty-four million discharges     
every year1 to level that bulwark in the
 dust4 ,all ,europe combined against us 
in war could not do us half as much     
injury as your distilleries are doing   
every year4 ,oh1 abandon them--tear them
 down--melt your boilers in the         
furnace--give your grain and molasses to
 the poor1 or to the fowls of           
heaven--make fuel of your fruit-trees1  
rather than destroy your country4  ,some
 may say1 that if they cease to         
manufacture spirits1 others will take up

 the business and carry it on as        
extensively as they do4 ,and since1     
therefore1 the country will gain nothing
 by their discontinuance of             
distillation1 they may as well have the 
profit of it as others4 ,but what course
 of wickedness will not such reasoning  
justify8 ,a highwayman robs you1 or an  
assassin invades your dwelling at       
midnight and slaughters your wife and   
children4 ,now1 would you think them    
justified1 should they plead that they  
knew of others about to commit the same 
outrages1 and therefore they thought    
their commission of these deeds was not 
wrong1 since they needed the avails of  
the robbery and murder as much as any   
body8 ,a man could pursue the           
slave-trade year after year on this     
principle1 with no upbraidings of       
conscience1 if he only suspected that   
the business would be carried on were he
 to stop4 ,and a traitor might sell his 
country for gold1 could he only         
ascertain that some one else was about  

to do it1 and yet be exonerated from    
blame1 if this principle be proper to   
act upon4 ,oh1 how can any decent man   
plead a moment for a principle that     
leads to such monstrous results6  ,some 
will say1 however1 that they sell the   
spirits which they manufacture only to  
those whom they know to be temperate1   
and therefore they are not accessory to 
the intemperance in the land2 for they  
are not accountable for the sins of     
those who sell spirits to improper      
persons4  ,you supply them only to the  
temperate6 ,the greater the blame and   
the guilt2 for you are thus training up 
a new set of drunkards to take the place
 of those whom death will soon remove   
out of the way4 ,were you to sell only  
to the intemperate1 you would do        
comparatively little injury to the      
community4 ,for you would only hasten   
those out of the way who are a nuisance1
 and prevent the education of others to 
fill their places4 ,but let not any man 
think that no blame attaches to himself 

because the poison goes into other hands
 before it is administered4 ,a man is to
 blame for any evil to his fellow-men   
which he could prevent4 ,now1 by        
stopping all the distilleries in the    
land1 you could prevent men from        
becoming drunkards4 ,the very head and  
front of the offending1 therefore1 lies 
with you4 ,it is as idle for you to     
attempt to cast all the guilt upon      
others1 in this way1 as it was for      
,pilate1 when he endeavored to fix the  
blood of ,christ upon the people by     
washing his hands before them and       
declaring himself innocent1 and then    
going back to his judgment-seat and     
passing sentence of death upon him4     
,good man6 ,he did not touch a hair of  
the ,saviour's head4 ,it was the cruel  
soldiers who executed his orders1 that1 
according to this plea1 were alone      
guilty6  ,some distillers will probably 
say that they cannot support themselves 
and families if they abandon this       
business2 and some farmers will say1 if 

we cannot sell our cider and rye to the 
distillers1 the products of our orchards
 must all be lost1 and rye is the only  
article which we can raise upon our     
farms with any profit4 ,and if ,i were  
not to purchase these articles1 says the
 distiller1 their price must be so low  
that no farmer could afford to raise    
them4 ,thus to reduce a large class of  
the yeomanry of our country--its very   
sinews--to poverty1 would be a greater  
evil than even the intemperance that is 
so common4  ,is it indeed true1 that in 
this free and happy country an          
industrious1 temperate1 and economical  
man1 cannot find any employment by which
 he can support himself and family in a 
comfortable manner without manufacturing
 poison and selling it to his           
countrymen8 ,in other words1 cannot he  
live without destroying them8 ,is land  
so scarce1 or so eaten up with tithes   
and taxes1 that he cannot thence derive 
subsistence unless he converts its      
products into money at the expense of   

others' comfort1 reputation1 and life8  
,is every honest calling so crowded1 or 
so unproductive1 that every avenue is   
closed8 ,have the men who make this plea
 tried1 even for a single year1 to live 
without the manufacture of spirits8 ,it 
may be1 indeed1 that for a time they    
will find other pursuits less productive
 than this4 ,and is not this1 after all1
 the true reason why they shrink from   
the sacrifice8 ,but if superior profits 
be a sufficient reason for continuing   
distillation1 it is a reason that will  
justify the robber1 the thief1 and every
 other depredator upon the rights of    
others4  ,but how does it appear that   
the stoppage of all the distilleries in 
the land will reduce the price of cider 
and rye8 ,their operation has produced a
 great demand for these articles1 and   
that demand has thrown into the market  
an immense supply3 the consequence is1  
that the prices are reduced as low as   
the articles can be afforded1 at a very 
moderate profit1 and the great complaint

 now among farmers is1 that they are so 
low4 ,let the distilleries cease to     
exist1 and the special demand for these 
articles will cease2 and consequently   
the market will not be glutted with     
them1 because no extra efforts will be  
made to raise them3 the result will     
probably be1 that in a very short time  
their price will be very nearly or quite
 as high as it now is4  ,but even if we 
suppose the worst1 that the distiller   
and some farmers should be reduced to   
absolute beggary by the cessation of    
this manufacture2 no reasonable1 or     
patriotic1 or ,christian man can for a  
moment regard this as a reason why he   
should continue in any business that is 
productive of immense mischief to his   
country4 ,is it not better that he and  
his family should come to want1 than    
that hundreds of thousands should be    
ruined1 soul and body1 for time and     
eternity8 ,if he has a right to derive  
his subsistence from the ruin of others1
 then others1 as the thief1 the         

swindler1 and the robber1 have a right  
to obtain their subsistence from his    
ruin4  ,in the fourth place1 ,i appeal  
to these men as a neighbor and a parent1
 and in behalf of the drunkard's wife   
and children4 ,when ,providence cast our
 lot in the same neighborhood1 ,i       
considered1 and doubtless you thought   
the same1 that a regard to our mutual   
welfare bound us to do every thing in   
our power to make the community in which
 we lived intelligent1 virtuous1 and    
happy2 and to avoid every thing that    
would mar its peace1 degrade its        
character1 or stain its purity4 ,my     
complaint is1 that by the manufacture of
 ardent spirits you have violated these 
obligations4 ,the facilities for        
obtaining spirits1 and the temptations  
to their use and abuse1 have been thus  
so multiplied1 and brought so near1 that
 very many who were once kind neighbors 
and valuable members of society are     
ruined1 or in different stages of the   
path to ruin4 ,one has got as far as an 

occasional visit to the grog-shop and   
the bar-room3 another is rarely seen    
there2 but the wretched condition of his
 house1 barn1 and farm1 his impatience  
of confinement at home1 and his many    
foolish bargains1 tell me1 in language  
not to be mistaken1 that the worm which 
is preying upon the root of his         
prosperity is the worm of the still4    
,the frequent visits of the sheriff to  
the house of another neighbor1 whose    
family is healthy and industrious2 his  
bitter complaints of the hardness of the
 times2 his constant efforts to borrow  
money to prevent executions from being  
levied2 the mortgaging of his farm to   
the bank2 his pimpled face1 and bloated 
body1 and dry hacking cough1 are painful
 testimonies of his familiarity with the
 products of the distillery4 ,it is     
distressing to look around upon our once
 happy neighborhood--did you ever do    
it8--and to see what havoc your         
manufactory of spirits has made upon the
 peace1 property1 reputation1           

intelligence1 morality1 and good order  
of the community4 ,no wasting sickness1 
no foreign or domestic war1 no premature
 frost2 no drought1 blasting1 or mildew2
 nor any other visitation of ,god2 no1  
not all of them combined have been the  
tenth part as fatal to our prosperity   
and happiness1 as this one              
self-inflicted curse4 ,and this curse we
 should never have felt1 had not some of
 you put into operation your            
distilleries1 and others fed them with  
the products of your farms3 ,i mean1    
such would have been the happy effect1  
had the manufacture of spirits ceased in
 our land before these evils had        
followed3 and ,i am now supposing that  
some one in every town and neighborhood 
throughout the land1 where there is a   
distillery1 is addressing the same      
language to those who conduct it as ,i  
am addressing to you4 ,we make a united 
and earnest appeal to you1 in view of   
the ruin that rises around us1 that you 
would stop the work of destruction and  

strengthen the things that remain1 which
 are ready to die4 ,you stand at the    
fountain-head of that fiery stream which
 is spreading volcanic desolation over  
the land4 ,oh1 shut up the sluices      
before every verdant spot is buried     
beneath the inundation4  ,but to come   
again into our own neighborhood3 ,i have
 a family of beloved children growing up
 in the vicinity of your distillery2 and
 when ,i recollect that every fortieth  
individual among us is a drunkard1 and  
that about every third person above the 
age of twenty dies prematurely through  
intemperance1 ,i cannot but feel a deep 
anxiety lest my boys should be found at 
length among the number4 ,true1 one of  
the earliest lessons ,i teach them is   
total abstinence1 and ,i try to excite  
in their minds a disgust towards every  
species of alcoholic mixture4 ,but they 
go to one of my neighbors and hear him  
telling of the whiskey and cider-brandy 
that have been produced upon his farm1  
and they see him mixing and circulating 

the bowl among his laborers1 his        
visitors1 and even his own children2 and
 it is offered also to mine1 accompanied
 with some jeer against cold water      
societies4 ,they see the huge           
accumulations of cider and rye at the   
distillery1 and mark the glee of the men
 who conduct its operations1 and of     
those who come to fill their barrel or  
keg with spirits4 ,they go also to the  
store in the vicinity1 and see one after
 another filling their jugs with the    
same article4 ,now1 these neighbors who 
thus distil1 and vend1 and drink whiskey
 and brandy1 my children are taught to  
respect2 and how is it possible that    
they should not feel that their father  
is too rigid in his requirements1 and   
hence be tempted to taste2 and tasting1 
to love2 and loving1 to be destroyed by 
the poison8 ,oh1 is there no guilt in   
thus spreading a snare for my children8 
,should they fall1 will none of their   
blood be upon your heads8 ,shall not the
 entreaties of a parent be felt by those

 who are themselves parents1 and whose  
days may yet be rendered intolerable by 
the cruelty of drunken children8  ,i    
would invite the manufacturer of        
spirits1 and the farmer who supplies the
 materials1 to go around with me among  
the people in the vicinity of the       
distillery1 that they may have some     
nearer views of the miseries produced by
 their employment4 ,let us stop for a   
moment at this tavern4  ,,myself4 ,you  
seem1 landlord1 to be quite full of     
business to-day4 ,what is the occasion8 
,,landlord4 ,neighbors ,x and ,y have   
their case tried here1 to-day1 before   
,esquire ,z1 and you know that these    
matters cannot go on well with dry      
throats4  ,,myself4 ,what is the point  
in dispute between your neighbors8      
,,landlord4 ,something about swapping a 
horse1 ,i believe2 but it is my opinion 
that both of them hardly knew what they 
were about1 when they made the exchange4
 ,it was last town-meeting day1 and ,i  
recollect that both of them called quite

 frequently at my bar that day4 ,they   
are none of your cold water folks1 ,i   
assure you4  ,,myself4 ,are these court 
days generally profitable to you1       
landlord8  ,,landlord4 ,better1 even1   
than a town meeting2 for those who come 
on such occasions have no qualms of     
conscience about drinking1 if they have 
occasion1 ,i assure you4 ,but on        
town-meeting days1 some of the          
pale-faced temperance men are always    
about1 to frighten away honest people4  
,,myself4 ,do not these court occasions 
often lay the foundation for other      
courts8  ,,landlord4 ,oh1 very          
frequently3 but so much the better1 you 
know1 for my business2 and so ,i must   
not complain4  ,let us next call at ,mr4
 ,a's1 who has so fine a farm and       
orchard1 and every means1 one would     
think1 of independence and happiness4   
,but hark2 there is a family dialogue   
going on between farmer ,a1 his wife1   
and son4  ,,son4 ,what2 boozy so early1 
mother8 and father too1 and quarrelling1

 as usual1 ,i perceive4 ,o1 ,i wish our 
orchard were all burnt down1 and the    
distillery too1 rather than live in such
 a bedlam4  ,,mother4 ,but do you not   
like a little yourself1 son1 when eleven
 o'clock comes8  ,,father4 ,aye1 and at 
four1 and some bitters in the morning4  
,we are old1 you must remember1 son1 and
 require more to warm us and support    
nature than you do4  ,,son4 ,if you     
would drink only moderately1 as ,i do1  
,i would not complain4 ,for ,i am not   
one of your cold water scarecrows1 ,i   
assure you4 ,but to have you drink half 
the time1 is what vexes me4  ,what a    
fine picture is here1 my neighbors1 for 
the men to look at who expect to reform 
the world by moderate drinking1 without 
adopting the principle of total         
abstinence4  ,but look at the sheriff   
yonder1 pointing about neighbor ,b's    
house1 from which he seems to be        
excluded4  ,,sheriff4 ,you are too late1
 gentlemen2 all the property is attached
 for twice its value4 ,rum1 bad         

bargains1 and negligence1 have done the 
business with poor ,b4 ,but ,i pity his 
wife and children most1 for they have   
struggled hard to prevent it4           
,,distiller4 ,is every thing gone8 ,the 
fellow owed me two hundred dollars4     
,,myself4 ,for whiskey1 ,i suppose4     
,,distiller4 ,he was formerly a partner 
in my still1 you recollect4  ,yonder    
comes from the store the mechanic1      
neighbor ,d4 ,well1 neighbor ,d1 how do 
the times go with you now8  ,d4 ,was    
there ever such a scarcity of money8    
,when the rich are failing all around1  
how can a poor mechanic stand it8       
,,myself4 ,what have you1 friend ,d1    
bound up so carefully in your           
handkerchief8  ,d4 ,aye1 you belong to  
the cold water society1 ,i believe4 ,but
 ,i do know that a little now and then  
does me good4  ,,myself4 ,i should      
suppose that1 shut up as you are in your
 shop most of the time1 you could not be
 much exposed to heat or cold1 or great 
fatigue1 and therefore would hardly need

 spirits4  ,d4 ,well1 but ,i have a weak
 and cold stomach1 and often feel so    
faint and sick that ,i must either take 
an emetic or a glass of spirits4 ,but   
the latter cures all my bad feelings4   
,,myself4 ,ah1 friend ,d1 ,i fear the   
times will prove too hard for you4 ,but 
why do you try to conceal your jug when 
you go to the store for whiskey8  ,d4   
,why--why--it is more convenient to     
carry it tied up in this way4  ,let us  
stop next at this skeleton of a house1  
which you know used to look so tidy     
before its owner became intemperate4    
,oh1 was misery ever more perfectly     
personified than in his wife and        
children1 whom you see through the doors
 and window-frames6 ,and there lies the 
wretch himself1 dead-drunk4  ,,myself4  
,pray1 madam1 do these children attend  
school8  ,,wife4 ,ah1 sir1 ,i am ashamed
 to say it1 they have not decent        
clothes4 ,but it was not always as you  
see it to-day4 ,when we were first      
married our prospects were good2 and by 

industry and economy our little farm    
supported us1 and we made some headway4 
,but 7turning towards the farmer7 yet ,i
 would not hurt any one's feelings4     
,,farmer4 ,tell your story1 madam4      
,,wife4 ,well1 sir1 you recollect that  
five years ago your orchard produced    
abundantly1 and you proposed to my      
husband to assist you in making the     
cider1 and getting it to the distillery1
 and to take his pay in brandy4 ,he did 
so1 and soon a barrel of the poison1    
which he could not sell1 was deposited  
in our cellar4 ,oh1 what a winter       
followed6 ,i have known no peace or     
comfort since1 nor shall ,i1 till ,i    
find them in the grave4 ,were it not for
 these poor naked children1 ,i could    
wish to rest there soon4 ,but ,o1 what  
will become of them8 ,oh1 sir1 can you  
think it strange if all these things    
should come into my mind every time you 
and ,i sit down together at the same    
communion-table8  ,we must not return   
home without calling at the next        

miserable hovel1 where the widow of a   
drunkard1 with half a dozen ragged1     
squalid children1 is dragging out a     
miserable existence4 ,hark1 she is      
reading the ,bible4 ,did you hear that  
stifled groan1 as she read in that holy 
book1 ,be not deceived3 neither         
fornicators1 nor idolaters1 nor         
drunkards1 shall inherit the kingdom of 
,god4  ,,myself4 ,i believe ,i have not 
seen you1 madam1 since the death of your
 husband4 ,i hope you find support4     
,,widow4 ,oh1 sir1 resignation is easy  
if we feel a confidence1 or even a      
feeble hope1 that our friends who are   
taken away will escape the agonies of a 
second death4 ,but how can we hope      
against the express declarations of the 
word of ,god8  ,,distiller4 ,and yet1   
madam1 your husband had many excellent  
qualities4  ,,widow4 ,and he would still
 have lived to bless me and the world by
 their exhibition1 had it not been for  
your distillery4  ,,distiller4 ,i have  
no idea of sitting in judgment upon our 

departed friends1 and sending them to   
hell because they had a few failings4   
,,widow4 ,ah1 sir1 if my husband has    
gone there1 it was your distillery that 
sent him4 ,before that was built no man 
was more kind1 temperate1 and happy4    
,but you persuaded him to labor there1  
and paid him in whiskey1 and it ruined  
him1 and ruined us all4 ,look at        
me--look at these children1 without     
food1 without raiment1 without fire1    
without friends1 except their ,friend in
 heaven4 ,i do not ask you to bestow    
upon us any articles for the supply of  
our temporal necessities2 but look at   
us1 and be entreated to tear down your  
distillery1 so that you may not multiply
 upon you the execrations of the widow  
and the orphan1 wrung from them by the  
extremity of their sufferings4          
,gentlemen1 let me exhort you to take   
such a tour of observation as this once 
a month4 ,oh1 ,i entreat every one in   
the land1 who has any concern in the    
manufacture of ardent spirits1 to do the

 same2 and ere long1 ,i am persuaded1   
you would either abandon every claim to 
humanity1 or abandon for ever your      
pernicious employment4  ,in the fifth   
place1 ,i advise and forewarn these men 
as their personal friend4 ,if you distil
 ardent spirits1 or furnish the         
materials1 you must use them yourselves 
and allow of their use in your families2
 otherwise your inconsistency1 not to   
say dishonesty1 would subject you to    
universal contempt4 ,now1 to have your  
children familiar with the sling1 the   
toddy1 and the flip1 as they grow up6   
,is here no danger that the temptation  
will prove too strong for them8 ,can a  
man take fire in his bosom1 and his     
clothes not be burned8 ,can one go upon 
hot coals1 and his feet not be burned8  
,and what compensation for the          
intemperance of a wife1 or a child1     
would be the highest profits of an      
orchard1 a field of rye1 or a           
distillery8 ,oh1 to be a drunkard is to 
destroy the soul as well as the body3   

and what shall a man give in exchange   
for his soul8 ,and are you yourselves in
 no danger of intemperance1 plied as you
 are by so many allurements8 ,look      
around you and see how many strong men1 
how many of the wise1 the moral1 the    
amiable1 and the apparently pious1 have 
fallen before the fascinations of this  
prince of serpents4 ,and are you safe   
who stand even within the reach of his  
forky tongue1 and lay the bait for his  
victims1 and lure them into his jaws by 
tasting of it yourselves8 ,oh1 the      
history of distillers and temperate     
drinkers1 in their last days1 furnishes 
an awful warning for you4  ,but there is
 another danger before you1 of which1 as
 a faithful friend1 ,i wish to forewarn 
you4 ,i see a dark storm gathering over 
your heads4 ,you cannot be ignorant of  
the mighty movement that is making in   
our land on the subject of temperance4  
,you must have felt the heavy           
concussion1 and heard the rolling       
thunder4 ,the religious1 the moral1 the 

patriotic1 the learned1 and the wise1 as
 intemperance has been developing its   
huge and hateful features more and more1
 have been aroused to effort2 they have 
closed together in a firm phalanx2 and  
as they move on with the standard of    
total abstinence waving before them1 the
 great1 and the good1 and the valiant of
 every name1 are swelling their ranks4  
,the cry is waxing louder and louder1   
,where are the strong holds of the      
monster2 point out to us the fountains  
that supply his insatiable thirst1 and  
who it is that feeds them2 and who it is
 that opens the enormous floodgates8 and
 thither we will march1 and against such
 men will we point our heaviest         
artillery4 ,and to this cry there is an 
answer more and more distinctly breaking
 out3 ,to the distilleries--to the      
distilleries4 ,my friends1 wait not till
 this storm of public indignation bursts
 upon you1 nor fancy that you can face  
it4 ,oh1 no2 it will be a steady1 fiery 
blast1 that will bear you down2 and you 

will find that none but the dregs of the
 community will be left with you to     
sustain you4 ,you will be left with the 
drunkards1 to be distinguished from them
 only as their abettors and supporters2 
and from you will every virtuous and    
patriotic man turn away in disgust1 as  
enemies to himself1 his children1 and   
his country4 ,think not that all this is
 imagination3 look up1 and you will see 
the cloud blackening1 and the lightning 
beginning to play1 and hear the thunder 
roaring4 ,but it is not yet too late to 
escape from the fury of the storm4      
,finally1 ,i would entreat these men as 
a ,christian4 ,some of them profess a   
personal and experimental knowledge of  
vital ,christianity1 and are members of 
the visible church4 ,what1 can it be    
that a real ,christian should1 at this  
day1 be concerned in the manufacture of 
ardent spirits for general use8 ,when ,i
 think of the light that now illuminates
 every man's path on this subject so    
clearly1 and think how the horrors of   

intemperance must flash in his face at  
every step1 ,i confess ,i feel disposed 
indignantly to reply1 ,no2 this man     
cannot be a ,christian4 ,but then ,i    
recollect ,david1 the adulterer2 ,peter1
 the denier of his master1 profanely    
cursing and swearing2 and ,john ,newton1
 a genuine convert to ,christianity1 yet
 for a long time violating every dictate
 of conscience and of right2 and ,i     
check my hasty judgment1 and leave the  
secret character of the manufacturer of 
ardent spirits to a higher and more     
impartial tribunal4 ,but if such a man  
be really a ,christian1 that is1 if he  
do really love ,god supremely and his   
neighbor as himself1 in what a state of 
awful alienation and stupidity must he  
be living6 ,remaining in such a state1  
that is1 while persevering in so        
unchristian an employment1 can he have  
any evidence himself1 or afford any     
evidence to others1 of possessing a     
,christian character8  ,i would not     
apply these remarks in their unqualified

 severity to every professor of religion
 who supplies the distillery with       
materials1 or who vends or uses wine or 
ardent spirits2 for we shall find some  
of this description who really suppose  
that1 instead of being condemned for    
such conduct in the ,bible1 they are    
rather supported by some parts of it3   
they not only find ,christ converting   
water into wine at a marriage1 and ,paul
 directing ,timothy to use a little wine
 for his health1 but that1 in one case1 
the ,jews had liberty to convert a      
certain tithe into money1 and bring it  
to ,jerusalem and bestow it for what    
their soul lusted after1 for oxen1 or   
for sheep1 or for wine1 or strong drink1
 and they were to eat there before the  
,lord their ,god1 and rejoice1 they and 
their household4 ,deut4 #ad3bf4 ,but    
before any one settles down into a      
conclusion that this passage warrants   
the use of wine and ardent spirits1 in  
our age and country1 let him consider   
that there may have been1 as there      

doubtless were1 peculiar reasons1 under 
the ,levitical dispensation1 for        
permitting the ,jews to partake of what 
their soul desired before the ,lord1    
which would not apply to mankind        
generally2 as was the case in respect to
 several other things4 ,but not to urge 
this point1 ,i would say1 further1 that 
the fact that ,judea was a wine country1
 that is1 a country where the grape for 
the manufacture of wine was easily and  
abundantly raised1 puts a different     
aspect upon this permission4 ,in our    
country1 the apple takes the place of   
the grape1 and our cider is nearer      
equivalent to the wine of ,judea2       
because there the apple does not        
flourish1 and here1 the grape cannot be 
extensively cultivated4 ,to use wine in 
wine countries1 therefore1 is           
essentially the same thing as to use    
cider in cider countries2 and it does   
not appear that the one1 in such cases1 
is much more productive of intemperance 
than the other4 ,the fact is1 the wines 

used in countries where they are        
manufactured1 contain but little more   
then half as much alcohol as most of the
 wine sold in this country1 where1 as a 
very respectable authority states1 for  
every gallon of pure wine which is sold1
 there is perhaps a pipe1 or fifty times
 the quantity of that1 which is         
adulterated1 and in various manners     
sophisticated--the whole1 without       
exception1 the source of a thousand     
disorders1 and in many instances an     
active poison1 imperfectly disguised4   
,but after all1 ,i am not obliged1 in   
this place1 to prove that ,god has      
forbidden the use of wine1 though led   
into this digression from the desire to 
correct a general misapprehension of the
 ,scriptures on this subject2 for the   
inquiry now relates to ardent spirits4  
,and what shall we say concerning the   
permission1 above pointed out1 for the  
,jews to use strong drink8 ,i say1 it   
was merely a permission to use wine2 for
 the strong drink several times         

mentioned in the ,bible was1 in fact1   
nothing more than a particular kind of  
wine1 made of dates and various sorts of
 seeds and roots1 and called strong     
drink1 merely to distinguish it from the
 wine made from grapes4 ,nor is there   
any evidence that it was in fact any    
stronger1 in its intoxicating qualities1
 than common wine4 ,the truth is1 ardent
 spirits were not known until many      
centuries after ,christ3 not until the  
art of distillation was discovered1     
which was not certainly earlier than the
 dark ages4 ,not a word1 therefore1 is  
said in the ,bible concerning distilled 
spirits4 ,all its powerful descriptions 
of drunkenness1 and awful denunciations 
against it1 were founded upon the abuse 
men made of wine4 ,how much louder its  
notes of remonstrance and terror would  
have risen1 had distillation thus early 
taught men how to concentrate the       
poison1 may be imagined by the reader4  
,after these statements1 ,i trust none  
of those whom ,i address will any longer

 resort to the ,bible for proofs of a   
divine permission to manufacture or use 
ardent spirits4 ,but do the principles  
of the ,bible condemn such use and      
manufacture8  ,what do you think of the 
golden rule of doing unto others as we  
would they should do unto us8 ,should   
you suppose your neighbors were         
conducting towards you according to this
 rule1 were they unnecessarily to pursue
 such a business1 or to set such an     
example as would inevitably lead any of 
your children or friends into confirmed 
drunkenness8 ,if not1 then how can you1 
consistently with this rule1 distil1    
use1 or furnish materials for the       
manufacture of ardent spirits1 when you 
thereby1 directly or indirectly1 render 
intemperate from two hundred thousand to
 three hundred thousand of your         
fellow-citizens1 and every year also    
raise up new recruits enough to supply  
the dreadful ravages which death makes  
in this army8 ,this you are certainly   
doing2 for were your distilleries to    

stop1 and you to stop drinking1 few     
would become drunkards1 from want of the
 means4  ,how would you like to have    
your neighbors one after another break  
down your fences1 and turn their cattle 
into your corn-fields1 cut down your    
fruit and ornamental trees1 set your    
house or barn on fire1 and threaten you 
with poverty and slavery8 ,if you would 
not have your neighbor do thus to you1  
provided he had the power1 then how can 
you1 by preparing the food for          
intemperance1 subject the property1 the 
peace1 the morality1 the religion1 and  
the liberties of your country to those  
dangers and fearful depredations which  
you are now inflicting upon her8  ,how  
would you like to have your neighbors1  
directly or indirectly1 but             
unnecessarily1 cause the premature death
 of every fortieth of your children and 
friends1 and of one in three of those   
above the age of twenty8 ,i know you    
would not that they should do thus to   
you1 and yet your manufacture of spirits

 causes the premature death of five     
hundred of your fellow-citizens every   
week2 in other words1 about that number 
die every week through the intemperance 
produced by your distilleries4  ,again1 
,i ask the men whom ,i am addressing1   
how they reconcile their manufacture and
 sale of spirits with another command of
 the ,bible8 ,woe unto him that giveth  
his neighbor drink1 that puttest thy    
bottle to him1 and makest him drunken   
also1 that thou mayest look on their    
nakedness4 ,true1 this applies most     
emphatically to the retailer of spirits3
 but what could the retailer do if there
 were no distillery2 and what could the 
distiller do if the farmer withheld the 
materials8 ,all these men are engaged1  
directly or indirectly1 in giving their 
neighbors drink2 and though it may pass 
through many hands before it reaches all
 their mouths1 yet where must the burden
 of the guilt rest1 if not upon those   
who stand at the head of the series1 and
 first convert the articles which ,god  

has given to nourish and sustain life   
into active poison for its destruction2 
and then1 for the sake of a paltry      
pecuniary profit1 send it round amongst 
their neighbors1 accompanied with all   
the plagues that issued from the fabled 
,pandora's box8  ,finally1 let me ask   
these men how the business of preparing 
ardent spirits for the community appears
 to them when they think most seriously 
of another world8 ,in the hours of sober
 reflection1 on the ,sabbath1 during    
seasons of devotion1 when sickness      
overtakes you1 and death seems near1 or 
you stand by the dying-bed of some one  
of your family or neighbors2 at such    
seasons can you look back upon this     
pursuit with pleasure8 ,if conscience   
then tells you that this business ought 
to be given up1 ,oh remember1 that      
conscience is an honest and faithful    
friend at such times1 and that1 as this 
pursuit then appears to you1 so will it 
appear when you come actually to die4   
,test this business1 ,i beseech you1 by 

bringing it in imagination to the       
scrutiny of your dying hour4 ,whether it
 be lawful or unlawful1 certain it is   
that it sends five hundred drunkards    
into eternity every week2 and you have  
the express testimony of the ,bible1    
that no drunkard shall inherit the      
kingdom of ,god4 ,as the ,bible is true1
 then1 are not the manufacturers of     
ardent spirits in our land the means of 
sending five hundred souls to hell every
 week8 ,tell me1 my friends1 how will   
this awful truth appear to you on the   
bed of death8 ,and how does it appear   
when you look forward to the final      
judgment1 and realize that you must meet
 there fifty or an hundred1 or five     
hundred times five hundred drunkards1   
made such through your instrumentality1 
for one1 or two1 or ten years1 and must 
there justify yourselves for this       
instrumentality1 or go away with them   
into perdition1 covered with their blood
 and followed by their execrations8     
,oh1 my friends1 these are realities2   

and they are near4 ,do you begin to     
doubt whether you are in the path of    
duty8 ,listen1 ,i beseech you1 to the   
first whispers of the faithful monitor  
in your bosom4  ,by the reasonings of   
philosophy1 by the testimony of         
physicians1 by the expostulations of    
your bleeding country1 by the tears1 the
 rags1 and the wretchedness of three    
hundred thousand drunkards1 with their  
wives and children2 by the warnings of  
personal friendship1 and by the         
sanctions of the divine law1 the        
solemnities of death and the judgment1  
and the groans of ten thousand          
drunkards1 rising from the pit1 ,i      
entreat you1 abandon at once and for    
ever this most unrighteous employment1  
and save yourselves from the eternal    
agonies of conscience1 the execrations  
of millions1 and the wrath of           
,omnipotence4     ,,address ,,to ,,the  
,,young ,,men ,,of ,,the ,,united       
,,states1 ,,on ,,temperance4  ,,by ,,rt4
 ,,rev4 ,c4 ,p4 ,m',,ilvaine1 ,d4 ,d4   

,in addressing the ,young ,men of the   
,united ,states in regard to the great  
enterprise of promoting the universal   
prevalence of ,temperance1 we are not   
aware that any time need be occupied in 
apology4 ,our motives cannot be         
mistaken4 ,the magnitude of the cause1  
and the importance of that cooperation  
in its behalf which this address is     
designed to promote1 will vindicate the 
propriety of its respectful call upon   
the attention of those by whom it shall 
ever be received4  ,it is presumed that 
every reader is already aware of the    
extensive and energetic movements at    
present advancing in our country in     
behalf of ,temperance4 ,that an         
unprecedented interest in this work has 
been recently excited1 and is still     
rapidly strengthening in thousands of   
districts2 that talent1 wisdom1         
experience1 learning1 and influence are 
now enlisted in its service1 with a     
measure of zeal and harmony far         
surpassing what was ever witnessed      

before in such a cause2 that great      
things have already been accomplished2  
that much greater are near at hand2 and 
that the whole victory will be          
eventually won1 if the temperate portion
 of society are not wanting to their    
solemn duty1 must have been seen already
 by those living along the main channels
 of public thought and feeling4         
,elevated1 as we now are1 upon a high   
tide of general interest and zeal--a    
tide which may either go on increasing  
its flood till it has washed clean the  
very mountain tops1 and drowned         
intemperance in its last den2 or else   
subside1 and leave the land infected    
with a plague1 the more malignant and   
incurable from the dead remains of a    
partial inundation--it has become a     
question of universal application1 which
 those who are now at the outset of     
their influence in society should       
especially consider3 ,what can we do1   
and what ought we to do in this cause8  
,for the settlement of this question we 

invite you to a brief view of the whole 
ground on which temperance measures are 
now proceeding4  ,it cannot be denied   
that our country is most horribly       
scourged by intemperance4 ,in the strong
 language of ,scripture1 it groaneth and
 travaileth in pain1 to be delivered    
from the bondage of this corruption4    
,our country is free2 with a great price
 obtained we this freedom4 ,we feel as  
if all the force of ,europe could not   
get it from our embrace4 ,our shores    
would shake into the depth of the sea   
the invader who should presume to seek  
it4 ,one solitary citizen led away into 
captivity1 scourged1 chained by a       
foreign enemy1 would rouse the oldest   
nerve in the land to indignant          
complaint1 and league the whole nation  
in loud demand for redress4 ,and yet it 
cannot be denied that our country is    
enslaved4 ,yes1 we are groaning under a 
most desolating bondage4 ,the land is   
trodden down under its polluting foot4  
,our families are continually           

dishonored1 ravaged1 and bereaved2      
thousands annually slain1 and hundreds  
of thousands carried away into a        
loathsome slavery1 to be ground to      
powder under its burdens1 or broken upon
 the wheel of its tortures4  ,what are  
the statistics of this traffic8 ,ask the
 records of madhouses1 and they will    
answer1 that one-third of all their     
wretched inmates were sent there by     
,intemperance4 ,ask the keepers of our  
prisons1 and they will testify that1    
with scarcely an exception1 their       
horrible population is from the schools 
of ,intemperance4 ,ask the history of   
the #bjj1jjj paupers now burdening the  
hands of public charity1 and you will   
find that two-thirds of them have been  
the victims1 directly or indirectly1 of 
,intemperance4 ,inquire at the gates of 
death1 and you will learn that no less  
than #cj1jjj souls are annually passed  
for the judgment-bar of ,god1 driven    
there by ,intemperance4 ,how many slaves
 are at present among us8 ,we ask not of

 slaves to man1 but to ,intemperance1 in
 comparison with whose bondage the yoke 
of the tyrant is freedom4 ,they are     
estimated at #dhj1jjj6 ,and what does   
the nation pay for the honor and        
happiness of this whole system of ruin8 
,five times as much1 every year1 as for 
the annual support of its whole system  
of government4 ,these are truths1 so    
often published1 so widely sanctioned1  
so generally received1 and so little    
doubted1 that we need not detail the    
particulars by which they are made out4 
,what1 then1 is the whole amount of     
guilt and of woe which they exhibit8    
,ask ,him unto whom all hearts are open1
 all desires known1 and from whom no    
secrets are hid4 ,ask ,eternity6  ,the  
biographer of ,napoleon1 speaking of the
 loss sustained by ,england on the field
 of ,waterloo1 says1 ,fifteen thousand  
men killed and wounded1 threw half      
,britain into mourning4 ,it required all
 the glory and all the solid advantages 
of that day to reconcile the mind to the

 high price at which it was purchased4  
,but what mourning would fill all       
,britain1 if every year should behold   
another ,waterloo8 ,but what does every 
year repeat in our peaceful land8 ,ours 
is a carnage not exhibited only once in 
a single field1 but going on            
continually1 in every town and hamlet4  
,every eye sees its woes1 every ear     
catches its groans4 ,the wounded are too
 numerous to count4 ,who is not wounded 
by the intemperance of this nation8 ,but
 of the dead we count1 year by year1    
more than double the number that filled 
half ,britain with mourning4 ,ah1 could 
we behold the many thousands whom our   
destroyer annually delivers over unto   
death1 collected together upon one field
 of slaughter1 for one funeral1 and one 
deep and wide burial-place2 could we    
behold a full assemblage of all the     
parents1 widows1 children1 friends1     
whose hearts have been torn by their    
death1 surrounding that awful grave1 and
 loading the winds with tales of woe1   

the whole land would cry out at the     
spectacle4 ,it would require something  
more than all the glory1 and all the    
solid advantages of ,intemperance1 to   
reconcile the mind to the high price at 
which they were purchased4  ,but enough 
is known of the intemperance of this    
country to render it undeniable by the  
most ignorant inhabitant1 that a        
horrible scourge is indeed upon us4     
,another assertion is equally           
unquestionable4 ,the time has come when 
a great effort must be made to          
exterminate this unequalled destroyer4  
,it was high time this was done when the
 first drunkard entered eternity to     
receive the award of ,him who has       
declared that no drunkard shall enter   
the kingdom of ,god4 ,the demand for    
this effort has been growing in the     
peremptory tone of its call1 as the     
overflowing scourge has passed with     
constantly extending sweep through the  
land4 ,but a strange apathy has         
prevailed among us4 ,as if the whole    

nation had been drinking the cup of     
delusion1 we saw the enemy coming in    
like a flood1 and we lifted up scarcely 
a straw against him4 ,as if the         
magicians of ,egypt had prevailed over  
us by their enchantments1 we beheld our 
waters of refreshment turned into blood1
 and a destroying sword passing through 
till there was a great cry in the land1 
for there was scarcely a house where    
there was not one dead2 and still our   
hearts were hardened1 and we would not  
let go the great sin for which these    
plagues were brought upon us4 ,it seems 
as if some foul demon had taken his seat
 upon the breast of the nation1 and was 
holding us down with the dead weight of 
a horrid nightmare1 while he laughed at 
our calamity and mocked at our          
fear--when our fear came as desolation1 
and our destruction as a whirlwind4     
,shall this state continue8 ,is not the 
desolation advancing8 ,have not         
facilities of intemperance1 temptations 
to intemperance1 examples to sanction   

intemperance1 been fast increasing ever 
since this plague began8 ,without some  
effectual effort1 is it not certain they
 will continue to increase1 till        
intemperate men and their abettors will 
form the public opinion and consequently
 the public conscience and the public   
law of this land--till intemperance     
shall become1 like leviathan of old1    
king over all the children of pride1    
whose breath kindleth coals1 and a flame
 goeth out of his mouth8 ,then what will
 effort of man avail8 ,canst thou draw  
out leviathan with a hook8 ,his heart is
 as firm as a stone2 yea1 as hard as a  
piece of the nether millstone4 ,he      
drinketh up a river1 and hasteth not4   
,when he raiseth up himself1 the mighty 
are afraid4  ,it is too late to put off 
any longer the effort for deliverance4  
,it is granted by the common sense1 and 
urged by the common interest2 every     
feeling of humanity and every           
consideration of religion enforces the  
belief that the time has come when a    

great onset is imperiously demanded to  
drive out intemperance from the land4   
,this1 to be great1 must be universal4  
,the whole country is enslaved2 and the 
whole country must rise up at once1 like
 an armed man1 and determine to be free4
 ,of what lasting avail would it be for 
one section of territory1 here and      
there1 to clear itself1 while the       
surrounding regions should remain under 
the curse8 ,the temperance reformation  
has no quarantine to fence out the      
infected4 ,geographical boundaries are  
no barriers against contagion4 ,rivers  
and mountains are easily crossed by     
corrupting example4 ,ardent spirits1    
like all other fluids1 perpetually seek 
their level4 ,in vain does the farmer   
eradicate from his fields the last      
vestige of the noisome thistle1 while   
the neighboring grounds are given up to 
its dominion1 and every wind scatters   
the seed where it listeth4 ,the effort  
against intemperance1 to be effective1  
must be universal4  ,here1 then1 are    

three important points which we may     
safely assume as entirely               
unquestionable3 that our country is     
horribly scourged by intemperance2 that 
the time has come when a great effort is
 demanded for the expulsion of this     
evil2 and that no effort can be         
effectual without being universal4      
,hence is deduced1 undeniably1 the      
conclusion that it is the duty1 and the 
solemn duty of the people1 in every part
 of this country1 to rise up at once1   
and act vigorously and unitedly in the  
furtherance of whatever measures are    
best calculated to promote reformation4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,here the question occurs1 ,what can be 
done8 ,how can this woe be arrested8    
,the answer is plain4 ,nothing can be   
done1 but in one of the three following 
ways4 ,you must either suffer people to 
drink immoderately2 or you must endeavor
 to promote moderation in drinking2 or  
you must try to persuade them to drink  
none at all4 ,one of these plans must be

 adopted4 ,which shall we choose8 ,the  
first is condemned already4  ,what say  
we to the second1 the moderate use of   
intoxicating drinks8 ,it has            
unquestionably the sanction of high and 
ancient ancestry4 ,it is precisely the  
plan on which intemperance has been     
wrestled with ever since it was first   
discovered that wine is a mocker1 and   
that strong drink is raging4 ,but hence 
comes its condemnation4 ,its long use is
 its death-witness4 ,were it new1 we    
might hope something from its adoption4 
,but it is old enough to have been tried
 to the uttermost4 ,the wisdom1 the     
energy1 the benevolence of centuries    
have made the best of it4 ,the attempt  
to keep down intemperance by endeavoring
 to persuade people to indulge only     
moderately in strong drink1 has been the
 world's favorite for ages2 while every 
age has wondered that the vice increased
 so rapidly4  ,at last we have been     
awakened to a fair estimate of the      
success of the plan4 ,and what is it8   

,so far from its having shown the least 
tendency to exterminate the evil1 it is 
the mother of all its abominations4 ,all
 who have attained the stature of       
full-grown intemperance1 were once      
children in this nursery1 sucking at the
 breasts of this parent4 ,all the men of
 strength to mingle strong drink1 who   
are now full graduates in the vice1 and 
masters in the arts of drunkenness1     
began their education and served their  
apprenticeship under the discipline of  
moderate drinking4 ,all that have       
learned to lie down in the streets1 and 
carry terror into their families1 and   
whom intemperance has conducted to the  
penitentiary and the madhouse1 may look 
back to this as the beginning of their  
course--the author of their destiny4 ,no
 man ever set out to use strong drink   
with the expectation of becoming        
eventually a drunkard4 ,no man ever     
became a drunkard without having at     
first assured himself that he could keep
 a safe rein upon every disposition that

 might endanger his strict sobriety4 ,i 
am in no danger while ,i only take a    
little1 is the first principle in the   
doctrine of intemperance4 ,it is high   
time it were discarded4 ,it has deluged 
the land with vice1 and sunk the        
population into debasement4 ,the same   
results will ensue again1 just in       
proportion as the moderate use of ardent
 spirits continues to be encouraged4    
,let the multitude continue to drink a  
little1 and still our hundreds of       
thousands will annually drink to death4 
,it is settled1 therefore1 that to      
encourage moderate drinking is not the  
plan on which the temperance reformation
 can be successfully prosecuted4 ,the   
faithful experiment of generation after 
generation1 decides that it must be     
abandoned4 ,a cloud of witnesses1       
illustrating its consequences in all the
 tender mercies of a drunkard's portion1
 demand that it should be abandoned4    
,its full time is come4 ,long enough    
have we refused to open our eyes to the 

evident deceitfulness of its            
pretensions4 ,at last the country is    
awaking1 and begins to realize the      
emptiness of this dream4 ,let it go as a
 dream1 and only be remembered that we  
may wonder how it deceived1 and lament  
how it injured us4  ,but1 if this be    
discarded1 what plan of reformation     
remains8 ,if nothing is to be expected  
from endeavoring to promote a moderate  
use of ardent spirits1 and still less   
from an immoderate use1 what can be     
done8 ,there is but one possible answer4
 ,persuade people to use none at all4   
,total abstinence is the only plan on   
which reformation can be hoped for4 ,we 
are shut up to this4 ,we have tried the 
consequences of encouraging people to   
venture but moderately into the         
atmosphere of infection2 and we are now 
convinced that it was the very plan to  
feed its strength and extend its        
ravages4 ,we are forced to the          
conclusion1 that1 to arrest the         
pestilence1 we must starve it4 ,all the 

healthy must abstain from its           
neighborhood4 ,all those who are now    
temperate must give up the use of the   
means of intemperance4 ,the deliverance 
of this land from its present           
degradation1 and from the increasing    
woes attendant on this vice1 depends    
altogether upon the extent to which the 
principle of total abstinence shall be  
adopted by our citizens4  ,but suppose  
this principle universally adopted1     
would it clear the country of           
intemperance8 ,evidently it is the only1
 but is it the effectual remedy8 ,most  
certainly1 if all temperate persons     
would disuse ardent spirits1 they could 
not cease to be temperate4 ,many a      
drunkard1 under the powerful check of   
their omnipresent reproof1 would be     
sobered4 ,his companions would totter1  
one after another1 to their graves4 ,a  
few years would see them buried1 and the
 land relinquished to the temperate4    
,then what would be the security against
 a new inroad of the exterminated vice8 

,why1 public opinion would stand guard  
at every avenue by which it could come  
in4  ,consider the operation of this    
influence4 ,why is it now so easy to    
entice a young man into the haunts of   
drunkenness8 ,because public opinion    
favors the use of the very means of his 
ruin4 ,he may drink habitually1 and     
fasten upon himself the appetite of     
drink1 till he becomes enchained and    
feels himself a slave2 but if he has    
never fallen into manifest intoxication1
 he has forfeited no character in public
 opinion4 ,all this is a direct result  
of the fact1 that those considered as   
temperate people set the example1 and   
patronize the snare of moderate         
drinking4 ,but suppose them to take the 
ground proposed1 and bear down with the 
whole force of their example and        
influence on the side of entire         
abstinence1 would they not create an    
immense force of public opinion against 
the least use of ardent spirits8 ,how   
then could a temperate man ever become a

 drunkard8 ,he has not yet contracted   
the desire for ardent spirits2 and how  
will he contract it8 ,will he risk his  
character2 fly in the face of public    
feeling and opinion2 despise all the    
warnings in the history of intemperance1
 to get at the use1 and put himself     
under the torture of that for which1 as 
yet1 he has no disposition8 ,only post a
 wakeful public sentiment at the little 
opening of moderate drinking1 and the   
whole highway to the drunkard's ruin    
will be closed up4 ,all its present     
travellers will soon pass away1 while   
none will be entering to keep up the    
character of the road4  ,most assuredly1
 then1 the reformation of the land is in
 the power of public opinion4 ,it is    
equally certain1 that public opinion    
will accomplish nothing but by setting  
its influence directly in opposition to 
any indulgence in strong drink4 ,and it 
is just as plain1 that in order to      
accomplish this1 the temperate part of  
the population must create a power of   

example by setting out upon the firm and
 open ground of total abstinence4 ,in   
proportion1 then1 as the temperate      
throughout the country shall come up to 
this ground1 will the redemption of our 
enslaved republic be accomplished4      
99       99       99       99       99  
,thus have we arrived at the last refuge
 of this cause4 ,,abstain ,,entirely1 is
 the grand principle of life1 to be     
written upon the sacred standard of all 
temperance movements1 and under which   
the contending host may be as sure of   
victory as if1 like ,constantine1 they  
saw inscribed with a sunbeam upon the   
cloud1 ,in hoc signo vinces4,f ,but such
 being the eminent importance of total  
abstinence1 it deserves to be presented 
in detail4 ,we begin1 therefore1 with   
the position1 that  ,entire abstinence  
from ardent spirits is essential to     
personal security4 ,such is the         
insidious operation of strong drink upon
 all the barriers we may set up against 
excess2 so secretly does it steal upon  

the taste1 excite the appetite1         
disorganize the nervous system1 and     
undermine the deepest resolutions of him
 who imagines himself in perfect        
security2 so numerous and awful have    
been its victories over every barrier1  
and every species of mental and bodily  
constitution1 that we may lay it down as
 an assertion1 which none who know the  
annals of intemperance will dispute1    
that no individual who permits himself  
to use ardent spirits moderately1 has   
any valid security that he will not     
become a victim to its power4           
,footnote ,f3 ,under this standard you  
shall conquer4  ,we know the remarks    
which instantly mount to the lips of    
many at the sight of such an assertion3 
,surely the little we take can never    
hurt us4 ,look around and see how many  
have done the same1 and continued the   
habit to the end of life1 without having
 ever been betrayed into drunkenness4   
,we do look around1 and are constrained 
to remark1 how many have seemed to live 

temperately to the end1 who1 if the     
reality were known1 would be quoted as  
warnings against the insidiousness of   
the poison1 instead of examples of the  
security with which it may be used in   
moderation4 ,they were never delirious2 
but were they never fevered8 ,fever is  
often fatal1 without delirium4 ,ah1 did 
every disease with which human beings   
are fevered1 and swollen1 and slain1    
receive a candid name2 were every       
gravestone inscribed with a true        
memorial1 as well of the life1 as the   
death of him at whose head it stands2   
could every consumption1 and dropsy1 and
 liver-complaint1 disclose its secret   
history2 did every shaking nerve1 and   
palsied stomach1 and aching temple1 and 
burning brain1 and ruptured             
blood-vessel1 relate how it began1 and  
grew1 and triumphed1 we should hear1    
indeed1 of many who died in consumption1
 or dropsy1 and other diseases1 without 
any impulse towards the grave from the  
use of strong drink2 but of how many1   

never regarded as intemperate1 should we
 learn that the real1 though slow and   
silent cause of their death was drink4  
,they lingered long1 and their malady   
was called a disease of the lungs2 or   
they fell suddenly1 and it was a case of
 apoplexy2 or they were greatly swollen1
 and it was considered dropsy2 they lost
 their powers of digestion1 and were    
said to be troubled with dyspepsia2     
every vital function refused its natural
 action1 and the poor victim was treated
 for a liver-complaint4 ,but why8 what  
produced the disease8 ,alcohol6 ,they   
were poisoned4 ,they died of the        
intemperate use of ardent spirits1      
however moderately they may have had the
 credit of indulging in them4  ,but     
again1 we look at the world1 and while  
we cannot acknowledge that they have    
habitually indulged in even a moderate  
use of ardent spirits without receiving 
some injury--for alcohol must hurt a    
healthy man in some way or other--we do 
acknowledge that many have thus indulged

 with no very perceptible injury4 ,they 
have continued sober4 ,but so it must be
 acknowledged1 that many have breathed  
the air and mingled with the victims of 
a pestilence1 without being infected2 or
 stood amidst the carnage of battle1    
without receiving a wound4 ,but were    
they in no danger8 ,because they came   
off unhurt1 shall we be willing to rush 
into the streets of an infected city1 or
 join the conflict of charging          
battalions8  ,but again1 we look at the 
world1 and see how many have been slain1
 while many have lived2 how many who1 if
 exalted station1 eminent talents1 great
 attainments1 excellent feelings1 and   
heavy responsibilities1 are any         
security1 might1 with more than usual   
reason1 have flattered themselves with  
the assurance of safety3 men of all     
professions1 of strong nerves1 and      
numerous resolutions and precautions1 at
 last reduced to a level with the       
brutes2 and this spectacle forces the   
conviction that entire abstinence is the

 only security against final ruin4 ,had 
you a tree in your gardens1 the fruit of
 which should be discovered to have     
inflicted disease as often as the       
prudent use of ardent spirits has       
resulted in the sorrows of intemperance1
 that tree would be rooted up4 ,its     
fruit would be entitled poison4 ,the    
neighborhood would be afraid of it4     
,children would be taught to beware of  
so much as venturing to try how it      
tastes4  ,again3 ,the total disuse of   
ardent spirits1 on the part of parents1 
is the only plan of safety in bringing  
up their children4 ,how many are the    
parents whose lives are cursed with     
children who1 were it not that no       
drunkard hath any inheritance in the    
kingdom of ,god1 they would be relieved 
to hear were dead6 ,but how were those  
children ruined8 ,ah1 by those          
corrupting companions2 by that vile     
dram-shop1 the parents would answer4    
,but what first inclined their way to   
that house of seduction8 ,by what avenue

 did evil associates first effect a     
lodgment in those children's hearts8    
,how many parents must turn and look at 
home for an answer6 ,they have not been 
intemperate2 but while the tastes and   
habits of their children were forming1  
they used to drink moderately of ardent 
spirits4 ,the decanter containing it had
 an honorable place on the sideboard and
 on the table4 ,it was treated          
respectfully1 as a fountain of strength 
to the feeble1 of refreshment to the    
weary2 and as perfectly safe when used  
in moderation4 ,to offer it to a friend 
was a debt of hospitality4 ,thus the    
whole weight of parental example was    
employed in impressing those children   
with a favorable idea of the pleasure1  
the benefit1 and the security1 not to   
speak of the necessity1 of the use of   
ardent spirits4 ,thus the parents       
presented the decanter of strong drink  
to their children1 with a recommendation
 as forcible as if every day they had   
encircled it with a chaplet of roses1   

and pronounced an oration in its praise4
  ,and what consequences were to be     
expected8 ,children who revere their    
parents will honor what their parents   
delight to honor4 ,it was not to be     
supposed that those children would do   
else than imitate the high example      
before them4 ,most naturally would they 
try the taste1 and emulate to acquire a 
fondness for strong drink4 ,they would  
think it sheer folly to be afraid of    
what their parents used4 ,in a little   
while the flavor would become grateful4 
,they would learn to think of it1 ask   
for it1 contrive ways of obtaining it1  
and be very accessible to the snares of 
those who used it to excess4 ,thus      
easily would they slide into the pit4   
,and thus the history of the decline1   
and fall1 and death of multitudes must  
commence1 not at the dram-shop1 but at  
the tables of parents2 not with         
describing the influence of seductive   
companions1 but with a lamentation over 
the examples of inconsiderate parents1  

who furnished those companions with     
their strongest argument1 and wreathed  
their cup of death with a garland of    
honor4  ,such consequences must be      
looked for wherever parental example is 
expected to be held in reverence among  
children4 ,a father may venture to the  
brink of a precipice1 and stand without 
giddiness upon the margin of the torrent
 that rushes by and plunges into a deep 
abyss2 but will he trust his child to   
occupy the same position8 ,but if the   
child see him there1 is there no danger 
that when the parent's eye is away1 he  
too will venture1 and go and play upon  
the frightful verge1 and be amused with 
the bubbles as they dance along the side
 of the cataract1 and at last become    
giddy1 and be drawn in with the rush of 
the tide8  ,entire abstinence from the  
drink of drunkards is the parents' only 
plan in training up their children4     
,again3 ,the total disuse of ardent     
spirits is essential to the beneficial  
influence of the example of the         

temperate upon society at large4        
,however novel the assertion to some1 it
 can be easily shown that the example of
 all who use ardent spirits1 except as  
they use prescribed medicine1 is in the 
scale of intemperance4 ,as far as its   
influence extends1 it helps directly to 
fill up the ranks of the intemperate1   
and annually to launch a multitude of   
impenitent souls into a hopeless        
eternity4 ,can this be true8 ,suppose   
all the rising generation1 in imitation 
of their elders1 should commence the    
moderate use of strong drink4 ,they are 
thus attracted into the current of the  
stream which is setting silently1       
smoothly1 powerfully1 towards the       
roaring whirlpool4 ,but now they are    
urged by those whose example they have  
thus far followed1 to go no farther4    
,beware1 they cry1 the tide is strong2  
do like us2 drop the anchor1 ply the    
oar4 ,ah1 but now their influence fails4
 ,it was strong enough to persuade the  
thoughtless into danger2 but now it is  

perfectly impotent to keep them from    
ruin4 ,they have none of the strength or
 prudence by which others have been     
enabled to keep their place4 ,they have 
no anchor to drop1 nor skill at the oar4
 ,they yield1 and go down1 and perish4  
,but where must we look for the prime   
cause of this destruction8 ,to those    
whose example enticed them into the     
way--the example of prudent drinkers4   
,such1 unquestionably1 was the influence
 by which a great portion of those now  
intemperate were first drawn into the   
snares of death4 ,it is not1 as many    
suppose1 the odious example of those    
already under the dominion of           
intemperate habits1 by which others are 
seduced2 the operation of such          
disgusting precedents is rather on the  
side of entire abstinence from the means
 of their debasement4 ,but it is to the 
honor given the degrading cup1 by those 
who can drink without what is considered
 excess1 that we must ascribe1 in a     
great degree1 the first seduction of all

 who receive the ultimate wages of      
intemperance4  ,again3 ,entire          
abstinence from strong drink should be  
the rule of all2 because1 to one in     
health1 it never does good1 but1 on the 
contrary1 it always1 of its very nature1
 does harm4 ,we know the general idea1  
that hard labor1 and cold weather1 and a
 hot sun demand its use2 that a little  
to stimulate the appetite1 and a little 
to help digestion1 and a little to      
compose us to sleep1 and a little to    
refresh us when fatigued1 and a little  
to enliven us when depressed1 is very   
useful1 if not necessary4 ,and we know  
how soon so many little matters make a  
great amount4 ,we have often been called
 to behold how great a matter a little  
fire kindleth4 ,a more unfounded idea   
never was adopted1 than that a man in   
health can need such medicine4 ,is there
 any nourishment in drinking alcohol8   
,about as much as in eating fire4  ,but 
why should not the opinions of          
physicians suffice on this point8 ,if we

 take their advice as to what will cure 
us when sick1 why not also as to what   
will injure us when well8 ,the first    
medical men throughout the land do not  
more perfectly agree1 that to breathe a 
foul atmosphere is pernicious1 than that
 the use of strong drink1 in any        
quantity1 is hurtful4 ,abstain entirely1
 is their loud and reiterated advice4   
,many of them will even maintain that it
 can easily and profitably be dispensed 
with in medicine4  ,but how speaks      
experience on this head8 ,who works the 
longest under the sun of ,august1 or    
stands the firmest against the winter1  
or abides the safest amidst abounding   
disease1 or arrives last at the         
infirmities of old age8 ,the experiment 
of total abstinence has been fairly     
tried in thousands of cases1 by those   
who once imagined they must drink a     
little every day2 and invariably have   
they borne a grateful testimony to its  
happy effects upon the health of their  
bodies and the peace of their minds4    

,farms are tilled1 harvests gathered1   
ships built1 companies of militia       
parade1 associations of firemen labor1  
fishermen stand their exposure1 the     
student trims his lamp1 the hungry eat  
their bread1 and the weary take their   
rest1 with no debt of thanks to the aid 
of the distillery4  ,we say no more upon
 the plan of entire abstinence4 ,but we 
will mention four reasons which should  
embolden any friend of temperance in    
urging it upon others4  #a4 ,it is      
extremely simple4 ,all can comprehend1  
all can execute it4 ,it requires no     
labor2 costs no study2 consumes no time4
  #b4 ,it contains no coercion4 ,its    
whole force is that of reason4 ,the     
influence of laws and of magistrates it 
does not embrace4 ,no man can complain  
of a trespass upon his liberty1 when we 
would persuade him to escape the        
drunkard's slavery by not tasting the   
drunkard's cup4  #c4 ,in this cure there
 is no pain4 ,it is recommended to whom8
 the temperate--to those who1 having    

formed no strong attachment to ardent   
spirit1 can feel no great self-denial in
 renouncing its use4  #d4 ,in this      
remedy there is no expense4 ,to those   
who complain of other works of          
usefulness because of their cost1 this  
is without blame4 ,to drink no spirits1 
will cost no money4 ,but what will it   
save8 ,it will save the majority of the 
poorer class of the population1 in most 
of our towns1 one half their annual     
rent4 ,it will empty all our almshouses 
and hospitals of two thirds their       
inhabitants1 and support the remainder4 
,yes1 such is the tax which the         
consumption of ardent spirits annually  
levies upon this nation1 that the simple
 disuse of strong drink1 throughout the 
land1 would save in one year the value  
of at least five times the whole        
national revenue4  ,it is too late to   
say that a general adoption of the great
 principle of total abstinence is too   
much to be hoped for4 ,a few years ago1 
who would not have been considered      

almost deranged had he predicted what   
has already been accomplished in this   
cause8 ,great things1 wonderful things1 
have already been effected4 ,the enemies
 of this reformation1 whose pecuniary   
interests set them in opposition1 are   
unable to deny this fact4 ,it is felt   
from the distillery to the dram-shop4   
,it is seen from ,maine to the utmost   
,south and ,west4 ,every traveller      
perceives it4 ,every vender knows it4   
,the whole country wonders at the       
progress of this cause4 ,it is rapidly  
and powerfully advancing4 ,one thing1   
and only one1 can prevent its entire    
success4 ,the frenzy of drunkenness     
cannot arrest its goings4 ,the hundreds 
of thousands in the armies of           
intemperance cannot resist its march4   
,but the temperate can4 ,if backward to 
come up to the vital principle of this  
work1 they will prevent its             
accomplishment4 ,but the banner of      
triumph will wave in peace over all the 
land1 hailed by thousands of grateful   

captives from the gripe of death1 in    
spite of all the warring of the mighty  
to drink wine1 if those who abhor       
intemperance1 and think they would be   
willing to make a great sacrifice to    
save their children or friends from its 
blasting curse1 will only come up to the
 little effort of entire abstinence4    
,this is the surest and shortest way to 
drain off the river of fire now flowing 
through the land4 ,it is the moderate   
use of the temperate that keeps open the
 smoking fountains from which that tide 
is poured4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,,to ,,young ,,men who have
 not yet been brought under the dominion
 of intemperate habits1 we address the  
urgent exhortation of this cause4       
,consider the immense responsibility    
that devolves upon you4 ,it is not too  
much to say that the question1 whether  
this nation is to be delivered front the
 yoke of death--whether the present     
march of reformation shall go on till   
the last hiding-place of this vice shall

 be subdued1 or else be arrested and    
turned back1 with the sorrow of         
beholding the vaunting triumph1 and the 
emboldened increase of all the ministers
 of woe which attend in the train of    
intemperance1 rests ultimately with you4
 ,you compose the muscle and sinew of   
this nation4 ,you are to set the example
 by which the next generation is to be  
influenced4 ,by your influence its      
character will be formed4 ,by your stand
 its position will1 in a great measure1 
be determined4 ,you are soon to supplant
 those who have passed the state of life
 which you now are occupying4 ,soon the 
generation that is to grow up under the 
influence of your example and           
instruction1 will have reached your     
place4 ,thus are you the heart of the   
nation4 ,corruption and debasement here 
must be felt to the extremities of the  
national body4 ,temperance here will    
eventually expel1 by its strong         
pulsations1 the last remnant of the     
burning blood of drunkenness from the   

system1 and carry soberness and health  
to every member of our political        
constitution4  ,are these things so8    
,suppose them exaggerations4 ,grant that
 the importance of your vigorous and    
unanimous cooperation in this work of   
reformation is unreasonably magnified2  
still1 how much can you do4 ,were our   
coasts invaded by a powerful enemy1 come
 to ravage our cities1 chain our        
liberties1 poison our fountains1 burn   
our harvests1 and carry off our youth   
into perpetual slavery1 what could young
 men do8 ,to whom would the trump of    
battle be sounded so effectually8 ,who  
else would feel upon themselves the     
chief responsibility for their country's
 rescue8 ,what excuse could they find   
for supineness and sloth8 ,such indeed  
is the enemy by which the country is    
already desolated4 ,and now it is to the
 warm hearts1 and the strong hands1 and 
the active energies1 and the powerful   
example of young men1 that the dearest  
interests of the nation look for        

deliverance4  ,young men1 shall we not  
enlist heartily and unitedly in         
promoting the extermination of          
intemperance8 ,what question have we to 
decide8 ,is it a question whether the   
country is cursed with this plague to a 
most horrible and alarming extent8 ,no4 
,is it a question whether the present   
power and the progressive character of  
intemperance among us demand an         
immediate rising up of all the moral    
force of the nation to subdue it8 ,no4  
,is it a question whether the most      
important part of the strength and      
success of such an effort depends upon  
the part in it which the young men in   
the ,united ,states shall take8 ,no4    
,then what does the spirit of patriotism
 say to us8 ,if we love our country2 if 
we would rise in arms to shake off the  
hosts of an invader from our shores2 if 
every heart among us would swell with   
indignation at the attempt of an        
internal power to break in pieces our   
free constitution1 and substitute a     

government of chains and bayonets2 what 
does the love of country bid us do1 when
 by universal acknowledgment an enemy is
 now among us whose breath is pestilence
 and whose progress desolation--an enemy
 that has already done and is daily     
doing a more dreadful work against the  
happiness of the people than all the    
wars and plagues we have ever suffered8 
,what does the voice of common humanity 
say to us8 ,can we feel for human woe1  
and not be moved at the spectacle of    
wretchedness and despair which the      
intemperance of this country presents8  
,let us imagine the condition of the    
hundreds of thousands who are now       
burning with the hidden flame1 and      
hastening to utter destruction by this  
most pitiless of all vices2 let us      
embrace in one view the countless woes  
inflicted by the cruel tempers1 the deep
 disgrace1 the hopeless poverty1 and the
 corrupting examples of all these       
victims1 upon wives1 children1 parents1 
friends1 and the morals of society2 let 

us stand at the graves of the thirty    
thousand that annually perish by        
intemperance1 and there be still1 and   
listen to what the voice of humanity    
speaks4  ,what does the exhortation of  
religion say to us8 ,what undermines    
more insidiously every moral principle  
of the heart2 what palsies so entirely  
every moral faculty of the soul2 what so
 soon and so awfully makes man dead     
while he liveth2 what spreads through   
the whole frame-work of society such    
rottenness1 or so effectually opens the 
door to all those powers of darkness by 
which the pillars of public order are   
crumbled and the restraints of religion 
are mocked2 what so universally excludes
 from the death-bed of a sinner the     
consolations of the ,gospel1 or writes  
upon his grave such a sentence of       
despair1 as intemperance8 ,behold the   
immense crowd of its victims6 ,where are
 they not seen8 ,read in the book of    
,god that declaration1 nor thieves1 nor 
drunkards1 shall inherit the kingdom of 

,god2 then listen to what the           
exhortation of ,christian benevolence   
speaks to us4 ,is it asked1 ,what can   
young men do8 ,we can do this one thing 
at least4 ,we can continue temperate4   
,what if every one of us1 now free from 
the appetite of strong drink1 should    
hold on to our liberty2 how would the   
ranks of intemperance1 which death is   
continually wasting1 be filled up8 ,but 
how shall we continue temperate8 ,not by
 using the means of destruction4 ,not by
 a moderate indulgence in the cup of    
seduction4 ,not by beginning where all  
those began who have since ended in     
ruin4 ,but by entire abstinence from    
strong drink4 ,let us renounce entirely 
what cannot profit us1 what forms no    
important item in our comforts1 what may
 bring us1 as it has brought such       
multitudes as strong as we1 to the mire 
and dirt of drunkenness4  ,but we can do
 something more4 ,we can contribute the 
influence of our example to help bring  
into disrepute the use of ardent spirits

 for any purposes but those of medicine4
 ,if any of us are confident that we    
could go on in the moderate1 without    
ever coming to the immoderate use of    
strong drink1 we know that the          
deliverance of the country from its     
present curse is utterly hopeless while 
ardent spirit is in the hands of the    
people4 ,it must be banished4 ,public   
opinion must set it aside4 ,young men   
must contribute to form that opinion4   
,it cannot be formed without the total  
abstinence of the temperate4 ,let us not
 dare to stand in its way4  ,but we can 
do something more4 ,we have an influence
 which1 in a variety of ways1 we may use
 in the community to diminish the       
temptations which1 wherever we look1 are
 presented to the unwary to entice them 
to intemperance4 ,we can employ the     
influence of example1 of opinion1 and of
 persuasion1 to drive out of fashion and
 into disrepute1 the common but         
ensnaring practice of evincing          
hospitality by the display of strong    

drink1 and of testifying friendship and 
good-will over the glass4 ,we can       
contribute much powerful cooperation in 
the effort to make the use of ardent    
spirits for the ordinary purposes of    
drink so unbecoming the character of    
temperate people1 that he who wishes to 
have his reputation for temperance      
unsuspected1 will either renounce the   
dangerous cup1 or wait till no eye but  
that of ,god can see him taste it4 ,we  
can do much1 in union with those of more
 age and more established influence1 to 
create a public feeling against the     
licensing of those innumerable houses of
 corruption where seduction into the    
miseries of drunkenness is the trade of 
their keepers1 and the means of         
destruction are vended so low1 and      
offered so attractively1 that the       
poorest may purchase his death1 and the 
strongest may be persuaded to do so4    
,these horrible abodes of iniquity not  
only facilitate the daily inebriation of
 the veteran drunkard1 but they         

encourage1 and kindle1 and nourish1 and 
confirm the incipient appetite of the   
novice1 and put forth the first         
influence in that system of persuasion  
by which the sober are ultimately       
subdued and levelled to the degradation 
of wretches1 from whose loathsomeness   
they once turned away in disgust4 ,why  
are these instruments of cruelty        
permitted8 ,not because the authorities 
will not refuse to license them4 ,public
 opinion is the conscience of those     
authorities4 ,let the opinions and      
feelings of that portion of the         
community where the strength and        
patronage of society reside1 be once    
enlisted in opposition to such houses1  
and the evil will be remedied2 the      
morals of society will not be insulted1 
nor the happiness of families endangered
 at every step by the agents and means  
and attractions of intemperance4 ,young 
men have much to do1 and are capable of 
doing a great work in creating such a   
public opinion4  ,in order to exert     

ourselves with the best effect in the   
promotion of the several objects in this
 great cause to which young men should  
apply themselves1 let us associate      
ourselves into ,temperance ,societies4  
,we know the importance of associated   
exertions4 ,we have often seen how a few
 instruments1 severally weak1 have      
become mighty when united4 ,every work1 
whether for evil or benevolent purposes1
 has felt the life1 and spur1 and power 
of cooperation4 ,the whole progress of  
the temperance reformation1 thus far1 is
 owing to the influence of societies2 to
 the coming together of the temperate1  
and the union of their resolutions1     
examples1 and exertions1 under the      
articles of temperance societies4 ,thus 
examples have been brought out1 set upon
 a hill1 and made secure4 ,thus the weak
 have been strengthened1 the wavering   
confirmed1 the irresolute emboldened4   
,thus public attention has been         
awakened1 public feeling interested1 and
 public sentiment turned and brought to 

bear4 ,thus works have been performed1  
information distributed1 agencies       
employed1 and a thousand instruments set
 in motion which no industry of         
individual unassociated action could    
have reached4 ,let temperance societies 
be multiplied4 ,every new association is
 a new battery against the stronghold of
 the enemy1 and gives a new impulse to  
the hearts of those who have already    
joined the conflict4 ,let us arise1 and 
be diligent1 and be united2 and may the 
,god of mercy bless our work4   ,,the   
,,drunkard ,,in ,,his ,,family4  ,his   
example is seen daily in the house1 and 
in the parent4 ,it is seen by children  
so soon as they can see any thing1 and  
long before their minds are capable of  
distinguishing its nature1 or its       
tendency4 ,the parent visibly regards   
spirituous liquors as a peculiarly      
interesting enjoyment of sense1 at a    
time when they know no enjoyments but   
those of sense3 of course they cannot   
but think it eminently valuable4 ,the   

means of intoxication are also provided 
to their hand2 and their own home1 so   
far as a dangerous and malignant        
influence is concerned1 is changed into 
a dram-shop4 ,the mother1 in the        
meantime1 not unfrequently contracts the
 same evil habit from the father2 and   
thus both parents unite in the unnatural
 and monstrous employment of corrupting 
their children4  ,what a prospect is    
here presented to our view6 ,a husband  
and wife1 to whom ,god has given        
children to be trained up by them for   
heaven1 united together in taking them  
by the hand1 and leading them coolly to 
perdition4 ,what heart1 not made of     
stone1 can look at such a family without
 feeling exquisite distress1 and the    
most terrible forebodings8 ,contemplate1
 for a moment1 the innocent1 helpless   
beings1 perfectly unconscious of their  
danger1 and incapable of learning it1   
thus led as victims to the altar of a   
modern ,moloch1 less sanguinary1 indeed1
 but not less cruel than the heathen god

 before whom the ,israelitish parents   
burnt their own offspring1 and say1     
whether you most pity the children1 or  
detest the parents4  ,dr4 ,dwight4      
,no4 #bdg4  ,,who ,,slew ,,all ,,these8 
,,an ,,authentic ,,narrative4   ,about  
twenty years ago1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ----1  
decent and respectable people1 removed  
with a family of children from the      
country to a neighboring town1 where    
they purchased a small house and lot1   
and lived very comfortably4 ,their      
family1 however1 increasing to five     
boys1 they removed to the shore--the    
town being situated on a river--and in  
addition to their former means of       
obtaining a living1 erected a sign1 and 
provided entertainment for such as chose
 to call on them4 ,they were temperate  
people1 accounted honest1 and sent their
 children to the most respectable school
 in the place4 ,in a short time it was  
perceived that they too frequently      
partook of the entertainment1 as it is  
called1 which they provided for their   

customers4 ,the habit of daily measuring
 the poison to others1 induced them to  
taste for themselves2 their house was   
not as respectable as formerly2         
restraints were removed2 and although   
they were not drunkards1 they gave      
evidence that they used too freely the  
deadly drug which they fearlessly       
handled4 ,if the temperance reformation 
had been at that time commenced1 they   
might have been warned of their danger1 
and saved from ruin2 but nothing        
arrested their progress in the path of  
the destroyer4  ,their children1 who    
used to be clad with garments which     
denoted a mother's industry1 soon began 
to bear marks of neglect1 and were by   
degrees withdrawn from the school--their
 parents1 because of hard times1 not    
being able to support them there4 ,they 
consequently lounged about1 became      
acquainted with the customers at the    
bar1 and learned their evil habits1     
especially that of drinking4  ,the      
parents had commenced the sale of       

intoxicating drinks to become rich2 but 
at the end of a few years it had reduced
 them to poverty4 ,they had lost their  
respectability1 their honesty1 and their
 property1 which was mortgaged for rum2 
their children had become vagabonds1 and
 their house a receptacle of vice4 ,of  
all their five sons1 not one escaped the
 infection2 they and their miserable    
parents wallowed in the mire together4  
,in consequence of the dreadful excess  
to which she had abandoned herself1 the 
imagination of ,mrs4 ---- became        
disordered1 and conjured up horrible    
visions4 ,in her fits of the delirium   
tremens1 she fancied herself bound with 
a belt of brass1 to which was attached a
 chain held by the great enemy of souls1
 who had indeed enchained her with the  
most dire and effectual of all his      
spells4 ,she would cross the room with  
the rapidity of lightning1 screaming    
that he was winding up the chain1 and   
she must go--she could not stop4 ,she   
was afraid to pass her own threshold1   

and fancied she heard unearthly voices1 
and saw spirits black and hideous all   
around her4 ,there they sit1 she would  
say1 ,j----1 ,m----1 mentioning the     
names of all her children2 there they   
sit1 grinning at me1 and telling me ,i  
sent them to hell3 they are on the beams
 and in the corners1 and wherever ,i go4
  ,the writer of this has often         
witnessed her desperate struggles2 has  
seen her1 when a gleam of reason came   
over her mind1 weep in bitterness over  
her ruin and misery2 has heard her      
confessions of deeds of villany         
committed under her roof2 and has heard 
also her solemn vows to refrain from    
that which wrought all this misery and  
sin2 but after all this1 has seen her   
seek it yet again4  ,all the arguments  
which religion can offer were set before
 her1 and she often appeared to feel    
their force1 and resolved to repent2 but
 the deadly wave seemed to have retired 
to gather new force1 and again swept    
over her and prostrated her lower than  

the beasts that perish4 ,there can be no
 more effectual barrier against the     
voice of conscience1 the powerful       
influence of natural affection1 and the 
strivings of the blessed ,spirit of     
,god1 than the use of intoxicating      
drinks4  ,her husband had made himself  
literally a beast3 his appearance was   
scarcely human2 bloated1 discolored1    
tottering1 uttering curses1 and         
sometimes threatening her life4 ,her    
constitution after a while gave away1   
and she sunk in death1 snoring out the  
few last days of her existence in a     
state of stupor1 covered with rags and  
filth4 ,her husband had so benumbed     
every feeling of humanity by his excess1
 that he seemed very little affected by 
her death2 and to one who reminded him  
of their former respectability1 and     
spoke of the wretched state to which    
they were reduced1 urging him           
powerfully1 over the dead body of the   
self-murdered wife now to desist1 he    
replied stupidly1 that there is an      

eleventh hour4  ,four or five years have
 elapsed1 and he is still in the same   
state of beastly degradation--his       
property entirely gone1 and he          
occasionally earning a few cents1 with  
which to purchase the poison which is   
consuming his vitals1 and rendering him 
stupid and dead to every motive that can
 be urged for reformation4  ,two of the 
sons of this unhappy man have gone down 
to death in an awful manner4 ,another1  
in an affray occasioned by intoxication1
 received such an injury in the head    
that his intellect has suffered1 and he 
is subject to fits of partial           
derangement4 ,the other two are very    
intemperate2 one of them apparently lost
 to all sense of shame4  ,the           
circumstances attending the death of one
 of these young men were extraordinary4 
,he had become subject to fits in       
consequence of his intemperate life2 and
 his wife following the same course1    
they were obliged to give up keeping a  
public-house1 and he maintained himself 

by fishing4 ,he frequently stopped      
colored people and others who were      
advertised as runaways1 and obtained a  
reward for returning them to their      
masters4 ,he was brutally cruel in his  
treatment of those who thus fell into   
his hands1 and on one occasion1 having  
apprehended a young colored man on      
suspicion of his being a runaway1 he    
confined him2 and taking him in a boat  
to his master--who had sent him from    
home on business--as he was returning1  
he fell from the boat1 probably in a    
fit1 and sunk like lead into the mighty 
waters4 ,on the following day search was
 made for his body1 which was found     
swollen and disfigured1 and laid in the 
grave4  ,his brother1 the youngest of   
the five1 had not reached his twentieth 
year1 but had given himself up to the   
influence of the vice which has proved  
the destruction of his family1 until he 
also was subject to fits4 ,not many     
months ago he was seized with one1 being
 then intoxicated2 he was recovered by  

the by-standers1 and crawled to a small 
sloop lying partly on the shore for     
repairs3 he laid himself down there1 and
 was found1 ten minutes afterwards1     
dead1 with his head partly under water4 
,it was supposed that another fit had   
seized him1 and that in his struggle he 
had fallen and suffocated4  ,this is a  
melancholy history1 but a true one4     
,many circumstances rendering it more   
striking are suppressed1 as some of the 
parties are living4 ,the old man1 but a 
short time ago1 was warned again1 and   
the question put to him1 ,what are the  
benefits of this practice8 ,it fattens  
graveyards6 he replied1 with a distorted
 countenance and a horrid laugh4  ,yes1 
such are the dire results of            
intemperance2 and of intemperance not   
born with one1 but brought on by a      
temperate use of ardent spirit4 ,these  
facts are well known4 ,they are         
published with the hope of their proving
 a restraint to some one who1 trusting  
in the strength of principle1 may       

occasionally taste this destructive     
poison4  ,look not upon the wine when it
 is red1 when it giveth his color in the
 cup1 when it moveth itself aright3 at  
the last it biteth like a serpent1 and  
stingeth like an adder4 ,go to ,god for 
strength to resist temptation2 practise 
entire abstinence from all that can     
intoxicate2 repent of sin1 and trust in 
the mercy of ,christ2 and you shall be  
safe for the present life1 and that     
which is to come4   ,,published ,,by    
,,the ,,american ,,tract ,,society4     
,,the ,,effects ,,of ,,intemperance ,,on
 ,,the ,,moral1 ,,intellectual1 ,,and   
,,physical ,,powers4  ,,by ,,thomas     
,,sewall1 ,m4 ,d41  ,,professor ,,of    
,,anatomy ,,and ,,physiology ,,in ,,the 
,,columbian ,,college1 ,,washington     
,,city4   ,i address you1               
fellow-citizens1 to enlist your         
sympathies and efforts in behalf of an  
institution which1 in accordance with   
the spirit of the times1 has been       
established through our land by the     

almost united voice of the nation1 and  
this for the suppression of one of the  
most alarming evils that ever infested  
human society2 a vice1 too1 so odious in
 its nature1 so injurious in its        
consequences1 and attended with so many 
circumstances of suffering1             
mortification1 and disgrace1 that it    
seems difficult to understand how it    
should ever have become a prevalent evil
 among mankind2 and more especially how 
it should have come down to us from the 
early periods of society1 gaining       
strength1 and power1 and influence1 in  
its descent4 ,that such is the fact1    
requires no proof4 ,its devastating     
effects are but too obvious4 ,in these  
latter times1 more especially1 it has   
swept over our land with the rapidity   
and power of a tempest1 bearing down    
every thing in its course4 ,not content 
with rioting in the haunts of ignorance 
and vice1 it has passed through our     
consecrated groves1 has entered our most
 sacred enclosures3 and ,o1 how many men

 of genius and of letters have fallen   
before it2 how many lofty intellects    
have been shattered and laid in ruins by
 its power2 how many a warm and         
philanthropic heart has been chilled by 
its icy touch6 ,it has left no retreat  
unvisited2 it has alike invaded our     
public and private assemblies1 our      
political and social circles1 our courts
 of justice and halls of legislation4   
,it has stalked within the very walls of
 our capitol1 and there left the stain  
of its polluting touch on our national  
glory4 ,it has leaped over the pale of  
the church1 and even reached up its     
sacrilegious arm to the pulpit and      
dragged down some of its richest        
ornaments4 ,it has revelled equally on  
the spoils of the palace and the        
cottage1 and has seized its victims1    
with an unsparing grasp1 from every     
class of society2 the private citizen   
and public functionary1 the high and the
 low1 the rich and the poor1 the        
enlightened and the ignorant3 and where 

is there a family among us so happy as  
not to have wept over some of its       
members1 who have fallen by the hand of 
this ruthless destroyer8  ,as a nation1 
intemperance has corrupted our morals1  
impaired our intellect1 and enfeebled   
our physical strength4 ,indeed1 in      
whatever light we view it1 whether as an
 individual1 a social1 or national evil1
 as affecting our personal independence 
and happiness1 our national wealth and  
industry2 as reducing our power of naval
 and military defence1 as enfeebling the
 intellectual energies of the nation1   
and undermining the health of our       
fellow-citizens2 as sinking the         
patriotism and valor of the nation1 as  
increasing paupers1 poverty1 and        
taxation1 as sapping the foundation of  
our moral and religious institutions1 or
 as introducing disorder1 distress1 and 
ruin into families and society2 it calls
 to us1 in a voice of thunder1 to awake 
from our slumbers1 to seize every       
weapon1 and wield every power which ,god

 and nature have placed within our      
reach1 to protect ourselves and our     
fellow-citizens from its ravages4  ,but 
the occasion will not permit me to dwell
 on the general effects of intemperance1
 nor to trace the history of its causes4
 ,i shall1 therefore1 confine myself    
more particularly to a consideration of 
its influence on the individual2 its    
effects on the moral1 intellectual1 and 
physical constitution of man--not the   
primary effect of ardent spirit as      
displayed in a fit of intoxication2 it  
is the more insidious1 permanent1 and   
fatal effects of intemperance1 as       
exemplified in the case of the habitual 
dram-drinker1 to which ,i wish to call  
your attention4   ,i4 ,the effects of   
ardent spirit on ,,the ,,moral ,,powers4
 ,it is perhaps difficult to determine  
in what way intemperance first manifests
 its influence on the moral powers1 so  
variously does it affect different      
individuals4 ,were ,i to speak from my  
own observation1 ,i should say that it  

first appears in an alienation of those 
kind and tender sympathies which bind a 
man to his family and friends2 those    
lively sensibilities which enable him to
 participate in the joys and sorrows of 
those around him4 ,the social affections
 lose their fulness and tenderness1 the 
conscience its power1 the heart its     
sensibility1 till all that was once     
lovely1 and rendered him the joy and the
 idol of his friends1 retires1 and      
leaves him to the dominion of the       
appetites and passions of the brute4    
,religious enjoyment1 if he ever        
possessed any1 declines as the emotions 
excited by ardent spirit arise4 ,he     
loses1 by degrees1 his regard to truth  
and to the fulfilment of his            
engagements--he forgets the ,sabbath and
 the house of worship1 and lounges upon 
his bed1 or lingers at the tavern4 ,he  
lays aside his ,bible--his family       
devotion is not heard1 and his closet no
 longer listens to the silent whispers  
of prayer4 ,he at length becomes        

irritable1 peevish1 and profane2 and is 
finally lost to every thing that        
respects decorum in appearance1 or      
virtue in principle2 and it is          
lamentable to mark the steps of that    
process by which the virtuous and       
elevated man sinks to ruin4   ,,ii4 ,its
 effects on ,,the ,,intellectual        
,,powers4 ,here the influence of        
intemperance is marked and decisive4    
,the inebriate first loses his vivacity 
and natural acuteness of perception4    
,his judgment becomes clouded and       
impaired in its strength1 the memory    
also enfeebled and sometimes quite      
obliterated4 ,the mind is wandering and 
vacant1 and incapable of intense or     
steady application to any one subject4  
,this state is usually accompanied by an
 unmeaning stare or fixedness of        
countenance quite peculiar to the       
drunkard4 ,the imagination and the will1
 if not enfeebled1 acquire a morbid     
sensibility1 from which they are thrown 
into a state of violent excitement from 

the slightest causes3 hence1 the        
inebriate sheds floods of tears over the
 pictures of his own fancy4 ,i have     
often seen him1 and especially on his   
recovery from a fit of intoxication1    
weep and laugh alternately over the same
 scene4 ,the will1 too1 acquires an     
omnipotent ascendency over him1 and is  
the only monitor to which he yields     
obedience4 ,the appeals of conscience1  
the claims of domestic happiness1 of    
wives and children1 of patriotism and of
 virtue1 are not heard4  ,the different 
powers of the mind having thus lost     
their natural relation to each other1   
the healthy balance being destroyed1 the
 intellect is no longer fit for intense 
application1 or successful effort2 and  
although the inebriate may1 and         
sometimes does1 astonish1 by the        
wildness of his fancy and the poignancy 
of his wit1 yet in nine cases out of ten
 he fails1 and there is never any       
confidence to be reposed in him4 ,there 
have been a few who1 from peculiarity of

 constitution1 or some other cause1 have
 continued to perform intellectual labor
 for many years1 while slaves to ardent 
spirits2 but in no instance has the     
vigor of the intellect or its ability to
 labor been increased by indulgence2 and
 where there is one who has been able to
 struggle on under the habits of        
intemperance1 there are thousands who   
have perished in the experiment1 and    
some among the most powerful minds that 
the world ever produced4 ,on the other  
hand1 we shall find1 by looking over the
 biography of the great men of every    
age1 that those who have possessed the  
clearest and most powerful minds1       
neither drank spirits nor indulged in   
the pleasures of the table4 ,sir ,isaac 
,newton1 ,john ,locke1 ,dr4 ,franklin1  
,john ,wesley1 ,sir ,william ,jones1    
,john ,fletcher1 and ,president         
,edwards1 furnish a striking            
illustration of this truth4 ,one of the 
secrets by which these men produced such
 astonishing results1 were enabled to   

perform so much intellectual labor1 and 
of so high a grade1 and to arrive at old
 age in the enjoyment of health1 was a  
rigid course of abstinence4 ,but ,i     
hasten to consider more particularly1   
,,iii4 ,its effects on ,,the ,,physical 
,,powers4 ,in view of this part of the  
subject1 the attention of the critical  
observer is arrested by a series of     
circumstances1 alike disgusting and     
melancholy4  #a4 ,the odor of the breath
 of the drunkard furnishes the earliest 
indication by which the habitual use of 
ardent spirit becomes known4 ,this is   
occasioned by the exhalation of the     
alcoholic principle from the bronchial  
vessels and air-cells of the lungs--not 
of pure spirit1 as taken into the       
stomach1 but of spirit which has been   
absorbed1 has mingled with the blood1   
and has been subjected to the action of 
the different organs of the body2 and   
not containing any principle which      
contributes to the nourishment or       
renovation of the system1 is cast out   

with the other excretions1 as poisonous 
and hurtful4 ,this peculiar odor does   
not arise from the accidental or        
occasional use of spirit2 it marks only 
the habitual dram-drinker--the one who  
indulges daily in his potation2 and     
although its density varies in some     
degree with the kind of spirit consumed1
 the habits and constitution of the     
individual1 yet it bears generally a    
close relation to the degree of         
intemperance4  ,these observations are  
confirmed by some experiments made on   
living animals by the celebrated ,french
 physiologist1 ,magendie4 ,he           
ascertained that diluted alcohol1 a     
solution of camphor1 and some other     
odorous substances1 when subjected to   
the absorbing power of the veins1 are   
taken up by them1 and after mingling    
with the blood1 pass off by the         
pulmonary exhalants4 ,even phosphorus   
injected into the crural vein of a dog1 
he found to pass off in a few moments   
from the nostrils of the animal in a    

dense white vapor1 which he ascertained 
to be phosphoric acid4 ,cases have      
occurred1 in which the breath of the    
drunkard has become so highly charged   
with alcohol as to render it actually   
inflammable by the touch of a taper4    
,one individual in particular is        
mentioned1 who often amused his comrades
 by passing his breath through a small  
tube1 and setting it on fire as it      
issued from it4 ,it appears1 also1 that 
this has been the source of that        
combustion of the body of the drunkard  
which has been denominated spontaneous1 
many well-authenticated cases of which  
are on record4  #b4 ,the perspirable    
matter which passes off from the skin   
becomes charged with the odor of alcohol
 in the drunkard1 and is so far changed1
 in some cases1 as to furnish evidence  
of the kind of spirit drank4 ,i have met
 with two instances1 says ,dr4 ,mc,nish1
 the one in a claret1 and the other in a
 port drinker2 in which the moisture    
that exhaled from their bodies had a    

ruddy complexion1 similar to the wine on
 which they had committed their debauch4
  #c4 ,the whole system soon bears marks
 of debility and decay4 ,the voluntary  
muscles lose their power1 and cease to  
act under the control of the will2 and  
hence1 all the movements become awkward1
 exhibiting the appearance of stiffness 
in the joints4 ,the positions of the    
body1 also1 are tottering and infirm1   
and the step loses its elasticity and   
vigor4 ,the muscles1 and especially     
those of the face and lips1 are often   
affected with a convulsive twitching1   
which produces the involuntary winking  
of the eye1 and quivering of the lip1 so
 characteristic of the intemperate4     
,indeed1 all the motions seem unnatural 
and forced1 as if restrained by some    
power within4 ,the extremities are at   
length seized with a tremor1 which is   
more strongly marked after recovery from
 a fit of intoxication4 ,the lips lose  
their significant expression1 and become
 sensual2 the complexion assumes a      

sickly1 leaden hue1 or is changed to an 
unhealthy1 fiery redness1 and is covered
 with red streaks and blotches4 ,the eye
 becomes watery1 tender1 and inflamed1  
and loses its intelligence and its fire4
 ,these symptoms1 together with a       
certain oedematous appearance about the 
eye1 bloating of the whole body1 with a 
dry1 feverish skin1 seldom fail to mark 
the habitual dram-drinker2 and they go  
on increasing and increasing1 till the  
intelligence and dignity of the man is  
lost in the tameness and sensuality of  
the brute4  ,but these effects1 which   
are external and obvious1 are only the  
signals which nature holds out1 and     
waves in token of internal distress2 for
 all the time the inebriate has been    
pouring down his daily draught and      
making merry over the cup1 morbid       
changes have been going on within2 and  
though these are unseen1 and1 it may be1
 unsuspected1 they are fatal1           
irretrievable4 ,a few of the most       
important of these changes ,i shall now 

describe4  #d4 ,the stomach and its     
functions4 ,this is the great organ of  
digestion4 ,it is the chief instrument  
by which food is prepared to nourish1   
sustain1 and renovate the different     
tissues of the body1 to carry on the    
various functions1 and to supply the    
waste which continually takes place in  
the system4 ,it is not strange1         
therefore1 that the habitual application
 to the organ of any agent1 calculated  
to derange its functions1 or change its 
organization1 should be followed by     
symptoms so various and extensive1 and  
by consequences so fatal4 ,the use of   
ardent spirit produces both these       
effects2 it deranges the functions of   
the stomach1 and if persisted in1 seldom
 fails to change its organic structure4 
,the inebriate first loses his appetite1
 and becomes thirsty and feverish2 he   
vomits in the morning1 and is affected  
with spasmodic pains in the region of   
the stomach4 ,he is often seized with   
permanent dyspepsia1 and either wastes  

away by degrees1 or dies suddenly of a  
fit of cramp in the stomach4  ,on       
examining the stomach after death1 it is
 generally found irritated1 and         
approaching a state of inflammation1    
with its vessels enlarged1 and filled   
with black blood2 and particularly those
 of the mucous coat1 which gives to the 
internal surface of the stomach the     
appearance of purple or reddish streaks1
 resembling the livid patches seen on   
the face of the drunkard4  ,the coats of
 the stomach become greatly thickened   
and corrugated1 and so firmly united as 
to form one inseparable mass4 ,in this  
state1 the walls of the organ are       
sometimes increased in thickness to the 
extent of ten or twelve lines1 and are  
sometimes found also in a scirrhous or  
cancerous condition4  ,the following    
case occurred in my practice several    
years since4 ,a middle-aged gentleman1  
of wealth and standing1 had long been   
accustomed to mingle in the convivial   
circle1 and though by no means a        

drunkard1 had indulged at times in the  
use of his old cogniac1 with an         
unsparing hand4 ,he was at length seized
 with pain in the region of the stomach1
 and a vomiting of his food an hour or  
two after eating4 ,in about eighteen    
months he died in a state of extreme    
emaciation4  ,on opening the body after 
death1 the walls of the whole of the    
right extremity of the stomach were     
found in a scirrhous and cancerous      
condition1 and thickened to the extent  
of about two inches4 ,the cavity of the 
organ was so far obliterated as scarcely
 to admit the passage of a probe from   
the left to the right extremity1 and the
 opening which remained was so unequal  
and irregular as to render it evident   
that but little of the nourishment he   
had received could have passed the lower
 orifice of the stomach for many months4
  ,i have never dissected the stomach of
 a drunkard1 in which the organ did not 
manifest some remarkable deviation from 
its healthy condition4 ,but the         

derangement of the stomach is not       
limited to the function of nutrition    
merely4 ,this organ is closely united to
 every other organ1 and to each         
individual tissue of the body1 by its   
sympathetic relations4 ,when the        
stomach1 therefore1 becomes diseased1   
other parts suffer with it4 ,the        
functions of the brain1 the heart1 the  
lungs1 and the liver1 become disordered2
 the secretions are altered1 and all the
 operations of the animal economy are   
more or less affected4  #e4 ,the liver  
and its functions4 ,alcohol1 in every   
form and proportion1 has long been known
 to exert a strong and speedy influence 
on this organ1 when used internally4    
,aware of this fact1 the poultry-dealers
 of ,england are in the habit of mixing 
a quantity of spirit with the food of   
their fowls1 in order to increase the   
size of the liver2 so that they may be  
enabled to supply to the epicure a      
greater abundance of that part of the   
animal1 which he regards as the most    

delicious4  ,the influence of spirit on 
the liver is exerted in two ways3 first1
 the impression made upon the mucous    
coat of the stomach is extended to the  
liver by sympathy2 the second mode of   
action is through the medium of the     
circulation1 and by the immediate action
 of the alcoholic principle on the liver
 itself1 as it passes through the organ1
 mingling with the blood4 ,in           
whichsoever of these ways it operates1  
its first effect is to increase the     
action of the liver1 and sometimes to   
such a degree as to produce             
inflammation4 ,its secretion becomes    
changed from a bright yellow to a green 
or black1 and from a thin fluid to a    
substance resembling tar in its         
consistence4 ,there soon follows also an
 enlargement of the liver1 and a change 
in its organic structure4 ,i have met   
with several cases in which the liver   
has become enlarged from intemperance1  
so as to occupy a greater part of the   
cavity of the abdomen1 and weighing from

 eight to twelve pounds1 when it should 
have weighed not more than four or five4
  ,the liver sometimes1 however1 even   
when it manifests great morbid change in
 its organic structure1 is rather       
diminished than increased in its volume4
 ,this was the case in the person of the
 celebrated stage-actor1 ,george        
,frederick ,cook1 who died a few years  
since in the city of ,new ,york4 ,this  
extraordinary man was long distinguished
 for the profligacy of his life1 as well
 as for the native vigor of his mind and
 body4 ,at the time of his death1 the   
body was opened by ,dr4 ,hosack1 who    
found that the liver did not exceed its 
usual dimensions1 but was astonishingly 
hard1 of a lighter color than natural1  
and that its texture was so dense as to 
make considerable resistance to the     
knife4 ,the blood-vessels1 which1 in a  
healthy condition1 are extremely        
numerous and large1 were in this case   
nearly obliterated1 evincing that the   
regular circulation through the liver   

had long since ceased2 and tubercles    
were found throughout the whole         
substance of the organ4  ,i have met    
with several cases in the course of my  
dissections1 in which the liver was     
found smaller than natural1 shrivelled1 
indurated1 its blood-vessels diminished 
in size and number1 with the whole of   
its internal structure more or less     
changed4 ,in consequence of these morbid
 changes in the liver1 other organs     
become affected1 as the spleen1 the     
pancreas1 etc41 either by sympathy or in
 consequence of their dependence on the 
healthy functions of the liver for the  
due performance of their own4  #f4 ,of  
the brain and its functions4            
,inflammation and engorgement of this   
organ are frequent consequences of      
intemperance1 and may take place during 
a debauch--or may arise some time after1
 during the stage of debility1 from a   
loss of the healthy balance of action   
between the different parts of the      
system4 ,this inflammation is sometimes 

acute1 is marked by furious delirium1   
and terminates fatally in the course of 
a few days1 and sometimes a few hours4  
,at other times it assumes a chronic    
form1 continues much longer1 and then   
frequently results in an effusion of    
serum1 or an extravasation of blood1 and
 the patient dies in a state of         
insensibility1 with all the symptoms of 
compressed brain4 ,sometimes the system 
becomes so saturated with ardent spirit1
 that there is good reason to believe   
the effusions1 which take place in the  
cavities of the brain1 and elsewhere1   
are composed1 in part at least1 of the  
alcoholic principle4 ,the following case
 occurred1 not long since1 in ,england1 
and is attested by unquestionable       
authority4  ,a man was taken up dead in 
the streets of ,london1 soon after      
having drank a quart of gin1 on a wager4
 ,he was carried to the ,westminster    
,hospital1 and there dissected4 ,in the 
ventricles of the brain was found a     
considerable quantity of limpid fluid1  

distinctly impregnated with gin1 both to
 the sense of smell and taste1 and even 
to the test of inflammability4 ,the     
liquid appeared to the senses of the    
examining students1 as strong as        
one-third gin1 and two-thirds water4    
,dr4 ,armstrong1 who has enjoyed very   
ample opportunity of investigating this 
subject1 speaks of the chronic          
inflammation of the brain and its       
membranes1 as frequently proceeding from
 the free use of strong liquors4  ,it is
 a fact familiar to every anatomist1    
that alcohol1 even when greatly diluted1
 has1 by its action on the brain after  
death1 the effect of hardening it1 as   
well as most of the tissues of the body 
which contain albumen2 and it is common 
to immerse the brain in ardent spirit   
for a few days1 in order to render it   
the firmer for dissection4  ,on         
examining the brain after death of such 
as have long been accustomed to the free
 use of ardent spirit1 it is said the   
organ is generally found harder than in 

temperate persons4 ,it has no longer    
that delicate and elastic texture4 ,its 
arteries become diminished in size1 and 
lose their transparency1 while the veins
 and sinuses are greatly distended and  
irregularly enlarged4  ,this statement  
is confirmed by my own dissections1 and 
they seem also to be in full accordance 
with all the intellectual and physical  
phenomena displayed in the drunkard1    
while living4  #g4 ,the heart and its   
functions4 ,it has generally been       
supposed1 that the heart is less        
frequently affected by intemperance1    
than most of the other great vital      
organs2 but1 from the history of the    
cases which have come under my own      
observation1 ,i am convinced that it    
seldom escapes disease under the        
habitual use of ardent spirit4 ,and why 
should it1 since it is thrown almost    
perpetually into a state of unnatural   
exertion1 the very effect produced by   
the violent agitation of the passions1  
the influence of which upon this organ  

is found so injurious8  ,the following  
case came under my notice1 a few winters
 since4 ,a large athletic man1 long     
accustomed to the use of ardent spirit1 
on drinking a glass of raw whiskey1     
dropped instantly dead4 ,on carefully   
dissecting the body1 no adequate cause  
of the sudden cessation of life could be
 found in any part1 except the heart4   
,this organ was free from blood1 was    
hard and firmly contracted1 as if       
affected by spasms4 ,i am convinced that
 many of those cases of sudden death    
which take place with intemperate       
persons1 are the result of a spasmodic  
action of the heart1 from sympathy with 
the stomach1 or some other part of the  
system4 ,the use of ardent spirit1 no   
doubt1 promotes also the ossification of
 the valves of the heart1 as well as the
 development of other organic           
affections4  #h4 ,the lungs and their   
functions4 ,respiration in the inebriate
 is generally oppressed and laborious1  
and especially after eating or violent  

exercise2 and he is teased with a cough1
 attended with copious expectoration1   
and especially after his recovery from a
 fit of intoxication2 and these symptoms
 go on increasing1 and unless arrested  
in their progress1 terminate in         
consumption4  ,this affection of the    
lungs is produced in two ways3 first1 by
 the immediate action of the alcoholic  
principle upon the highly sensible      
membrane which lines the trachea1       
bronchial vessels1 and air-cells of the 
lungs1 as poured out by the exhalants2  
and second1 by the sympathy which is    
called into action between the lungs and
 other organs already in a state of     
disease1 and more especially that of the
 stomach and liver4  ,i have met with   
many cases in the course of my practice1
 of cough and difficult breathing1 which
 could be relieved only by regulating   
the functions of the stomach1 and which 
soon yielded1 on the patient ceasing to 
irritate this organ with ardent spirit4 
,i have found the liver still more      

frequently the source of this affection2
 and on restoring the organ to its      
healthy condition1 by laying aside the  
use of ardent spirit1 all the pulmonary 
symptoms have subsided4  ,on examining  
the lungs of the drunkard after death1  
they are frequently found adhering to   
the walls of the chest2 hepatized1 or   
affected with tubercles4  ,but time     
would fail me1 were ,i to attempt an    
account of half the pathology of        
drunkenness4 ,dyspepsia1 ,jaundice1     
,emaciation1 ,corpulence1 ,dropsy1      
,ulcers1 ,rheumatism1 ,gout1 ,tremors1  
,palpitation1 ,hysteria1 ,epilepsy1     
,palsy1 ,lethargy1 ,apoplexy1           
,melancholy1 ,madness1                  
,delirium-tremens1 and premature old    
age1 compose but a small part of the    
catalogue of diseases produced by ardent
 spirit4 ,indeed1 there is scarcely a   
morbid affection to which the human body
 is liable1 that has not1 in one way or 
another1 been produced by it2 there is  
not a disease but it has aggravated1 nor

 a predisposition to disease1 which it  
has not called into action2 and although
 its effects are in some degree modified
 by age and temperament1 by habit and   
occupation1 by climate and season of the
 year1 and even by the intoxicating     
agent itself2 yet1 the general and      
ultimate consequences are the same4     
,but ,i pass on to notice one state of  
the system1 produced by ardent spirit1  
too important and interesting to leave  
unexamined4 ,it is that predisposition  
to disease and death which so strongly  
characterizes the drunkard in every     
situation of life4  ,it is              
unquestionably true1 that many of the   
surrounding objects in nature are       
constantly tending to man's destruction4
 ,the excess of heat and cold1 humidity 
and dryness1 noxious exhalations from   
the earth1 the floating atoms in the    
atmosphere1 the poisonous vapors from   
decomposed animal and vegetable matter1 
with many other invisible agents1 are   
exerting their deadly influence2 and    

were it not that every part of his      
system is endowed with a self-preserving
 power1 a principle of excitability1 or1
 in other words1 a vital principle1 the 
operations of the economy would cease1  
and a dissolution of his organic        
structure take place4 ,but this         
principle being implanted in the system1
 reaction takes place1 and thereby a    
vigorous contest is maintained with the 
warring elements without1 as well as    
with the principle of decay within4  ,it
 is thus that man is enabled to endure1 
from year to year1 the toils and        
fatigues of life1 the variations of heat
 and cold1 and the vicissitudes of the  
seasons--that he is enabled to traverse 
every region of the globe1 and to live  
with almost equal ease under the equator
 and in the frozen regions of the north4
 ,it is by this power that all his      
functions are performed1 from the       
commencement to the close of life4  ,the
 principle of excitability exists in the
 highest degree in the infant1 and      

diminishes at every succeeding period of
 life2 and if man is not cut down by    
disease or violence1 he struggles on1   
and finally dies a natural death--a     
death occasioned by the exhaustion of   
the principle of excitability4 ,in order
 to prevent the too rapid exhaustion of 
this principle1 nature has especially   
provided for its restoration by         
establishing a period of sleep4 ,after  
being awake for sixteen or eighteen     
hours1 a sensation of fatigue ensues1   
and all the functions are performed with
 diminished precision and energy4       
,locomotion becomes feeble and          
tottering1 the voice harsh1 the         
intellect obtuse and powerless1 and all 
the senses blunted4 ,in this state the  
individual anxiously retires from the   
light1 and from the noise and bustle of 
business1 seeks that position which     
requires the least effort to sustain it1
 and abandons himself to rest4 ,the will
 ceases to act1 and he loses in         
succession all the senses2 the muscles  

unbend themselves1 and permit the limbs 
to fall into the most easy and natural  
position2 digestion1 respiration1       
circulation1 secretion1 and the other   
functions1 go on with diminished power  
and activity2 and consequently the      
wasted excitability is gradually        
restored4 ,after a repose of six of     
eight hours1 this principle becomes     
accumulated to its full measure1 and the
 individual awakes and finds his system 
invigorated and refreshed4 ,his muscular
 power is augmented1 his senses are     
acute and discriminating1 his intellect 
active and eager for labor1 and all his 
functions move on with renewed energy4  
,but if the stomach be oppressed by     
food1 or the system excited by          
stimulating drinks1 the sleep1 though it
 may be profound1 is never tranquil and 
refreshing4  ,the system being raised to
 a state of feverish excitement1 and its
 healthy balance disturbed1 its         
exhausted excitability is not restored4 
,the individual awakes1 but finds       

himself fatigued rather than            
invigorated4 ,his muscles are relaxed1  
his senses obtuse1 his intellect        
impaired1 and his whole system          
disordered2 and it is not till he is    
again under the influence of food and   
stimulus that he is fit for the         
occupations of life4 ,and thus he loses 
the benefits of this wise provision of  
repose1 designed for his own            
preservation4  ,nothing1 probably1 tends
 more powerfully to produce premature   
old age1 than disturbed and unrefreshing
 sleep4  ,it is also true1 that         
artificial stimulus1 in whatever way    
applied1 tends constantly to exhaust the
 principle of excitability of the       
system1 and this in proportion to its   
intensity1 and the freedom with which it
 is applied4  ,but there is still       
another principle on which the use of   
ardent spirit predisposes the drunkard  
to disease and death4 ,it acts on the   
blood1 impairs its vitality1 deprives it
 of its red color1 and thereby renders  

it unfit to stimulate the heart and     
other organs through which it           
circulates2 unfit1 also1 to supply the  
materials for the different secretions1 
and to renovate the different tissues of
 the body1 as well as to sustain the    
energy of the brain--offices which it   
can perform only while it retains the   
vermilion color1 and other arterial     
properties4 ,the blood of the drunkard  
is several shades darker in its color   
than that of temperate persons1 and also
 coagulates less readily and firmly1 and
 is loaded with serum2 appearances which
 indicate that it has exchanged its     
arterial properties for those of the    
venous blood4 ,this is the cause of the 
livid complexion of the inebriate1 which
 so strongly marks him in the advanced  
stage of intemperance4 ,hence1 too1 all 
the functions of his body are sluggish1 
irregular1 and the whole system loses   
its tone and its energy4 ,if ardent     
spirit1 when taken into the system1     
exhausts the vital principle of the     

solids1 it destroys the vital principle 
of the blood also2 and if taken in large
 quantities1 produces sudden death2 in  
which case the blood1 as in death       
produced by lightning1 by opium1 or by  
violent and long continued exertion1    
does not coagulate4  ,the principles    
laid down are plain1 and of easy        
application to the case before us4  ,the
 inebriate having1 by the habitual use  
of ardent spirit1 exhausted to a greater
 or lesser extent the principle of      
excitability in the solids--the power of
 reaction--and the blood having become  
incapable of performing its offices     
also1 he is alike predisposed to every  
disease1 and rendered liable to the     
inroads of every invading foe4 ,so far1 
therefore1 from protecting the system   
against disease1 intemperance ever      
constitutes one of its strongest        
predisposing causes4  ,superadded to    
this1 whenever disease does lay its     
grasp upon the drunkard1 the powers of  
life being already enfeebled by the     

stimulus of ardent spirit1 he           
unexpectedly sinks in the contest1 and  
but too frequently to the mortification 
of his physician1 and the surprise and  
grief of his friends4 ,indeed1          
inebriation so enfeebles the powers of  
life1 so modifies the character of      
disease1 and so changes the operation of
 medical agents1 that unless the young  
physician has studied thoroughly the    
constitution of the drunkard1 he has but
 partially learned his profession1 and  
is not fit for a practitioner of the    
present age4  ,these are the true       
reasons why the drunkard dies so easily1
 and from such slight causes4  ,a sudden
 cold1 a pleurisy1 a fever1 a fractured 
limb1 or a slight wound of the skin1 is 
often more than his shattered powers can
 endure4 ,even a little excess of       
exertion1 an exposure to heat or cold1 a
 hearty repast1 or a glass of cold      
water1 not unfrequently extinguishes the
 small remains of the vital principle4  
,in the season that has just closed upon

 us1 we have had a melancholy exhibition
 of the effects of intemperance in the  
tragical death of some dozens of our    
fellow-citizens2 and had the extreme    
heat which prevailed for several days   
continued for as many weeks1 we should  
hardly have had a confirmed drunkard    
left among us4  ,many of those deaths   
which came under my notice seemed almost
 spontaneous1 and some of them took     
place in less than one hour from the    
first symptoms of indisposition4 ,some  
died apparently from a slight excess of 
fatigue1 some from a few hours' exposure
 to the sun1 and some from a small      
draught of cold water2 causes quite     
inadequate to the production of such    
effects in temperate persons4         99
       99       99       99       99    
,thus1 fellow-citizens1 ,i have         
endeavored to delineate the effects of  
ardent spirit upon man1 and more        
especially to portray its influence on  
his moral1 intellectual1 and physical   
powers4 ,and now let me mention a few   

things which ,,must ,,be ,,done in order
 that the evil may be eradicated4  #a4  
,let us keep in view the objects of the 
,temperance ,society1 and the obligation
 imposed on us1 to use all proper       
measures to discourage the use of ardent
 spirit in the social circle1 at public 
meetings1 on the farm1 in the mechanic  
shop1 and in all other places4 ,it is   
not a mere matter of formality that we  
have put our names to this society's    
constitution2 we have pledged ourselves 
to be bold1 active1 and persevering in  
the cause2 to proclaim the dangers of   
intemperance to our fellow-citizens1 and
 to do what we can to arrest its        
progress4  ,in view of these objects and
 of this pledge1 then1 let us1 if indeed
 we have not already done it1 banish    
ardent spirit from our houses at once1  
and for ever2 and then we can act with  
decision and energy1 and speak in a tone
 of authority1 and our voice will be    
heard1 if precept be sanctioned by      
example4  #b4 ,let us use our utmost    

endeavors to lessen the number1 and1 if 
possible1 utterly exterminate from among
 us those establishments which are the  
chief agents in propagating the evils of
 intemperance4 ,i refer to those shops  
which are licensed for retailing ardent 
spirit4 ,here is the source of the evil4
 ,these are the agents that are sowing  
among us the seeds of vice1 and poverty1
 and wretchedness4  ,how preposterous1  
that an enlightened community1          
professing the highest regard for       
morality and religion1 making laws for  
the suppression and punishment of vice1 
and the promotion of virtue and good    
order1 instituting societies to         
encourage industry1 enlighten the       
ignorant1 reclaim the vicious1 bring    
back the wanderer1 protect the orphan1  
feed the hungry1 clothe the naked1 bind 
up the broken-hearted1 and restore      
domestic peace1 should1 at the same     
time1 create and foster those very means
 that carry idleness1 and ignorance1 and
 vice1 and nakedness1 and starvation1   

and discord into all ranks of society2  
that make widows and orphans1 that sow  
the seeds of disease and death among us2
 that strike1 indeed1 at the foundation 
of all that is good and great4  ,you    
create paupers1 and lodge them in your  
alms house--orphans1 and give them a    
residence in your asylum--convicts1 and 
send them to the penitentiary4 ,you     
seduce men to crime1 and then arraign   
them at the bar of justice--immure them 
in prison4 ,with one hand you thrust the
 dagger to the heart--with the other    
attempt to assuage the pain it causes4  
,we all remember to have heard1 from the
 lips of our parents1 the narration of  
the fact1 that in the early history of  
our country1 the tomahawk and           
scalping-knife were put into the hands  
of our savage neighbors1 by our enemies 
at war1 and that a bounty was awarded   
for the depredations they committed on  
the lives of our defenceless            
fellow-citizens4 ,our feelings were     
shocked at the recital1 and a prejudice 

was created1 as well to these poor      
wandering savages1 as to the nation that
 prompted them to the work1 which       
neither time nor education has          
eradicated4 ,yet1 as merciless and      
savage as this practice may appear to   
us1 it was ,christian1 it was humane1   
compared with ours3 theirs sought only  
the life-blood1 and that of their       
enemies2 ours seeks the blood of souls1 
and that of our own citizens1 and       
friends1 and neighbors4 ,their avarice  
was satiated with a few inches of the   
scalp1 and the death inflicted was often
 a sudden and easy one2 ours produces a 
death that lingers3 and not content with
 the lives of our fellow-citizens1 it   
rifles their pockets4 ,it revels in     
rapine and robbery2 it sacks whole towns
 and villages2 it lays waste fields and 
vineyards2 it riots on domestic peace1  
and virtue1 and happiness2 it sets at   
variance the husband and the wife2 it   
causes the parent to forsake the child1 
and the child to curse the parent2 it   

tears asunder the strongest bonds of    
society2 it severs the tenderest ties of
 nature4  ,and who is the author of all 
this2 and where lies the responsibility8
 ,i appeal to my fellow-citizens4  ,are 
not we the authors8 ,does not the       
responsibility rest upon us8 ,is it not 
so8  ,the power emanates from us2 we    
delegate it to the constituted          
authorities1 and we say to them1 ,go on2
 cast firebrands1 arrows1 and death2 and
 let the blood of those that perish be  
on us and on our children4 ,we put the  
tomahawk and scalping-knife into the    
hands of our neighbors1 and award to    
them a bounty4 ,we do more2 we share the
 plunder4 ,let us arouse1 my            
fellow-citizens1 from our insensibility1
 and redeem our character for           
consistency1 humanity1 and benevolence4 
#c4 ,let us not confine our views or    
limit our operations to the narrow      
boundaries of our own city or district4 
,intemperance is a common enemy4 ,it    
exists everywhere1 and everywhere is    

pursuing its victims to destruction3    
while1 therefore1 we are actively       
engaged upon the subject in our own     
city1 let us endeavor to do something   
elsewhere2 and much may be done by      
spreading through our country correct   
information on the subject of           
intemperance4 ,to this end1 every       
newspaper and every press should be put 
in requisition4 ,circulate through the  
various avenues suitable tracts1 essays1
 and other documents1 setting forth the 
causes of intemperance1 its evils1 and  
its remedy1 together with an account of 
the cheering progress now making to     
eradicate it4  ,do this1 and you will   
find thousands starting up in different 
parts of the country1 to lend their     
influence1 and give their money in      
support of your cause2 individuals who  
have hitherto been unconscious of the   
extent and magnitude of the evil of     
intemperance4 ,you will find some who   
have been slumbering upon the very      
precipice of ruin1 rallying round your  

standard4 ,indeed1 we have all been     
insensible1 till the voice of alarm was 
sounded1 and the facts were set in array
 before us4  #d4 ,appeal to the medical 
profession of the country1 and ask them 
to correct the false idea which so      
extensively1 ,i may say1 almost         
universally prevails1 viz41 that ardent 
spirit is sometimes necessary in the    
treatment of disease4 ,this opinion has 
slain its thousands and its tens of     
thousands1 and multitudes of            
dram-drinkers daily shelter themselves  
under its delusive mask4 ,one takes a   
little to raise his desponding spirits1 
or to drown his sorrow2 another1 to     
sharpen his appetite1 or relieve his    
dyspepsia3 one1 to ease his gouty pains2
 another1 to supple his stiffened limbs1
 or calm his quivering muscles4 ,one    
drinks to overcome the heat2 another1 to
 ward off the cold2 and all this as a   
medicine4 ,appeal1 then1 to the medical 
profession1 and they will tell          
you--every independent1 honest1 sober1  

intelligent member of it will tell      
you--that there is no case in which     
ardent spirit is indispensable1 and for 
which there is not an adequate          
substitute4 ,and it is time the         
profession should have an opportunity to
 exonerate itself from the charge under 
which it has long rested1 of making     
drunkards4 ,but ,i entreat my           
professional brethren not to be content 
with giving a mere assent to this truth4
 ,you hold a station in society which   
gives you a commanding influence on this
 subject2 and if you will but raise your
 voice and speak out boldly1 you may    
exert an agency in this matter which    
will bring down the blessings of unborn 
millions upon your memory4  #e4 ,much   
may be done by guarding the rising      
generation from the contagion of        
intemperance4 ,it is especially with the
 children and youth of our land1 that we
 may expect our efforts to be           
permanently useful4 ,let us1 then1 guard
 with peculiar vigilance the youthful   

mind1 and with all suitable measures1   
impress it with such sentiments of      
disgust and horror of the vice of       
intemperance1 as to cause it to shrink  
from its very approach4 ,carry the      
subject into our infant and ,sunday     
schools1 and call on the managers and   
teachers of those institutions to aid   
you1 by the circulation of suitable     
tracts1 and by such other instructions  
as may be deemed proper4 ,let the rising
 generation be protected but for a few  
years1 and the present race of drunkards
 will have disappeared from among us1   
and there will be no new recruits to    
take their place4  #f4 ,let intelligent 
and efficient agents be sent out into   
every portion of our country1 to spread 
abroad information upon the subject of  
intemperance1 to rouse up the people to 
a sense of their danger1 and to form    
temperance societies2 and let there be  
such a system of correspondence and     
cooperation established among these     
associations as will convey information 

to each1 and impart energy and          
efficiency to the whole4 ,no great      
melioration of the human condition was  
ever achieved without the concurrent    
effort of numbers2 and no extended and  
well-directed association of moral      
influence was ever made in vain4  #g4   
,let all who regard the virtue1 the     
honor1 and the patriotism of their      
country1 withhold their suffrages from  
those candidates for office who offer   
ardent spirit as a bribe to secure their
 elevation to power4 ,it is derogatory  
to the liberties of our country1 that   
office can be obtained by such          
corruption--be held by such a tenure4   
#h4 ,let the ministers of the ,gospel1  
wherever called to labor1 exert their   
influence1 by precept and example1 in   
promoting the cause of temperance4 ,many
 of them have already stepped forth1 and
 with a noble boldness have proclaimed  
the alarm1 and have led on the work of  
reformation2 but many timid spirits     
still linger1 and others seem not deeply

 impressed with the importance of the   
subject1 and with the responsibility of 
their station4 ,ye venerated men1 you   
are not only called to stand forth as   
our moral beacons1 and be unto us       
burning and shining lights1 but you are 
placed as watchmen upon our walls1 to   
announce to us the approach of danger4  
,it is mainly through your example and  
your labors that religion and virtue are
 so extensively disseminated through our
 country--that this land is not now a   
moral waste4 ,you have ever exerted an  
important influence in society1 and have
 held a high place in the confidence and
 affections of the people4 ,you are     
widely spread over the country1 and the 
scene of your personal labors will      
furnish you with frequent opportunities 
to diffuse information upon the subject 
of temperance1 and to advance its       
progress4 ,let me then ask you1 one and 
all1 to grant us your active and hearty 
cooperation4  #i4 ,appeal to the female 
sex of our country1 and ask them to come

 to your assistance2 and if they will   
consent to steel their hearts against   
the inebriate1 to shut out from their   
society the man who visits the tippling 
shop1 their influence will be           
omnipotent4 ,and by what power1 ye      
mothers1 and wives1 and daughters1 shall
 ,i invoke your aid8 ,shall ,i carry you
 to the house of the drunkard1 and point
 you to his weeping and broken-hearted  
wife1 his suffering and degraded        
children1 robed in rags1 and poverty1   
and vice8 ,shall ,i go with you to the  
almshouse1 the orphan asylum1 and to the
 retreat for the insane1 that your      
sensibility may be roused8 ,shall ,i ask
 you to accompany me to the penitentiary
 and the prison1 that you may there     
behold the end of intemperance8 ,nay1   
shall ,i draw back the curtain and      
disclose to you the scene of the        
drunkard's death-bed8 ,no--,i will not  
demand of you a task so painful3 rather 
let me remind you that you are to become
 the mothers of our future heroes and   

statesmen1 philosophers and divines1    
lawyers and physicians2 and shall they  
be enfeebled in body1 debauched in      
morals1 disordered in intellect1 or     
healthy1 pure1 and full of mental       
energy8 ,it is for you to decide this   
question4 ,you have the future destiny  
of our beloved country in your hands4   
,let me entreat you1 then1 for your     
children's sake1 and for your country's 
sake1 not to ally yourselves to the     
drunkard1 nor to put the cup to the     
mouth of your offspring1 and thereby    
implant in them a craving for ardent    
spirit1 which1 once produced1 is seldom 
eradicated4  #aj4 ,call upon all public 
and private associations1 religious1    
literary1 and scientific1 to banish     
ardent spirit from their circle2 call   
upon the agricultural1 manufacturing1   
and commercial establishments1 to       
withhold it from those engaged in their 
employment2 call upon the legislatures  
of the different states to cooperate by 
the enactment of such laws as will      

discourage the vending of ardent spirit1
 and render licenses to sell it         
unattainable2 call upon the proper      
officers to banish from the army and    
navy that article which1 of all others1 
is most calculated to enfeeble the      
physical energies1 corrupt the morals1  
destroy the patriotism1 and damp the    
courage of our soldiers and sailors2    
call upon our national legislature to   
impose such duties on the distillation  
and importation of ardent spirit as will
 ultimately exclude it from the list of 
articles of commerce1 and eradicate it  
from our land4  ,finally1 call upon     
every sober man1 woman1 and child1 to   
raise their voices1 their hearts1 and   
their hands in this sacred cause1 and   
never hold their peace1 never cease     
their prayers1 never stay their         
exertions1 till intemperance shall be   
banished from our land and from the     
world4     ,,bible ,,argument ,,for     
,,temperance4  ,,by ,,rev4 ,,austin     
,,dickinson4   ,the ,bible requires us  

to present our bodies a living          
sacrifice1 holy and acceptable unto     
,god2 to purify ourselves1 even as he is
 pure2 to give no occasion of stumbling 
to any brother2 to give no offence to   
the church of ,god2 to love our neighbor
 as ourselves2 to do good to all as we  
have opportunity2 to abstain from all   
appearance of evil2 to use the world as 
not abusing it2 and1 whether we eat or  
drink1 or whatsoever we do1 to do all to
 the glory of ,god4  ,a ,being of       
infinite benevolence could not prescribe
 rules of action less holy1 and they are
 the same that shall judge us in the    
last day4 ,any indulgence1 therefore1   
not consistent with these rules1 is     
rebellion against the great ,lawgiver1  
and must disqualify us for standing in  
the judgment4  ,as honest men1 then1 let
 us try by these rules the common       
practice of drinking or selling         
intoxicating liquor4  ,the use of such  
liquor1 instead of enabling us to       
present our bodies a living sacrifice1  

holy and acceptable1 actually degrades1 
and prematurely destroys both body and  
mind4 ,dr4 ,rush1 after enumerating     
various loathsome diseases1 adds1 that  
these are the usual1 natural1 and       
legitimate consequences of its use4     
,another eminent physician says1 ,the   
observation of twenty years has         
convinced me1 that were ten young men1  
on their twenty-first birthday1 to begin
 to drink one glass of ardent spirit1   
and were they to drink this supposed    
moderate quantity daily1 the lives of   
eight out of the ten would be abridged  
by ten or fifteen years4 ,when taken    
freely1 its corrupting influences are   
strikingly manifest4 ,and even when     
taken moderately1 very few now pretend  
to doubt that it shortens life4 ,but    
nothing can be clearer1 than that he who
 thus wilfully cuts short his probation 
five1 ten1 or twenty years1 is as truly 
a suicide1 as if he slew himself        
violently4 ,or if he knowingly encourage
 his neighbor to do this1 he is equally 

guilty4 ,he is1 by the law of ,god1 a   
murderer4  ,but besides prematurely     
destroying the body1 alcoholic drink    
injures the immortal mind4 ,to          
illustrate the blinding and perverting  
influence of even a small quantity of   
such liquor1 let a strictly temperate   
man spend an evening with a dozen others
 indulging themselves moderately3 they  
will be sure to say things which to him 
will appear foolish1 if not wicked2 and 
which will appear so to themselves on   
reflection2 though at the time they may 
not be conscious of any impropriety4    
,and if this moderate indulgence be     
habitual1 there must1 of course1 be an  
increased mental perversion2 till       
conscience is seared as with a hot iron1
 and the mind is lost to the power of   
being affected by truth1 as well as to  
the capacity for usefulness4 ,and is    
this destruction of the talents ,god has
 given1 consistent with the injunction  
to glorify ,god in body and spirit8     
,again1 the habit of drinking is        

incompatible with that eminent holiness 
to which you are commanded to aspire4   
,the great ,founder of ,christianity    
enjoins1 ,be ye perfect1 even as your   
,father in heaven is perfect4 ,this will
 be the true ,christian's desire4 ,and a
 soul aspiring to the image and full    
enjoyment of ,god1 will have no relish  
for any counteracting influence4  ,is it
 said1 that for eminently holy men to   
mingle strong drink may be inconsistent2
 but not so for those less spiritual8   
,this is making the want of spirituality
 an excuse for sensuality2 thus adding  
sin to sin1 and only provoking the ,most
 ,high4 ,his mandate is universal3 ,be  
ye holy1 for ,i am holy4  ,to this end  
you are charged to abstain from fleshly 
lusts1 which war against the soul2 to   
mortify your members1 which are earthly2
 to exercise yourselves rather unto     
godliness2 to be kindly affectioned     
towards all men4 ,but who does not know 
that strong drink1 not only eats out the
 brain1 but taketh away the heart1      

diminishes natural affection1 and       
deadens the moral sensibilities1 while  
it cherishes those very passions which  
the ,holy ,spirit condemns8 ,and how can
 one aspiring to the divine image1 drink
 that which thus tends to destroy all   
that is pure1 spiritual1 and lovely1    
while it kindles the very elements of   
hell8  ,the use of such liquor is       
utterly inconsistent with any thing like
 high spiritual enjoyment1 clear        
spiritual views1 or true devotion4 ,a   
sense of shame must inevitably torment  
the professor who in such a day cannot  
resist those fleshly lusts which war    
against the soul2 his brethren will turn
 from him in pity or disgust2 and1 what 
is infinitely more affecting1 the ,holy 
,spirit will not abide with him4 ,thus1 
without an approving conscience1 without
 cordial ,christian intercourse1 without
 the smiles of the ,comforter1 how can  
he enjoy religion8  ,abstinence from    
highly stimulating liquor or food has   
ever been regarded indispensable to that

 serenity of soul and clearness of views
 so infinitely desirable in matters of  
religion4 ,hence1 the ministers of      
religion especially1 were commanded not 
to touch any thing like strong drink    
when about to enter the sanctuary4 ,lev4
 #aj3i4 ,and this1 it is added1 shall be
 a statute for ever throughout your     
generations2 that ye may put difference 
between holy and unholy2 clearly showing
 ,god's judgment of the effect of       
temperance on spiritual discernment4    
,on the principle of abstinence we may  
account1 in part1 for that holy ecstasy1
 that amazing clearness of spiritual    
vision1 sometimes enjoyed on the        
deathbed4 ,administer nothing1 said the 
eloquent dying ,summerfield1 that will  
create a stupor1 not even so much as a  
little porter and water--that ,i may    
have an unclouded view4 ,for the same   
reason1 ,dr4 ,rush1 who so well knew the
 effect of strong drink1 peremptorily   
ordered it not to be given him in his   
last hours4 ,and it is recorded1 that   

the dying ,,saviour1 who knew all       
things1 when offered wine mingled with  
myrrh1 received it not4 ,the truly wise 
will not barter visions of glory for    
mere animal excitement and mental       
stupefaction4  ,equally illustrative of 
our principle is the confession of an   
aged deacon1 accustomed to drink        
moderately3 ,i always1 in prayer1 felt a
 coldness and heaviness at heart--never 
suspecting it was the whiskey6 but since
 that is given up1 ,i have heavenly     
communion6 ,o1 what an increase of pure 
light and joy might there be1 would all 
understand this1 and be temperate in all
 things4  ,the use of such liquor is    
inconsistent with the sacred order and  
discipline of the church4 ,a venerable  
minister1 of great experience1 gives it 
as the result of his observation1 that  
nine-tenths of all the cases calling for
 church discipline have in former years 
been occasioned by this liquor4 ,this is
 a tremendous fact4 ,but a little       
examination will convince any one that  

the estimate is not too high4 ,and can  
it be right to continue an indulgence   
that brings tenfold1 or even fourfold   
more trouble and disgrace on the church 
than all other causes united8 ,do not   
these foul spots in your feasts of      
charity clearly say1 ,touch not the     
unclean thing8 ,can we countenance that 
which is certain to bring deep reproach 
on the church of ,christ8 ,it must needs
 be that offences come1 but woe to that 
man by whom the offence cometh4  ,the   
use of alcoholic liquor by the religious
 community is inconsistent with the hope
 of reforming and saving the            
intemperate2 and thus shows a want of   
love to souls4 ,the ,christian knows1   
that drunkards cannot inherit eternal   
life4 ,he knows also1 that hundreds of  
thousands now sustain or are contracting
 this odious character2 and that if the 
evil be not arrested1 millions more will
 come on in the same track1 and go down 
to the burning gulf4 ,but the man who   
drinks just so much as to make himself  

feel well1 cannot reprove the drunkard  
who only does the same thing4 ,the      
drunkard may say to him1 ,my appetite is
 stronger than yours2 more1 therefore1  
is necessary1 in order to make me 'feel 
well2' and if you cannot deny yourself1 
how can ,i control a more raging        
appetite8 ,this rebuke would be         
unanswerable4  ,all agree that total    
abstinence is the only hope of the      
drunkard4 ,but is it not preposterous to
 expect him to abstain1 if he sees the  
minister1 the elder1 the deacon1 and    
other respectable men indulging their   
cups8 ,with mind enfeebled and character
 lost1 can he summon resolution to be   
singular1 and live more temperately than
 his acknowledged superiors8--thus      
telling to all that he has been a       
drunkard6 ,this cannot be expected of   
poor sunken human nature4 ,no2 let      
moderate drinking be generally allowed1 
and in less than thirty years1 according
 to the past ratio of their deaths1     
armies of drunkards greater than all the

 ,american churches1 will go from this  
land of light and freedom to everlasting
 chains of darkness4 ,if1 then1 the     
drunkard is worth saving1 if he has a   
soul capable of shining with seraphim1  
and if you have any bowels of mercies1  
then give him the benefit of your       
example4 ,professing to do good to all  
as you have opportunity1 be consistent  
in this matter4 ,by a little self-denial
 you may save multitudes from ruin4 ,but
 if you cannot yield a little1 to save  
fellow-sinners from eternal pain1 have  
you the spirit of ,him who1 for his     
enemies1 exchanged a throne for a cross8
  ,could all the wailings of the        
thousand thousands slain by this poison 
come up in one loud thunder of          
remonstrance on your ear1 you might then
 think it wrong to sanction its use4    
,but let ,god be true1 and those        
wailings are as real as if heard in     
ceaseless thunders4  ,again1 the use of 
intoxicating drink is inconsistent with 
true ,christian patriotism4 ,all former 

efforts to arrest the national sin of   
intemperance have failed4 ,a glorious   
effort is now making to remove it with  
pure water4 ,thousands are rejoicing in 
the remedy4 ,not a sober man in the     
nation really doubts its efficacy and   
importance4 ,who1 then1 that regards our
 national character1 can hesitate to    
adopt it8 ,especially1 who that is a    
,christian1 can cling to that which has 
darkened the pathway of heaven1         
threatened our liberties1 desolated     
families and neighborhoods1 and         
stigmatized us as a nation of drunkards8
  ,is it said1 that the influence of a  
small temperance society1 or church1 is 
unimportant8 ,not so2 its light may save
 the surrounding region2 its example may
 influence a thousand churches4 ,and let
 the thousand thousand professing       
,christians in this land1 with such     
others as they can enlist1 resolve on   
,,total ,,abstinence--let this great    
example be held up to view--and it would
 be such a testimony as the world has   

not yet seen4 ,let such a multitude     
show1 that these drinks are unnecessary1
 and reformation easy1 and the          
demonstration would be complete4 ,few of
 the moral would continue the poison2   
thousands of the immoral abandon it at  
once2 and the nation be reformed4  ,the 
use of this liquor is inconsistent with 
the proper influence of ,christian      
example4 ,the ,saviour says1 ,let your  
light so shine before men1 that they may
 see your good works1 and glorify your  
,father who is in heaven4 ,but will men 
esteem ,christians the more for         
drinking1 and thus be led to glorify    
,god on their behalf8 ,or will the      
,saviour praise them for this1 when he  
shall come to be glorified in his       
saints1 and to be admired in all them   
that believe8 ,rather1 will not their   
drinking lead some to excess1 and thus  
sully the ,creator's work8 ,nay1 is it  
not certain1 that if the religious      
community indulge1 the example will lead
 millions to drunkenness and perdition8 

,and1 on the other hand1 is it not      
morally certain1 that if they abstain1  
their combined influence will save      
millions from infamy and ruin8 ,how1    
then1 in view of that day when all the  
bearings of your conduct shall be       
judged1 can you hesitate on which side  
to give your influence8 ,it is not a    
little matter2 for who can conceive the 
results of even one impulse1 among      
beings connected with others by ten     
thousand strings6  ,the use of this     
liquor is inconsistent with1 that       
harmony and brotherly love which ,christ
 requires in his professed followers4   
,he requires them to love one another   
with a pure heart1 fervently2 to be all 
of one mind2 to be of one heart and one 
soul4 ,but who does not see the utter   
impossibility of this1 if some continue 
an indulgence which others regard with  
abhorrence8 ,since public attention has 
been turned to the subject1 thousands   
have come to the full conviction1 that  
to use intoxicating liquor is a sinful  

as well as foolish practice4 ,the most  
distinguished lights of the church1 and 
such as peculiarly adorn human nature1  
embrace this sentiment4 ,and how can you
 associate with these1 and yet continue 
a habit viewed by them with disgust8    
,ah1 the man1 however decent1 who will  
have his glass1 not caring whom he      
offends1 must have it2 but he must also 
have his reward4 ,whoso shall offend one
 of these little ones which believe in  
me1 it were better for him that a       
millstone were hanged about his neck4   
,the use of intoxicating drink1 in this 
day of light1 is incompatible with the  
hope of receiving any general effusion  
of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,christians are   
allowed to hope for the ,spirit to be   
poured out only in answer to            
prayer--true1 spiritual1 believing      
prayer4 ,if they regard iniquity in     
their heart1 the ,lord will not hear    
them4 ,if they wilfully cherish sin1    
they cannot have faith4 ,indeed1 how    
odious the spectacle of a company       

looking towards heaven1 but in the      
posture of devotion breathing forth the 
foul1 fiery element--literally offering 
strange fire before the ,lord6  ,we are 
not1 then1 to expect divine influence to
 come down like showers that water the  
earth1 till we put away that which we   
know tends only to wither and consume   
all the fruits of the ,spirit4  ,the    
waste of property in the use of         
alcoholic drink is inconsistent with    
faithful stewardship for ,christ4       
,religious contributions are among the  
appointed means for saving the world4   
,but allow each of the tens of thousands
 of professing ,christians in this land 
only three cents worth of such liquor   
daily1 and the annual cost is some      
,,millions ,,of ,,dollars2 which would  
be sufficient to support ,,thousands    
,,of ,,missionaries4 ,let stewards of   
the ,lord's bounty1 then1 who would     
consume their portion of this little on 
appetite1 ponder and blush for such     
inconsistency2 and let them hasten to   

clear off the heavy charge1 ,ye have    
robbed me1 even this whole nation4      
,again1 to indulge in intoxicating      
liquor is inconsistent with attempts to 
recommend the ,gospel to the heathen4   
,nothing has done more1 in former years1
 to prejudice our ,indian neighbors1 and
 hinder among them the influence of the 
,gospel1 than those liquors we have     
encouraged them to use4 ,several tribes 
have set the noble example of excluding 
them by the strong arm of law2 and it is
 only by convincing such that really    
consistent ,christians do not encourage 
these evils1 that our missionaries have 
been able to gain their confidence4     
,the same feeling prevails in some      
distant heathen nations4 ,they cannot   
but distrust those who use and sell a   
polluting drink1 which they1 to a great 
extent1 regard with abhorrence4         
,suppose our missionaries should meet   
the heathen with the ,bible in one hand1
 and the intoxicating cup in the other2 
what impression would they make8 ,nature

 herself would revolt at the alliance4  
,and nothing but custom and fashion have
 reconciled any to similar              
inconsistencies at home4  ,but not only 
must our missionaries be unspotted1 they
 must be able to testify1 that no real  
,christians encourage this or any       
unclean thing4 ,with such testimony they
 might secure the conviction1 that our  
religion is indeed elevating1 and that  
our ,god is the true ,god4 ,for saith   
,jehovah1 ,then shall the heathen know  
that ,i am the ,lord1 when ,i shall be  
sanctified in you before their eyes4    
,indulgence in this drink1 especially by
 the church1 is inconsistent with any   
reasonable hope that the flood of       
intemperance would not return upon the  
land1 even should it for a season be    
dried up4 ,the same causes which have   
produced it would produce it again1     
unless there be some permanent          
counteracting influence4 ,temperance    
associations are unspeakably important  
as means of reformation4 ,but they are  

not permanent bodies2 their organization
 may cease when intemperance is once    
done away2 and unless the principle of  
,,total ,,abstinence be generally       
acknowledged and regarded as a          
,christian duty1 by some great          
association that is to be perpetual1 it 
may in time be forgotten or despised2   
and then drunkenness will again abound4 
,such an association is found only in   
the church of the living ,god4 ,this    
will continue while the world stands4   
,let the principle of ,,entire          
,,abstinence1 then1 be recognized by all
 members of the church1 and such others 
as they can influence2 and you have a   
great multitude to sustain the          
temperance cause1 till time shall be no 
longer4 ,and can the real ,christian1 or
 patriot1 think it hard thus to enlist  
for the safety of all future            
generations8 ,if parents love their     
offspring1 if ,christians love the      
millions coming upon the stage1 will    
they not gladly secure them all from the

 destroyer8 ,has he a shadow of         
consistency who will rather do that1    
which1 if done by the church generally1 
would lead millions to hopeless ruin8   
,the use of intoxicating drink1 as an   
article of luxury or living1 is         
inconsistent with the plain spirit and  
precepts of ,god's word4 ,the proper use
 to be made of it1 is so distinctly     
pointed out in ,scripture1 that men need
 not mistake4 ,it is to be used as a    
medicine in extreme cases4 ,give strong 
drink unto him that is ready to perish4 
,its common use is condemned as foolish 
and pernicious4 ,strong drink is raging2
 and whosoever is deceived thereby1 is  
not wise4 ,they are out of the way      
through strong drink2 they err in       
vision2 they stumble in judgment4 ,such 
passages show clearly the mind of ,god  
with respect to the nature and use of   
this article4  ,moreover1 it is said1   
,woe unto him that giveth his neighbor  
drink4 ,but does not every man who sells
 or uses this liquor1 as a beverage1    

encourage his neighbor to drink1 and    
thus contemn ,god's authority8 ,does he 
not aggravate his guilt by sinning      
against great light8 ,and would he not  
aggravate it still further1 should he   
charge the blame on the sacred word8 ,o1
 what a blot on the ,bible1 should one  
sentence be added1 encouraging the      
common use of intoxicating liquor6 ,if  
any man thus add1 ,god shall add unto   
him the plagues that are written in this
 book4  ,to encourage the manufacture of
 such liquors is to abuse the bounties  
of ,providence4 ,when ,god had formed   
man1 he kindly said1 ,behold1 ,i have   
given you every herb bearing seed1 which
 is upon the face of all the earth1 and 
every tree1 in the which is the fruit of
 a tree yielding seed2 to you it shall  
be for meat4 ,god1 then1 it seems1      
intended men should use the fruits of   
the earth for food4 ,but they have      
sought out many inventions4 ,and one of 
these is1 to convert these gifts of ,god
 into a poison1 most insidious in its   

nature1 and destructive both to soul and
 body4 ,the distiller1 the vender1 and  
the consumer1 encourage one another in  
this perversion of ,god's gifts4 ,and is
 this receiving his gifts with          
thanksgiving8 ,better1 infinitely       
better1 to cast them at once into the   
fire1 and say unto the ,almighty1 ,we   
have no need of these4 ,but the         
ingratitude does not stop here4 ,when   
men1 in abuse of the divine bounty1 have
 made this poison1 to give it currency1 
they call it one of the creatures of    
,god4 ,with as much propriety might they
 call gambling establishments and       
murderous weapons his creatures4 ,but   
how awful the impiety of thus ascribing 
the worst of man's inventions to the    
benevolent ,god6  ,for a man to         
persevere in making1 selling1 or using  
intoxicating liquor1 as an article of   
luxury or living1 ,,while ,,fully       
,,knowing ,,its ,,effects1 and          
possessing ,,the ,,light ,,providence   
,,has ,,poured ,,on ,,this ,,subject1 is

 utterly inconsistent with any          
satisfactory evidence of piety4 ,by     
their fruits ye shall know them4 ,and   
what are his fruits4 ,why1 as we have   
seen1 he wilfully cuts short his own    
life1 or the life of his neighbor2 he   
wilfully impairs memory1 judgment1      
imagination1 all the immortal faculties1
 merely for sensual indulgence or paltry
 gain2 he stupefies conscience1 and     
cherishes all the evil passions2 he     
prefers sordid appetite to pure         
spiritual enjoyment2 he is the occasion 
of stumbling to those for whom ,christ  
died1 and of dark reproach on the       
church2 he neglects the only means      
,providence has pointed out for saving  
millions from drunkenness and perdition2
 he wilfully encourages their downward  
course2 he refuses the aid he might give
 to a great national reform2 he lends   
his whole weight against this           
reformation2 he is the occasion of      
offence1 grief1 and discord among       
brethren2 he grieves the ,holy ,spirit2 

he robs the ,lord's treasury2 he makes  
,christianity infamous in the eyes of   
the heathen2 he disregards the plain    
spirit of the ,bible2 and1 in fine1 he  
perverts even the common bounties of    
,providence4 ,such are his fruits4 ,and 
the man1 surely1 who can do all this in 
meridian light1 while ,god is looking   
on1 and widows and orphans are          
remonstrating1 does not give            
satisfactory evidence of piety4 ,he     
shows neither respect for ,god nor love 
to man4  ,let conscience now solemnly   
review this whole argument by the       
infinitely holy law4 ,is it indeed right
 and scriptural to impair body and mind1
 to defile the flesh1 cloud the soul1   
stupefy conscience1 and cherish the     
worst passions8 ,is it right to bring   
occasions of stumbling into the church8 
,is it right to encourage drunkards2    
right to treat with contempt a great    
national reform8 ,is it right to offend 
such as ,christ calls brethren2 right to
 grieve the ,holy ,spirit1 and hinder   

his blessed influence8 ,is it right to  
consume on lust what would fill the     
,lord's treasury2 and right to make     
religion odious to the heathen8 ,is it  
right to leave the land exposed to new  
floods of intemperance2 to disregard the
 manifest lessons of ,god's word and    
providence2 and to convert food to      
poison8 ,is it indeed scriptural and    
right to sanction habits fraught only   
with wounds1 death1 and perdition8 ,can 
real ,christians1 by example1 propagate 
such heresy8  ,let it not be suggested  
that our argument bears chiefly against 
the excessive use of these liquors2 for 
common observation and candor will      
testify that the moderate use of the    
poison is the real occasion of all its  
woes and abominations4 ,who was ever    
induced to taste1 by the disgusting     
sight of a drunkard8 ,or wise ever      
became a drunkard1 except by moderate   
indulgence in the beginning8 ,indeed1   
this habit of moderate drinking is1     
perhaps1 tenfold worse in its general   

influence on society than occasional    
instances of drunkenness2 for these     
excite abhorrence and alarm1 while      
moderate indulgence sanctions the       
general use1 and betrays millions to    
destruction4 ,o never1 since the first  
temptation1 did ,satan gain such a      
victory1 as when he induced ,christians 
to sanction everywhere the use of       
intoxicating liquor4 ,and never1 since  
the triumph of ,calvary1 has he         
experienced such a defeat as they are   
now summoned to accomplish4 ,let them   
unitedly pledge themselves against      
strong drink1 and by diffusing light on 
this subject1 do as much to expose as   
they have done to encourage this grand  
device of ,satan1 and mighty rivers of  
death will soon be dried up4  ,in this  
work of ,,light ,,and ,,love1 then1 be  
generous1 be sober1 be self-denying1 be 
vigilant1 be of one mind2 for the great 
adversary1 as a roaring lion1 walketh   
about4 ,and possibly through apathy1 or 
discord1 or treason among professed     

friends of temperance1 ,satan may yet   
get an advantage1 and turn our fair     
morning into a heavier night of         
darkness1 and tempest1 and war4 ,but woe
 to that man who1 in this day of light1 
shall wilfully encourage the exciting   
cause of such evils4 ,and heaviest woe  
to him who shall avail himself of a     
standing in the church for this purpose4
 ,i hear for such a loud remonstrance   
from countless millions yet unborn1 and 
a louder still from the throne of       
eternal ,justice4  ,but though we thus  
speak1 we hope better things1 especially
 from the decided followers of the      
,lamb1 of every name2 things which make 
for peace1 things wherewith one may     
edify another1 and things which         
accompany salvation to a dying world4   
,,four ,,reasons ,,against ,,the ,,use  
,,of ,,alcoholic ,,liquors4  ,,by ,,john
 ,,gridley1 ,m4 ,d4   ,in presenting    
this subject1 it shall be my aim to     
state and illustrate such facts and     
principles as shall induce every man1   

woman1 and child1 capable of            
contemplating truth and appreciating    
motive1 to exert the whole weight of    
their influence in favor of the         
,,temperance ,,reform4 ,there are ,four 
,reasons which claim special attention4 
,the ,,first ,,reason we would urge1 why
 the use of alcoholic liquors should be 
altogether dispensed with1 is their     
immense cost to the consumers4 ,it is   
estimated from data as unerring as      
custom-house books1 and the declarations
 of the manufacturers of domestic       
distilled spirit1 that previous to      
#ahbf1 #fj1jjj1jjj gallons of ardent    
spirit were annually consumed in these  
,united ,states2 the average cost of    
which is moderately stated at fifty     
cents per gallon1 and in the aggregate  
thirty millions of dollars4  ,thirty    
millions of dollars annually6 ,a sum    
which1 if spread out in one dollar      
bank-notes1 end to end1 would reach     
across the ,atlantic4 ,or1 if in silver 
dollars piled one upon the other1 would 

form a column nearly thirty miles high2 
and which it would occupy a man twelve  
hours in each day1 for almost two years1
 to enumerate1 allowing him to count one
 every second4 ,or to suppose a useful  
application of this fund1 it would      
support annually from two to three      
hundred thousand young men in preparing 
for the ,gospel ministry4 ,in three     
years it is a sum more than equal to the
 supply of a ,bible to every family on  
the habitable globe4 ,one-half the      
amount would defray all the ordinary    
expenses incident to the carrying on of 
our nation's governmental operations    
every year4 ,thus ,i might multiply     
object upon object1 which this vast sum 
is adequate to accomplish1 and carry the
 mind from comparison to comparison in  
estimating its immense amount2 still the
 cost1 thus considered as involving the 
pecuniary resources of the country1 is a
 mere item of the aggregate1 when the   
loss of time1 waste of providential     
bounty1 neglect of business1 etc41      

incident to the consumption of this one 
article1 are thrown into the account4   
,a ,,second ,,reason why its use should 
be condemned is1 the entire inadequacy  
of any property it possesses to impart  
the least benefit1 either nutrient1 or  
in any other way substantially to the   
consumer1 to say nothing just now of its
 never-failing injurious effects4       
,alcohol consists chemically in a state 
of purity of carbon1 oxygen1 and        
hydrogen2 in the proportions of carbon  
about #eb parts1 oxygen #cd1 and        
hydrogen #ad to the #ajj4 ,the addition 
of water forms the various proof        
spirits4 ,it can be generated in no way 
but by fermentation3 no skill of art has
 yet been able to combine the above     
elements in such proportions1 or        
relations1 as to produce alcohol1 except
 by heat and moisture inciting          
fermentation in vegetable substances4   
,but it should be understood1 that      
vegetables may undergo a certain degree 
of fermentation without producing       

alcohol2 or1 if suffered to produce it1 
another stage of fermentation will      
radically destroy it1 and produce an    
acid4 ,thus1 any of the vegetable       
substances1 as corn or rye1 subjected to
 a certain degree of heat and moisture1 
will soon suffer a decomposition1 and a 
development of sugar1 to a greater or   
less degree1 will take place4 ,if       
removed now from circumstances favorable
 to its farther fermentation1 as is the 
case with dough for bread1 etc41 no     
appreciable quantity of alcohol is      
created4 ,a further degree of           
fermentation1 however1 is generative of 
alcohol1 and if arrested here1 the      
alcohol maintains its decided character2
 while still another stage presents the 
acetous state1 and the alcoholic        
property is lost in vinegar4 ,as in our 
opinion1 success to the temperance cause
 depends much upon a right understanding
 of what alcohol is1 and the manner of  
its production1 a more simple           
illustration may not be inappropriate   

here4  ,a farmer takes a quantity of    
apples to the mill in order to convert  
them into cider4 ,he grinds1 then lays  
them up into a cheese1 when pressure is 
applied1 and the juice runs into a vat  
placed to receive it4 ,here1 at this    
stage of the business1 there is no      
alcohol in the juice4 ,it is now put    
into casks1 and the sweet or sugar stage
 of fermentation1 which is already      
begun1 soon passes into the vinous or   
alcoholic stage1 as it is called1 and   
alcohol is formed4 ,the prudent farmer1 
at this point1 when the juice is done   
working1 or fermenting1 immediately     
bungs his casks1 and does such other    
things as his skill and experience may  
suggest1 to prevent his cider becoming  
sour1 which it will do if the third     
stage of fermentation is permitted to   
succeed4 ,here1 then1 he has perfect    
alcohol1 though in small proportions2 as
 perfect as it is in brandy1 gin1 rum1  
and whiskey4 ,the same results ensue    
from subjecting corn1 rye1 barley1 etc41

 to such processes as is customary to   
prepare them for distillation1 namely1  
to such a degree of fermentation as that
 alcohol is formed4 ,and when the       
alcohol is formed by fermentation1 then 
it is drawn off1 by distilling1 from its
 union with the other materials in the  
fermented mass4 ,alcohol1 then1 is      
strictly the product of fermentation4   
,it is not1 and cannot be produced in   
any other way4 ,to distil1 therefore1 is
 only to lead it off from its union with
 the vegetable mass1 and show it naked  
with all its virulence4  ,having        
considered the manner in which alcohol  
is formed1 let us examine some of its   
properties4 ,it contains nothing that   
can afford any nourishment to the body1 
and consequently it can impart no       
strength4 ,when taken in certain        
quantities1 diluted with water1 as it   
must be for common use1 its effect is1  
to arouse the energies of the system1   
and for a while the individual feels    
stronger2 but this excitement is always 

followed by depression and loss of      
animal and mental vigor4 ,thus it is a  
mere provocative to momentary personal  
effort1 without affording any resources 
to direct or execute4 ,hence the fallacy
 of that doctrine held by some1 that to 
accomplish deeds of daring1 feats of    
muscular strength1 etc41 with success1  
demands the drinking of spirituous      
liquors4 ,were ,i about to storm an     
enemy's battery1 with no alternative    
before me but victory or death1 ,i      
might1 principle aside1 infuriate my men
 with the maddening influence of ardent 
spirit1 and let them loose upon the     
charge1 as ,i would a wounded elephant1 
or an enraged tiger4 ,but in attaining  
an object to which the combined energies
 of mind and body were requisite1 ,i    
should never think of the               
appropriateness of spirituous liquor to 
aid the effort4  ,but an objector says1 
,i certainly feel stronger upon drinking
 a glass of spirit and water1 and can do
 more work than ,i can without it4 ,i   

can swing a scythe with more nerve1 or  
pitch a load of hay in less time2 and   
feel a general invigoration of my body  
during the heat of a summer's day1 after
 having drank a quantity of grog4 ,how  
is this8 ,we reply1 doubtless you feel  
for the moment all that you describe2   
but your feeling strength thus suddenly 
excited1 is far from being proof that   
you are really any stronger4 ,the       
opposite is the fact2 which we infer    
from the inadequacy of any substance1 be
 it ever so nutritious1 to impart       
strength so suddenly1 as it would seem  
ardent spirit did when drank2 for there 
has not been sufficient time for        
digestion1 through which process only   
can any substantial nourishment be      
derived to the body4 ,the apparent      
strength which an individual feels upon 
drinking ardent spirit1 is the same in  
kind1 though not in degree1 with that   
which a man feels who has lain sick with
 a fever fifteen or twenty days1 during 
which time he has taken little food1 and

 been subjected to the weakening        
influence of medicines2 but who on a    
sudden manifests great strength1        
striving to rise from his bed1 etc41 and
 in his delirious efforts must be       
restrained perhaps by force4 ,now no man
 in his senses will call this any real  
increase of strength in the sick man1   
who has been starving thus long2 but    
only a rallying of the powers of life   
under the stimulus of disease1 which is 
always followed by extreme languor and  
debility1 if not by death4 ,so it is    
with the individual under the influence 
of ardent spirit3 he feels the powers of
 his body excited from the stimulus of  
the spirit2 yet1 as we think must be    
clear to the apprehension of any one1   
without any addition of actual strength4
  ,again1 alcohol is not only           
innutritious1 but is poisonous4 ,taken  
into the stomach in an undiluted and    
concentrated state1 in quantities of two
 or three teaspoonfulls1 it destroys    
life1 as clearly shown in ,accum's      

experiments4 ,combined with different   
proportions of water1 sugar1 etc41 it is
 modified in its effects4 ,most of the  
vegetable and mineral poisons may be so 
diluted and modified as to be capable of
 application to the bodies of men       
internally1 without producing immediate 
fatal consequences2 which1 nevertheless1
 cannot be used any length of time1 even
 thus disarmed1 without producing       
pernicious effects4 ,so it is with      
alcohol3 like other poisons1 it cannot  
be used any length of time1 even diluted
 and modified1 without proving          
pernicious to health1 and if persevered 
in1 in considerable quantities1         
inevitably destructive to life4 ,this   
last sentiment1 however1 we will        
consider more particularly under the    
,,third ,,reason for the disuse of      
alcohol3 ,it destroys both body and     
soul4 ,it is estimated that thirty or   
forty thousand died annually in the     
,united ,states from the intemperate use
 of ardent spirit before the ,temperance

 reformation began4 ,thirty or forty    
thousand6 a sacrifice seldom matched by 
war or pestilence4 ,the blood which     
flowed from the veins of our martyred   
countrymen1 in the cause of freedom1    
never reached this annual sacrifice4    
,and the pestilential cholera1 ruthless 
as it is1 which has marked its          
desolating track through many of our    
towns and cities1 numbers not an amount 
of victims like this plague1 much as its
 virulence has been enhanced by ardent  
spirit4 ,the destructive influence of   
immoderate drinking upon the bodily     
powers of men1 is painfully apparent1   
sometimes long before the fatal         
catastrophe4 ,the face1 the speech1 the 
eyes1 the walk1 the sleep1 the breath1  
all proclaim the drying up of the       
springs of life4 ,and although abused   
nature will often struggle1 and         
struggle1 and struggle1 to maintain the 
balance of her powers1 and restore her  
wasted energies1 she is compelled to    
yield at length to suicidal violence4   

,the effect of the habitual use of      
ardent spirit upon the health1 is much  
greater than is generally supposed4 ,an 
individual who is in the habit of       
drinking spirits daily1 although he may 
not fall under the character of a       
drunkard1 is undermining his            
constitution gradually1 but certainly2  
as a noble building1 standing by the    
side of a small1 unnoticed rivulet1     
whose current steals along under its    
foundation1 and carries away from its   
support sand after sand1 has its        
security certainly though imperceptibly 
impaired1 and finally falls into utter  
ruin4 ,a large proportion of the inmates
 of our madhouses are the victims of    
ardent spirit4 ,our hospitals and       
poor-houses speak volumes of the ruin   
that awaits the bodily powers of those  
who indulge in even moderate tippling4  
,it exposes the system to much greater  
ravages when disease attacks it4 ,the   
powers of nature are weakened1 and less 
able to resist disease2 and medicines   

will never act so promptly and kindly   
upon those who are accustomed to strong 
drink as upon those who are not4  ,but  
where is the soul1 the disembodied      
spirit of a deceased drunkard8 ,no      
drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of   
,god1 is the plain declaration of sacred
 writ2 and were there no such scriptural
 denunciation of the wretched inebriate1
 the very nature of his case would      
render his prospect dark and dismal4 ,in
 the intervals of his cups1 when his    
animal powers are not goaded by         
artificial excitement1 his distressed   
spirit partakes of the horrible collapse
 of its polluted tenement1 and can      
contemplate no motive1 however weighty1 
nor entertain any other thought1 be it  
ever so interesting1 than how to relieve
 its present wretchedness4 ,when1 then1 
can the unhappy man find peace with ,god
 amid this tumult of his unbalanced     
faculties1 this perturbation of his     
unholy passions8 ,how utterly unfitted  
to perform those duties which are       

requisite to secure a blessed           
immortality8  ,our ,,fourth ,,reason for
 the disuse of alcoholic liquors is1    
that any thing short of entire          
abstinence exposes to all the dread     
consequences just named4 ,here is the   
grand hope of our cause4 ,,total        
,,abstinence defies all danger and mocks
 at consequences4 ,with it1 we are safe2
 without it1 in peril4  ,no man was ever
 born a drunkard2 nor are we born with a
 natural taste or thirst for alcoholic  
drinks1 any more than we are born with  
an appetite for aloes1 assafoetida1 or  
any other drug or medicine4 ,and the    
child when first taught to take it1 is  
induced to do so only by sweetening it1 
and thus rendering it palatable1 as is  
the case with other medicines4 ,neither 
is it1 at any time1 the taste or flavor 
of alcohol1 exclusively1 that presents  
such charms for the use of it2 but in   
the effect upon the stomach and nerves  
lie all the magic and witchery of this  
destructive agent4 ,in proof of this1   

watch the trembling victim of strong    
drink while he pours down his morning or
 mid-day dram1 and see him retch and    
strangle like a sickened child at a     
nauseous medicine4 ,ask him1 too1 and he
 will confess it is not the taste for   
which he drinks4 ,intemperate drinking  
is ever the result of what has been     
misnamed temperate drinking4 ,taking a  
little when we are too cold1 or too hot1
 or wet1 or fatigued1 or low-spirited1  
or have a pain in the stomach1 or to    
keep off fevers1 or from politeness to a
 friend1 or not to appear singular in   
company1 etc41 etc41 or as is sometimes 
churlishly said1 when we have a mind to4
  ,and here ,i shall step aside a little
 from the main argument1 and attempt to 
explain the effects which temperate     
drinking has upon the animal system2 and
 how it leads to ruinous drunkenness1   
,,by ,a ,,law ,,of ,,our ,,natures1     
certain and invariable4 ,the nervous    
system1 as ,i have said1 is that        
department of our bodies which suffers  

most from stimulants and narcotics4     
,although the circulation of the blood  
is increased1 and all the animal spirits
 roused by alcoholic drink2 still1 the  
nerves are the organs that must finally 
bear the brunt and evil of this undue   
excitement4 ,thus we see in the man who 
has been overexcited by these           
stimulants1 a trembling hand1 an infirm 
step1 and impaired mental vigor4 ,the   
excitability of our system--and by this 
term we mean that property of our       
natures which distinguishes all living  
from dead matter--is acted upon by      
stimuli1 either external or internal2   
and it is by various stimuli1 applied   
properly1 and in due proportion1 that   
the various functions of life are kept  
up4 ,thus a proper portion of food1 and 
drink1 and heat1 and exercise1 serves to
 maintain that balance of action among  
all the organs1 which secures health to 
the individual4 ,but if an agent is     
applied to the system1 exerting         
stimulant powers exceeding those that   

are necessary for carrying on the vital 
functions steadily1 an excitement ensues
 which is always followed by a          
corresponding collapse4 ,this principle 
is clearly illustrated by the stimulus  
of alcohol4 ,if a person unaccustomed to
 its use receives into his stomach a    
given quantity of distilled spirits1 it 
will soon produce symptoms of universal 
excitement4 ,the pulse increases in     
frequency2 the action of all the animal 
functions is quickened2 and even the    
soul1 partaking of the impulse of its   
fleshly tabernacle1 is unduly aroused4  
,but this is of short duration1 and a   
sinking1 or collapse1 proportioned to   
the excitement1 soon takes place1 with a
 derangement1 more or less1 of all the  
organs of the body4 ,the stimulus       
repeated1 the same effect ensues4 ,we   
must1 however1 notice that the same     
quantity of any unnatural stimulus1 such
 as opium1 spirit1 etc41 frequently     
repeated1 fails to produce its specific 
effect4 ,hence1 in order to secure the  

same effect1 it is necessary to increase
 its quantity4 ,thus1 to a person       
indulging in the frequent or stated     
practice of drinking1 before he is      
aware1 the repetition becomes pleasant4 
,as the accustomed hour returns for his 
dram1 he regularly remembers it2 again  
and again he drinks2 the desire         
increases2 he makes himself believe it  
is necessary from the very fact that he 
desires it2 the principle1 or law1 of   
which we have been speaking1 developes  
itself2 an increased quantity becomes   
necessary to insure a feeling of        
gratification2 more1 and still more     
becomes necessary1 and oftener repeated1
 until without it he is miserable2 his  
overexcited system is wretched1 soul and
 body1 without the constant strain which
 the stimulus affords4  ,here is a      
solution of the fact that has astonished
 thousands2 how the unhappy drunkard1   
with all the certain consequences of his
 course staring him in the face1 and    
amid the entreaties and arguments of    

distressed friends1 and the solemn      
denunciations of holy writ sounding in  
his ears1 and the sure prospect of an   
untimely grave1 will still press on1 and
 hold the destroyer still firmer to his 
lips4 ,it is because nature shrieks at  
every pore1 if ,i may be allowed the    
expression4 ,every nerve1 every vein1   
every fibre pines1 and groans1 and aches
 for its accustomed stimulus4 ,no       
substitute will do2 no ransom can       
purchase relief2 insatiate as the grave1
 every fibre cries1 ,give1 give6 ,the   
dictates of reason are drowned in the   
clamor of the senses4 ,thus the         
temperate drinker1 by persisting in the 
practice1 throws himself within the     
influence of a law of his system1 of    
which he can no more control the        
development1 nor resist the urgency1    
than he can that law which circulates   
the blood through his heart1 or any     
other law peculiar to animal life4 ,that
 law is the ,,law ,,of ,,stimulation1   
which is never unduly aroused1 except by

 sinful indulgences2 but when aroused1  
is dreadfully urgent4 ,we will state a  
case strikingly exemplifying the        
influence of this law4  ,a gentleman1 an
 acquaintance and friend of the writer1 
contracted the habit of drinking during 
his college course4 ,he settled in the  
practice of the law in one of the       
villages of his native state4 ,he soon  
became invested with offices of honor   
and profit1 and although young1 gave    
promise of shining brilliantly in the   
profession he had chosen4 ,he was the   
pride of a large and respectable family1
 who witnessed his growing prospects    
with that satisfaction and delight which
 the prosperity of a beloved son and    
brother cannot fail to impart4 ,in the  
midst of these circumstances the        
physician was one day called in haste to
 see him4 ,he had fallen into a fit4    
,his manly form lay stretched upon the  
carpet1 while his features were         
distorted and purpled from the agony of 
the convulsions4 ,after some days1      

however1 he recovered1 without having   
sustained any permanent injury4 ,being  
in company with his physician alone1    
soon after1 he said to him1 ,i suspect1 
sir1 you do not know the cause of my    
fit2 and as ,i may have a return of it1 
when you will probably be called1 ,i    
think it proper that you should be made 
acquainted with my habits of life4 ,he  
then informed his physician1 that for a 
number of years previous he had been in 
the daily use of ardent spirit1 that the
 practice had grown upon him ever since 
he left college1 and that he was        
conscious it injured him4 ,however1 it  
was not known even to his own family    
what quantity he used4 ,his physician   
did not hesitate to inform him of the   
extreme danger to his life in persisting
 in the use of intoxicating drinks4 ,he 
acknowledged his perfect conviction of  
the truth of all that was said1 and     
resolved to abandon his wicked course4  
,not many weeks after1 he was seized    
with another fit2 but owing to the      

absence of the family physician1 he did 
not see him until some time after he had
 come out of it4 ,the physician1        
however1 who attended1 informed him it  
was violent4 ,after repeated assurances 
of his increasing danger1 and the       
remonstrances of friends1 who had now   
begun to learn the real cause of his    
fits1 he renewed his promises and       
determination to reform1 and entered    
upon a course of total abstinence1 which
 he maintained for several months1 and  
inspired many of his friends with       
pleasing hopes of his entire reform and 
the reestablishment of his health4 ,but1
 alas1 in an unguarded moment1 he dared 
to taste again the forbidden cup1 and   
with this fled all his resolutions and  
restraints4 ,from that time he drank    
more openly and freely4 ,his fits       
returned with painful violence2 friends 
remonstrated1 entreated1 pleaded1 but   
all in vain4 ,he thus continued his     
course of intemperance1 with intervals  
of fits and sickness1 about eight or ten

 months1 and at length died drunk in his
 bed1 where he had lain for two or three
 weeks in a continual state of          
intoxication4  ,the writer has stated   
this case in detail1 to show the        
influence of the law of stimulation1 or 
what in popular language is termed1 the 
appetite for spirituous liquors1 when   
once it is awakened4  ,here we have the 
instance of an individual1 of a fine and
 cultivated intellect1 with every thing 
on earth to render him happy1 that could
 be comprised in wealth1 friends1 honor1
 and bright prospects4 ,ay1 indeed1 too1
 he professed an interest in the blood  
of the ,saviour1 and had communed with  
,christians at his table2 surrounded by 
those whom he tenderly loved1 the wife  
of his bosom1 and the dear pledges of   
her devotion4 ,yet1 in spite of all     
these considerations1 and the most      
sensible conviction of his fatal career1
 he continued to drink1 and thus pressed
 downward to the gate of death and hell4
  ,now what was this8 ,what giant's arm 

dragged this fair victim to an untimely 
grave8 ,was it for the want of motives  
and obligations to pursue an opposite   
course8 ,no4 ,was it for the want of    
intellect and talents to appreciate     
those obligations8 ,no4 ,was it trouble1
 arising from disappointed hopes and    
blasted prospects8 ,certainly1 by those 
who knew him best1 he was accounted a   
man who might have been happy4 ,what was
 it1 then1 that urged this individual1  
with his eyes open upon the             
consequences1 and in the face of every  
thing most dear1 thus to sacrifice his  
all upon the altar of intemperance8 ,it 
was that law of which we have spoken1   
enkindled into action by his tippling1  
and which once developed1 he could no   
more control1 while persisting in his   
pernicious practice of drinking1 than he
 could have hurled the ,andes from their
 base1 or have plucked the moon from her
 orbit4  ,we say1 then1 that all persons
 who drink ardent spirit habitually1    
bring themselves inevitably under the   

influence of a law peculiar to their    
natures1 which leads on to ruin4        
,instances may indeed have occurred1 in 
which individuals have used ardent      
spirit daily for a long course of years1
 and yet died without becoming          
drunkards2 but it only proves that these
 have been constitutions that could     
resist the speedy development of the law
 in question4 ,where one individual is  
found with a constitution vigorous      
enough to resist the development of this
 law through a life of habitual         
drinking1 thousands go down to a        
drunkard's grave1 and a drunkard's      
retribution1 from only a few years'     
indulgence4  ,we have thus briefly shown
 the immense cost of the use of         
alcoholic liquors4 ,we have shown that  
they contain no property that can impart
 substantial strength or nourishment to 
the body2 and that they are actually a  
,,poison4 ,we have shown that they      
destroy both body and soul2 clouding the
 view of truth1 and resisting the       

influences of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,no    
drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of   
,god4 ,we have shown that the temperate 
use of these liquors tends inevitably to
 the intemperate use2 since those who   
drink them habitually1 throw themselves 
within the influence of a law of their  
natures1 which leads on directly to     
ruin4  ,in view of such considerations  
and such facts1 who is so degraded1 so  
enslaved to appetite1 or the love of    
gain1 that he will not lend his aid to  
the ,,temperance ,,reform8 ,who will    
indulge in what he calls the temperate  
use1 flattering himself that he can     
control his appetite1 when thousands1   
who have boasted of self-control1 have  
found themselves1 ere they were aware1  
within the coil of a serpent whose touch
 is poison1 and whose sting is death8   
,o1 who that regards his neighbor1 his  
family1 his own reputation1 or his own  
soul1 will in this day of light be found
 dallying with that which affords at    
best only sensual pleasure1 and which at

 the last biteth like a serpent1 and    
stingeth like an adder8     ,,debates   
,,of ,,conscience ,,with ,a ,,distiller1
 ,a ,,wholesale ,,dealer1 ,,and ,a      
,,retailer4  ,,by ,,heman ,,humphrey1   
,d4 ,d4 ,,president ,,of ,,amherst      
,,college4   ,,dialogue ,i4  ,,at ,,the 
,,distillery4--,,first ,,interview4     
,,distiller4 ,good morning1 ,mr4        
,conscience2 though ,i know you to be   
one of the earliest risers1 especially  
of late1 ,i hardly expected to meet you 
here at day-dawn4  ,,conscience4 ,i am  
none too early1 it seems1 to find you at
 your vocation4 ,but how are you going  
to dispose of this great black building8
  ,,distiller4 ,why1 ,i do not          
understand you4  ,,conscience4 ,what are
 you doing with these boiling craters1  
and that hideous worm there8            
,,distiller4 ,pray explain yourself4    
,,conscience4 ,whose grain is that8 and 
what is bread called in the ,bible8     
,,distiller4 ,more enigmatical still4   
,,conscience4 ,to what market do you    

mean to send that long row of casks8 and
 how many of them will it take1 upon an 
average1 to dig a drunkard's grave8     
,,distiller4 ,ah1 ,i understand you now4
 ,i was hoping that ,i had quieted you  
on that score4 ,but ,i perceive you have
 come upon the old errand4 ,you intend  
to read me another lecture upon the     
sixth commandment4 ,but what would you  
have me do8  ,,conscience4 ,put out     
these fires4  ,,distiller4 ,nay1 but    
hear me4 ,i entered into this business  
with your approbation4 ,the neighbors   
all encouraged me4 ,my brethren in the  
church said it would open a fine market 
for their rye1 and corn1 and cider2 and 
even my minister1 happening to come     
along when we were raising1 took a      
little with us under the shade1 and said
 he loved to see his people industrious 
and enterprising4  ,,conscience4 ,the   
times of this ignorance ,god winked     
at--but now commandeth all men          
everywhere to repent4 ,in one part of   
your defence1 at least1 you are         

incorrect4 ,it was not my voice1 but my 
silence1 if any thing1 which gave       
consent2 and ,i have always suspected   
there was some foul play in the matter1 
and that ,i was kept quiet for the time 
by certain deleterious opiates4 ,indeed1
 ,i distinctly recollect the morning    
bitters and evening toddy1 which you    
were accustomed to give me2 and though  
,i thought but little of it then1 ,i now
 see that it deadened all my            
sensibilities4 ,this1 ,i am aware1 is no
 excuse4 ,i ought to have resisted--,i  
ought to have refused1 and to have      
paralyzed the hand which put the cup to 
my lips4 ,and when you struck the first 
stroke on this ground1 ,i ought to have 
warned you off with the voice of seven  
thunders4 ,that ,i did not then speak   
out1 and do my duty1 will cause me      
extreme regret and self-reproach to the 
latest hour of my life4  ,,distiller4   
,but what1 my dear ,conscience1 has made
 you all at once so much wiser1 not only
 than your former self1 but than        

hundreds of enlightened men in every    
community1 whose piety was never        
doubted8 ,i myself know1 and have heard 
of not a few good ,christians1 including
 even deacons and elders1 who still     
continue to manufacture ardent spirit1  
and think1 or seem to think it right4   
,,conscience4 ,and think it right6 ,ask 
their consciences4 ,i should like to    
witness some of those interviews which  
take place in the night1 and which make 
,christian distillers--7what a          
solecism67--so much more irritable than 
they used to be4 ,i know one of the     
brotherhood1 at least1 whose conscience 
has been goading him these five years1  
and yet he perseveres4  ,,distiller4    
,but if ,i stop1 what will the people   
do8 ,half the farmers in town depend    
upon their rye and cider to pay their   
taxes1 and even to support the ,gospel4 
,,conscience4 ,so1 then1 you are pouring
 out these streams of liquid death over 
the land1 and burning up your own       
neighbors1 to enable them to pay their  

taxes and support religion6 ,why don't  
you set up a coffin factory1 to create a
 brisker demand for lumber1 and so help 
the farmers to pay their taxes2 and then
 spread the smallpox among the people1  
that they may die the faster1 and thus  
increase your business1 and give you a  
fair profit8 ,it will not do4 ,i tell   
you1 that ,i can give you no peace till 
you put out these fires and destroy that
 worm4  ,,distiller4 ,how can ,i8 ,here 
is all my living1 especially since1 as  
you know1 my eldest son fell into bad   
habits1 in spite of all the good advice 
,i daily gave him1 and squandered what  
might have afforded me a comfortable    
independence4  ,,conscience4 ,suppose   
you were now in ,brazil1 and the owner  
of a large establishment to fit out     
slave-traders with handcuffs for the    
coast of ,africa1 and could not change  
your business without considerable      
pecuniary sacrifice2 would you make the 
sacrifice1 or would you keep your fires 
and hammers still going8  ,,distiller4  

,why do you ask such puzzling questions8
 ,you know ,i don't like them at all1   
especially when my mind is occupied with
 other subjects4 ,leave me1 at least    
till ,i can compose myself1 ,i beseech  
you4  ,,conscience4 ,nay1 but hear me   
through4 ,is it right for you to go on  
manufacturing fevers1 dropsy1           
consumption1 delirium tremens1 and a    
host of other frightful diseases1       
because your property happens to be     
vested in a distillery8 ,is it          
consistent with the great law of love by
 which you profess to be governed8 ,will
 it bear examination in a dying hour8   
,shall ,i bid you look back upon it from
 the brink of eternity1 that you may    
from such recollections gather holy     
courage for your pending conflict with  
the king of terrors8 ,will you bequeath 
this magazine of wrath and perdition to 
your only son not already ruined1 and go
 out of the world rejoicing that you can
 leave the whole concern in the hands of
 one who is so trustworthy and so dear8 

,here the ,distiller leaves abruptly1   
without answering a word4   ,,second    
,,interview4  ,,distiller4 7,seeing     
,conscience approach1 and beginning to  
tremble47 ,what1 so soon and so early at
 your post again8 ,i did hope for a     
short respite4  ,,conscience4 ,o1 ,i am 
distressed--,i cannot hold my peace4 ,i 
am pained at my very heart4             
,,distiller4 ,do be composed1 ,i beseech
 you1 and hear what ,i have to say4     
,since our last interview ,i have       
resolved to sell out1 and ,i expect the 
purchaser on in a very few days4        
,,conscience4 ,what will he do with the 
establishment when he gets it8          
,,distiller4 ,you must ask him1 and not 
me4 ,but whatever he may do with it1 ,i 
shall be clear4  ,,conscience4 ,i wish  
,i could be sure of that2 but let us    
see4 ,though you will not make poison by
 the hundred barrels any longer         
yourself1 you will sell this laboratory 
of death to another man1 for the same   
horrid purpose4 ,you will not1 with your

 own hands1 go on forging daggers for   
maniacs to use upon themselves and their
 friends1 provided you can get some one 
to take your business at a fair price4  
,you will no longer drag the car of     
,juggernaut over the bodies of prostrate
 devotees1 if you can sell out the      
privilege to good advantage6            
,,distiller4 ,was ever any man's        
conscience so captious before8 ,you seem
 determined not to be satisfied with any
 thing4 ,but beware2 by pushing matters 
in this way you will produce a violent  
reaction4 ,even professors of religion  
will not bear it4 ,for myself1 ,i wish  
to treat you with all possible respect2 
but forbearance itself must have its    
limits4  ,,conscience4 ,possibly you may
 be able to hold me in check a little   
longer2 but ,i am all the while         
gathering strength for an onset which   
you cannot withstand2 and if you cannot 
bear these kind remonstrances now1 how  
will you grapple with the worm that     
never dies8  ,,distiller4 ,enough1      

enough4 ,i will obey your voice4 ,but   
why so pale and deathlike8              
,,conscience4 ,o1 ,i am sick1 ,i am     
almost suffocated4 ,these tartarean     
fumes1 these dreadful forebodings1 these
 heart-rending sights1 and above all1 my
 horrid dreams1 ,i cannot endure them4  
,there comes our nearest neighbor1      
stealing across the lots1 with his jug  
and half bushel of rye4 ,what is his    
errand1 and where is his hungry1        
shivering family8 ,and see there too1   
that tattered1 half-starved boy1 just   
entering the yard with a bottle--who    
sent him here at this early hour8 ,all  
these barrels--where are the wretched   
beings who are to consume this liquid   
fire1 and to be consumed by it8         
,,distiller4 ,spare me1 spare me1 ,i    
beseech you4 ,by going on at this rate a
 little longer you will make me as      
nervous as yourself4  ,,conscience4 ,but
 ,i cannot close this interview till ,i 
have related one of the dreams to which 
,i just alluded4 ,it was only last night

 that ,i suffered in this way1 more than
 tongue can tell4 ,the whole terrific   
vision is written in letters of fire    
upon the tablet of my memory2 and ,i    
feel it all the while burning deeper and
 deeper4  ,i thought ,i stood by a great
 river of melted lava1 and while ,i was 
wondering from what mountain or vast    
abyss it came1 suddenly the field of my 
vision was extended to the distance of  
several hundred miles1 and ,i perceived 
that1 instead of springing from a single
 source1 this rolling torrent of fire   
was fed by numerous tributary streams1  
and these again by smaller rivulets4    
,and what do you think ,i heard and     
beheld1 as ,i stood petrified with      
astonishment and horror8 ,there were    
hundreds of poor wretches struggling and
 just sinking in the merciless flood4   
,as ,i contemplated the scene still more
 attentively1 the confused noise of     
boisterous and profane merriment1       
mingled with loud shrieks of despair1   
saluted my ears4 ,the hair of my head   

stood up--and looking this way and that 
way1 ,i beheld crowds of men1 women1 and
 children1 thronging down to the very   
margin of the river--some eagerly bowing
 down to slake their thirst with the    
consuming liquid1 and others            
convulsively striving to hold them back4
 ,some ,i saw actually pushing their    
neighbors headlong from the treacherous 
bank1 and others encouraging them to    
plunge in1 by holding up the fiery      
temptation to their view4 ,to insure a  
sufficient depth of the river1 so that  
destruction might be made doubly sure1  
,i saw a great number of men1 and some  
whom ,i knew to be members of the       
church1 laboriously turning their       
respective contributions of the glowing 
and hissing liquid into the main        
channel4 ,this was more than ,i could   
bear4 ,i was in perfect torture4 ,but   
when ,i expostulated with those who were
 nearest to the place where ,i stood1   
they coolly answered1 ,this is the way  
in which we get our living6  ,but what  

shocked me more than all the rest1 and  
curdled every drop of blood in my veins1
 was the sight which ,i had of this very
 distillery pouring out its tributary   
stream of fire6 ,and ,o1 it distracts1  
it maddens me to think of it4 ,there you
 yourself stood feeding the torrent     
which had already swallowed up some of  
your own family1 and threatened every   
moment to sweep you away6 ,this last    
circumstance brought me from the bed1 by
 one convulsive bound1 into the middle  
of the room2 and ,i awoke in an agony   
which ,i verily believe ,i could not    
have sustained for another moment4      
,,distiller4 ,i will feed the torrent no
 longer4 ,the fires of my distillery    
shall be put out4 ,from this day1 from  
this hour1 ,i renounce the manufacture  
of ardent spirit for ever4   ,,dialogue 
,,ii4  ,,wholesale ,,dealer',s          
,,counting-,,room4  ,,conscience4       
7,looking over the ledger with a serious
 air47 ,what is that last invoice from  
the ,west ,indies8  ,,rum-,,dealer4     

,only a few casks of fourth proof1 for  
particular customers4  ,,conscience4    
,and that domestic poison1 via ,new     
,orleans2 and on the next page1 that    
large consignment1 via ,erie ,canal8    
,,dealer4 ,o1 nothing but two small lots
 of prime whiskey1 such as we have been 
selling these twenty years4 ,but why    
these chiding inquiries8 ,they disquiet 
me exceedingly4 ,and to tell you the    
plain truth1 ,i am more than half       
offended at this morbid inquisitiveness4
  ,,conscience4 ,ah1 ,i am afraid1 as ,i
 have often told you1 that this is a bad
 business2 and the more ,i think of it1 
the more it troubles me4  ,,dealer4 ,why
 so8 ,you are always preaching up       
industry as a ,christian virtue1 and my 
word for it1 were ,i to neglect my      
business1 and saunter about the hotels  
and steamboat wharves1 as some do1 you  
would fall into convulsions1 as if ,i   
had committed the unpardonable sin4     
,,conscience4 ,such pettish quibbling is
 utterly unworthy of your good sense and

 ordinary candor4 ,you know1 as well as 
,i do1 the great difference between     
industry in some safe and honest        
calling1 and driving a business which   
carries poverty and ruin to thousands of
 families4  ,,dealer4 ,honest industry6 
,this is more cruel still4 ,you have    
known me too long to throw out such     
insinuations2 and besides1 it is        
notorious1 that some of the first       
merchants in our city are engaged1 far  
more extensively1 in the same traffic4  
,,conscience4 ,be it so4 ,to their own  
,master they stand or fall4 ,but if fair
 dealing consists in doing as we would  
be done by1 how can a man of your       
established mercantile and ,christian   
reputation sustain himself1 if he       
continues to deal in an article which he
 knows to be more destructive than all  
the plagues of ,egypt8  ,,dealer4 ,do   
you intend1 then1 to make me answerable 
for all the mischief that is done by    
ardent spirit1 in the whole state and   
nation8 ,what ,i sell is a mere drop of 

the bucket1 compared with the           
consumption of a single county4 ,where  
is the proof that the little which my   
respectable customers carry into the    
country1 with their other groceries1    
ever does any harm8 ,how do you know    
that it helps to make such a frightful  
host of drunkards and vagabonds8 ,and if
 it did1 whose fault would it be8 ,i    
never gave nor sold a glass of whiskey  
to a tippler in my life4 ,let those who 
will drink to excess1 and make brutes of
 themselves1 answer for it4             
,,conscience4 ,yes1 certainly they must 
answer for it2 but will that excuse     
those who furnish the poison8 ,did you  
never hear of abettors and accessaries1 
as well as principals in crime8 ,when   
,judas1 in all the agony of remorse and 
despair1 threw down the thirty pieces of
 silver before the chief priests and    
elders1 exclaiming1 ,i have sinned1 in  
that ,i have betrayed the innocent      
blood--they coolly answered1 ,what is   
that to us8 ,see thou to that4 ,and was 

it therefore nothing to them8 ,had they 
no hand in that cruel tragedy8 ,was it  
nothing to ,pilate--nothing to          
,herod--nothing to the multitude who    
were consenting to the crucifixion of   
the ,son of ,god--because they did not  
drive the nails and thrust the spear8   
,o1 when ,i think of what you are doing 
to destroy the bodies and souls of men1 
,i cannot rest4 ,it terrifies me at all 
hours of the night4 ,often and often1   
when ,i am just losing myself in sleep1 
,i am startled by the most frightful    
groans and unearthly imprecations1      
coming out of these hogsheads4 ,and     
then1 those long processions of         
rough-made coffins and beggared         
families1 which ,i dream of1 from       
nightfall till daybreak1 they keep me   
all the while in a cold sweat1 and ,i   
can no longer endure them4  ,,dealer4   
,neither can ,i4 ,something must be     
done4 ,you have been out of your head   
more than half the time for this six    
months4 ,i have tried all the ordinary  

remedies upon you without the least     
effect4 ,indeed1 every new remedy seems 
only to aggravate the disease4 ,o1 what 
would not ,i give for the discovery of  
some anodyne which would lay these      
horrible phantasms4 ,the case would be  
infinitely less trying1 if ,i could     
sometimes persuade you1 for a night or  
two1 to let me occupy a different       
apartment from yourself2 for when your  
spasms come on1 one might as well try to
 sleep with embers in his bosom1 as     
where you are4  ,,conscience4 ,would it 
mend the matter at all1 if1 instead of  
sometimes dreaming1 ,i were to be always
 wide awake8  ,,dealer4 ,ah1 there's the
 grand difficulty4 ,for ,i find that    
when you do wake up1 you are more       
troublesome than ever4 ,then you are    
always harping upon my being a professor
 of religion1 and bringing up some text 
of ,scripture1 which might as well be   
let alone1 and which you would not ring 
in my ears1 if you had any regard to my 
peace1 or even your own4 ,more than     

fifty times1 within a month1 have you   
quoted1 ,by their fruits ye shall know  
them4 ,in fact1 so uncharitable have you
 grown of late1 that from the drift of  
some of your admonitions1 a stranger    
would think me but little1 if any1      
better than a murderer4 ,and all because
 some vagabond or other may possibly    
happen to shorten his days by drinking a
 little of the identical spirit which   
passes through my hands4  ,,conscience4 
,you do me bare justice when you say    
that ,i have often reproved you1 and    
more earnestly of late than ,i formerly 
did4 ,but my remonstrances have always  
been between you and me alone4 ,if ,i   
have charged you with the guilt of      
hurrying men to the grave and to hell1  
by this vile traffic1 it has not been   
upon the house-top4 ,i cannot1 it is    
true1 help knowing how it grieves your  
brethren1 gratifies the enemies of      
religion1 and excites the scorn of      
drunkards themselves1 to see your wharf 
covered with the fiery element2 but ,i  

speak only in your own ear4 ,to yourself
 ,i have wished to prove a faithful     
monitor1 though ,i have sad misgivings1 
at times1 even with regard to that4 ,you
 will bear me witness1 however1 that ,i 
have sometimes trembled exceedingly1 for
 fear that ,i should be compelled1 at   
last1 to carry the matter up by         
indictment to the tribunal of ,eternal  
,justice4  ,to avoid this dreadful      
necessity1 let me once more reason the  
case with you in few words4 ,you know   
perfectly well1 that ardent spirit kills
 its tens of thousands in the ,united   
,states every year2 and there is no more
 room to doubt that many of these lives 
are destroyed by the very liquor which  
you sell1 than if you saw them          
staggering under it into the drunkard's 
grave4 ,how then can you possibly throw 
off bloodguiltiness1 with the light     
which you now enjoy8 ,in faithfulness to
 your soul1 and to ,him whose vicegerent
 ,i am1 ,i cannot say less than this1   
especially if you persist any longer in 

the horrible traffic8  ,,dealer4 ,pardon
 me1 my dear ,conscience1 if1 under the 
excitement of the moment1 ,i complained 
of your honest and continued            
importunity4 ,be assured1 there is no   
friend in the world1 with whom ,i am so 
desirous of maintaining a good          
understanding as with yourself4 ,and for
 your relief and satisfaction1 ,i now   
give you my solemn pledge1 that ,i will 
close up this branch of my business as  
soon as possible4 ,indeed1 ,i have      
commenced the process already4 ,my last 
consignments are less1 by more than one 
half1 than were those of the preceding  
year2 and ,i intend that1 when another  
year comes about1 my books shall speak  
still more decidedly in my favor4       
,,conscience4 ,these resolutions would  
be perfectly satisfactory1 if they were 
in the present tense4 ,but if it was    
wrong to sell five hundred casks last   
year1 how can it be right to sell two   
hundred this year1 and one hundred next8
 ,if it is criminal to poison forty men 

at one time1 how can it be innocent to  
poison twenty at another8 ,if you may   
not throw a hundred firebrands into the 
city1 how will you prove that you may   
throw one8  ,,dealer4 ,very true1 very  
true--but let us wave this point for the
 present4 ,it affects me very strangely4
  ,,conscience4 ,how long1 then1 will it
 take to dry up this fountain of death8 
,,dealer4 ,don't call it so1 ,i beseech 
you2 but ,i intend to be entirely out of
 the business in two or three years1 at 
farthest4  ,,conscience4 ,two or three  
years6 ,can you1 then1 after all that   
has passed between us1 persist two or   
three years longer in a contraband      
traffic8 ,i verily thought1 that when we
 had that long conference two or three  
months ago1 you resolved to close the   
concern at once2 and that1 when we      
parted1 ,i had as good as your promise1 
that you would4 ,surely1 you cannot so  
soon have forgotten it4  ,,dealer4 ,no1 
,i remember that interview but too well2
 for ,i was never so unhappy in my life4

 ,i did almost resolve1 and more than   
half promise1 as you say4 ,but after ,i 
had time to get a little composed1 ,i   
thought you had pushed matters rather   
too far2 and that ,i could convince you 
of it1 at a proper time4 ,i see1        
however1 that the attempt would be      
fruitless4 ,but as ,i am anxious for a  
compromise1 let me ask whether1 if ,i   
give away all the profits of this branch
 of my business to the ,bible ,society1 
and other religious institutions1 till  
,i can close it up1 you will not be     
satisfied8  ,,conscience4 ,let me see4  
,five hundred dollars1 or one hundred   
dollars1 earned to promote the cause of 
religion by selling poison6 ,by killing 
husbands1 and fathers1 and brothers1 and
 torturing poor women and children6 ,it 
smells of blood--and can ,god possibly  
accept of such an offering8  ,,dealer4  
,so then1 it seems1 ,i must stop the    
sale at once1 or entirely forfeit what  
little charity you have left4           
,,conscience4 ,you must4 ,delay is      

death--death to the consumer at least2  
and how can you flatter yourself that it
 will not prove your own eternal death8 
,my convictions are decisive1 and be    
assured1 ,i deal thus plainly because ,i
 love you1 and cannot bear to become    
your everlasting tormentor4   ,,dialogue
 ,,iii4  ,,at ,,the ,,retailer',s       
,,stand4  ,,conscience4 ,do you know    
that little half-starved1 bare-footed   
child1 that you just sent home with two 
quarts of rank poison8  7,retailer hums 
a tune to himself1 and affects not to   
hear the question47  ,,conscience4 ,i   
see by the paper of this morning1 that  
the furniture of ,mr4 ,m---- is to be   
sold under the hammer to-morrow4 ,have  
,i not often seen him in your taproom8  
,,retailer4 ,i am extremely busy just   
now1 in bringing up our ledger4         
,,conscience4 ,have you heard how ,n----
 abused his family1 and turned them all 
into the street the other night1 after  
being supplied by you with whiskey8     
,,retailer4 ,he is a brute1 and ought to

 be confined in a dungeon six months at 
least1 upon bread and water4            
,,conscience4 ,was not ,s----1 who hung 
himself lately1 one of your steady      
customers8 and where do you think his   
soul is now fixed for eternity8 ,you    
sold him rum that evening1 not ten      
minutes before you went to the          
prayer-meeting1 and had his money in    
your pocket--for you would not trust    
him--when you led in the exercises4 ,i  
heard you ask him once1 why he did not  
attend meeting1 and send his children to
 the ,sabbath-school2 and ,i shall never
 forget his answer4 ,come1 you talk like
 a minister2 but1 after all1 we are     
about of one mind--at least in some     
things4 ,let me have my jug and be      
going4  ,,retailer4 ,i know he was an   
impudent1 hardened wretch2 and though   
his death was extremely shocking1 ,i am 
glad to be rid of him4  ,,conscience4   
,are you ready to meet him at the bar of
 ,god1 and to say to the ,judge1 ,he was
 my neighbor--,i saw him going down the 

broad way1 and ,i did every thing that a
 ,christian could do to save him8       
,,retailer4 7,aside4 ,o that ,i could   
stifle the upbraidings of this cruel    
monitor47 ,you keep me in constant      
torment4 ,this everlasting cant about   
rank poison1 and liquid fire1 and blood1
 and murder1 is too much for even a     
,christian to put up with4 ,why1 if any 
body but ,conscience were to make such  
insinuations and charges1 he would be   
indictable as a foul slanderer1 before a
 court of justice4  ,,conscience4 ,is it
 slander1 or is it because ,i tell you  
the truth1 that your temper is so deeply
 ruffled under my remonstrances8        
,suppose ,i were to hold my peace1 while
 your hands are becoming more and more  
deeply crimsoned with this bloody       
traffic4 ,what would you say to me1 when
 you come to meet that poor boy who just
 went out1 and his drunken father1 and  
broken-hearted mother1 at the bar of    
,god8 ,would you thank your conscience  
for having let you alone while there was

 space left for repentance8  ,,retailer4
 ,ah1 had honest trader ever such a     
conscience to deal with before8 ,always 
just so uncompromising--always talking  
about the golden rule--always insisting 
upon a moral standard which nobody can  
live up to--always scenting poverty1    
murder1 and suicide1 in every glass of  
whiskey1 though it were a mile off4 ,the
 truth is1 you are not fit to live in   
this world at all4 ,acting in conformity
 with your more than puritanical rules1 
would starve any man and his family to  
death4  ,,conscience4 ,well1 here comes 
another customer--see the carbuncles6   
,will you fill his bottle with wrath1 to
 be poured out without mixture1 by and  
by1 upon your own head8 ,do you not know
 that his pious wife is extremely ill1  
and suffering for want of every comfort1
 in their miserable cabin8  ,,retailer4 
,no1 ,mr4 ,e----1 go home and take care 
of your family4 ,i am determined to     
harbor no more drunkards here4          
,,conscience4 ,you mean to make a       

distinction then1 do you1 between       
harboring those who are already ruined1 
and helping to destroy such as are now  
respectable members of society4 ,you    
will not hereafter tolerate a single    
drunkard on your premises2 but--        
,,retailer4 ,ah1 ,i see what you are    
aiming at2 and really1 it is too much   
for any honest man1 and still more for  
any ,christian to bear4 ,you know it is 
a long time since ,i have pretended to  
answer half your captious questions4    
,there's no use in it4 ,it only leads on
 to others still more impertinent and   
puzzling4 ,if ,i am the hundredth part  
of that factor of ,satan which you would
 make me1 ,i ought to be dealt with1 and
 cast out of the church at once2 and why
 don't my good brethren see to it8      
,,conscience4 ,that's a hard question1  
which they1 perhaps1 better know how to 
answer than ,i do4  ,,retailer4 ,but    
have you forgotten1 my good ,conscience1
 that in retailing spirit1 ,i am under  
the immediate eye and sanction of the   

laws4 ,mine is no contraband traffic1 as
 you very well know4 ,i hold a license  
from the rulers and fathers of the      
state1 and have paid my money for it    
into the public treasury4 ,why do they  
continue to grant and sell licenses1 if 
it is wrong for me to sell rum8         
,,conscience4 ,another hard question1   
which ,i leave them to answer as best   
they can4 ,it is said1 however1 that    
public bodies have no soul1 and if they 
have no soul1 it is difficult to see how
 they can have any conscience2 and if   
not1 what should hinder them from       
selling licenses8 ,but suppose the civil
 authorities should offer to sell you a 
license to keep a gambling-house1 or a  
brothel1 would you purchase such a      
license1 and present it as a salvo to   
your conscience8  ,,retailer4 ,i tell   
you once more1 there is no use in trying
 to answer your questions2 for say what 
,i will1 you have the art of turning    
every thing against me4 ,it was not     
always so1 as you must very distinctly  

remember4 ,formerly ,i could retail     
hogshead after hogshead of all kinds of 
spirits1 and you slept as quietly as a  
child4 ,but since you began to read     
these ,reports and ,tracts about        
drinking1 and to attend ,temperance     
meetings1 ,i have scarcely had an hour's
 peace of my life4 ,i feared that       
something like this would be the effect 
upon your nervous temperament1 when you 
began2 and you may recollect that ,i    
strongly objected to your troubling     
yourself with these new speculations4   
,it now grieves me to think that ,i ever
 yielded to your importunity2 and beware
 that you do not push me to extremities 
in this matter1 for ,i have about come  
to the resolution that ,i will have no  
more of these mischievous pamphlets1    
either about my store or tavern2 and    
that your temperance agents may declaim 
to the winds and walls1 if they please4 
,,conscience4 ,i am amazed at your      
blindness and obstinacy4 ,it is now from
 three to five years since ,i began to  

speak--though in a kind of indistinct   
undertone at first--against this bloody 
traffic4 ,i have reasoned1 ,i have      
remonstrated1 and latterly ,i have      
threatened and implored with increasing 
earnestness4 ,at times you have         
listened1 and been convinced that the   
course which you are pursuing1 in this  
day of light1 is infamous1 and utterly  
inconsistent with a ,christian          
profession2 but before your convictions 
and resolutions have time to ripen into 
action1 the love of money regains its   
ascendency3 and thus have you gone on   
resolving1 and relapsing1 and           
re-resolving--one hour at the           
preparatory lecture1 and the next       
unloading whiskey at your door2 one     
moment mourning over the prevalence of  
intemperance1 and the next arranging    
your decanters to entice the simple2 one
 day partaking of the cup of the ,lord  
at his table1 and the next offering the 
cup of devils to your neighbors2 one day
 singing1      ,all that ,i have1 and   

all ,i am1     ,i consecrate to ,thee1  
and the next1 for the sake of a little  
gain1 sacrificing your character1 and   
polluting all you can induce to drink6  
,o1 how can ,i hold my peace8 ,how can  
,i let you alone8 ,if you will persist1 
your blood1 and the blood of those whom 
you thus entice and destroy1 be upon    
your own head4 ,whether you will hear1  
or whether you will forbear1 ,i shall   
not cease to remonstrate2 and when ,i   
can do no more to reclaim you1 ,i will  
sit down at your gate1 in the bitterness
 of despair1 and cry1 ,murder6 ,murder66
 ,,murder666  ,,retailer4 7,pale and    
trembling47 ,go thy way for this time2  
when ,i have a convenient season1 ,i    
will call for thee4     ,,barnes ,,on   
,,the ,,traffic ,,in ,,ardent ,,spirits4
   ,there are some great principles in  
regard to our country1 which are        
settled1 and which are never to be      
violated1 so long as our liberties are  
safe4 ,among them are these3 that every 
thing may be subjected to candid and    

most free discussion2 that public       
opinion1 enlightened and correct1 may be
 turned against any course of evil      
conduct2 that that public opinion is1   
under ,god1 the prime source of security
 to our laws and to our morals2 and that
 men may be induced1 by an ample and    
liberal discussion1 and by the voice of 
conscience and of reason1 to abandon any
 course that is erroneous4 ,we are to   
presume that we may approach any class  
of ,american citizens with the          
conviction that if they are convinced   
that they are wrong1 and that their     
course of life leads to sap the         
foundation of morals and the liberties  
of their country1 they will abandon it4 
,our present proposition is1 that ,,the 
,,manufacturing ,,and ,,vending ,,of    
,,ardent ,,spirits ,,is ,,morally       
,,wrong1 ,,and ,,ought ,,to ,,be        
,,forthwith ,,abandoned4  ,we mean by   
the proposition1 that it is an          
employment which violates the rules of  
morals that ought to regulate a man's   

business and conduct4 ,the doctrine     
proceeds on the supposition1 that there 
is somewhere a correct standard of      
morals--a standard by which a man's     
whole conduct and course of life is to  
be tried2 and that this business cannot 
be vindicated by a reference to that    
standard4 ,or1 for example1 we mean that
 it is man's duty to love ,god1 and seek
 to honor him1 and that this business   
cannot be vindicated by a reference to  
that standard4 ,that it is man's duty to
 love his fellow-men1 and seek to       
promote their welfare1 and that this    
business cannot be vindicated by that   
standard4 ,that it is man's duty to     
render a valuable compensation to his   
fellow-men in his transactions with     
them1 and that this business cannot be  
vindicated by that standard4 ,that every
 man is bound to pursue such a course of
 life as shall promote the welfare of   
the entire community in which he lives1 
as shall not tend to promote crime1 and 
pauperism1 and misery1 and to make      

widows and orphans1 and that this       
business cannot be vindicated by that   
standard4 ,in one word1 that by any     
rules of life that have been set up to  
regulate the conduct of men1 whether in 
the ,bible1 in the necessary relations  
of the social compact1 in the reason and
 conscience of ,christians1 and of other
 men1 this business is incapable of     
vindication1 and is to be regarded as   
immoral4  ,in this proposition1 however1
 it is important to be understood4 ,we  
mean to confine it simply to the        
business where it is sold as an article 
of drink4 ,for to sell it as a medicine1
 with the same precaution as other      
poisons are sold1 would be no more      
immoral than it is to sell arsenic4 ,and
 to sell it for purposes of manufacture1
 where it is necessary for that purpose1
 is no more immoral than to sell any    
other article with that design4 ,between
 selling it for these purposes1 and     
selling it as an article of drink1 there
 is1 as any one can see1 the widest     

possible difference4  ,when we speak of 
this business as immoral1 it is also    
important to guard the use of the word  
immoral4 ,that word1 with us1 has come  
to have a definite and well understood  
signification4 ,when we speak of an     
immoral man1 we are commonly understood 
to attack the foundations of his        
character2 to designate some gross vice 
of which he is guilty1 and to speak of  
him as profane1 or licentious1 or       
profligate1 or dishonest1 or as unworthy
 of our confidence and respect4 ,now1 we
 by no means intend to use the word in  
such a wide sense1 when we say that this
 business is immoral4 ,we do not mean to
 intimate that in no circumstances a man
 may be engaged in it and be worthy of  
our confidence1 and be an honest man1 or
 even a ,christian3 for our belief is1  
that many such men have been1 and are   
still1 unhappily engaged in this        
traffic4 ,the time has been1 when it was
 thought to be as reputable as any other
 employment4 ,men may not see the       

injurious tendency of their conduct4    
,they may not be apprized of its        
consequences2 or they may be ignorant of
 the proper rules by which human life is
 to be regulated4 ,thus1 the slave-trade
 was long pursued1 and duelling was     
deemed right1 and bigamy was practised4 
,but for a man to maintain that all     
these would be right now1 and to        
practise them1 would be a very different
 thing4  ,in this view of the subject1  
we do not of course speak of the dead1  
or offer any reflection on their conduct
 or character4 ,many men are unwilling  
to regard this traffic as wrong1        
because1 by so doing1 they would seem to
 convey a reflection on their parents1  
or friends1 who may have been engaged in
 the same business4 ,but nothing of this
 kind is intended4 ,the great laws of   
morals are indeed unchanged3 but the    
degrees of light and knowledge which men
 possess may be very different4 ,we     
should not deem it right to apply our   
laws and knowledge1 in judging of the   

laws of ,sparta1 which authorized theft2
 nor our laws to judge of the conduct of
 the ,hindoo in exposing his father on  
the banks of the ,ganges2 nor our       
present views to determine on the       
morality of our fathers an hundred years
 ago in the slave-trade2 nor our views  
of the marriage relation to condemn the 
conduct of ,abraham1 ,david1 or ,jacob4 
,man's conduct is to be estimated by the
 light which he has4 ,they who sin      
without law1 are to be judged without   
law2 and they who sin in the law1 are to
 be judged by the law4 ,your father     
might have been engaged in the traffic  
in ardent spirits4 ,whether he was      
innocent or not1 is not now the         
question1 and has been determined by a  
higher tribunal than any on earth4 ,the 
question now is1 whether you can pursue 
it with a good conscience2 or whether1  
with all that you know of the effects of
 the traffic1 it be right or wrong for  
you to pursue it4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,with these       

necessary explanations1 ,i proceed to   
,,prove that1 in the sense in which it  
has been explained1 the traffic is      
,,morally ,,wrong4  ,in proving this    
proposition1 ,i shall take for granted  
two or three points which are now       
conceded1 and to establish which would  
lead me too far out of my way4 ,the     
first is1 that this is not an employment
 in which the properties of the article 
are unknown4 ,the seller has as good an 
opportunity to be acquainted with the   
qualities of the article1 and its       
effects1 as the buyer4 ,there is no     
concealment of its character and        
tendency2 there can be no pretence that 
you were deceived in regard to those    
qualities1 and that you were            
unintentionally engaged in the sale of  
an article which has turned out to be   
otherwise than you supposed it to be4   
,for1 alas1 those properties are too    
well ascertained2 and all who are       
engaged in this employment have ample   
opportunity to know what they are doing1

 and engage in it with their eyes open4 
,the effects of this traffic are well   
known4 ,the public mind has been1 with  
remarkable intensity1 directed to this  
subject for ten years in this land1 and 
the details have been laid before the   
,american public4 ,it is believed that  
no vice has ever been so faithfully     
gauged1 and the details so well         
ascertained1 as the vice of intemperance
 in this nation4 ,it is far better      
understood than the extent of gambling1 
of piracy1 or robbery1 or the           
slave-trade4 ,it is established now1    
beyond the possibility of debate1 that  
ardent spirits is a poison1 as certain1 
as deadly1 and destructive1 as any other
 poison4 ,it may be more slow in its    
effects1 but it is not the less certain4
 ,this is established by the testimony  
of all physicians and chemists who have 
expressed an opinion on the subject4 ,it
 is not necessary for the welfare of man
 as an ordinary drink4 ,this is proved  
by the like testimony1 by the example of

 many thousands who abstain from it1 and
 by the fact1 that before its invention1
 the ,roman soldier1 the ,scythian1 and 
the ,greek1 were as hardy and long-lived
 as men have been since4 ,its direct    
tendency is to produce disease1 poverty1
 crime1 and death4 ,its use tends to    
corrupt the morals1 to enfeeble the     
intellect1 to produce indolence1        
wretchedness1 and woe in the family     
circle2 to shorten life1 and to hurry to
 a loathsome grave2 to spread a pall of 
grief over families and nations4 ,it is 
ascertained to be the source of         
nine-tenths of all the pauperism1 and   
nine-tenths of all the crimes in the    
land4 ,it fills our streets with        
drunkards1 our almshouses with loathsome
 wretches1 our jails with poor          
criminals1 and supplies our gibbets with
 victims4 ,it costs the land in which we
 live more than #ajj1jjj1jjj of dollars 
annually1 and renders us no compensation
 but poverty1 want1 curses1             
loathsomeness1 and tears4  ,in any      

single year in this ,union1 could the   
effects be gathered into one single     
grasp1 they would present to the eye the
 following affecting details4 ,an army  
of at least #cjj1jjj drunkards--not made
 up of old men1 of the feeble1 but of   
those in early life2 of our youth1 of   
our men of talents and influence2 an    
enlistment from the bar1 the bench1 the 
pulpit1 the homes of the rich1 and the  
firesides of piety2 the abodes of the   
intelligent1 as well as the places of   
obscurity1 and the humble ranks--all    
reeling together to a drunkard's grave4 
,with this army ,napoleon would have    
overran ,europe4 ,in the same group     
would be no less than #ge1jjj criminals1
 made such by the use of ardent spirits2
 criminals of every grade and dye1      
supported at the expense of the sober1  
and lost to morality1 and industry1 and 
hope2 the source of lawsuits1 and the   
fountain of no small part of the        
expenses of courts of justice4 ,in the  
same group would be no less than        

#bjj1jjj paupers1 in a land abounding in
 all the wealth that the richest soil   
can give1 and under all the facilities  
which the most favored spot under the   
whole heaven can furnish for acquiring a
 decent and an honest subsistence4      
,paupers1 supported at the expense of   
the sober and the industrious1 and      
creating no small part of our taxes1 to 
pay for their indolence1 and            
wretchedness1 and crimes4 ,and in the   
same group would be no less than #fjj   
insane persons1 made such by            
intemperance1 in all the horrid and     
revolting forms of delirium--the        
conscience destroyed1 the mind          
obliterated1 and hope and happiness fled
 for ever4 ,and in the same group there 
would be no less than #cj1jjj of our    
countrymen1 who die annually1 as the    
direct effect of the use of ardent      
spirit4 ,thirty thousand of our         
countrymen sinking to the most loathsome
 and dishonored of all graves1 the grave
 of the drunkard4 ,this is just a       

summary of the obvious and sure effects 
of this vice4 ,the innumerable woes that
 it incidentally causes2 the weeping and
 groans of the widow and the fatherless2
 the crimes and vices which it tends to 
introduce into abodes that would1 but   
for this1 be the abodes of peace1 are   
not1 and cannot be taken into the       
account4  ,now1 this state of things1 if
 produced in any other way1 would spread
 weeping and sackcloth over nations and 
continents4 ,any sweeping pestilence    
that could do this1 would hold a nation 
in alarm1 and diffuse1 from one end of  
it to the other1 trembling and horror4  
,the world has never known any thing    
else like it4 ,the father of mischief   
has never been able to invent any thing 
that should diffuse more wide-spread and
 dreadful evils4  ,it is agreed further1
 and well understood1 that this is the  
regular effect of the traffic1 and      
manufacture1 and use of this article4   
,it is not casual1 incidental1          
irregular4 ,it is uniform1 certain1     

deadly1 as the sirocco of the desert1 or
 as the malaria of the ,pontine marshes4
 ,it is not a periodical influence1     
returning at distant intervals2 but it  
is a pestilence1 breathing              
always--diffusing the poison when men   
sleep and when they wake1 by day and by 
night1 in seed-time and                 
harvest--attending the manufacture and  
sale of the article always4 ,the        
destroyer seeks his victim alike in     
every hogshead1 and in every glass4 ,he 
exempts no man from danger that uses it2
 and is always secure of prostrating the
 most vigorous frame1 of clouding the   
most splendid intellect1 of benumbing   
the most delicate moral feelings1 of    
palsying the most eloquent tongue1 of   
teaching those on whose lips listening  
senates hung1 to mutter and babble with 
the drunkard1 and of entombing the most 
brilliant talents and hopes of youth1   
wherever man can be induced to drink4   
,the establishment of every distillery1 
and every dram-shop1 and every grocery  

where it is sold1 secures the certainty 
that many a man will thereby become a   
drunkard1 and be a curse to himself and 
to the world4 ,the traffic is not only  
occasionally and incidentally injurious1
 but it is like the generation before   
the flood in its effects1 evil1 and only
 evil continually4  ,now the question   
is1 whether this is an employment in    
which a moral man and a ,christian man  
ought to be engaged4 ,is it such a      
business as his countrymen ought to     
approve8 ,is it such as his conscience  
and sober judgment approve8 ,is it such 
as his ,god and ,judge will approve8    
99       99       99       99       99  
,in examining this1 let it be           
remembered1 that the reason why this    
occupation is engaged in1 and the sole  
reason1 is1 to make money4 ,it is not   
because it is supposed that it will     
benefit mankind2 nor is it because the  
man supposes that duty to his ,creator  
requires it2 nor is it because it is    
presumed that it will promote public    

health1 or morals1 or happiness2 but it 
is engaged in and pursued solely as a   
means of livelihood or of wealth4 ,and  
the question then is reduced to a very  
narrow compass3 ,is it right for a man1 
for the sake of gain1 to be engaged in  
the sale of a poison--a poison attended 
with destruction to the property1       
health1 happiness1 peace1 and salvation 
of his neighbors2 producing mania1 and  
poverty1 and curses1 and death1 and woes
 innumerable to the land1 and to the    
church of ,god8 ,a question this1 one   
would think1 that might be very soon    
answered4 ,in answering it1 ,i invite   
attention to a few very obvious1 but    
undeniable positions4  #a4 ,it is an    
employment which tends to counteract the
 very design of the organization of     
society4 ,society is organized on a     
benevolent principle4 ,the structure of 
that organization is one of the best    
adapted instances of design1 and of     
benevolence1 anywhere to be found4 ,it  
is on this principle that a lawful      

employment--an employment fitted to     
produce subsistence for a man and his   
family1 will not interfere with the     
rights and happiness of others4 ,it may 
be pursued without violating any of     
their rights1 or infringing on their    
happiness in any way4 ,nay1 it may not  
only not interfere wits their rights and
 happiness1 but it will tend to promote 
directly their welfare1 by promoting the
 happiness of the whole4 ,or1 for       
example1 the employment of the farmer   
may be pursued1 not only without        
interfering with the rights or          
privileges of the mechanic1 the         
physician1 or the merchant1 but it will 
directly contribute to their welfare1   
and is indispensable to it4 ,the        
employment of the physician not only    
contributes to the support of himself   
and family1 but to the welfare of the   
whole community4 ,it not only does not  
interfere with the rights and happiness 
of the farmer and the mechanic1 but it  
tends directly to their advantage4 ,the 

employment of the merchant in lawful    
traffic1 not only contributes to his    
support1 but is directly beneficial to  
the whole agricultural part of the      
community2 for1 as has been well said1  
the merchant is the friend of mankind4  
,he injures no man1 at the same time    
that he benefits himself2 and he        
contributes to the welfare of the       
community1 by promoting a healthful and 
desirable exchange of commodities in    
different parts of the land1 and of     
various natures4 ,the same is true of   
the mechanic1 the mariner1 the          
legislator1 the bookmaker1 the          
day-laborer1 the schoolmaster1 the      
lawyer1 the clergyman4  ,now1 we        
maintain that the traffic in ardent     
spirits1 as a drink1 is a violation of  
this wise arrangement4 ,it tends to sap 
the foundation of the whole economy4 ,it
 is solely to benefit the trafficker1   
and it tends to evil1 evil only1 evil   
continually4 ,if every man should act on
 this principle1 society could not      

exist4 ,if every man should choose an   
employment that should necessarily and  
always interfere with the peace1 and    
happiness1 and morals of others1 it     
would at once break up the organization4
 ,if every manufacturer should erect a  
manufactory1 as numerous as our         
distilleries and dram-shops1 that should
 necessarily blight every farm1 and     
produce sterility in its neighborhood1  
every farmer would regard it as an      
unlawful employment2 and if pursued1 the
 business of agriculture would end4 ,if 
a physician could live only by diffusing
 disease and death1 who would regard his
 as a moral employment8 if a mariner    
could pursue his business from this port
 to ,calcutta or ,canton1 only by       
importing the plague in every return    
voyage1 who would deem it an honorable  
employment8 ,if an apothecary could     
pursue his business only by killing nine
 persons out of ten of those with whom  
he had dealing1 who would deem it a     
lawful business8 ,if a man can get a    

living in his employment only by fitting
 out a privateer and preying upon the   
peaceful commerce of the world1 who will
 deem it a lawful employment8 ,if a man 
lives only to make a descent on the     
peaceful abodes of ,africa1 and to tear 
away parents from their weeping         
children1 and husbands from their wives 
and homes1 where is the man that will   
deem this a moral business8 ,and why    
not8 ,does he not act on the same       
principle as the man who deals in ardent
 spirits--a desire to make money1 and   
that only8 ,the truth is1 that in all   
these cases there would be a violation  
of the great fundamental law on which   
men must agree to live together in      
society--a violation of that great1     
noble1 and benevolent law of our        
organization1 by which an honest        
employment interferes with no other1 but
 may tend to diffuse blessings in the   
whole circle of human engagements4 ,and 
the traffic in ardent spirits is just as
 much a violation of this law1 as in any

 of the cases specified4  #b4 ,every man
 is bound to pursue such a business as  
to render a valuable consideration for  
that which he receives from others4 ,a  
man who receives in trade the avails of 
the industry of others1 is under        
obligation to restore that which will be
 of real value4 ,he receives the fruit  
of toil2 he receives that which is of   
value to himself2 and common equity     
requires that he return a valuable      
consideration4 ,thus1 the merchant      
renders to the farmer1 in exchange for  
the growth of his farm1 the productions 
of other climes2 the manufacturer1 that 
which is needful for the clothing or    
comfort of the agriculturist2 the       
physician1 the result of his            
professional skill4 ,all these are      
valuable considerations1 which are fair 
and honorable subjects of exchange4     
,they are a mutual accommodation2 they  
advance the interest of both parties4   
,but it is not so with the dealer in    
ardent spirits4 ,he obtains the property

 of his fellow-men1 and what does he    
return8 ,that which will tend to promote
 his real welfare8 ,that which will make
 him a happier man8 ,that which will    
benefit his family8 ,that which diffuses
 learning and domestic comfort around   
his family circle8 ,none of these       
things4 ,he gives him that which will   
produce poverty1 and want1 and cursing1 
and tears1 and death4 ,he asked an egg1 
and he receives a scorpion4 ,he gives   
him that which is established and well  
known as a source of no good1 but as    
tending to produce beggary and          
wretchedness4 ,now1 if this were        
practised in any other business1 it     
would be open fraud4 ,if in any way you 
could palm upon a farmer that which is  
not only worthless1 but                 
mischievous--that which would certainly 
tend to ruin him and his family1 could  
there be any doubt about the nature of  
this employment8 ,it makes no difference
 here1 that the man supposes that it is 
for his good2 or that he applies for it4

 ,you know that it is not for his       
benefit1 and you know--what is the only 
material point under this head--that it 
will tend to his ruin4 ,whatever he may 
think about it1 or whatever he may      
desire1 you are well advised that it is 
an article that will tend to sap the    
foundation of his morals and happiness1 
and conduce to the ruin of his estate1  
and his body1 and his soul2 and you     
know1 therefore1 that you are not       
rendering him any really valuable       
consideration for his property4 ,the    
dealer may look on his gains in this    
matter--on his houses1 or mortgages1 or 
lands1 obtained as the result of this   
business--with something like these     
reflections4  ,this property has been   
gained from other men4 ,it was theirs1  
honestly acquired1 and was necessary to 
promote their own happiness and the     
happiness of their families4 ,it has    
become mine by a traffic which has not  
only taken it away from them1 but which 
has ruined their peace1 corrupted their 

morals1 sent woe and discord into their 
families1 and consigned them perhaps to 
an early and most loathsome grave4 ,this
 property has come from the hard        
earnings of other men2 has passed into  
my hands without any valuable           
compensation rendered2 but has been     
obtained only while ,i have been        
diffusing want1 and woe1 and death1     
through their abodes4  ,let the men     
engaged in this traffic look on their   
property thus gained2 let them survey   
the woe which has attended it2 and then 
ask1 as honest men1 whether it is a     
moral employment4  #c4 ,a man is bound  
to pursue such a business as shall tend 
to promote the welfare of the whole     
community4 ,this traffic does not4 ,we  
have seen that an honorable and lawful  
employment conduces to the welfare of   
the whole social organization4 ,but the 
welfare of the whole cannot be promoted 
by this traffic4 ,somewhere it must     
produce poverty1 and idleness1 and      
crime4 ,even granting1 what cannot be   

established1 that it may promote the    
happiness of a particular portion of the
 community1 yet it must be at the       
expense of some other portion4 ,you may 
export poison to ,georgia1 and the      
immediate effect may be to introduce    
money into ,philadelphia1 but the only  
important inquiry is1 what will be the  
effect on the whole body politic8 ,will 
it do more good than evil on the whole8 
,will the money which you may receive   
here1 be a compensation for all the evil
 which will be done there8 ,money a     
compensation for intemperance1 and      
idleness1 and crime1 and the loss of the
 health1 the happiness1 and the souls of
 men8  ,now we may easily determine this
 matter4 ,the article thus exported will
 do as much evil there as it would if   
consumed here4 ,it will spread just as  
much devastation somewhere1 as it would 
if consumed in your own family1 and     
among your own friends and neighbors4   
,we have only to ask1 what would be the 
effect if it were consumed in your own  

habitation1 in your neighborhood1 in    
your own city8 ,let all this poison1    
which is thus exported to spread woes   
and death somewhere1 be concentrated and
 consumed where you might see it1 and is
 there any man who will pretend that the
 paltry sum which he receives is a      
compensation for what he knows would be 
the effect of the consumption8 ,you keep
 your own atmosphere pure1 it may be1   
but you export the pestilence1 and      
curses1 and lamentation elsewhere1 and  
receive a compensation for it4 ,you sell
 disease1 and death1 and poverty1 and   
nakedness1 and tears to other families1 
to clothe and feed your own4 ,and as the
 result of this current of moral poison 
and pollution which you may cause to    
flow into hundreds of other families1   
you may point to a splendid palace1 or  
to gay apparel of your sons and         
daughters1 and proclaim that the evil is
 hidden from your eyes4 ,families1 and  
neighborhoods1 and states1 may groan and
 bleed somewhere1 and thousands may die1

 but your gain is to be a compensation  
for it all4 ,is this an honorable       
traffic8  ,suppose a man were to        
advertise consumptions1 and fevers1 and 
pleurisies1 and leprosy1 for gold1 and  
could and would sell them2 what would   
the community say to such a traffic8    
,suppose1 for gain1 he could transport  
them to distant places1 and now strike  
down by a secret power a family in      
,maine1 and now at ,st4 ,mary's1 and now
 at ,texas1 and now at ,st4 ,louis2 what
 would the community think of wealth    
gained in such a traffic8 ,suppose he   
could1 with the same ease1 diffuse      
profaneness1 and insanity1 and          
robberies1 and murders1 and suicides1   
and should advertise all these to be    
propagated through the land1 and could  
prevail on men to buy the talismanic    
nostrum for gold--what would the        
community think of such a traffic as    
this8 ,true1 he might plead that it     
brought a vast influx of money--that it 
enriched the city1 or the country--that 

the effects were not seen there2 but    
what would be the public estimate of a  
man who would be willing to engage in   
such a traffic1 and who would set up    
such a plea8 ,or suppose it were        
understood that a farmer from the       
interior had arrived in ,philadelphia   
with a load of flour1 nine-tenths of    
whose barrels contained a mixture1 more 
or less1 of arsenic1 and should offer   
them for sale2 what would be the        
feelings of this community at such a    
traffic8 ,true1 the man might plead that
 it would produce gain to his country2  
that they had taken care to remove it to
 another population2 that his own family
 was secure4 ,can any words express the 
indignation which would be felt8 ,can   
any thing express the horror which all  
men would feel at such a transaction as 
this1 and at the cold-blooded and       
inhuman guilt of the money-loving       
farmer8 ,and yet we witness a thing like
 this every day1 on our wharves1 and in 
our ships1 and our groceries1 and our   

inns1 and from our men of wealth1 and   
our moral men1 and our professed        
,christians--and a horror comes through 
the souls of men1 when we dare to       
intimate that this is an immoral        
business4  #d4 ,a man is bound to pursue
 such a course of life as not           
necessarily to increase the burdens and 
the taxes of the community4 ,the        
pauperism and crimes of this land grow  
out of this vice1 as an overflowing     
fountain4 ,three-fourths of the taxes   
for prisons1 and houses of refuge1 and  
almshouses1 would be cut off1 but for   
this traffic and the attendant vices4   
,nine-tenths of the crimes of the       
country1 and of the expenses of         
litigation for crime1 would be prevented
 by arresting it4 ,of #fec who were in  
one year committed to the house of      
correction in ,boston1 #dec were        
drunkards4 ,of #c1jjj persons admitted  
to the workhouse in ,salem1 ,mass41     
#b1ijj were brought there directly or   
indirectly by intemperance4 ,of #eib    

male adults in the almshouse in ,new    
,york1 not #bj1 says the superintendent1
 can be called sober2 and of #fja women1
 not as many as #ej4 ,only three        
instances of murder in the space of     
fifteen years1 in ,new ,york1 occurred1 
that could not be traced to ardent      
spirit as the cause4 ,in ,philadelphia1 
ten4 ,this is the legitimate1 regular   
effect of the business4 ,it tends to    
poverty1 crime1 and woe1 and greatly to 
increase the taxes and burdens of the   
community4  ,what is done then in this  
traffic8 ,you are filling our           
almshouses1 and jails1 and              
penitentiaries1 with victims loathsome  
and burdensome to the community4 ,you   
are engaged in a business which is      
compelling your fellow-citizens to pay  
taxes to support the victims of your    
employment4 ,you are filling up these   
abodes of wretchedness and guilt1 and   
then asking your fellow-citizens to pay 
enormous taxes indirectly to support    
this traffic4 ,for1 if every place where

 ardent spirits can be obtained1 were   
closed in this city and its suburbs1 how
 long might your splendid palaces for   
the poor be almost untenanted piles2 how
 soon would your jails disgorge their   
inmates1 and be no more filled2 how soon
 would the habitations of guilt and     
infamy in every city become the abodes  
of contentment and peace2 and how soon  
would reeling loathsomeness and want    
cease to assail your doors with         
importunate pleadings for charity4  ,now
 we have only to ask our                
fellow-citizens1 what right they have to
 pursue an employment tending thus to   
burden the community with taxes1 and to 
endanger the dwellings of their         
fellow-men1 and to send to my door1 and 
to every other man's door1 hordes of    
beggars loathsome to the sight2 or to   
compel the virtuous to seek out their   
wives and children1 amidst the          
squalidness of poverty1 and the cold of 
winter1 and the pinchings of hunger1 to 
supply their wants8 ,could impartial    

justice be done in the world1 an end    
would soon be put to the traffic in     
ardent spirits4 ,were every man bound to
 alleviate all the wretchedness which   
his business creates1 to support all the
 poor which his traffic causes1 an end  
would soon be made of this employment4  
,but alas1 you can diffuse this poison  
for gain1 and then call on your         
industrious and virtuous countrymen to  
alleviate the wretchedness1 to tax      
themselves to build granite prisons for 
the inmates which your business has     
made2 and splendid palaces1 at an       
enormous expense1 to extend a shelter   
and a home for those whom your          
employment has turned from their own    
habitations4 ,is this a moral           
employment8 ,would it be well to obtain 
a living in this way in any other       
business8  #e4 ,the business is         
inconsistent with the law of ,god1 which
 requires us to love our neighbor as    
ourselves4 ,a sufficient proof of this  
would be a fact which no one could deny1

 that no man yet1 probably1 ever        
undertook the business1 or pursued it   
from that motive4 ,its defence is not1  
and cannot be put on that ground4 ,no   
man in the community believes that a    
continuance in it is required by a      
regard to the welfare of his neighbor4  
,every one knows that his welfare does  
not require it2 and that it would be    
conferring an inestimable blessing on   
other men1 if the traffic was abandoned4
 ,the single1 sole object is gain2 and  
the sole question is1 whether the love  
of gain is a sufficient motive for      
continuing that which works no good1 but
 constant ill to your neighbor4  ,there 
is another law of ,god which has an     
important bearing on this subject4 ,it  
is that golden rule of the ,new         
,testament1 which commends itself to the
 conscience of all men1 to do to others 
as you would wish them to do to you4    
,you may easily conceive of your having 
a son1 who was in danger of becoming a  
drunkard4 ,your hope might centre in    

him4 ,he might be the stay of your age4 
,he may be inclined to dissipation2 and 
it may have required all your vigilance1
 and prayers1 and tears1 and authority1 
to keep him in the ways of soberness4   
,the simple question now is1 what would 
you wish a neighbor to do in such a     
case8 ,would it be the desire of your   
heart1 that he should open a fountain of
 poison at your next door2 that he      
should1 for gain1 be willing to put a   
cup into the hands of your son1 and     
entice him to the ways of intemperance8 
,would you be pleased if he would listen
 to no remonstrance of yours1 if he     
should even disregard your entreaties   
and your tears1 and coolly see1 for the 
love of gold1 ruin coming into your     
family1 and your prop taken from beneath
 you1 and your gray hairs coming down   
with sorrow to the grave8 ,and yet to   
many such a son may you sell the poison2
 to many a father whose children are    
clothed in rags2 to many a man whose    
wife sits weeping amidst poverty and    

want1 and dreading to hear the tread and
 the voice of the husband of her youth1 
once her protector1 who now comes to    
convert his own habitation into a hell4 
,and there are not a few men of fair    
standing in society who are engaged in  
this2 and not a few--,o tell it not in  
,gath--who claim the honored name of    
,christian1 and who profess to bear the 
image of ,him who went about doing good4
 ,can such be a moral business8  #f4    
,the traffic is a violation of that law 
which requires a man to honor ,god4     
,whether ye eat1 or drink1 or whatsoever
 ye do1 do all to the glory of ,god4    
,and yet is this a business which was   
ever engaged in1 or ever pursued1 with a
 desire to honor ,god8 ,is it an        
employment over which a man will pray8  
,can he ask the ,god of heaven to give  
him success8 ,let him1 then1 in         
imagination1 follow what he sells to its
 direct result2 let him attend it to its
 final distribution of poverty1 and     
woes1 and crimes1 and death1 and then   

kneel before heaven's eternal ,king1 and
 render thanksgiving for this success8  
,alas1 it cannot be4 ,man pursues it not
 from a desire to honor ,god4 ,and can  
the man who is engaged in a business on 
which he cannot implore the blessing of 
heaven2 who is obliged to conceal all   
thoughts of it if he ever prays2 who    
never engaged in it with a desire to    
glorify ,god1 or to meet his            
approbation1 can he be engaged in a     
business which is lawful and right8  ,i 
might dwell further on these points4    
,but ,i am now prepared to ask1 with    
emphasis1 whether an employment that has
 been attended with so many ills to the 
bodies and souls of men2 with so much   
woe and crime2 whose results are evil1  
and only evil continually2 an employment
 which cannot be pursued without tending
 to destroy the very purposes of the    
organization of society2 without        
violating the rule which requires us to 
render a valuable consideration in      
business2 without violating the rule    

which requires a man to promote the     
welfare of the whole of the community2  
which promotes pauperism and crime1 and 
imposes heavy burdens on your           
fellow-citizens2 which is opposed       
equally to the love of man and the law  
of ,god--whether this is a moral1 or an 
immoral employment8  ,the question is   
submitted4 ,if moral1 it should be      
driven on with all the power of         
,american energy2 with all the aids of  
wealth1 and all the might of steam1 and 
all the facilities of railroads and     
canals2 for our country and the church  
calls the man to the honorable          
employment4 ,but if it be immoral and   
wrong1 it should be abandoned on the    
spot4 ,not another gallon should ever   
pass from your store1 if it be evil1    
only evil1 and that continually4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,we are prepared now to examine a few of
 the ,,objections to this doctrine4  #a4
 ,the first is1 that the traffic is not 
condemned in the ,bible4 ,to this the   

answer is very obvious4 ,the article was
 then unknown4 ,nor was it known until  
#fjj years after the ,bible was         
completed4 ,this mode of extending and  
perpetuating depravity in the world was 
not suggested by the father of evil1    
until it was too late to make a formal  
law against it in the ,bible1 or to     
fortify the argument of human depravity 
from this source4 ,it is neither in the 
,bible1 nor in any other code of laws1  
the custom to specify crimes which do   
not exist4 ,how remarkable in a code of 
laws would have been such a declaration 
as the trafficker demands1 ,thou shalt  
not deal in ardent spirits1 hundreds of 
years before the article was known4 ,the
 world would have stood in amazement1   
and would have been perplexed and       
confounded by an unmeaning statute4 ,but
 further1 it is not the practice in the 
,bible1 or in any other book of laws1 to
 specify each shade and degree of wrong4
 ,had it been1 there could have been no 
end of legislation1 and no end to books 

of law4 ,i ask the dealer in ardent     
spirits1 where is there a formal        
prohibition of piracy1 or bigamy1 or    
kidnapping1 or suicide1 or duelling1 or 
the sale of obscene books and paintings8
 ,and yet does any man doubt that these 
are immoral8 ,does he believe that the  
,bible will countenance them8 ,will he  
engage in them1 because they are not    
specified formally1 and with technical  
precision1 in the ,scriptures8 ,the     
truth is1 that the ,bible has laid down 
great principles of conduct1 which on   
all these subjects can be easily        
applied1 which are applied1 and which1  
under the guidance of equal honesty1 may
 be as easily applied to the traffic of 
which ,i am speaking4 ,still further1   
the ,bible has forbidden it in          
principle1 and with all the precision   
which can be demanded4 ,a man cannot    
pursue the business1 as has been shown1 
without violating its great principles4 
,he cannot do justly in it2 he cannot   
show mercy by it2 he cannot seek to     

alleviate human woes by it2 he cannot do
 as he would wish to be done unto2 he   
cannot pursue it to glorify ,god4 ,the  
great principles of the ,bible1 the     
spirit of the ,bible1 and a thousand    
texts of the ,bible are pointed against 
it2 and every step the trafficker takes1
 he infringes on the spirit and bearing 
of some declaration of ,god4 ,and still 
further1 it is his business to make out 
the propriety of the employment1 not    
ours to make out the case against him4  
,here is the rule--for him to judge4 ,by
 this he is to be tried2 and unless he  
can find in the volume a rule that will 
justify him in a business for gain that 
scatters inevitable woes and death2 that
 accomplishes more destruction than all 
the chariots of war and the desolations 
of gunpowder on the field of blood2 that
 sends more human beings to the grave1  
than fire1 and flood1 and pestilence1   
and famine1 altogether2 that heaps on   
human society more burdens than all     
other causes combined2 that sends armies

 on armies1 in a form more appalling1   
and infinitely more loathsome than      
,napoleon's food for cannon1 to the     
grave3 unless he can find some prophecy1
 or some principle1 or some declaration1
 that will justify these1 the ,bible is 
against him1 and he knows it4 ,as well  
might he search for a principle to      
authorize him to plant a ,bohon ,upas on
 every man's farm1 and in the heart of  
every city and hamlet4  #b4 ,a second   
plea is1 ,if ,i do not do it1 others    
will2 the traffic will go on4 ,then1 ,i 
answer1 let others do it1 and on them1  
not on you1 be the responsibility4 ,but 
it is said1 perhaps1 if it is not in    
your hands--the hands of the respectable
 and the pious--it will be in the hands 
of the unprincipled and the profligate4 
,i answer1 ,,there ,,let ,,it ,,be4     
,there1 if anywhere1 it should be4      
,there1 if these principles are correct1
 is its appropriate place4 ,and if that 
were done1 intemperance would soon cease
 to curse the land4 ,it is just because 

it is upheld by the rich1 and the       
reputable1 and by professed ,christians1
 that the reform drags so heavily4 ,the 
business has never found its proper     
level4 ,and ,o that the dealers in it   
would kindly forego this plea of        
benevolence1 and feel themselves        
released from this obligation4 ,but is  
this a correct principle of conduct8 ,is
 this the rule which heaven has given1  
or which conscience gives1 to direct the
 doings of man8 ,have ,i a right to do  
all which ,i know other men will do8    
,other men will commit murder4 ,have ,i 
a right to do it8 ,other men will commit
 adultery4 ,have ,i a right to do it8   
,other men will curse1 and swear1 and   
steal4 ,have you a right to do it8      
,other men will prey on unoffending     
,africa1 and bear human sinews across   
the ocean to be sold4 ,have you a right 
to do it8 ,the traffic in human flesh   
will go on2 ships will be fitted out    
from ,american ports2 and ,american     
hands will bear a part of the price of  

the tears and groans of enslaved men4   
,and why should not you participate with
 them1 on the same principle8  #c4 ,a   
third excuse is1 that the traffic is the
 source of gain to the country4 ,now    
this is known to be not so4 ,more than  
#ajj1jjj1jjj of dollars would be        
necessary to repair to this land the    
annual loss in this business4 ,is it no 
loss that #cjj1jjj men are drunkards1   
and are the slaves of indolence and     
want8 ,is it no loss to the nation that 
#cj1jjj each year go to the grave8 ,is  
there no loss in the expense of         
supporting #ge1jjj criminals1 and       
nine-tenths of the paupers in the land8 
,is it no loss that bad debts are made1 
and men are made unable and unwilling to
 pay their debts8 ,whence are your bad  
debts8 ,whence1 but directly or         
indirectly from this business8 ,from the
 indolence1 and want of principle1 and  
want of attention1 which intemperance   
produces8  #d4 ,the man who is engaged  
in this business says1 perhaps1 ,i have 

inherited it1 and it is the source of my
 gain2 and what shall ,i do8 ,i answer1 
beg1 dig--do any thing but this4 ,it    
would be a glorious martyrdom to starve1
 contrasted with obtaining a livelihood 
by such an employment4 ,in this land1   
assuredly1 men cannot plead that there  
are no honorable sources of livelihood  
open before them4 ,besides1 from whom do
 we hear this plea8 ,as often as        
otherwise from the man that rolls in    
wealth2 that lives in a palace2 that    
clothes his family in the attire of     
princes and of courts2 and that moves in
 the circles of fashion and splendor4 ,o
 how cheering is consistent pleading2   
how lovely the expressions of perfect   
honesty6 ,this business may be abandoned
 without difficulty4 ,the only question 
is1 whether the love of man1 and the    
dictates of conscience1 and the fear of 
,god1 shall prevail over the love of    
that polluted gold which this traffic in
 the lives and souls of men shall       
introduce into your dwelling4  ,during a

 warmly contested election in the city  
of ,new ,york1 it is stated in the daily
 papers that numerous applications were 
made for pistols to those who kept them 
for sale4 ,it is added that the         
application was extensively denied1 on  
the ground of the apprehension that they
 were intended for bloodshed in the     
excitement of the contest4 ,this was a  
noble instance of principle4 ,but on the
 plea of the dealer in ardent spirits1  
why should they have been withheld8 ,the
 dealer in fire-arms might have plead as
 the trafficker in poison does3 ,this is
 my business4 ,i obtain a livelihood by 
it4 ,i am not responsible for what will 
be done with the fire-arms4 ,true1 the  
people are agitated4 ,i have every      
reason to believe that application is   
made with a purpose to take life4 ,true1
 blood may flow and useful lives may be 
lost4 ,but ,i am not responsible4 ,if   
they take life1 they are answerable4    
,the excitement is a favorable          
opportunity to dispose of my stock on   

hand1 and it is a part of my business to
 avail myself of all favorable          
circumstances in the community to make  
money4 ,who would not have been struck  
with the cold-blooded and inhuman       
avarice of such a man8 ,and yet there   
was not half the moral certainty that   
those fire-arms would have been used for
 purposes of blood1 that there is that  
ardent spirits will be employed to      
produce crime1 and poverty1 and death4  
,i have no time to notice other         
objections4 ,nor need ,i4 ,i have stated
 the principle of all4 ,i just add here1
 that the excuses which are set up for  
this traffic will apply just as well to 
any other business as this1 and will    
fully vindicate any other employment1 if
 they are to be sustained4 ,apply these 
excuses to the case of a bookseller4    
,the question might be suggested1       
whether it was a moral or an immoral    
business to deal in infidel1 profligate1
 and obscene pictures and books4 ,true1 
it might be alleged that they did evil1 

and only evil continually4 ,it might be 
said that neither the love of ,god or   
man would prompt to it4 ,he might be    
pointed to the fact1 that they always   
tended to corrupt the morals of youth2  
to blight the hopes of parents2 to fill 
up houses of infamy2 to blot out the    
hopes of heaven2 and to sink men to     
hell4 ,but then he might with           
commendable coolness add1 ,this traffic 
is not condemned in the ,bible4 ,if ,i  
do not engage in it1 others will4 ,it   
contributes to my livelihood2 to the    
support of the press2 to the promotion  
of business2 and ,i am not responsible  
for their reading the books1 nor for    
their desire for them4 ,i am pursuing   
the way in which my fathers walked      
before me1 and it is my living1 and ,i  
will do it4 ,wherein does this plea     
differ from that of the trafficker in   
ardent spirits8 ,alas1 we have learned  
how to estimate its force in regard to  
other sins2 but we shrink from its      
application in regard to this           

wide-spread business1 that employs so   
much of the time and the wealth of the  
people of this land4  ,here ,i close4   
,the path of duty and of safety is      
plain4 ,these evils may be corrected4 ,a
 virtuous and an independent people may 
rise in their majesty and correct them  
all4 ,i call on all whom ,i now address1
 to exert their influence in this cause2
 to abandon all connection with the     
traffic2 and to become the firm1 and    
warm1 and thorough-going advocates of   
the temperance reformation4 ,your       
country calls you to it4 ,every man who 
loves her welfare1 should pursue no     
half-way measures2 should tread no      
vacillating course in this great and    
glorious reformation4  ,but more        
especially may ,i call on young men1 and
 ask their patronage in this cause4 ,for
 they are in danger2 and they are the   
source of our hopes1 and they are our   
strength4 ,i appeal to them by their    
hopes of happiness2 by their prospects  
of long life2 by their desire of        

property and health2 by their wish for  
reputation2 and by the fact that by     
abstinence1 strict abstinence alone1 are
 they safe from the crimes1 and         
loathsomeness1 and grave of the         
drunkard4 ,young men1 ,i beseech you to 
regard the liberties of your country2   
the purity of the churches2 your own    
usefulness2 and the honor of your       
family--the feelings of a father1 a     
mother1 and a sister4 ,and ,i conjure   
you to take this stand by a reference to
 your own immortal welfare2 by a regard 
to that heaven which a drunkard enters  
not--and by a fear of that hell which is
 his own appropriate1 eternal home4     
,again ,i appeal to my fellow professing
 ,christians2 the ministers of religion1
 the officers and members of the pure   
church of ,god4 ,the pulpit should      
speak1 in tones deep1 and solemn1 and   
constant1 and reverberating through the 
land4 ,the watchmen should see eye to   
eye4 ,of every officer and member of a  
church it should be known where he may  

be found4 ,we want no vacillating       
counsels2 no time-serving apologies2 no 
coldness1 no reluctance1 no shrinking   
back in this cause4 ,every church of    
,christ1 the world over1 should be1 in  
very deed1 an organization of pure      
temperance under the headship and       
patronage of ,jesus ,christ1 the friend 
and the model of purity4 ,members of the
 church of ,god most pure1 bear it in   
mind1 that intemperance in our land1 and
 the world over1 stands in the way of   
the ,gospel4 ,it opposes the progress of
 the reign of ,christ in every village  
and hamlet2 in every city2 and at every 
corner of the street4 ,it stands in the 
way of revivals of religion1 and of the 
glories of the millennial morn4 ,every  
drunkard opposes the millennium2 every  
dram-drinker stands in the way of it2   
every dram-seller stands in the way of  
it4 ,let the sentiment be heard1 and    
echoed1 and reechoed1 all along the     
hills1 and vales1 and streams of the    
land1 that the conversion of a man who  

habitually uses ardent spirits is all   
but hopeless4 ,and let this sentiment be
 followed up with that other melancholy 
truth1 that the money wasted in this    
business--now a curse to all            
nations--nay1 the money wasted in one   
year in this land for it1 would place a 
,bible in every family on the earth1 and
 establish a school in every village2   
and that the talent which intemperance  
consigns each year to infamy and eternal
 perdition1 would be sufficient to bear 
the ,gospel over sea and land--to polar 
snows1 and to the sands of a burning    
sun4 ,the pulpit must speak out4 ,and   
the press must speak4 ,and you1         
fellow-,christians1 are summoned by the 
,god of purity to take your stand1 and  
cause your influence to be felt4        
,,the ,,fools' ,,pence4  ,illustration3 
,gin-shop   ,have you ever seen a       
,london gin-shop8 ,there is perhaps no  
statelier shop in the magnificent chief 
city of ,england4 ,no expense seems to  
be spared in the building and the       

furnishing of a gin-shop4  ,not many    
years ago a gin-shop was a mean-looking1
 and by no means a spacious place1 with 
a few small bottles1 not bigger than a  
doctor's largest vials1 in the dusty    
window4 ,but now1 however poor many of  
the working classes may be1 it seems to 
be their pleasure to squander their     
little remaining money upon a number of 
these palaces1 as if they were          
determined that the persons whom they   
employ to sell them poison should dwell 
in the midst of luxury and splendor4 ,i 
do not mean to say1 that we have a right
 to throw all the blame upon the master 
or the mistress of a gin-shop4 ,for my  
part1 ,i should not like to keep one1   
and be obliged to get rich upon the     
money of the poor infatuated creatures  
who will ruin both soul and body in     
gin-drinking2 but the master of the     
gin-shop may be heard to say1 ,i don't  
force the people to drink2 they will    
have gin1 and if ,i do not sell to them 
somebody else will4 ,the story of ,the  

,fools' ,pence1 which follows1 is worth 
attending to4      ,a little            
mean-looking man sat talking to ,mrs4   
,crowder1 the     mistress of the       
,punch-bowl3 ,why1 ,mrs4 ,crowder1 said 
he1 ,i     should hardly know you again4
 ,really1 ,i must say you have          
things in the first style4 ,what an     
elegant paper2 what noble     chairs2   
what a pair of fire-screens2 all so     
bright and so     fresh2 and yourself so
 well1 and looking so well6      ,mrs4  
,crowder had dropped languidly into an  
arm-chair1 and sat     sighing and      
smiling with affectation1 not turning a 
deaf ear     to her visitor1 but taking 
in with her eyes a full view of     what
 passed in the shop2 having drawn aside 
the curtain of     rose-colored silk1   
which sometimes covered the window in   
the     wall between the shop and the   
parlor4      ,why1 you see1 ,mr4        
,berriman1 she replied1 our business is 
a     thriving one1 and we don't love to
 neglect it1 for one must     work hard 

for an honest livelihood2 and then you  
see1 my two     girls1 ,letitia and     
,lucy1 were about to leave their        
boarding-school2 so ,mr4 ,crowder and ,i
 wished to make the old     place as    
genteel and fashionable as we could2 and
 what with     new stone copings to the 
windows1 and new ,french                
window-frames to the first floor1 and a 
little paint1 and a     little papering1
 ,mr4 ,berriman1 we begin to look       
tolerable4 ,i     must say too1 ,mr4    
,crowder has laid out a deal of money in
     fitting up the shop1 and in filling
 his cellars4      ,well1 ma'am1        
continued ,mr4 ,berriman1 ,i don't know 
where     you find the needful for all  
these improvements4 ,for my part1     ,i
 can only say1 our trade seems quite at 
a stand-still4     ,there's my wife     
always begging for money to pay for this
 or     that little necessary article1  
but ,i part from every penny     with a 
pang4 ,dear ,mrs4 ,crowder1 how do you  
manage8      ,mrs4 ,crowder simpered1   

and raising her eyes1 and looking       
with a glance of smiling contempt       
towards the crowd of     customers in   
the shop1 ,the fools' pence--'tis ,,the 
,,fools'     ,,pence that does it for   
us1 she said4      ,perhaps it was owing
 to the door being just then opened and 
left ajar by ,miss ,lucy1 who had been  
serving in the bar1 that     the words  
of ,mrs4 ,crowder were heard by a man   
named ,george     ,manly1 who stood at  
the upper end of the counter4 ,he turned
     his eyes upon the customers who    
were standing near him1 and     saw     
pale1 sunken cheeks1 inflamed eyes1 and 
ragged garments4     ,he turned them    
upon the stately apartment in which they
 were     assembled2 he saw that it had 
been fitted up at no trifling     cost2 
he stared through the partly open       
doorway into the     parlor1 and saw    
looking-glasses1 and pictures1 and      
gilding1     and fine furniture1 and a  
rich carpet1 and ,miss ,lucy1 in a      
silk gown1 sitting down to her          

piano-forte3 and he thought     within  
himself1 how strange it is1 by what a   
curious process     it is1 that all this
 wretchedness on my left hand is made to
     turn into all this rich finery on  
my right6      ,well1 sir1 and what's   
for you8      ,these words were spoken  
in the same shrill voice which had      
made the fools' pence ring in his ears4 
,george ,manly was still in deep        
thought1 and with the end of     his    
rule--for he was a carpenter--he had    
been making a     calculation1 drawing  
the figures in the little puddles of gin
     upon the counter4 ,he looked up and
 saw ,mrs4 ,crowder herself     as gay  
as her daughters1 with a cap and colored
 ribbons     flying off her head1 and a 
pair of gold earrings almost            
touching her plump shoulders4 ,a glass  
of gin1 ma'am1 is what     ,i was       
waiting for to-night1 but ,i think ,i've
 paid the last     'fools' pence' ,i    
shall put down on this counter for many 
a     long day4             99       99 

99       99       99      ,george ,manly
 hastened home4 ,his wife and his two   
little girls     were sitting at work4  
,they were thin and pale1 really for    
want of food4 ,the room looked very     
cheerless1 and their fire     was so    
small that its warmth was scarcely felt2
 yet the     commonest observer must    
have been struck by the neatness and    
cleanliness of the apartment and every  
thing about it4      ,this is indeed a  
treat1 girls1 to have dear father home  
so     soon to-night1 said ,susan       
,manly1 looking up at her husband     as
 he stood before the table1 turning his 
eyes first upon one     and then upon   
another of the little party2 then       
throwing     himself into a chair1 and  
smiling1 he said1      ,well1 children1 
a'n't you glad to see me8 ,may not those
 busy     little fingers stop a moment1 
just while you jump up and     throw    
your arms about your father's neck1 and 
kiss him8      ,o yes1 we have time for 
that1 said one of the girls1 as     they

 both sprang up to kiss their father4   
,but we have no time to lose1 dear      
father1 said ,sally1     pressing her   
cheek to his1 and speaking in a kind of 
coaxing     whisper close to his ear1   
for these shirts are the last of     the
 dozen we have been making for ,mr4     
,farley1 in the     ,corn-market4       
,and as no work can be done to-morrow1  
added ,betsy gravely1     who stood with
 her little hand in her father's1 we are
 all     working as hard as we can2 for 
mother has promised to take     them    
home on ,monday afternoon4      ,either 
your eyes are very weak to-night1 dear  
wife1 said     ,george1 or you have been
 crying4 ,i'm afraid you work too       
hard by candlelight4      ,susan smiled1
 and said1 ,working does not hurt my    
eyes1     and as she spoke1 she turned  
her head and beckoned with her          
finger to her little boy4      ,why1    
,john1 what's this that ,i see8 said his
 father4 ,what1     you in the corner6  
,come out1 and tell me what you have    

been     doing4      ,nay1 never mind   
it1 dear husband2 ,john will be very    
good1 ,i     hope1 and we had better say
 no more about what is past4      ,yes1 
but ,i must know1 said he1 drawing ,john
 close to him4     ,come1 tell me what  
has been the matter4      ,john was a   
plain-spoken boy1 and had a             
straight-forward way     of speaking the
 truth4 ,he came up to his father1 and  
looked     full in his face1 and said1  
,the baker came for his money           
to-night1 and would not leave the loaves
 without mother paid     for them2 and  
though he was cross and rough to mother1
 he     said it was not her fault1 and  
that he was sure you had been           
drinking away all the money2 and when he
 was gone1 mother     cried over her    
work1 but she did not say any thing4 ,i 
did not     know she was crying1 till ,i
 saw her tears fall1 drop1 drop1     on 
her hands2 and then ,i said bad words1  
and mother sent me     to stand in the  
corner4      ,and now1 ,john1 you may   

bring me some coal1 said ,susan2        
there's a fine lump in the coal-box4    
,but first tell me what your bad words  
were1 ,john1 said his     father2 not   
swearing1 ,i hope8      ,no1 said ,john1
 coloring1 but speaking as bluntly as   
before1     ,i said that you were a bad 
man4 ,i said1 bad father4      ,and they
 were bad words1 ,i am sure1 said       
,susan1 very     calmly2 but you are    
forgiven1 and so you may get me the     
coal4      ,george looked at the face of
 his wife1 and as he met the     tender 
gaze of her mild eyes now turned to him1
 he felt the     tears rise in his own4 
,he rose up1 and as he put the money    
into his wife's hands1 he said1 ,there  
are my week's wages4     ,come1 come1   
hold out both hands1 for you have not   
got all     yet4 ,well1 now you have    
every farthing4 ,keep the whole1 and    
lay it out to the best advantage1 as you
 always do4 ,i hope     this will be a  
beginning of better doings on my part1  
and     happier days on yours2 and now  

put on your bonnet1 and ,i'll     walk  
with you to pay the baker1 and buy a    
bushel or two of     coal1 or any thing 
else you may be in want of2 and when we 
come back ,i'll read a chapter of the   
,bible to you and the     girls1 while  
you get on with the needle-work4        
,susan went up stairs to put on her     
bonnet and shawl1 and she     remained a
 little longer1 to kneel down on the    
spot where she     had often knelt      
almost heart-broken in prayer--prayer   
that     her heavenly ,father would turn
 her husband's heart1 first to     his  
,saviour1 and then to his wife and      
children2 and that1 in     the meantime1
 he would give her patience4 ,she1 knelt
 down     this time to pour out her     
heart in thanksgiving and praise4       
,the pleasant tones of her husband's    
voice called her from her     knees4    
,george ,manly told his wife that       
evening1 after the children     were    
gone to bed1 that when he saw what the  
pence of the poor     could do towards  

keeping up a fine house1 and dressing   
out     the landlord's wife and         
daughters2 and when he thought of his   
own hard-working1 uncomplaining ,susan1 
and his children in     want1 and almost
 in rags1 while he was sitting drinking1
 and     drinking1 night after night1   
more like a beast than a man1           
destroying his own manly strength1 and  
the fine health ,god     had given him1 
he was so struck with sorrow and shame1 
that     he seemed to come to himself at
 last4 ,he made his     determination1  
from that hour1 never again to put the  
intoxicating glass to his lips1 and he  
hoped he made it in     dependence upon 
,god for grace and strength to keep it4 
,it was more than a year after ,mrs4    
,crowder1 of the     ,punch-bowl1 had   
first missed a regular customer from her
     house1 and when she had forgotten  
to express her wonder as to     what    
could have become of the good-looking   
carpenter that     generally spent his  
earnings there1 and drank and spent his 

money so freely--      ,there1 get on as
 fast as you can1 dears2 run1 girls1 and
     don't stop for me1 your beautiful  
dresses will be quite     spoilt2 never 
mind me1 for my levantine is a ,french  
silk1 and     won't spot4      ,these   
words were screamed out as loud as her  
haste would     permit1 by ,mrs4        
,crowder1 who was accompanying her      
daughters1     one ,sunday evening1 to  
the tea-gardens4      ,she was answered 
by ,miss ,lucy1 ,you know1 ma1 we can't 
run1     for our shoes are so tight4    
,then turn into one of these houses1    
dears1 said the mother1     who was     
bustling forward as fast as she could4  
,no1 indeed1 replied the other daughter1
 who found time to     curl her lip with
 disdain1 notwithstanding her haste and 
her     distress1 ,i'll not set a foot  
in such filthy hovels4      ,well1      
dears1 here is a comfortable1 tidy      
place1 cried the     mother at length1  
as they hastened forward2 here ,i'll    
enter1     nor will ,i stir till the    

rain is over2 come in1 girls1 come      
in4 ,you might eat off these boards1    
they are so clean4      ,the rain was   
now coming down in torrents1 and the two
 young     ladies gladly followed their 
mother's example1 and entered     the   
neat and cleanly dwelling4 ,their long  
hair hung dangling     about their ears1
 their crape bonnets had been screened  
in     vain by their fringed parasols1  
and the skirts of their silk     gowns  
were draggled with mud4 ,they all three 
began to stamp     upon the door of the 
room into which they had entered with   
very little ceremony2 but the           
good-natured mistress of the     house  
felt more for their disaster than for   
her floor1 and     came forward at once 
to console and assist them4 ,she brought
     forth clean cloths from the        
dresser-drawer1 and she and her     two 
daughters set to work to wipe off1 with 
quick and     delicate care1 the        
rain-drops and mud-splashes from the    
silken dresses of the three fine ladies4

 ,the crape hats and     the parasols   
were carefully dried at a safe distance 
from the     fire1 and a comb was       
offered to arrange the uncurled hair1   
such a white and delicately clean comb  
as may seldom be seen     upon a poor   
woman's toilet4      ,when all had been 
done that could be done1 and1 as ,miss  
,lucy     said1 they began to look      
themselves again1 ,mrs4 ,crowder1       
who was lolling back at her ease in a   
large and comfortable     arm-chair1 and
 amusing herself by taking a good stare 
at     every thing and every one in the 
room1 suddenly started     forward1 and 
cried out1 addressing herself to the    
master of     the house1 upon whose     
,bible and at whose face she had been   
last fixing her gaze1 ,why1 my good man1
 we are old friends3     ,i know your   
face1 ,i'm certain2 still1 there is some
 change in     you1 though ,i can't     
exactly say what it is4      ,i used to 
be in ragged clothes1 and out of health1
 said     ,george ,manly1 smiling1 as he

 looked up from his ,bible2 ,i am       
now1 blessed be ,god for it1 comfortably
 clad1 and in     excellent health4     
,but how is it1 said ,mrs4 ,crowder1    
that we never catch a     sight of you  
now8      ,madam1 said be1 ,i'm sure ,i 
wish well to you and all     people2    
nay1 ,i have reason to thank you1 for   
words of yours     were the first means 
of opening my eyes to my own foolish and
     sinful course4 ,you seem to        
thrive--so do we4 ,my wife and          
children were half-naked and            
half-starved only this time last        
year4 ,look at them1 if you please1 now2
 for1 so far as sweet1     contented    
looks go1 and decent raiment befitting  
their     station1 ,i'll match them with
 any man's wife and children4     ,and  
now1 madam1 ,i tell you1 as you told a  
friend of yours one     day last year1  
that ''tis the ,,fools' ,,pence which   
have done     all this for us4' ,the    
fools' pence6 ,i ought to say1 the pence
     earned by honest industry1 and     

spent in such a manner that ,i     can  
ask the blessing of ,god upon the pence4
      ,when ,mrs4 ,crowder and her      
daughters were gone1 ,george ,manly     
sat without speaking for some           
considerable time4 ,he was deep     in  
thought1 and his gentle1 pious wife felt
 that she knew on     what subject he   
had been thinking so deeply2 for when he
 woke     up from his fit of thought1 a 
deep sigh stole from his lips1     and  
he brushed away the tears which had     
filled his eyes4      ,susan1 he said1  
what can ,i render to the ,lord for all 
his     goodness to me8 ,from what a    
fearful depth of ruin have ,i been      
snatched6 ,once ,i met some of my old   
companions1 who so set     upon me to   
draw me to drink with them1 that ,i     
thought ,satan     must have urged them 
on4 ,another time1 ,i went walking on1  
and     found myself at the door of the 
poison-shop1 without knowing     how ,i 
got there2 but ,god gave me strength to 
turn instantly     away1 and not linger 

a moment to daily with temptation4      
,i could not help thinking1 as ,i was   
reading this holy book1     when that   
showy dame came in from whose hand ,i so
 often took     the poisonous cup1 how  
much ,i owed to ,god for saving me from 
ruin1 and giving me that peace and      
satisfaction in religion     which ,i   
now enjoy2 and making me1 ,i hope1 a    
blessing to you     all4 ,o1 what a love
 was the love of ,christ to poor        
sinners6     ,he gave his own blood as  
our precious ransom2 he came to save    
us from our sins1 that we may serve him 
in newness of life4             99      
99       99       99       99  ,the     
above history1 which is taken from a    
,tract of the ,religious ,tract ,society
 in ,london1 has its counterpart in the 
case of multitudes in our own country4  
,let him who would not shorten his days1
 and make his family wretched1 and ruin 
his own soul1 resolve with ,george      
,manly1 never again to put the          
intoxicating glass to his lips2 and like

 him1 let him go humbly and with        
childlike confidence to ,god for        
strength to keep his resolution1 and for
 grace to pardon all his sins1 through  
the blood and righteousness of ,christ4 
,then shall he have peace of mind1 and  
be a blessing in his day2 and when this 
brief life is ended1 he shall enter into
 eternal joy4   ,,published ,,by ,,the  
,,american ,,tract ,,society4     ,,the 
,,poor ,,man',s ,,house ,,repaired2     
,,or1  ,,the ,,wretched ,,made ,,happy4 
,a ,,narrative ,,of ,,facts4            
,illustration3 ,violent drunk with wife 
and child   ,for fifteen years of my    
married life ,i was as miserable as any 
woman could be4 ,our house was the      
picture of wretchedness externally1 and 
it looked still more wretched within4   
,the windows were patched1 the walls    
shattered1 the furniture defaced and    
broken1 and every thing was going to    
ruins4  ,it had not always been so3 once
 my home was happy1 and ,i used to take 
much pleasure and some pride in hearing 

the neighbors say1 ,how neat and trim   
neighbor ,n----'s house always looks6   
,but they could not say so long4 ,one   
thing after another changed4 ,our table 
was no longer spread with comfortable   
food1 nor surrounded with cheerful      
faces2 but there were scanty meals1 sour
 looks1 and loud and angry words2 while1
 do the best ,i could1 ,i was not able  
to conceal the tatters of my own and my 
children's clothing4 ,my husband is a   
mechanic2 his employment is good1 and he
 might have made his family as happy as 
any family in the place2 but he was in  
the habit of taking ardent spirit every 
day4 ,he thought it did him good2 ,i    
knew it did not1 for ,i found him every 
day more and more unkind4 ,our comforts1
 one by one1 were stripped away1 till at
 last ,i saw myself the wife of a       
confirmed drunkard4  ,i well remember1  
one evening1 ,i was sitting by the fire1
 mending my poor boy's tattered jacket4 
,my heart was very sad4 ,i had been     
thinking of the happy evenings ,i had   

spent with my husband before our        
marriage2 of the few pleasant years that
 succeeded2 of the misery that then     
came2 of the misery yet to come2 and for
 me there seemed no ray of hope or      
comfort4 ,my husband was a terror to his
 family1 and a nuisance to the          
neighborhood2 my children were idle1    
ragged1 and disobedient2 myself a       
heart-broken wife and wretched mother4  
,while ,i thought of all this1 ,i could 
no longer retain my composure1 but1     
dropping my work1 ,i leaned my head upon
 my hand and wept bitterly4 ,my husband 
had been absent all day1 and ,i was now 
expecting him home every minute4 ,it was
 growing late1 so ,i wiped away my tears
 as well as ,i could1 and put the embers
 together1 to make my fireside look as  
inviting as possible4 ,but ,i dreaded my
 husband's return--his sharp voice and  
bitter words pained me to the heart1 and
 rougher treatment than all this ,i     
often experienced from him who had once 
been to me all that ,i could wish4  ,at 

length the door opened1 and ,robert     
entered4 ,i saw by his flushed          
countenance and angry expression that ,i
 had better remain silent2 so1 with a   
sinking heart1 ,i placed a chair for him
 by the fire1 and continued my work     
without speaking4  ,robert broke        
silence1 and in a sharp tone said1 ,what
 on earth do you sit there for1 at work 
on that dirty rag8 ,why don't you give  
me something to eat8 and snatching the  
work roughly from my hands1 he threw it 
into the fire4 ,i sprang forward to     
rescue my poor child's garment1 and so  
quick were my movements1 that ,i saved  
it from much injury4 ,but while ,i was  
shaking the ashes from it1 my husband   
again snatched it from my hands1 and    
with a terrible oath1 defying me to     
touch it1 once more threw it into the   
fire4 ,i was afraid to attempt to save  
it2 so ,i turned away1 with bitter      
feelings to see my labor all lost1 and  
my destitute child made still more      
destitute by its father's hand4 ,but1 as

 patiently and kindly as ,i could1 ,i   
set before ,robert the supper ,i had    
prepared for him4 ,it did not look very 
inviting1 to be sure2 but ,i could offer
 nothing more4 ,he swore he would not   
taste a particle4 ,i now reproached him 
for not having provided any thing better
 for myself and children4 ,but this was 
no time for reproach4 ,robert's anger   
rose to the highest pitch4 ,he dashed   
the cup and plate ,i had placed for him 
to the floor1 and seizing me roughly by 
the arm1 he opened the door1 and forcing
 me from the dwelling1 bid me enter     
again1 if ,i dared4 ,the night was cold 
and windy4 ,i was thinly dressed1 and   
even ill4 ,but ,i forbore to take refuge
 under a neighbor's roof4 ,my heart was 
too sad and desolate to admit of human  
consolation4 ,at this sorrowful moment  
,i remembered that      ,earth hath no  
sorrow that heaven cannot heal2  so1    
falling almost unconsciously upon my    
knees1 ,i prayed that ,god would comfort
 my stricken heart2 that my sins might  

be pardoned2 that ,i might be enabled to
 repose all my griefs in the bosom of   
that gracious ,one who has kindly       
promised to give the heavy-laden rest4  
,i then prayed for my miserable husband1
 that ,god would have mercy upon him1   
and deliver him from his dreadful       
delusion before it was too late4 ,i     
prayed1 too1 for my poor children1 with 
all the fervor of a mother's soul4 ,this
 was the first prayer ,i had offered for
 years2 for ,i had been an impenitent   
woman4 ,had ,i prayed sooner1 ,i might  
have saved myself much sorrow and       
distress4 ,but as it was1 ,i arose from 
my knees with feelings far less hopeless
 and bitter4 ,i then crept back to the  
house1 and on looking in at the window1 
,i found that ,robert had fallen asleep2
 so ,i opened the door quietly1 without 
disturbing his heavy slumbers1 and laid 
myself down to rest4  ,the events of    
this evening were no uncommon events to 
me4 ,each succeeding day brought but the
 same rough treatment1 the same         

wretchedness and want4 ,robert grew     
worse and worse4 ,he not only destroyed 
all our peace1 but brought noise and    
discord into the whole neighborhood1    
till at last1 for the sake of quiet1 he 
was taken to the house of correction4 ,i
 never can forget that dreadful night   
when he was carried away4 ,he came home 
shockingly intoxicated4 ,the little     
children crept into the farthest corner 
of the house to shield themselves from  
his fury4 ,he threatened every thing    
with destruction4 ,i was in danger of my
 life1 and ran for safety into the      
nearest house1 where a poor widow lived4
 ,robert followed--we fastened the      
door--he swore he would set fire to the 
building1 and burn it over our heads4   
,but some one passing by heard the      
uproar1 and went for the town officers4 
,several of them came1 just as my       
infatuated husband was pelting the      
window with stones4 ,they took him away 
by force1 while he was uttering the most
 shocking oaths4 ,i sat down and wept   

with shame and vexation4 ,my little     
,jane put her arm round my neck1 and    
said1 ,don't cry1 ma--he has            
gone--wicked pa has gone1 and ,i hope he
 will never come back--he is so cross1  
and beats us so4 ,i hardly knew what to 
say in answer to my little girl1 but ,i 
felt that it was a dreadful thing to    
have my children speak so of him whom ,i
 would gladly have taught them to love  
and honor4  ,i determined1 now my       
husband was away1 to support my family  
by my own work2 for wretched as my home 
was1 ,i could not bear to leave it and  
come upon the town4 ,i could not earn   
much1 for my health was feeble1 but ,i  
managed1 by depriving myself of several 
meals1 to save enough to mend my poor   
neighbor's window4  ,but ,robert longed 
to regain his liberty4 ,he resolved that
 he would do better1 and upon promising 
orderly conduct1 was permitted to return
 to his family4 ,badly as he had treated
 me1 ,i was glad to see him back again4 
,he looked humble1 and spoke to me      

kindly4 ,he kissed the younger children1
 too1 and for a while every thing went  
on smoothly4 ,to me it seemed like the  
dawning of better days1 and when ,robert
 one evening brought home some new shoes
 for our oldest boy1 and a new gown for 
my little ,jane1 ,i actually wept for   
joy1 and ,jane said1 her wicked pa had  
come back very good4  ,but these bright 
days were not to last4 ,darker ones     
came1 darker than ,i had ever known     
before1 or perhaps they seemed darker1  
from the transient sunshine that had    
gleamed upon us4 ,i again heard my      
children crying for food1 when ,i had no
 food to give them4 ,i was again often  
turned from my dwelling1 or1 if ,i      
offered any resistance1 was forced to   
receive harsh words and cruel blows4    
,but it is in vain to tell all ,i       
suffered4 ,many have gone through the   
same fiery trial1 and will feel that a  
recital of my woes is but a recital of  
what they too have borne4  ,there was   
one privilege1 the want of which ,i at  

this time felt deeply4 ,the village     
church was within sight of our door4 ,i 
used to hear the bell ring1 and see the 
children of the neighborhood go by1     
neatly dressed1 to the ,sabbath-school2 
but ,i had no gown1 nor bonnet1 nor     
shawl fit to wear1 and my children were 
still more destitute than myself4 ,so we
 were obliged to spend the ,sabbath in  
sadness at home1 while ,robert1 if the  
day was fine1 would profane it by going 
on the water to fish1 or would linger   
with his companions round the door of   
the grogshop--not to enter1 it is true2 
for the dram-seller1 with his wife and  
children1 dressed very fine1 and were   
accustomed to attend church2 and but for
 that dreadful shop1 ,i might have gone 
there too4  ,our minister was one of    
those who thought it his duty to reason 
on temperance1 as well as righteousness1
 and judgment to come2 and through his  
exertions1 and the exertions of other   
good men1 a reform had commenced1 which 
gave great encouragement to the friends 

of human happiness and virtue4          
,temperance-meetings were held once a   
month in different parts of the town1   
and in spite of much opposition1 and    
many prophecies to the contrary1 the    
cause went on4  ,i heard much said about
 these meetings1 and resolved to attend 
the next2 so1 when the evening came1 ,i 
borrowed a cloak and bonnet of one of   
the neighbors1 and hastened to the      
church4 ,the prayers ,i there heard did 
my wounded spirit good1 and the plain1  
impressive language of the minister     
spoke to my very heart4 ,i resolved to  
persuade my husband1 if possible1 to go 
with me when there should be another    
meeting4  ,a circumstance occurred about
 this time that quite destroyed my      
remaining courage1 and almost caused me 
to give ,robert up for lost4 ,we lived  
in a small1 shabby-looking house1 a part
 of which he rented to a very poor      
family4 ,they could not pay the rent    
immediately upon its being due4 ,it was 
in the depth of winter1 and the poor    

woman had a little infant1 not more than
 two weeks old4 ,but ,robert's heart was
 shut to all kind feelings4 ,one very   
stormy day he drove the whole family out
 of doors1 and they were obliged to seek
 some other dwelling4 ,it was too much  
for the poor woman in her feeble state4 
,she caught a severe cold1 and died in a
 few days4 ,after this heartless act1 my
 faiths quite failed me1 and ,i felt as 
if nothing could recall my husband to a 
sense of duty4 ,but ,i little knew the  
workings of his mind4 ,he seemed to     
return a little to his senses1 when he  
saw that his cruelty had probably caused
 the death of the poor woman1 and       
rendered a large family of helpless     
children motherless4 ,his countenance   
became more dark and gloomy1 and he     
scarcely raised his eyes to notice any  
one4  ,things were in this state1 when  
one day our minister called1 as he was  
visiting the people of his parish4 ,i   
was very glad to see him1 and told him  
all my griefs freely4 ,he gave me what  

consolation he could1 and informed me   
that there was another                  
temperance-meeting in the evening1 which
 he hoped ,i would attend2 and1 added   
he1 bring your husband along with you1  
if you can persuade him to come4  ,when 
,robert came home to supper1 ,i was     
surprised and delighted to find him     
sober2 so ,i told him of the minister's 
visit1 and the meeting in the evening4  
,he seemed pleased that the minister had
 called1 and even asked me how things   
looked about the room1 for1 said he1 we 
don't look quite so stylish here as we  
once did1 ,mary4  ,no1 ,robert1 said ,i1
 with a sigh1 as ,i surveyed the        
wretched apartment2 but if you would    
attend the temperance-meeting1 and hear 
what the minister says about saving     
money1 ,i think it would soon look much 
better here1 and the boys might have    
better jackets1 and ,i might have a     
better gown4 ,oh1 ,robert--  ,i would   
have said more1 but my eyes filled with 
tears1 and ,i could not4 ,robert hung   

down his head1 and looked ashamed4 ,he  
knew he had spent1 for rum1 money enough
 to feed and clothe his family well4 ,i 
thought he had half a mind to tell me he
 would go with me4 ,when ,i had cleared 
away the supper1 and sent the children  
to bed1 ,i put on my bonnet1 and said1  
,i will just step into neighbor         
,warren's1 and borrow ,nancy's cloak4   
,have not you any cloak of your own8    
said he4  ,no1 ,i replied1 ,i have been 
without one a long time4  ,robert said  
no more1 but when ,i came back with the 
cloak1 and said to him1 ,will you go    
with me8 he said1 in a tone which seemed
 as if he were trying to suppress kinder
 feelings1 ,go along1 ,mary1 and don't  
be always fretting about me4 ,i was     
grieved1 but said nothing1 and proceeded
 to the meeting alone1 praying that     
,robert might think better of it1 and   
come4 ,the services were even more      
interesting than they had been at the   
preceding meeting4 ,the minister said   
every thing to convince1 and ,i felt a  

distressing anxiety1 that ,i could not  
control1 to have my husband hear all    
that was said4 ,judge1 then1 of my      
surprise and pleasure1 when1 a short    
time after ,i had returned home1 ,robert
 entered1 and said1 ,guess where ,i have
 been1 ,mary4  ,not to meeting1 ,robert4
  ,yes1 ,mary1 to meeting4 ,i took up my
 hat after you had gone1 thinking that  
,i would go down to the shop2 for ,i    
felt uneasy1 and wanted something to    
suppress my disagreeable thoughts4 ,but 
as ,i passed by the meeting-house1 it   
was so well lighted up1 and the bell was
 ringing1 and the people going in1 ,i   
thought perhaps ,i had better go in too2
 and ,i am glad ,i did4 ,wife1 ,i do    
believe the minister is right4 ,i know  
that hard drinking has been the ruin of 
myself and family1 and while the        
minister was speaking1 ,i thought ,i    
would try to break away from my bad     
habits4  ,o1 ,robert1 will you try8 ,i  
exclaimed1 while my heart beat with     
pleasure to hear him thus speak4  ',tis 

hard work1 ,mary1 harder than you think 
for4  ,i know it is hard1 my dear       
husband2 but only think of the happiness
 it would bring to us all--of the ruin  
from which it will save our little      
boys--the agony from which it will save 
your poor wife4 ,o1 ,robert1 if you have
 one spark of love remaining in your    
bosom for any of us--  ,i could not go  
on2 but leaning my hands upon my        
husband's shoulder1 ,i sobbed aloud4    
,robert seemed affected1 and said1 in a 
doubtful tone1 ,perhaps ,i might leave  
it off by degrees4  ,o no1 ,robert1 no1 
,i answered1 that will never do4 ,don't 
you remember how particular the minister
 was to say1 ',leave it off at once8'   
,you will never do it by degrees4       
,robert looked steadily into the fire1  
and did not say one word more4 ,when not
 under the influence of strong drink1 he
 is a man of good sense1 and ,i thought 
it better to leave him to his own       
reflections4 ,i know not what passed    
through his mind4 ,the kinder and better

 feelings of other days seemed to be    
awakened from their slumber1 or rather1 
,he from whom all just thoughts and holy
 desires proceed1 was influencing his   
determination4 ,as for myself1 ,i longed
 in secret to pour out my soul to ,god4 
,so ,i went into the bedroom1 where my  
poor children were fast asleep2 and     
after seeing that they were well covered
 up1 ,i kissed each one of them1 and    
knelt down by their side to offer up my 
prayer4 ,i prayed as ,i had never done  
before4 ,i seemed1 through my ,redeemer1
 to gain a nearer and bolder access to  
the throne of grace4 ,my heart was      
filled with deep gratitude1 penitence1  
humility1 and joy2 and from that hour ,i
 have dared to hope myself a child of   
,god4 ,o that blessed1 blessed night4   
,it caused joy among the angels in      
heaven1 over the reconciliation of one  
soul to ,god--over the desire of another
 soul to return to the path of duty4 ,it
 caused joy on earth1 in our poor1      
humble dwelling--joy in the bosom of the

 long-afflicted wife--joy that her own  
soul was trusting in ,christ--joy that  
her husband was purposing to forsake his
 wretched way1 and turn into a happier1 
better path4  ,the next day1 before     
,robert went out1 ,i encouraged him all 
,i could to persevere4 ,i brought to his
 remembrance as much of the lecture as  
,i could1 so that it might be fresh in  
his mind4 ,he left me in good spirits1  
and promised to see me again at night a 
sober man4 ,but ,o1 what an anxious day 
was it for me6 ,i dreaded1 and yet      
longed for evening to come1 and my heart
 beat as ,i heard his footstep at the   
door4 ,but he had kept his word--he had 
not tasted a drop of spirit during the  
day4 ,he had seen1 too1 the minister and
 several members of the ,temperance     
,society4 ,in consequence of the meeting
 on the last evening1 many new names    
were added to the temperance list1 and  
they had promised1 in case of entire    
abstinence till the next meeting1 to    
receive his4 ,i could scarcely believe  

my senses when ,i heard my husband speak
 thus1 and the prospect of his becoming 
a sober man seemed too delightful to be 
ever realized4 ,for a time1 ,i rejoiced 
with trembling2 but when1 day after day1
 ,i saw him return orderly and quiet1 my
 courage revived1 and ,i felt that he   
would persevere4  ,at length the evening
 came round for the next meeting1 and my
 husband and myself went1 ,o so happy6  
and put our names to the pledge4 ,what a
 different prospect did our home now    
present4 ,i could not keep my           
countenance for joy1 when the neighbors 
came in to congratulate me on the       
change4 ,i could now dress my children  
neat and comfortable1 and send them to  
the ,sabbath-school4 ,i went myself with
 my husband constantly to church1 and on
 making known my wish to our minister1  
publicly professed my faith in the      
,saviour of sinners4 ,thus happily did  
the winter and summer pass away4 ,one   
day in autumn1 as the minister was      
passing by1 my husband was in the road  

in front of the house4  ,the minister   
remarked1 ,i am glad1 ,robert1 to see   
your house repaired and looking so well4
  ,thank you1 sir2 why1 it does look    
some better4 ,as the minister was about 
to pass on1 ,robert added1 ,mr4 ,g41 ,i 
have not drank a drop of rum for one    
year1 come next ,monday4 ,so you see the
 effect upon my house4 ,i used to work  
hard before1 and spent about all ,i     
earned for rum1 to drink myself1 or to  
give away4 ,many a time ,i have been at 
my work on a ,sunday1 and earned a      
dollar or more in the course of the day1
 and taken the money1 and then laid out 
the whole in rum4 ,now ,i can clothe my 
family well1 and have something to lay  
out upon my house4 ,last summer1 my boy 
and ,i saved sixty dollars besides      
supporting the family4  ,sixty dollars  
saved6 ,but who can tell the value of   
the happy days and nights of this year2 
or the worth of a kind1 sober1          
industrious husband and father1 compared
 with a cross1 cruel1 and drunken one8  

,ask the wife2 what would she tell you8 
,ask the children2 what would be their  
answer8  ,some of my husband's former   
wicked companions felt piqued and       
envious that ,robert was free from their
 degrading habit4 ,they saw him         
thriving1 respected1 and happy4 ,his    
life and prospects were a continued     
reflection upon theirs4 ,they longed to 
see him fall1 and determined1 if        
possible1 to effect his ruin4 ,as he was
 quietly returning home one evening1 he 
passed by the shop which he was once so 
much in the habit of frequenting4 ,they 
accosted him3 by taunts and jeers which 
he had not firmness enough to resist1   
they drew him into their company4 ,once 
there1 they thought him within their    
power4 ,when they could not induce him  
to violate his pledge by taking rum1    
they called him a cold-water man2 a     
white-livered coward2 priest-ridden2    
afraid of his minister1 and many other  
titles of reproach4 ,they then told him 
he had not promised to drink no wine2   

and1 after much persuasion1 they induced
 him to take a glass4 ,but in this glass
 they had mingled the poison4 ,once     
stimulated1 he called for more and yet  
more1 till these wretches had the       
pleasure of seeing him who had so long  
stood firm1 reeling from the shop1 to   
mar at once all that was pleasant and   
peaceful at home4 ,when my husband did  
not return at supper-time1 ,i felt      
rather anxious1 but thought he might be 
delayed1 as he sometimes is2 so ,i put  
his supper to the fire and sat down to  
my knitting-work1 while one of the boys 
read to me from his ,sabbath-school     
book4  ,we were thus employed when my   
deluded husband entered4 ,o the agony of
 that moment6 ,had he been brought to me
 a corpse1 ,i could not have been more  
shocked4 ,had those wicked men that thus
 seduced my husband entered my house and
 done the same things that they caused  
him to do1 they might have been indicted
 for the outrage4 ,in the morning       
,robert had come to himself2 but he saw 

in the broken furniture1 in the         
distrustful looks of the children1 in   
the swollen eyes and distressed         
countenance of his wife1 more than he   
cared to know4 ,there was a mixture of  
remorse and obstinacy in his looks1 and 
when he left me for the morning1 instead
 of his usual ,good-morning1 ,mary1 he  
shut the door roughly after him and     
hurried away4  ,when evening came again1
 ,robert returned to the shop1 and asked
 for a glass of rum4 ,he wanted         
something to stifle the keen reproaches 
of conscience4 ,the dram-seller knew my 
husband1 knew of his reform1 that from  
being a nuisance to the town1 he had    
become an orderly and respectable       
citizen2 and now that he had been       
seduced from the right way1 instead of  
denying him the cause of all our former 
misery--instead of a little friendly    
advice--with his usual courteous smile1 
he put the fatal glass into his hand4   
,for a time my poor ,robert continued in
 a very bad way4 ,he mingled again with 

his profane and wicked associates2 he   
was ashamed to see his minister1 and    
took no notice of him when he passed2   
hung down his head when he met any of   
his temperance friends1 and seemed to be
 fast returning to his former miserable 
habits4  ,but he was not thus to become 
the dupe of wicked and designing men4   
,his wife's prayers and tears were not  
thus to be of no avail4 ,on a sudden he 
awoke from his delusion4 ,he had lived a
 whole year without rum2 and though     
exposed to all weathers1 he knew his    
health had been better1 his head        
clearer1 his nerves firmer1 his purse   
heavier1 and his home happier4 ,he      
called one evening to see the ,president
 of the ,temperance ,society2 confessed 
his weakness in yielding to temptation2 
asked the forgiveness of the ,society2  
requested to have his name1 which had   
been erased from the temperance list1   
renewed2 and promised never again to    
violate the pledge4 ,since that night my
 husband has continued a perfectly      

temperate man4 ,no temptation has ever  
led him again to violate his pledge4  ,i
 have been induced to give this history 
of his reform to the world1 in order1 if
 possible1 to persuade others to follow 
his example1 to show them how quiet and 
plenty were restored to a wretched      
dwelling1 virtue and respectability to a
 ruined family1 and the poor man's house
 repaired4         99       99       99 
99       99      ,a clergyman1 worthy of
 all confidence1 and acquainted with    
the writer of the above1 and the        
circumstances detailed1     testifies1  
that the case is literally and          
faithfully     described4     ,,jamie2  
,,or1  ,a ,,voice ,,from ,,ireland ,,for
 ,,temperance4  ,a ,,true ,,narrative4  
,,by ,,professor ,,edgar1   ,,of        
,,belfast4   ,in a populous and         
civilized district of ,ulster lived     
,,jamie1 a day-laborer2 a fellow of     
right good sense and practical talent1  
carpenter and mason1 shoemaker and      
blacksmith1 and aught else the case     

required4 ,the variety of his powers had
 nearly ruined him4 ,on all hands he was
 in requisition1 and everywhere he was a
 favorite--kindness flowing to him in   
its common channel1 spirituous liquor4  
,wherever he went1 he was treated4 ,this
 was too much for flesh and blood1 and  
,jamie became1 in the style of the      
world's false charity1 fond of the drop4
 ,his cash flew to the spirit-shop1 and 
brought neither health nor happiness in 
return4 ,the neighbors called him--alas1
 for such lullabies to conscience6--an  
honest1 good-hearted fellow1 who did    
nobody any harm but himself4 ,while1    
however1 they tempted1 and flattered1   
and deceived1 their victim was posting  
to ruin4  ,but1 while moderate drinkers 
were training him to drunkenness1 ,god  
was raising up the ,temperance ,society 
as an ark of safety to him from the     
flood of their temptations4 ,one of the 
publications of the ,ulster ,temperance 
,society fell into his hands1 and he    
read it1 for he was of an inquiring     

spirit1 and a blessing attended it4     
,what1 said he1 in amazement1 can this  
be true8--distilled spirits of no more  
use to any man in health than arsenic or
 opium8 ,distilled spirits are too      
tempting1 and dangerous1 and violently  
intoxicating1 to be used as a common    
beverage at all6 ,o1 thought he1 that at
 least is true4 ,distilled spirits are  
in their very nature injurious to the   
human constitution2 and every man who   
indulges even in their moderate use1    
injures himself in proportion to the    
quantity which he consumes4 ,jamie was  
astonished1 and well he might be2 but   
,jamie was conscientious1 and though he 
had the manhood to confess1 what few    
moderate drinkers will1 that he liked a 
glass1 yet1 because he had still a      
conscience1 notwithstanding the searing 
it had got from the fiery drink1 he said
 to himself1 ,i must1 at least1 try     
whether these wonderful statements      
respecting distilled spirits be true4   
,james tried1 and the effects were      

delightful4 ,in a very short time he    
found1 from happy experience1 that his  
health was better from the change2 that 
his purse was better2 that soul and     
body1 the whole man of him was far      
better1 in all respects1 since he       
renounced the maddening draught4  ,his  
duty was now clear before him--to       
abstain from the raging drink which1 in 
time past1 had been emptying his pocket1
 destroying his character1 and bringing 
down his body to the grave1 and his soul
 to hell4 ,he did his duty in the right 
way for doing duty--at once1 and right  
on4  ,he saw1 however1 that something   
more was incumbent on him than merely   
doing his duty in this particular--he   
must1 for the good of others1 let it be 
known1 without ostentation1 that his    
duty was done4 ,abstaining1 he said to  
himself1 has done me good2 the          
banishment of spirituous liquors would  
do my country good2 what is every man's 
duty is my duty2 and therefore1 in love 
to my brethren1 ,i'll freely give the   

blessing which to me has been so freely 
given4 ,union is strength1 thought he3  
separate efforts are a rope of sand2    
united1 they are the cable which holds  
the mighty ship4 ,he resolved to        
establish a ,temperance ,society4  ,for 
this purpose1 he supplied himself       
immediately with a number of ,tracts on 
temperance2 for ,jamie knew that when   
self-interest or passion come in1 second
 thoughts are not always best2 and      
forthwith he commenced travelling       
around1 reading them1 at spare hours    
throughout the neighborhood1 wherever he
 could find half-a-dozen people to      
listen to him4 ,he was a good reader1   
and very soon found that his reading was
 not without effect2 for in a short time
 he heard of a decent woman telling her 
neighbor to send for ,jamie to the wake 
which was to be held in her house1 if   
she wished to save her whiskey1 and have
 peace and quietness2 for1 said she1 he 
came to the wake in my house1 and read  
and talked about temperance1 till both  

the whiskey and the people seemed either
 persuaded or frightened1 for hardly one
 had the courage to put to his lips what
 ,jamie called1 indeed too truly1 the   
accursed thing4  ,jamie1 however1 soon  
found to his cost that he had commenced 
a very great and a very sore work4 ,the 
spirit-sellers1 four of whom were at a  
single cross-roads in his neighborhood1 
he expected to be against him1 and      
drunkards he expected would be against  
him too2 but he soon found that his     
chief opponents lay in quite another    
quarter4 ,sensible people soon began to 
see that spirit-sellers are drones on   
the community1 doing no good1 but much  
harm3 and1 besides1 one of them having  
first allowed a temperance meeting to be
 held in his barn1 conscientiously shut 
up his spirit-shop1 and joined the      
,temperance ,society1 being convinced   
that spirit-selling is poison-selling1  
and that each spirit-shop might justly  
have on its sign-board1 ,beggars made   
here4 ,of the drunkards1 some indeed did

 call him hard names1 and impute to him 
base motives2 but from among even these1
 lost as they seemed to be to all hope1 
he was1 by ,god's grace1 enabled to     
reclaim some1 as brands snatched from   
the burning1 while others of them said  
to him1 in the bitterness of their      
reflecting moments1 ,go on1 ,jamie1 your
 work is ,god's work4 ,had you commenced
 but a little sooner1 what a blessing   
might your ,society have been to us2 but
 alas1 it is all over with us now6      
,what at first surprised ,jamie much    
was1 that the fathers or husbands of    
these very drunkards were his most      
bitter opponents4 ,he went to them with 
a glad heart1 expecting that they would 
hear with delight of a plan by which    
drunkards1 in great numbers1 have been  
reclaimed1 and by which the temperate   
can be effectually secured against      
temptation2 but his heart sunk when he  
found1 not that they received him       
coldly1 for to such receptions he was   
accustomed1 but that they1 as well as   

others who boast much of being temperate
 enough already1 lost all temper at the 
very sound of temperance4  ,some of     
these neighbors of ,jamie were regular  
in attendance on public worship1        
orthodox and strict1 which gave them an 
influence in the neighborhood4 ,jamie1  
therefore1 was anxious to enlist them on
 the side of temperance4 ,yet he could  
not but know1 and very seriously        
consider1 that whether1 in market or    
fair1 these same men either bought or   
sold1 there could be no such thing as a 
dry bargain2 that at churns1 and wakes1 
and funerals1 and marriages1 and such   
like1 they always pushed round the      
bottle cheerily2 that they held it      
churlish to refuse either to give or    
take a treat2 that at their evening     
tea-parties it was not uncommon for six 
or eight gallons of spirituous liquor to
 be consumed by a few neighbors1 men and
 women1 in a single night2 that in every
 house which their minister visited1 the
 bottle was put to his mouth2 and that  

as the natural consequence of all this  
and far more1 not only was the crime of 
drunkenness1 whether in minister or     
private layman1 treated with much false 
charity1 and called by many soft names1 
but drunkenness was spreading its       
ravages through many families1 and      
bringing down many heads in sorrow to   
the grave4  ,jamie was indeed           
charitable1 but he was unable to        
persuade himself that1 amid such        
universal drinking1 all the objections  
to his ,temperance ,society arose merely
 from ignorance1 or prejudice1 or       
conscience2 and therefore1 when people  
were telling him1 as they often did1    
that they cared not a rush about        
spirituous liquor1 they could either    
drink it or let it alone1 he used       
sometimes to reply1 ,oh1 ,i know well   
enough that you can drink it2 what ,i   
want to know is1 whether you can let it 
alone3 and at other times he would tell 
them ,dean ,swift's story of the three  
men who called for whiskey in a         

spirit-shop3 ,i want a glass1 said the  
first1 for ,i'm very hot2 ,i want a     
glass1 said the second1 for ,i'm very   
cold2 let me have a glass1 said the     
third1 because ,i like it6  ,as ,jamie's
 opponents were no match for him in     
argument1 they tried the plans usually  
resorted to when the wisdom and the     
spirit by which truth speaks cannot be  
resisted4 ,for a while they tried       
ridicule4 ,that1 however1 neither       
satisfied their own consciences nor     
frightened ,jamie1 for ,jamie could     
stand a laugh1 what many a man can't do 
who has stood grape-shot4 ,then they    
circulated reports about his having got 
drunk on different occasions1 and having
 been caught drinking in secret2 and    
some believed them1 being of the same   
mind with the distiller1 who asserted it
 to be mere humbug that any man could   
live without whiskey1 and that wherever 
the croaking cold water society men did 
not drink in the daytime1 they made up  
for it by drinking at night4 ,these evil

 reports1 however1 fell dead after a    
little1 and nobody was vile enough to   
take them up again2 and though attempts 
were made to circulate the lie1 that    
,jamie had grown weak and sickly since  
he gave up drinking1 yet every body who 
looked him in the face saw1 that though 
he had neither a purple nose nor whiskey
 blossoms on his chin1 yet he was       
stronger and healthier than ever2 and   
that he could say1 what every member of 
the ,temperance ,society1 whether       
temperate or intemperate formerly1 can  
say with truth1 after abstaining for a  
single month from distilled spirits1    
that in every sense of the word he is   
better for the change4  ,foiled thus in 
all their attempts1 the opponents of    
,jamie and of temperance rallied strong 
for one last charge2 and as it was      
against ,jamie's weak side--who has not 
a weak side--they already chuckled in   
triumph4 ,jamie had thrown away his     
glass for ever1 but his pipe stuck firm 
between his teeth still4 ,the time was1 

when he was strong and well without     
tobacco1 and when the taste of tobacco  
was disgusting and sickening to him2 but
 respectable people were smoking1 and   
chewing1 and snuffing around him1 and   
when he went to the wake1 the funeral1  
or the evening gathering1 ,why1 thought 
he1 should ,i be singular1 and not take 
a whiff like the rest8 ,he chose        
smoking1 probably1 because he considered
 it to be the most genteel way of being 
dirty and disgusting2 and1 according to 
the general law of habits1 being most   
inveterate where the article used was at
 first most nauseous1 he soon became so 
confirmed a smoker that one-half of what
 he smoked would have kept him decently 
clothed4  ,the lovers of strong drink1  
therefore1 thought that they had ,jamie 
on the hip completely1 when they told   
him that his only reason for giving up  
whiskey was1 that he could not afford to
 buy both it and tobacco2 and promised1 
though with no sincerity1 that they     
would quit drinking if he would quit    

smoking4  ,the reproach stuck like a    
burr to ,jamie's conscience4 ,he asked  
himself again and again1 ,is my use of  
tobacco a stumbling-block in the way of 
any8 ,does it do injury to the great    
cause which has all my heart8 ,he read1 
he thought1 and read and thought again2 
and the more he read and thought1 the   
more was he convinced that the habitual 
use of tobacco in any of its forms is   
useless2 is wasteful of time and money2 
is dirty2 is offensive to others1 and a 
breach of ,christian charity2 is a bad  
example to the simple and young2 is a   
temptation to drunkenness1 and injurious
 to health4 ,he resolved to renounce it1
 and flung the old black pipe from him  
to lift it again no more4 ,thus ,jamie  
was conqueror still2 and his victory was
 one which ,alexander1 the conqueror of 
the world1 could not gain4 ,jamie gained
 a victory over himself1 and he that    
ruleth over his own spirit is better    
than he that taketh a city2 but         
,alexander1 who wept because he had not 

other worlds besides his own to subdue1 
died as a fool dieth1 and sleeps in a   
drunkard's grave4  ,jamie learned an    
important lesson in his victory1 which  
will be of use to him as long as he     
lives4 ,whatever bad habit1 he says1 has
 got hold upon you1 break it of at once4
 ,would you pull your child out of the  
fire cautiously and gradually2 or would 
you out with him at once8 ,so let it be 
with every thing wrong4 ,don't prepare  
for ceasing from sin to-morrow1 or next 
year1 but cease from it now4 ,do so     
yourself2 go right up to your neighbor  
without fear1 and in love tell him to do
 the same1 having this assurance on your
 mind continually1 that what ought to be
 done1 can be done4  ,jamie seemed from 
the commencement1 to have taken for his 
motto1 ,expect great things1 work for   
them1 and you shall have them4 ,work as 
though all depended on self2 pray as    
knowing all to depend upon ,god4 ,he    
knew his place1 and modestly kept it2   
yet when opportunity offered for        

dropping a word on behalf of temperance1
 in the ear either of clergyman or      
layman1 whatever his rank1 he did what  
conscience told him was right towards a 
neighbor and a brother4 ,jamie's pockets
 and hat were filled with tracts1 which1
 as the most suitable plan for his      
shallow purse1 and perhaps1 too1 for    
securing a reading of them1 he generally
 lent1 and sometimes gave away1 to all  
who promised to read4  ,let it not be   
supposed that amidst such active        
benevolence he neglected his own        
business4 ,no2 ,jamie had not learned in
 vain the apostle's maxim1 ,let him     
labor1 working with his hands the thing 
which is good1 that he may have to give 
to him that needeth4 ,it was nothing for
 him to start off half a dozen miles of 
an evening after his work was finished1 
to procure some new tracts1 or attend a 
temperance-meeting1 or read and talk    
kindly to some poor drunkard1 whose wife
 had sent him a hint that her husband   
would be glad to see him2 or else to    

procure the services of some clergyman  
to address the next meeting of his      
,temperance ,society4 ,jamie is one of  
those who imagine that the business of a
 minister of the ,gospel is not finished
 when he has preached a couple of       
discourses on the ,sabbath2 he really   
presumes to say1 that both minister and 
layman should be instant in season and  
out of season1 and like their great     
,master1 going about continually doing  
good4 ,he does not set up for a         
preacher1 nevertheless1 but confines    
himself to his own proper sphere4 ,he   
applied to ministers to address his     
meetings1 and though some few of them   
refused1 telling him significantly that 
they preach the ,gospel1 even when      
,jamie did ask in his simplicity1 if    
,paul forgot his resolution to know     
nothing but ,christ and him crucified1  
when he reasoned of righteousness1      
temperance1 and judgment to come2 yet to
 the honor of the ministry around him be
 it told1 that whenever he got up a     

meeting1 a minister was at ,jamie's     
service to address it4  ,though1 as a   
body1 ,jamie's ,temperance ,society was 
most steady1 yet a few1 and only a few1 
fell4 ,it would be harsh to say that    
some were glad at their fall2 at least  
many temptations were thrown in their   
way2 and when they fell1 a shout of     
triumph was raised against the          
,temperance ,society4 ,such trials as   
these only urged ,jamie on with fresh   
vigor4  ,suppose1 he used to say1 that  
every drunkard should return again to   
drunkenness and ruin2 would not this be 
another proof that truth1 and honor1 and
 principle1 are all as nothing before   
the drunken appetite8 ,would not this be
 a louder and a stronger call to save   
the young1 to stop young sons and       
daughters1 now safe1 from filling the   
place of drunken parents when they are  
gone8 ,what ruins these poor wretches8  
he would ask4 ,is it the mere abuse of a
 good and wholesome thing8 ,no4         
,distilled spirits are tempting1        

deceitful1 and too violently            
intoxicating to be at all habitually    
used with safety2 and as four hundred of
 the ablest doctors now living have     
established1 and unnumbered facts prove1
 they are unwholesome and injurious to  
body and soul4 ,let every man1 then1 for
 his own sake abstain2 and for the sake 
of others too1 especially such as are   
near and dear to him1 ,o let him abstain
 for ever4  ,who1 he would ask1 give    
currency and influence to the absurd    
fooleries which are circulated          
respecting the marvellous excellences of
 spirituous liquors1 while common-sense 
tells that they are of no more use to a 
man than to a cow or horse8 ,not        
drunkards1 surely2 for1 on such a       
subject at least1 they would not be     
believed4 ,who give support and         
respectability to spirit-shops1 and the 
whole spirit-trade8 ,drunkards surely   
could make nothing respectable1 and no  
spirit-seller would put on his          
sign-board1 ,the drunkard's spirit-shop4

 ,again1 he would put it to men's       
consciences to answer1 who give         
respectability and permanence to all the
 treatings and other customs by which   
each successive generation of drunkards 
is trained8 ,there was no getting over  
the undeniable fact1 that moderate      
spirit-drinkers must bear the           
responsibility of all this2 and the more
 the matter was canvassed1 the more     
clearly was it seen1 that the only way  
in which drunkenness can be put down is 
the very way which ,jamie and the       
,temperance ,society proposed--the union
 of the temperate in refraining from    
intoxicating drinks1 and promoting      
temperance4  ,to parents ,jamie         
addressed himself with unwearied and    
anxious importunity4 ,would you object1 
he would say to them1 when other        
arguments had failed--would you object  
to your son becoming a member when going
 away from you to live1 perhaps1 amidst 
the temptations of a large town8 ,would 
you be afraid1 lest keeping him away    

from the temptations of the bottle would
 make him an easier prey to the         
solicitations of the strange woman1     
whose house is the way to death1 and    
whose steps take hold on hell8 ,he met  
with none1 whether spirit-sellers or    
spirit-drinkers1 who were able to resist
 this appeal2 and from this1 as well as 
other causes1 the young formed a large  
and zealous portion of ,jamie's         
,society4 ,the young he was particularly
 anxious to enlist in his cause1 not    
merely because youth is the time of     
truth1 and of open1 warm hearts1 and in 
an especial manner ,god's time1 but     
because he believed spirit-drinking     
parents to be the great agents in making
 their children drunkards4  ,a case     
which happened in his own neighborhood1 
gave him a melancholy confirmation of   
this opinion4 ,a respectable moderate   
drinker1 who only now and then exceeded 
his single tumbler of punch1 had seven  
daughters1 whom he was in the habit of  
treating to a little glass of punch each

 day after dinner4 ,he1 of course1      
considered it good1 and they were soon  
taught to consider it so too4 ,they     
began first to like their one glass2    
then they began to like two glasses much
 better2 one glass called for another1  
till1 in the end1 they found1 according 
to the adage1 that though one glass of  
spirits is too much for any one1 two    
glasses are quite too little4 ,right    
onward they went to drunkenness and     
crime2 for1 alas1 it was too true in    
their case1 as in all others1 that any  
one may be ruined who can be persuaded  
to drink intoxicating liquors4 ,with the
 help of whiskey1 as the murderer said1 
a man can do any thing2 so1 at least1 it
 was with these poor girls2 they are    
living with broken character1 virtue and
 all lost4 ,there is1 however1 one      
exception1 the youngest2 and how did she
 escape8 ,she was too young when her    
father died to be influenced by her     
father's example2 and her father1 with  
the character of a moderate1 regular    

man1 died sitting at table with his     
tumbler of punch before him4            
,principally through the prudent and    
laborious exertions of ,jamie1 a great  
moral reformation has been effected     
throughout an extensive district2 three 
hundred names are enrolled on the list  
of his ,temperance ,society2 wives and  
sisters are blessing him for husbands   
and brothers reformed2 the standard of  
public sentiment in regard to temperance
 has been nobly raised2 people don't    
talk now as formerly of a man's being   
somewhat elevated or tipsy1 or merely   
overtaken1 when he is drunk1 for they   
have learned to call things by their    
right names1 and not practise imposture 
by slang phrases4 ,public resolutions   
have been passed against giving         
spirituous liquor at wakes or funerals1 
churns1 ploughing-matches1 or evening   
parties2 men and women can go to market 
and fair1 buy and sell1 and yet never   
think of treating or being treated with 
spirits2 and what still more fully      

exhibits the extent of the reformation1 
it has reached1 in some cases1 even the 
most degraded victims of iniquity1 some 
of whom at least are now consistent     
members of the ,temperance ,society4    
,arguing on the subject of temperance   
has1 in a good degree1 ceased in the    
neighborhood2 and though a number of the
 old or ill-disposed appear decidedly   
resolved to have their glass1 whatever  
the consequences1 in the spirit of the  
fellow who told his doctor that he loved
 his glass1 and did not care a fig for  
his liver1 yet the young and            
conscientious are becoming more hearty  
in the cause of ,jamie and temperance4  
,nothing gladdened ,jamie's heart more  
than the success which crowned his      
efforts in the ,sabbath-school1 of which
 he is superintendent4 ,spirit-drinking 
he not only knew to be a barrier against
 the progress of the ,gospel1 in        
preventing drunkards from hearing it1   
and grieving away the ,spirit of ,god   
from the moderate drinker1 but he felt  

it to be peculiarly injurious to the    
young1 in often swallowing up that money
 which should be spent in their         
education1 and in withholding from many 
even the poor pittance which should     
cover their nakedness in the            
,sabbath-school and the house of ,god4  
,as1 therefore1 the children of the poor
 had wrung out so much of the bitter    
dregs of spirit-drinking1 he was anxious
 that ,temperance ,societies1 the sworn 
foes of spirit-drinking1 should1 with   
their earliest1 warmest efforts1 return 
blessings to them for years of sorrow1  
oppression1 and wrong4 ,sabbath-school  
teachers1 too1 he saw to be among ,god's
 choicest instruments in the work of    
reform4 ,young1 yet serious1 active1 and
 benevolent1 possessed of the confidence
 of their scholars and their parents1   
and from their own character1 and their 
connection with a noble system of       
,christian enterprise1 exercising a     
mighty moral influence1 wide as the     
world1 what could they not do for the   

regeneration of the public mind1        
especially of that mind which shall be  
all active1 in good or ill1 when the    
present generation are mouldering in the
 grave4  ,he commenced1 therefore1 the  
work of reformation in his own          
,sabbath-school1 and he commenced in the
 right way1 by communicating            
information1 and bringing both teachers 
and scholars to think and apply the     
truth for themselves4 ,he wished none1  
he said1 to join his ranks against the  
great enemy1 but volunteers2 he wished  
for no influence over any one1 but the  
influence of truth1 and no bond upon any
 but the bond of an enlightened         
conscience4 ,he introduced a proposal   
for each teacher in rotation to read an 
interesting extract to the scholars on  
some suitable subject1 and temperance of
 course was not excluded4 ,the mere     
hearing of the principles of ,temperance
 ,societies was sufficient to make      
converts of some of the teachers2 for   
what can be more rational than          

abstaining from intoxicating drinks and 
promoting temperance8 but it was not so 
with others4  ,freethinkers may talk as 
they please about a man having no more  
control over his belief than over the   
hue of his skin or the height of his    
stature1 still it is a simple fact of   
,jamie's experience1 that it is mighty  
hard to convince a man who does not wish
 to be convinced2 and that1 when anybody
 first resolves to continue to drink1 he
 is then marvellously fertile in        
objections against the ,temperance      
,society4  ,one of the teachers         
especially1 who had been at different   
times overtaken by the bottle coming    
from the market or fair1 was so opposed 
to temperance1 that when his turn for   
reading on the subject came1 he had     
still some excuse2 and ,jamie1 without  
in any way wounding his feelings1 was   
prepared with an extract to read for    
him1 till at length1 finding him        
softening down under the influence of   
truth and love1 he1 on one morning of   

his turn for reading1 put an extract    
into his hand1 and said kindly1 ,just go
 out for a little and read it over by   
yourself1 and that will prepare you for 
reading it nicely to the children4 ,he  
did so1 and came in and read it as one  
who felt its power4 ,jamie saw that his 
heart was full1 he knew that now is the 
time for doing good1 and not to-morrow1 
and therefore rising up and proposing   
that a ,temperance ,society should be   
formed in the school1 he put his own    
name to the usual declaration1 ,we      
resolve to refrain from intoxicating    
drinks1 and promote temperance4  ,the   
next man who stepped forward was the    
self-same teacher who had so long       
opposed4 ,children1 said he1 spirituous 
liquor is a bad thing2 it has done me   
harm2 it is doing harm to every thing   
good1 and to show that ,i hate it and   
renounce it1 ,i put down my name4 ,the  
other teachers followed2 the elder      
children followed the noble example of  
their teachers1 and as a proof that they

 knew and felt what they did1 when after
 school-hours on next ,candlemas-day1   
the master of a day-school which some of
 them attended1 brought forth whiskey to
 treat the scholars according to custom1
 the noble little temperance heroes     
rose1 as if by concert1 and marched out 
of the room4  ,while thus ,jamie urged  
on the good work of reforming others1   
his own soul knew the blessings of the  
promise1 ,he that watereth others1 shall
 be watered also himself4 ,after        
renouncing whiskey1 he felt a sweetness 
and power in ,god's word which he had   
never known before4 ,he almost doubted  
whether it could be the same old ,bible 
that he used to read4 ,he had been      
abusing ,god's mercy by indulging in sin
 in time past1 as if in expectation that
 sovereign grace would some moment      
descend in a miracle and drag him to    
holiness and heaven2 but now he saw     
clearly that ,god is sincere in all his 
promises1 and that the gracious         
invitations of the ,gospel mean just    

what they say4  ,his first duty1 he saw 
clearly1 was to give his own self to the
 ,lord4 ,to that ,god of love who asked 
his heart1 he gave it4 ,he heard ,god in
 his word saying1 ,believe on the ,lord 
,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved2
 and he took ,god at his word1 and      
obeyed his command4 ,from what he knew  
to be sin1 he ceased at once2 and what  
,god told him was duty1 he did at once1 
as ,god enabled him1 without stopping to
 calculate consequences1 for he left    
them with his ,maker4 ,he knew that no  
one goes to heaven or hell alone1 the   
influence of the most humble being      
necessarily exerted either for good or  
ill2 and as though travailing in birth  
for immortal souls1 he was each day1 by 
his conversation and example1 saying to 
his neighbor1 ,come with us1 and we will
 do you good4 ,the more heartily and    
fully he obeyed ,god1 the better he     
liked ,god's service2 and the more      
extensive acquaintance he obtained of   
the great salvation of the ,gospel1 the 

more strongly did he feel himself drawn 
by a ,saviour's love to accept1 to      
adorn1 and propagate it4 ,though beyond 
middle life1 he had never celebrated his
 ,saviour's love at the ,lord's table4  
,now1 however1 he saw it to be his duty 
and privilege2 and those whose hearts   
are set on winning souls1 can conceive  
with what holy joy a worthy young       
minister1 whose church ,jamie had lately
 joined1 saw him sitting down to        
commemorate with his fellow-,christians 
the dying love of the great ,redeemer4  
,not unto us1 ,o ,lord1 not unto us1 but
 unto thy name give glory1 for thy      
mercy1 and for thy truth's sake4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,i knew a man by the name of ,d----1 who
 was a very skilful1 robust1 and        
prosperous blacksmith1 and a man of more
 than ordinary intelligence4 ,he yielded
 to the temptation to which his trade   
exposed him1 till he became habitually  
intemperate1 and actually a nuisance to 
the neighborhood4 ,the innkeeper1 who   

was also a store-keeper1 on whom he     
depended for his daily supplies of      
strong drink1 amounting1 it is believed1
 to little less than a barrel and a half
 annually1 at length hired him to       
abstain for one year1 by giving him his 
note of hand of ten dollars4 ,he        
immediately became a calm and peaceable 
man4 ,his health1 and appetite1 and     
business returned to him4 ,and he would 
tell you that the innkeeper had done him
 the greatest kindness he had ever      
received4 ,i was undone1 said he4 ,now  
,i enjoy myself and my family1 and the  
best farm in the town would not tempt me
 to return to the use of ardent spirits4
 ,the poor man kept his resolution till 
the end of the eleventh month1 which it 
seems he had mistaken for the end of the
 year1 and then ventured to indulge a   
little2 and alas1 when ,i saw him last1 
he was dragging his legs along1         
supported by two of his companions1 who 
,i feared were pursuing the same        
miserable course to destruction1 and    

seemed to be lending him their sympathy2
 and he was one of the most loathsome   
and degraded human beings my eyes ever  
beheld4 ,i should not be surprised to   
know that he is now with the dead4 ,may 
my latter end not be like his4          
99       99       99       99       99  
,a respectable merchant in ,p----1      
having long observed that a farmer1 with
 whom he often traded1 was in the habit 
of using ardent spirits to great excess1
 offered one day to give him fifty      
dollars1 if he would drink no more for  
ten years2 except so much as his        
physician should think necessary for his
 health4 ,the farmer agreed to the      
proposition1 and the bargain was        
confirmed in writing4 ,it was not long  
before he felt unwell1 applied to his   
physician1 and bitters were prescribed4 
,he had scarcely begun to use them1 when
 he found that his appetite for ardent  
spirits was returning with almost       
irresistible violence4 ,he foresaw the  
evil that would probably ensue1 threw   

away his bitters1 and dashed his bottle 
to pieces4 ,he drunk no more ardent     
spirits till the ten years had expired1 
when he called on the merchant1 and     
informed him that the conditions of the 
obligation had been1 on his part1       
fulfilled4 ,of course1 then1 said the   
merchant1 you want your money4 ,no1 he  
replied1 ,i cannot take it4 ,i have     
saved far more than my fifty dollars in 
my bills at your store1 and ,i have made
 ten times that sum by attention to my  
business4 ,the merchant has long since  
gone to his rest4 ,the farmer still     
lives1 has a large estate1 and a fine   
family around him1 and is a respectable 
and worthy citizen2 for1 till this day1 
he drinks no ardent spirits4         99 
99       99       99       99           
,,declaration ,,of ,,thirty-,,eight     
,,physicians4  ,the undersigned1        
physicians of ,cincinnati1 feel it their
 duty to express their decided opinion  
in opposition to the habitual1 as well  
as occasional use of ardent spirits4    

,they are convinced1 from all their     
observation and experience1 that ardent 
spirits are not only unnecessary1 but   
absolutely injurious in a healthy state 
of the system2 that they produce many1  
and aggravate most of the diseases to   
which the human frame is liable2 that   
they are unnecessary in relieving the   
effects of cold and fatigue1 which are  
best relieved by rest and food2 that    
their use in families1 in the form of   
bitters1 toddy1 punch1 etc41 is         
decidedly pernicious1 perverting the    
appetite1 and undermining the           
constitution2 that they are equally as  
poisonous as opium or arsenic1 operating
 sometimes more slowly1 but with equal  
certainty4     ,,the ,,wonderful        
,,escape4   ,in the town where ,i reside
 were twelve young men who were         
accustomed1 early in life1 to meet      
together for indulgence in drinking and 
all manner of excess4 ,in the course of 
time1 some of them engaged in business2 
but their habits of intemperance were so

 entwined with their very existence1    
that they became bankrupts or           
insolvents4 ,eight of them died under   
the age of forty1 without a hope beyond 
the grave1 victims of intemperance4     
,three others are still living in the   
most abject poverty4 ,two of these had  
formerly moved in very respectable      
circles1 but now they are in the most   
miserable state of poverty and disgrace4
  ,one more1 the last of the twelve1 the
 worst of all1 remains to be accounted  
for4 ,he was a sort of ringleader2 and  
being in the wine and spirit trade1 his 
business was to take the head of the    
table at convivial parties1 and sit up  
whole nights drinking and inducing      
others to do the same1 never going to   
bed sober4 ,he was an infidel1 a        
blasphemer1 a disciple of ,tom ,paine1  
both in principle and practice1 yet he  
was a good-natured man1 and would do any
 body a kindness4 ,at length he left the
 town1 and went to reside at a distance1
 where1 for a time1 he refrained from   

drinking1 was married1 and every thing  
seemed prosperous around him2 but       
instead of being thankful to ,god for   
his mercy1 and watching against his     
besetting sin1 he gave way to his old   
propensity1 and brought misery on his   
family and friends4  ,one dark night1   
being in the neighborhood of ,dudley1 he
 had been drinking to excess1 wandered  
out of the house1 and staggered among   
the coalpits1 exposed to fall into them1
 and be lost4 ,he proceeded on till he  
fell1 and rolled down the bank of the   
canal2 but ,god1 who is rich in mercy1  
had caused a stone to lie directly in   
his path1 and the poor drunkard was     
stopped from rolling over into the      
water1 where1 by one turn more1 he would
 have sunk into eternal ruin4 ,his      
senses returned for a moment2 he saw    
that if he attempted to stand1 he would 
fall headlong into the canal1 and       
crawled back again into the road4 ,but  
this miraculous preservation had no     
effect upon him2 he merely called it a  

lucky escape4  ,once1 after having      
indulged in many days of intemperance1  
being come a little to his senses1 he   
began to reason with himself upon his   
folly--surrounded with blessings1 yet   
abusing the whole--and in an angry1     
passionate manner1 he muttered1 ,o1 it's
 no use for me to repent2 my sins are   
too great to be forgiven4 ,he had no    
sooner uttered these words1 than a voice
 seemed to say1 with strong emphasis1   
,if thou wilt forsake thy sins1 they    
shall be forgiven4 ,the poor man started
 at what he believed to be real sound1  
and turned round1 but saw no one1 and   
said to himself1 ,i have been drinking  
till ,i am going mad4 ,he stood         
paralyzed1 not knowing what to think1   
till relieved by a flood of tears1 and  
then exclaimed1 ,surely1 this is the    
voice of mercy1 once more calling me to 
repentance4 ,he fell on his knees1 and  
half suffocated by his feelings1 cried  
out1 ,god be merciful to me a sinner4   
,the poor wretch was broken-hearted2 and

 now his besetting sin appeared more    
horrible than ever2 but it must be      
conquered1 or he must perish4 ,then     
commenced a contest more terrible than  
that of conflicting armies2 the soul was
 at stake2 an impetuous torrent was to  
be turned into an opposite course4 ,he  
now began to search the ,bible1 which he
 had once despised4 ,here he saw that   
crimson and scarlet sins could be       
blotted out1 and made white as snow2    
that the grace of ,god was sufficient4  
,he refrained from intemperance1        
commenced family prayer1 and hope again 
revived2 but his deadly foe still       
pursued him1 and he was again overcome4 
,now his disgrace and sinfulness        
appeared worse than ever1 and with      
melancholy feeling he cried out1 in     
anguish of spirit1 that he was doomed to
 eternal misery1 and it was useless to  
try to avert his fate4 ,his cruel enemy 
took this opportunity to suggest to his 
mind that he had so disgraced himself1  
that it would be better to get rid of   

his life at once--frequently the end of 
drunkards4 ,the razor was in his hand2  
but the ,spirit of the ,lord interposed1
 and the weapon fell to the ground4     
,still his enemy pursued him1 and seemed
 to have new power over his sin of      
intemperance4 ,he would sometimes       
refrain for days and weeks1 and then    
again he was as bad as ever4 ,hope      
seemed now to be lost2 especially one   
day1 when1 after having been brought    
into great weakness through             
intemperance1 death appeared to be very 
near1 and his awful state more terrific 
than ever4 ,not a moment was to be lost2
 he cast himself once more at the       
footstool of his long-insulted ,creator1
 and with an intensity of agony cried   
out1 ,what profit is there in my blood  
when ,i go down to the pit8 ,shall the  
dust praise thee8 ,shall it declare thy 
truth8 ,hear1 ,o ,lord1 and have mercy  
upon me2 ,lord1 be thou my helper4 ,he  
sunk down exhausted2 he could say no    
more4 ,that prayer was heard2 and a     

voice from heaven seemed to reply1 ,i   
will help thee2 ,i have seen thy        
struggles1 and ,i will now say to thine 
enemy1 ',hitherto thou hast come--but no
 further4'  ,a physician was consulted  
as to the probability or possibility of 
medicine being rendered effectual to    
stop the disposition to intemperance4   
,the poor man would have suffered the   
amputation of all his limbs1 could so   
severe a method have freed him from his 
deadly habit1 which1 like a vulture1 had
 fastened upon his very vitals4 ,eagerly
 did he begin to take the simple        
medicine prescribed--a preparation of   
steel--with earnest prayer to ,god for  
help in this last struggle for life2 but
 faith and prayer proved the best of    
remedies2 he persevered1 and conquered2 
and be it said to the honor and glory of
 the ,lord ,god ,almighty1 who sent his 
angel to whisper in the poor man's ear1 
,i will help thee1 that from the latter 
end of ,september1 #ahaf1 to the present
 hour1 nearly twenty years1 not so much 

as a spoonful of spirituous liquor1 or  
wine of any description1 has ever passed
 the surface of that man's tongue4 _/   
,the above account of his own           
experience1 was given by ,mr4 ,hall1 a  
merchant of ,maidstone1 ,kent1 at the   
anniversary of the ,british and ,foreign
 ,temperance ,society1 ,may1 #ahcf4     
,mr4 ,hall stated1 in conclusion1 that  
he had since been aiming to be useful to
 his fellow-men1 and had written a      
,tract1 the object of which was to call 
drunkards1 and all sinners to           
repentance1 of which more than one      
hundred thousand copies had been        
circulated4 ,see ,tract ,no4 #cdi4  ,has
 the reader a relative1 friend1 or      
neighbor1 who drinks his daily drams1   
and is plunging into that awful gulf    
which yearly swallows up its thousands  
of victims8 ,let the above history      
suggest a duty1 and encourage to its    
performance4 ,this is not a solitary    
instance of victory obtained over       
powerful and raging appetite4 ,there is 

evidence that tens of thousands of      
persons in the ,united ,states1 who were
 once intemperate1 have become sober1   
useful citizens2 and not a few of them  
ardent ,christians4 ,and this has been  
effected1 not by despising and          
reproaching them1 but chiefly through   
the divine blessing on the kind personal
 influence of friends1 excited by no    
other motive than ,christian benevolence
 and love of their fellow-men4 ,the     
self-despair of the intemperate mind    
arises1 in a great measure1 from the    
conviction that he is an outcast from   
public respect and sympathy4 ,he is     
moved by the language of kindness2 and  
if suitably warned of his danger1 and   
pointed to the way of escape1 may be    
saved from ruin4 ,persuade him to       
refrain till reason resumes her sway1   
and the burning desire for stimulus has 
subsided4 ,a few months will generally  
effect this great change4 ,in his sober 
hours he often weeps over his folly1 his
 ear is open to the voice of friendship1

 and he will yield to kind              
remonstrance--perhaps consent to place  
himself under the care of a temperate   
physician4 ,go to him when alone1 with  
tenderness and love4 ,offer him such aid
 as is needed by himself or family4     
,give him the above history1 in view of 
which none need despair4 ,bring him1 if 
possible1 to the house of ,god4 ,go to  
him again and again1 till you obtain his
 pledge1 to abstinence4 ,follow him with
 kindness4 ,support him in the struggle4
 ,induce him utterly to abandon all that
 can intoxicate1 as his only safety2    
wholly to-refrain from the place and the
 company where intoxicating drinks are  
used2 and in dependence on ,christ1     
humbly to offer the prayer1 ,hold thou  
me up1 and ,i shall be safe4 ,interest  
yourself in his welfare1 and persevere  
till you gain the glorious triumph--the 
conquest of an immortal mind1 that may  
diffuse blessings on every side in this 
life1 and be a star in the ,redeemer's  
crown of glory for ever4   ,,published  

,,by ,,the ,,american ,,tract ,,society4
     ,,the ,,eventful ,,twelve ,,hours2 
,,or1  ,,the ,,destitution ,,and        
,,wretchedness ,,of ,a ,,drunkard4      
,illustration3 ,drunk's ill wife        
fainting   ,it is a sorrowful heart1    
said ,i to myself1 as ,i raked over the 
dying embers upon the hearth1 to throw a
 transient gleam of light over my dreary
 cottage--,it is a sorrowful heart that 
never rejoices2 and though ,i am        
somewhat in debt at the ,blue ,moon1 and
 the landlady of the ,stag has over and 
over again said she'd never trust me1   
still she has not yet refused me1 only  
at first4 ,many's the shilling ,i have  
paid them both1 to be sure1 said ,i1    
rising involuntarily and going to the   
cupboard3 ,i had better take a mouthful 
before ,i go out1 for it's no use to    
wait any longer for ,mary's return4     
,just at this moment the eldest of my   
two children inquired in a piteous tone1
 if that was mother4 ,your mother8 no1  
said ,i2 and what if it was1 what then8 

,because1 father1 continued the child1  
,i thought perhaps she had brought a    
loaf of bread home1 for ,i am so hungry4
 ,hungry1 child1 said ,i2 then why did  
you not ask me before you went to bed8  
,because1 father1 ,i knew there was no  
bread4 ,when mother sent me to get a    
loaf this morning at the grocer's1 ,mrs4
 ,mason said our last month's bill had  
not yet been settled1 and she could not 
trust any more2 and so we have only had 
a few potatoes4 ,when mother went out to
 look for work1 she promised to bring a 
loaf home very early4 ,why1 ,jane1 said 
,i1 this is a new story--what1 is there 
nothing at all in the house8 ,no1       
father1 nothing2 and that is not all1   
father2 mother cried this morning about 
it when she went out2 and though she    
never uses bad words1 said something    
about cursed drink3 she said she should 
be back before dark1 and it has now been
 dark a long time1 and hark1 how it     
rains4  ,the fire flickered up a little1
 and at this moment the latch of the    

door clicked2 ,i peeped up through the  
gloom1 a pang of conscious shame        
stealing through my frame2 but it was   
not my wife1 as ,i of course            
supposed--it was ,mrs4 ,mason4 ,i was   
surprised and confused4 ,where is your  
wife1 ,james8 said she1 in a mild1 firm 
tone4 ,is that mother8 said my child    
again1 in a rather sleepy tone2 ,i am so
 glad you are come1 ,i am so hungry4    
,that child1 said ,i1 has gone to bed   
without her supper to-night1 fumbling   
about at the same time upon the         
mantel-piece for a bit of candle1 which 
,i could not find4 ,yes1 said ,mrs4     
,mason1 very gravely1 and without its   
dinner too1 ,i fear2 but where is your  
wife1 ,james8 for ,i am come to see     
whether she brought any thing home with 
her for herself and family2 for ,i could
 not feel comfortable after ,i had      
refused your child a loaf this morning1 
just as ,i know the refusal was4 ,i now 
stammered out something about sorry1 and
 ashamed1 and bad times4 ,but where is  

your wife1 ,james8 ,she is1 perhaps1 at 
neighbor ,wright's1 said ,i1 briskly1   
glad to catch an opportunity of a       
minute's retreat from my present awkward
 position2 ,i'll just step and see4     
,jane1 get up1 child4 ,no1 ,james1 said 
,mrs4 ,mason1 in a tone not to be       
misunderstood2 no1 ,james1 ,i wish she  
was sitting by their comfortable        
fireside2 ,i called in there just now1  
as ,i came along1 to pay a little bill1 
and they spoke very kindly of your wife1
 and hoped she might be enabled to rub  
through this winter--but ,i will call   
again in half an hour3 ,mary will have  
come home1 ,i hope1 by that time4  ,the 
door closed upon her1 and ,i remained in
 a kind of half stupor2 my month's      
unpaid bill1 my public-house scores1 my 
destitute home2 these and a thousand    
things connected with my situation1 kept
 me musing in no very comfortable frame 
of mind1 when the latch again clicked1  
the door opened1 and through the half   
gleam of one flickering flame1 ,i just  

caught the glimpse of a form1 that in   
the next instant1 cold and wet1 sunk    
lifeless in my arms4 ,it was ,mary4 ,as 
she sunk down upon me1 she just said1   
with a shudder1 ,cold4 ,shall ,i stop to
 tell you of the agony of my mind8      
,shall ,i endeavor to relate a portion  
of the thoughts that chased each other  
with a comet's rapidity through my      
brain2 the remembrance of our past      
comforts1 and our happiness too8        
,recovering after the lapse of an       
instant1 ,i called1 ,jane1 ,jane1 get   
up1 and make haste2 your mother is come 
home1 and is very ill and faint2 get a  
light--she was quickly at my side--get a
 light1 for the little unfriendly flame 
had ceased to burn4  ,but where are you1
 mother8 said ,jane4 ,jane1 child1 said 
,i1 angrily1 your mother is here2 get a 
light directly4 ,we haven't a bit of    
candle1 father4 ,then get some wood out 
of the back room--break up some little  
bits--,o1 do make haste4 ,we haven't a  
bit of wood1 father4 ,child1 child--    

,yes1 father1 but we haven't any4 ,my   
poor wife at this moment gave a kind of 
sob1 and with a slight struggle1 as if  
for breath1 sunk heavier in my arms4 ,i 
tried to hold her up in an easier       
posture1 calling to her in a tender     
manner1 ,mary1 my dear ,mary2 but my    
sensations and my conscience almost     
choked me4 ,in this moment of anguish   
and perplexity1 my wife1 for aught ,i   
knew1 dead in my arms--without light1   
without fuel1 without food1 without     
credit1 ,mrs4 ,mason returned4 ,jane had
 managed to make the fire burn up1 just 
so as to disclose our wretched          
situation4 ,your wife ill8 said ,mrs4   
,mason1 hastily stepping forward--very  
ill1 ,i fear1 ,james1 and wet and       
cold--run hastily1 ,james1 reaching     
herself a broken chair1 and call in     
,mrs4 ,wright1 and place your wife on my
 lap4 ,this ,i immediately did1 and as  
,i opened the door to go out1 ,i heard  
,mrs4 ,mason ask ,jane to get a         
light--and shame made me secretly       

rejoice1 that ,i had escaped the        
humiliation1 for the present1 of        
confessing that we had not even a bit of
 a candle in the house4  ,mrs4 ,wright  
was preparing for supper3 they were     
regular and early folks1 and my heart   
sunk within me when1 in my hurry1 ,i    
unceremoniously opened the door--,i mean
 the contrast ,i saw between their      
cottage and my own2 a clean cloth was   
laid1 with spoons1 and basins1 and      
white1 clean plates1 and knives and     
forks1 with every other necessary       
comfort4 ,wright was sitting with his   
back towards the fire1 with a candle in 
one hand and a book in the other1       
reading to his wife1 who was leaning    
forward1 and just in the act of taking a
 pot off the hanger1 in which it would  
be easy to guess1 was something warm for
 supper4 ,the fire and candle gave a    
cheerful light1 and every thing looked  
comfortable4 ,my wife is taken very ill1
 said ,i1 and ,mrs4 ,mason1 who has just
 stepped in1 begged me to call in your  

help4 ,mrs4 ,mason at your house now8   
said ,mrs4 ,wright2 come1 ,wright1 reach
 me my cloak1 and let us make haste and 
go4 ,we were all at the door1 when ,mrs4
 ,wright said1 ,what1 come to fetch us  
without a lantern8 and ours is at the   
glazier's4 ,what are we to do8 ,the     
distance is very short1 ,i said4 ,yes1  
said ,wright1 but long enough for an    
accident2 how ,i do like necessaries2   
adding1 in an undertone1 as he pulled   
his wife along1 something about enough  
for tavern debts1 but nothing to buy    
necessaries4  ,on opening my cottage    
door1 ,i called out--for no one was in  
the room--,mrs4 ,mason1 are you up      
stairs8 how is ,mary8 here is ,mrs4     
,wright2 shall ,i come up8 ,no one      
answered1 and ,mrs4 ,wright passed me1  
going softly up stairs1 saying1 in a low
 tone1 as she ascended1 ,james1 you had 
better make up a good fire1 and get some
 water heated as fast as you can4 ,again
 ,i was aghast4 ,get some water heated1 
said ,i2 and the wretchedness of our    

bedless bed and furnitureless room      
crossed my mind at the same time4 ,mrs4 
,mason1 at this moment1 leaned over the 
banisters1 and said1 in a soft voice1   
,james1 fetch the doctor1 and lose no   
time2 make haste1 for life may depend on
 it4 ,my wretchedness seemed now        
complete2 the very fire of delirium and 
confusion seemed to seize upon my brain2
 and hastily calling out to ,jane to    
attend upon ,mr4 ,wright1 ,i snatched up
 my hat1 and pushed by my neighbor      
without heeding some inquiries he had   
begun about the necessaries that were   
then so much required4  ,it rained1 and 
was very dark2 the road to the doctor's 
was not the best1 and he lived rather   
more than a mile off2 it was impossible 
to proceed faster than a slow1 cautious 
walk4 ,i was now alone1 and1 in much    
bitterness of spirit1 began to upbraid  
myself1 and those companions of my folly
 who had led me on to habits that had   
first disgraced1 and then brought me to 
severe ruin4 ,with what vivid brightness

 did the first year of our marriage1 its
 comforts and its hopes1 again pass     
before me2 and when my mind led me on   
through all its changing scenes1 up to  
the moment when ,mrs4 ,mason1 in her    
low1 subdued tone of voice1 called to me
 to fetch the doctor1 and to mind ,i    
lost no time2 ,i could only realize my  
wife as dying1 and myself the cruel     
tyrant who had1 by neglect1 ill usage1  
and partial starvation1 brought her to  
an untimely end4  ,when ,i entered the  
doctor's house1 ,is that you1 ,james    
,king8 said he1 sharply2 do you want me8
 ,yes1 sir1 said ,i2 my wife is very    
ill1 and ,mrs4 ,mason1 who called in    
just at the time she was taken1 desired 
me to come and to request your          
attendance upon her4 ,i am afraid1 sir1 
it is no little affair4 ,mrs4 ,mason1   
,mrs4 ,mason1 said the doctor2 ,i am    
inclined to think ,mrs4 ,mason has      
better drugs in her shop for your wife's
 complaint1 than my shop affords1 and ,i
 expect ,i shall have to tell her so4 ,i

 hung down my head with shame2 ,i       
understood what he meant4 ,he then moved
 towards the door1 putting on his       
greatcoat as he walked along4 ,but stop1
 said he1 just as we got to the outer   
door1 how did you come--no lantern8 ,i  
can carry your lantern before you1 sir1 
said ,i4 ,yes1 said he1 and ,i may bring
 it back4 ,but ,i will return with you1 
sir2 my wife will most likely want some 
medicine4 ,yes1 ,james1 said he1 and if 
she does1 ,i shall want the money longer
 still4 ,i had no word to reply1 it was 
no time to begin being independent4 ,the
 doctor's large glass lantern was       
brought1 and our journey back was       
quickly performed4 ,i should have       
thought a great deal of giving #gs4     
#f;d4 for such a lantern1 if ,i had     
really required just such an one2 yet ,i
 had paid as many pounds on my scores1  
and thought nothing at all about it4    
,on getting home1 ,i found that somehow 
it had been managed to make up a good   
fire1 and the tea-kettle was boiling1   

and ,mrs4 ,mason was just making a      
little tea4 ,how is ,mary8 said ,i1     
hardly daring to look ,mrs4 ,mason in   
the face4 ,well1 ,mrs4 ,mason1 said the 
doctor1 pray what is the matter8 and as 
the doctor spoke1 ,mrs4 ,mason took up  
the jug of tea she had made1 conversed  
with the doctor in an undertone for half
 a minute1 and both walked up stairs1   
leaving me again to reflection1 in fact1
 taking no notice of me4 ,i sunk down   
heavily upon the chair that was beside  
the fire1 in a state of exhaustion1 and 
while ,i was wondering where all this   
would end1 was aroused by the cry of    
,james1 ,james1 the doctor says your    
wife must put her feet into warm water2 
so bring up some directly1 ,james1 in a 
large pan or bucket1 or any thing that  
is handy2 pray1 make haste2 and before  
,i could reply1 for ,i doubted whether  
there was either1 the door was shut1 and
 again ,i was placed in a new           
difficulty4 ,however1 ,i found an old   
leaky pail and an old broken pan2 so ,i 

set the pail into the pan to catch the  
leakage1 and together1 they did         
tolerably well2 but ,i felt considerable
 shame as ,i handed this lumbering      
affair up stairs1 well knowing it would 
call forth some remark4  ,i had just    
again seated myself at the fire1 when   
the doctor1 in no very gentle tone1     
called out1 ,james1 here1 man1 take this
 paper to my office2 ,mr4 ,armstrong    
will give you some physic for your wife1
 and then it will be twice given1 for ,i
 suppose you will never pay for it4 ,i  
stared at him1 or rather paused and     
hesitated--who could tell why8 was it   
the taunts ,i was thus obliged to       
endure2 or was it bodily exhaustion8 ,i 
had eaten all the food my poor ,mary had
 put into my basket for my breakfast2   
and1 as it appeared1 all she had in the 
world2 yet ,i had managed to borrow     
sixpence at noon1 intending to buy me a 
loaf and cheese1 and half a pint of beer
 for my dinner2 but venturing upon half 
a pint of beer first1 ,i called for     

another2 and1 becoming thirsty1 for a   
pint2 and so my dinner and my           
afternoon's work were both lost         
together4 ,it must now have been nearly 
ten o'clock1 and ,i had tasted no food1 
as ,i said before1 since breakfast4 ,i  
felt faint1 and well ,i might2 however1 
with a heavy step and a heavier heart1  
taking up the doctor's lantern1 and     
looking round upon the empty            
wretchedness before me1 ,i again set out
 for the doctor's4 ,and did ,i not also 
think over neighbor ,wright's           
comfortable1 cheerful room1 and his     
boiling pot2 while ,i1 who had that day 
spent a borrowed sixpence upon beer1 had
 not even a crust of bread for myself or
 family8 ,and did ,i forget the pence1  
and then the shillings1 and then the    
pounds ,i had paid at public-houses2    
selling1 and pawning my bed from under  
me1 and my clothes from off my back1 and
 all to gain misery and want1 and lose  
my good name8  ,mr4 ,armstrong was a    
kind-hearted young man1 and soon        

prepared the medicines1 and by kind and 
cheerful hopes concerning my poor ,mary1
 and a little civil conversation1 raised
 my spirits1 and ,i walked back somewhat
 lighter of heart2 but ,i was thoroughly
 wet1 and the cold rain pierced my very 
marrow1 for ,i was wearing summer       
clothing in the winter season--,i had no
 other4 ,cold and wet1 exhausted and    
miserable1 ,i once more lifted the latch
 of my own cottage door4 ,the candle was
 dimly burning4 ,my fears arose1 and my 
heart sunk within me3 ,is ,mary worse8  
said ,i4 ,she is no better1 said ,mr4   
,wright1 who was sitting over the dying 
embers--no better--heavy work1 ,james4  
,i placed the medicine upon the table1  
and sat down1 exhausted and wretched4   
,whose situation so low1 could he have  
known all1 that would not have pitied   
me8 ,wright rose1 and carried the       
medicines up stairs2 and in another     
minute all was the stillness of death4  
,i could have borne any thing but       
this--at least ,i so felt--but under    

this oppressive stillness1 my feelings  
gave way in torrents of tears1 and every
 moment brought a fresh accusation      
against myself for my past doings2 and  
again ,i looked around me1 as well as my
 tearful eyes and dimly-lighted room    
would allow1 and contrasted all with    
,john ,wright's4 ,so comfortable1 said  
,i1 involuntarily4 ,indistinct sounds   
and cautious steppings were now heard   
above2 and while ,i was raising myself  
up to listen1 in order to catch1 if     
possible1 something that would acquaint 
me with the state of my poor ,mary1 the 
bedroom door opened1 and down came      
,wright and his wife1 the latter        
carefully lighting the doctor1 ,mrs4    
,mason being close behind him4 ,i tried 
to recover myself a little1 and to      
assume something like the appearance of 
courage2 and in a half-choked1 coughing 
voice1 said1 ,how is my poor wife1 sir8 
,the doctor1 with a severity of manner1 
and imitating my manner of speaking1    
replied1 ,you should have coughed       

sooner1 ,james2 then turning to ,mrs4   
,mason1 said1 ,remember1 quiet is the   
best medicine now2 indeed1 it is food   
and medicine in her present state2 don't
 teaze her about any thing2 at half     
past1 mind--and again at twelve1 until  
the pain subsides1 when sleep will      
follow4  ,i shrunk back at the words    
half past1 which reminded me that ,i had
 not even a twenty-shilling clock in the
 house4  ,james1 said the doctor1 have  
you no time in the house8 ,no1 ,i       
suppose not1 he answered himself4 ,well1
 then1 you must guess at it2 oh dear1   
bad work indeed4 ,come1 ,james1 put that
 bit of candle into the lantern2 ,i hope
 it does not rain now4  ,wright opened  
the door1 and ,i walked out with the    
lantern1 the doctor following1 and1     
buttoning his coat closely round him1   
remarked upon the darkness of the night4
 ,i walked on with an unsteady step1    
feeling as if every yard of ground ,i   
strode over would be the last4 ,but1    
urged on by my situation1 ,i reached the

 doctor's house without any remark from 
him upon my wearied step1 and pulled his
 bell in rather a hasty manner4  ,you   
are in a hurry1 ,james1 said he1 you    
forget the time of night2 a gentle pull 
would have waked the attendant without  
disturbing my family4 ,my family are    
very regular1 ,james1 and ,i make it a  
rule never to disturb them when it can  
be avoided2 perhaps you think such      
things of no consequence3 regularity1   
,james1 and sobriety1 are two very      
principal things in a family4  ,by this 
time the attendant appeared1 and1 giving
 him the lantern and thanking the doctor
 for his kind attention1 ,i left the    
door to return home4 ,the door closed1  
and my situation was a very painful one2
 the sudden change from light to utter  
darkness obliged me to stand still a few
 minutes before ,i could venture to     
move1 but a world of sensations ran     
through my mind1 and distracted me more 
than ever2 the weakness of my body      
prevented my checking its sensations2   

and1 could ,i have weighed in the       
balance of reason1 to say nothing of    
religion1 at this moment1 all foolish1  
sinful pleasures--falsely so called--of 
drinking1 with the distress of mind and 
weariness of body ,i then endured1 and  
had endured on this one single night1   
how light would they have seemed4 ,yes1 
even if ,i had not included the loss of 
positive property and health4  ,once    
again1 then1 ,i reached my home4 ,all   
was still2 but soon ,mrs4 ,mason came   
down4 ,before ,i could speak1 she said1 
,mary is better1 ,james2 she has fallen 
into a nice sleep4 ,she spoke kindly1   
and looked kindly4 ,i tried to answer   
her1 but my feelings choked me2 and     
seeing my effort to suppress them1 she  
continued1 ,god has dealt very          
mercifully1 ,james1 towards you1 in so  
blessing the means that have been used2 
but you have had no supper2 you will    
find some nice warm soup by the side of 
the fire there2 ,mrs4 ,wright sent it in
 for you1 by her husband1 when she      

returned home3 come1 ,james1 eat it     
while it is warm1 it will do you good2  
your little girl and boy have both had  
some1 and they are now warm in bed and  
fast asleep4  ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,wright are
 very kind1 ,i added1 and you are kind2 
what should ,i have done but for you and
 them8  ,done1 ,james8 said she mildly2 
done1 ,james8 see how ,god orders his   
dispensations2 'in the midst of wrath he
 remembers mercy1' and ,i trust he has  
purposes of mercy in this event towards 
you and your family2 but beware1 ,james1
 for the ,bible expressly says1 ',my    
son1 despise not the chastening of the  
,lord2' and again1 'whom the ,lord      
loveth1 he chasteneth4' ,but eat your   
supper2 ,i will step up stairs and see  
if your wife is still sleeping1 and if  
she is1 ,i will come down and chat a    
little with you4  ,as she went softly up
 stairs my eyes followed her1 and ,i    
said to myself1 ,this is one of your    
religious ones1 is it1 that ,i have so  
often joined in jeering at8 ,surely ,i  

ate my supper with a thankful heart1 and
 was much strengthened by it4 ,mrs4     
,mason soon returned1 and stepping into 
the back room1 where ,jane lay1 and her 
little brother1 brought out three or    
four billets of wood1 and a cheerful    
fire was soon made2 so that with my     
warm1 nourishing supper1 the cheerful   
fire1 and ,mrs4 ,mason's mild and       
cheerful countenance and manner1 ,i     
regained my spirits1 and a considerable 
portion of my strength4 ,after a little 
pause1 she said1  ,james1 when ,mary    
recovers1 if it should please ,god to   
order it so1 great care will be required
 lest she should relapse4 ,you would not
 wish to lose her1 ,james2 she has1 ,i  
believe1 been a kind and affectionate   
wife to you1 and a tender mother to your
 children4 ,when you were first married 
every thing went well with you1 and it  
was a remark ,i often made of you as a  
neighbor1 that you wanted nothing but   
the true fear of ,god in your heart1 and
 faith in our blessed ,saviour1 to make 

you a pattern to all around you4 ,i used
 often to say a few words to ,mary1 and 
she always received them meekly1 but ,i 
seldom saw you1 and your manner never   
gave me any encouragement to talk to you
 on religious subjects4 ,james1         
experience has enabled me to make one   
remark1 that absence from divine        
worship1 as a regular or customary      
thing1 is an almost unerring sign of the
 absence of religion from the heart2 and
 it is indeed seldom that ,i have seen  
you in your place on the ,sabbath-day4  
,the ,sabbath is a blessed day when it  
is spent aright4 ,so leaving me1 she    
again went up stairs1 remarking that    
,mr4 ,wright had been home to her house1
 to explain the cause of her absence1   
7and as ,i tolerably well guessed1 this 
partly explained the mystery of fire and
 candle1 and tea and sugar1 and bread17 
adding1 ,mrs4 ,wright will come in at   
daylight1 and will stay with ,mary1 and 
that will allow me to attend to my      
morning's business3 you know1 ,james1   

the ,bible says1 'diligent in business1 
fervent in spirit1 serving the ,lord4'  
,i longed to go and see my poor ,mary1  
but ,i was not asked1 and ,i supposed it
 right that it should be so4 ,i now     
thought of my poor children2 and going  
into their room1 ,i felt distressed to  
find them so badly provided with        
bed-clothes4 ,i kissed them1 and        
secretly prayed1 in a kind of way1 that 
,i might be spared to care more for them
 than ,i had lately done4 ,i sat down1  
and began to reflect upon all the       
circumstances of the past day1 and of   
this eventful night2 but ,i soon fell   
into a sound sleep1 which continued     
until ,mrs4 ,mason awoke me1 informing  
me that it was nearly daylight1 and     
reminded me of her intentions to return 
home to her duties as soon as ,mrs4     
,wright should arrive4 ,and why wait for
 ,mrs4 ,wright1 madam8 said ,i2 surely  
,i can attend upon ,mary now1 or at     
least until ,mrs4 ,wright does come4 ,it
 is very natural1 said ,mrs4 ,mason1    

that you should desire to attend upon   
your wife1 and think yourself capable of
 doing so2 but my most particular       
directions from the doctor were1 not to 
allow you to see your wife1 if ,i could 
prevent you1 until he had seen her once 
more2 and you may remember1 ,james1 in  
how grave a manner he directed she might
 not in any way be teazed1 nor--but1    
,james1 to deal honestly with you1 and  
rightly as ,i consider it1 whatever may 
be your future conduct to your wife1    
your behavior to her for these last     
three years has not been quite kind2 and
 as grief and depression have very much 
to do with her present illness1 we are  
all of opinion that you had better      
refrain from going to see her until she 
is more composed4 ,you have bruised1    
,james2 seek now to heal4  ,i was       
touched with the reproof2 ,i was1       
perhaps1 more touched by the manner4    
,mrs4 ,mason was one who sought to win  
souls3 she won my esteem and confidence1
 and ,i felt that if ,mrs4 ,mason could 

talk to me thus1 ,i had still something 
to lose4 ,i went to call ,mrs4 ,wright4 
,on my return1 ,mrs4 ,mason was up      
stairs1 but she had placed nearly a     
whole loaf and a piece of butter on the 
table1 and some tea and sugar1 and the  
kettle was singing by the fireside4     
,these were times of deep thought to me4
 ,on ,mrs4 ,wright's arrival1 ,i thanked
 her for her great kindness1 and hoped  
better times were in store4 ,yes1 she   
replied1 better times may be in store   
for you2 ,i hope they are2 you have     
certainly bought your corn at a very    
dear market lately1 but you may find a  
better one to go to yet4 ,mrs4 ,mason   
now appeared1 and ready to go home2 the 
morning had just fully dawned4 ,come1   
,james1 said she1 you must go with me2  
,i want to send back a few things to    
,mary2 and mind1 you must not leave the 
house to-day after your return1 and your
 little girl ought to be sent to account
 for your absence from work--that is1   
,james1 if--  ,if1 madam8 said ,i       

quickly2 if what8  ,yes1 ,james1 if you 
think you can maintain a new character1 
and desire really to become again1 what 
,i well remember you once was1 a        
respectable man2 yes1 ,james1 a         
respectable man2 for remember1 that word
 is the just right of every man who acts
 as every man ought to do4 ,the word    
seems to surprise you3 it is a sad      
mistake that seems insensibly to have   
crept into common acceptance in these   
days1 that respectability must mean     
something belonging rather to riches and
 rank1 than honesty and uprightness of  
character2 respectability is as much the
 birthright of yourself as of young     
'squire ,mills2 indeed1 ,i may say that 
on this point1 you both started in life 
exactly equal3 his father was indeed    
respectable in every sense of the word2 
and your father was certainly nothing   
behind him2 both faithfully discharged  
the duties of that station 'into which  
it pleased ,god to call them1' and this 
,i consider1 from the king to the       

cottager1 is to be respectable2 but1    
,james1 the young 'squire is as         
respectable a man1 ,i am happy to say1  
as his father was1 and why should not   
you become as respectable as yours8 ,i  
have lived to see many changes1 but the 
change ,i most mourn over1 is the change
 of principle in my neighbors4 ,their   
respectability seems to be exchanged for
 finer clothes and fewer fireside1 fewer
 home comforts2 and ,i happen also to   
know1 that if very much of the grain    
that has been made into poisonous beer  
and whiskey had been made into good     
wholesome bread1 both you and ,i1       
,james1 should have been better off1 ,i 
think1 than we are now1 for ,i have had 
my struggles as well as you2 so have    
many others4 ,i have worked early and   
late1 taking care of the pence1 to      
maintain my respectability2 yet1 let me 
again repeat it1 your father and mother 
were respectable to the day of their    
death1 and many in this village would   
gladly see their only child following   

their footsteps1 and seeking the same   
inheritance they now possess 'in        
mansions in the skies4' ,but the road   
leads down hill to vice and folly1 and  
,i might add1 the gulf of ruin lies at  
the bottom2 you may be far down it2 ,i  
fear you are1 yet there is a hand that  
even now beckons to you1 and says1      
',turn1 turn1 ,i have no pleasure in the
 death of him that dieth2 wherefore turn
 and live3' but1 ,james1 you are not    
ignorant of your ,bible4  ,i tried to   
conceal my emotions1 for it was a very  
long time since ,i had heard such words 
as these4 ,my ,bible and the house of   
,god had been long entirely neglected4  
,mrs4 ,mason perceived that ,i was      
affected1 and moving towards the door1  
said1 ,yes1 ,james1 it is a slippery1   
down-hill path that leads to ruin1 and  
many there be that walk therein4 ,heaven
 may be said to lie upward1 yet 'its    
ways are ways of pleasantness1 and all  
its paths are peace4' ,but come1 it is  
broad daylight1 and ,i must hasten home4

  ,as we passed neighbor ,wright's      
cottage1 ,i had not forgotten the       
comfort that was within1 and ,i said    
secretly1 ,i'll see what's to be done4  
,the arrival of ,mrs4 ,mason at home    
seemed to give to all the liveliest     
pleasure and satisfaction2 and their    
inquiries after my poor wife were made  
with a kindliness of manner that        
surprised me4 ,they respect her1 said ,i
 to myself2 they took little notice of  
me1 yet treated me with more civility   
than ,i had a right to expect4 ,mrs4    
,mason soon put up a few little things  
and directed me to give them to ,mrs4   
,wright1 and weighing me a pound of     
bacon1 and putting a large loaf and half
 a pound of cheese into the basket with 
it1 with some soap and candles1 said1 ,i
 shall charge these to your bill1       
,james4 ,patty1 go into the garden and  
cut ,james a couple of nice cabbages2 ,i
 dare say he will know what to do with  
them4 ,having had this unexpected       
provision made me for the day1 and      

receiving parting words of encouragement
 from this kind friend1 ,i returned     
home4 ,i found my children up and       
washed1 and breakfast ready4 ,mrs4      
,wright had kindly done this4 ,jane     
looked cheerful1 and my little ,harry   
came edging towards me1 as if he did not
 know what to make of all this4         
,mother's so ill1 ,jane says1 father--is
 she2 is she1 father8 looking up in my  
face as ,i sat down1 is she8  ,she is   
better now1 my boy1 ,i said4  ,better1  
father8 who made her ill8 you didn't    
make her ill1 did you1 father--nice     
bread1 father--did mother bring this    
nice bread home1 father8 speak1 father1 
you don't speak4  ,i could not trust    
myself to answer2 so ,i rose1 for ,i was
 much affected at the thought that ,mrs4
 ,mason had cared for these babes and   
their mother1 but ,i had neglected them1
 and foolishly squandered away their    
comforts and even their necessary bread4
  ,mrs4 ,wright went home2 but returned 
soon after we had finished breakfast2   

and by the time ,i had put things a     
little to rights1 the doctor called4    
,his ,well1 ,james1 filled me with no   
very pleasing sensations4 ,i hope we    
shall have a change1 eh1 ,james8 and    
passing on1 went up stairs4 ,ah1 thought
 ,i1 ,i hope so too1 for ,i know what   
you mean4 ,he soon came down2 said my   
wife might get up if she liked1 taking a
 little care1 and1 after to-day1 give   
her a pill every noon for dinner off a  
loin of mutton1 eh1 ,james8 ,a few more 
broiled pills for her1 and a pint less  
of liquor for you1 and your old father  
and mother would soon come to life      
again4 ,your savings' bank is at the    
tavern1 and the landlady of the ,stag   
keeps your accounts1 ,i believe1 eh1    
,james8 ,i shall charge you nothing for 
this4 ,this was the doctor4 ,i received 
his reproofs humbly1 and certainly      
thought1 you have been very kind1 but ,i
 also thought1 you are not ,mrs4 ,mason4
  ,soon after this1 my poor ,mary came  
down stairs1 and ,i at once confessed my

 sorrow for my past conduct1 and my     
determination to drink no more2 and1 to 
conclude1 my wife slowly recovered1 and1
 ,i may add1 ,i recovered also2 but ,i  
was very far down the hill1 and         
consequently found it a long and hard   
tug to get up again2 but ,mrs4 ,mason   
encouraged me1 ,mrs4 ,wright helped me1 
the doctor cheered me1 ,mr4 ,armstrong  
praised me1 our kind minister instructed
 me1 my wife assisted me1 and1 as a     
crowning point of all1 the blessing of  
,god rested on me4 ,i worked hard1 ,i   
prayed in my family1 ,i paid my debts1  
,i clothed my children1 ,i redeemed my  
bed1 ,i mended my windows1 ,i planted my
 garden and sold garden stuff1 instead  
of buying2 ,i bought me a wheel-barrow1 
,i mended my chairs and table1 ,i got me
 a clock2 and now here ,i am1 but never 
shall ,i forget ,john ,wright or his    
wife1 how long soever ,i may remember my
 other kind friends1 and most of all1   
,mrs4 ,mason4 ,but there were no        
temperance societies in those days1 or  

,i think ,i should have been reclaimed  
sooner4     ,,the ,,lost ,,mechanic     
,,restored4  ,illustration3 ,reformed   
drunk re-employed   ,near the close of  
#ahca1 says ,mr4 ,c----1 of ,hartford1  
,conn41 ,i was requested by a pious and 
benevolent lady1 to take into my employ 
a young man who had become intemperate4 
,i objected that the influence of such a
 man would be injurious to my other     
workmen1 and especially my apprentices4 
,but the kind-hearted lady urged her    
request1 saying that he was willing to  
come under an engagement not to drink at
 all1 and to conform strictly to all the
 regulations of the establishment2 that 
she received him into her family when a 
boy1 and felt a deep interest in his    
welfare2 that he had learned a trade1   
and was an excellent workman2 had become
 hopefully pious1 and united with one of
 our churches2 had married a very worthy
 young woman1 but his intemperance had  
blasted his fair prospects4 ,he was now 
sensible of his danger2 and she believed

 his salvation for this1 if not for a   
future world1 would turn on my decision4
  ,i consented to make the trial2 and he
 came1 binding himself1 by a written    
contract1 to receive no part of his     
wages into his own hands1 and to forfeit
 whatever should be due to him1 in case 
he became intoxicated4 ,he succeeded    
remarkably in my business1 was          
industrious and faithful1 and strictly  
temperate and regular in all his habits4
  ,but in the summer of #ahcb1 he was by
 some means induced to taste again an   
intoxicating drink1 and a fit of drunken
 insanity ensued1 which continued about 
a fortnight4 ,knowing that his wife had 
some money1 he gave her no peace1 day   
nor night1 till he got possession of it4
 ,he then took the boat for ,new ,york1 
spent the money1 and after bartering    
some of his clothes1 returned1 a most   
destitute and wretched object4  ,after  
he had become sober and rational once   
more1 ,i happened to meet him in the    
street1 and asked him why he did not    

come to work as usual4 ,with a voice    
trembling and suppressed1 and with a    
look of grief1 self-reproach1 and       
despair that ,i shall never forget1 he  
said1 ,i can never come into your shop  
again4 ,i have not only violated my     
contract with you1 but ,i have treated  
you with the basest ingratitude1 proved 
myself unworthy of your confidence1 and 
destroyed the last hope of my           
reformation4  ,i assured him of my      
increased desire for his welfare2 he    
returned to his employment1 and his     
attention to business evinced the       
sincerity of his confessions4  ,but not 
more than three months had elapsed      
before he was taken again in the toils  
of his old deceiver2 and at this time he
 was so furious and unmanageable1 that  
he was arrested and committed to the    
workhouse4 ,he was soon released1 and   
engaged once more in my business4 ,he   
continued for about two months1 when he 
fell again2 and after a frenzy of a     
week1 came to me and begged me to take  

him to the workhouse1 as the only means 
by which he should get sober4 ,he       
remained there a few days1 and then     
returned to his work4  ,such was his    
history3 a few months sober1            
industrious1 and obliging in my shop2   
kind1 attentive1 and affectionate in his
 family2 then a week furiously drunk1   
absent from my shop1 violent and abusive
 in his family2 then at the workhouse2  
and then sober1 and at home again4  ,he 
had already been excommunicated from the
 church for his intemperance1 had become
 a terror to his wife1 who frequently   
sent for me to protect her from his     
violence1 and seemed to be utterly      
abandoned4  ,in the month of ,may1      
#ahcc1 he was again missing2 and no one1
 not even his wife1 knew what had become
 of him4 ,but in the course of the      
summer she received a letter from him1  
in which he said he had got employment1 
and wished her1 without informing me    
where he was1 to come and live with him4
 ,she accordingly removed to his new    

residence1 and ,i heard nothing from    
either of them4  ,about two years and a 
half after this1 he came into my shop   
one day2 but how changed4 ,instead of   
the bloated1 wild1 and despairing       
countenance that once marked him as a   
drunkard1 he now wore an aspect of      
cheerfulness and health1 of manliness   
and self-respect4 ,i approached1 took   
him by the hand1 and said1 ,well1 ----1 
how do you do8 ,i am well1 said he1     
shaking my hand most cordially4 ,yes1   
said ,i1 well in more respects than one4
 ,yes1 ,i am1 was his emphatic reply4   
,it is now more than two years since ,i 
have tasted a drop of any thing that can
 intoxicate4 ,he began by abstaining    
from ardent spirits only2 ,but1 said he1
 ,i soon found that what you had so     
often told me was true2 that ,i could   
not reform but by abstaining from all   
that can intoxicate4 ,i have done so1   
and you see the result4  ,i then        
inquired after the health of his wife   
and child3 his reply was1 ,they are well

 and happy4 ,i asked him if his wife    
made him any trouble now4 ,trouble1 said
 he1 no2 and never did make any3 it was 
,i that made the trouble4 ,you told me  
so1 and ,i knew it at the time4 ,but    
what could ,i do8 ,so long as ,i        
remained here1 ,i could not turn a      
corner in your streets without passing a
 grog-shop4 ,i could not go to my meals 
without coming in contact with some     
associate who would try to entice me to 
drink with him2 and even the keepers of 
these shops would try every artifice to 
induce me to drink2 for they knew that  
if they could get me to taste once1 ,i  
should never know when to stop1 and they
 would be sure to get a good bill       
against me4  ,i have now come1 said he1 
to tell you why ,i left you4 ,it was    
because ,i knew that ,i should die if ,i
 did not leave off drinking1 and ,i saw 
distinctly that ,i could never leave off
 while ,i remained in ,hartford4 ,my    
only hope was1 in going where liquor was
 not to be had4  ,about two years and a 

half after this1 he applied to me for   
further employment1 as the business he  
was following had failed4 ,i told him   
there was no man whom ,i should rather  
employ1 but ,i could not think of having
 him encounter again the temptations    
which he had so miraculously escaped4   
,he very pleasantly replied1 ,i am a man
 now1 and do not believe ,i have any    
thing more to fear from the temptations 
of the city than you have4  ,i told him 
that ,i had confidence in the firmness  
of his purpose1 but feared to see it put
 to the test4 ,yet1 as he was out of    
business1 ,i consented2 and no man that 
,i ever employed did better1 or was more
 deserving of confidence and respect4   
,he continued with me till spring1 when 
he proposed to take his work into the   
country1 so that he could be with his   
family3 the arrangement was made1 and ,i
 employ him still4  ,on the fourth of   
,july last1 7#ahci17 the ,sunday-schools
 in the town where he resides made      
arrangements for a celebration1 and ,i  

was invited to be present and address   
them4 ,as ,i looked upon the audience1  
the first countenance that met my eye   
was that of this very man1 at the head  
of his ,sunday-school class4 ,the sight 
almost overwhelmed me4 ,instead of a    
loathsome1 drunken maniac--a terror to  
his family and a curse to society1 whose
 very presence was odious1 and his      
example pestilential--he was then1 in   
the expressive language of ,scripture1  
clothed1 and in his right mind2 and was 
devoted to the heavenly work of guiding 
children to ,christ and salvation4 ,he  
had made a public profession of         
religion1 which he was daily honoring by
 a life of ,christian meekness and      
sobriety4  ,o1 who can comprehend the   
tide of domestic joy1 of social         
happiness1 and of ,christian consolation
 which flows through the heart of this  
man and his family1 in consequence of   
this change in his habits8  ,now1 what  
was the cause of this surprising change8
 ,what wrought this wonderful           

transformation in this individual8 ,the 
whole story is told in one short line4  
,he went where intoxicating liquor was  
not sold4 ,had he remained in this city1
 he would probably long since have been 
laid in the drunkard's grave4           
,,published ,,by ,,the ,,american       
,,tract ,,society4     ,,reformation    
,,of ,,drunkards4   ,truly we live in an
 age of wonders4 ,under peculiar        
influences1 hundreds and thousands of   
once hopeless drunkards are becoming    
sober men--yet the work of reform has   
but commenced4 ,it is computed that     
there are in the land no less than five 
hundred thousand habitual inebriates4   
,the condition of each individual calls 
for sympathy and aid1 that he may become
 a sober man1 and through the blessing  
of ,god1 gain eternal life4  ,for       
drunkenness there is and can be no      
apology2 but the condition of the       
drunkard is often pitiable in the       
extreme4 ,however gradual1 or           
respectable1 may have been his progress 

in the descent called temperate         
drinking1 the appetite now is formed    
within him--the drunkard's appetite4    
,wretched man6 ,he feels what not       
faintly resembles the gnawing of the    
worm that never dies4 ,he asks for help4
 ,there are times when he would give    
worlds to be reformed4 ,every drunkard's
 life1 could it be written1 would tell  
this in letters of fire4 ,he struggles  
to resist the temptation1 causes himself
 to be shut up in prison1 throws himself
 on board a temperance ship for a       
distant voyage1 seeks new alliances and 
new employments1 wrestles1 agonizes1 but
 all in vain4 ,he rises to-day but to   
fall to-morrow2 and amid disappointment 
and reproach1 poverty and degradation1  
he says1 ,let me alone1 ,i cannot live1 
and plunges headlong to destruction4    
,who will come to his rescue8 ,who will 
aid in the deliverance of thousands of  
thousands from this debasing thraldom of
 sin and ,satan8 ,our aid they must     
have4  ,their number demands it4 ,half a

 million1 chiefly adults1 often heads of
 families1 having each a wife and       
children1 making miserable a million and
 a half of relatives and friends4 ,they 
pass1 too1 in rapid succession4 ,ten    
years is the measure of a generation1   
and if nothing is done to save them1 in 
the next forty years two millions may be
 swept into eternity4  ,their personal  
degradation and suffering require it4   
,what would we not do to pull a neighbor
 out of the water1 or out of the fire1  
or to deliver him from ,algerine        
captivity1 or wrest him from the hand of
 a pirate or midnight assassin8 ,but    
what captivity1 what pirate1 what       
murderer so cruel as ,alcohol8  ,their  
families plead for it4 ,the innocent and
 the helpless1 the lambs1 in the paw of 
the tiger1 and that tiger a husband and 
father4 ,amid hungering and thirsting1  
cold and nakedness1 humiliation and     
shame1 sufferings which no pen can      
describe1 they ask for aid4  ,the good  
of the community demands it4 ,while they

 live as they do1 they are only a moth  
and a curse4 ,the moment they are       
reformed1 society is relieved of its    
greatest burden4 ,the poor-house and the
 jail become almost tenantless4  ,the   
practicability of a sudden and complete 
reform of every drunkard in the land    
calls for it4 ,this1 science has denied4
 ,religion has only said1 ,with man it  
is impossible1 but not with ,god2 for   
with ,god all things are possible4 ,but 
science yields to experiment1 and       
religion marches on joyful in the       
footsteps of ,providence4 ,thousands    
among us say1 ,how it has been done1 we 
know not4 ,one thing we know1 that      
whereas once we were drunkards1 now we  
are sober men4  ,but above all1 the     
salvation of the soul makes it          
indispensable4 ,temperance is not       
religion4 ,outward reformation is not   
religion2 but by this reform a great    
obstacle is removed1 and thousands of   
these miserable men may be brought into 
the kingdom of ,god4 ,the strong chain  

that has been thrown around them by the 
prince of the power of the air1 is      
broken4 ,they may be approached as they 
never could be before4 ,conviction of   
sin is fastened upon their conscience4  
,gratitude inspires their bosoms4 ,good 
men are1 of choice1 their companions4   
,the dram-shop is exchanged for the     
house of ,god4 ,a ,bible is purchased4  
,their little ones they bring to the    
door of the ,sabbath-school4 ,they flee 
affrighted from the pit2 and1 through   
grace1 many lift up their hands         
imploringly to heaven1 as the only      
refuge for the outcast1 the home for the
 weary4 ,this has been the operation of 
the reform in ,england4 ,of thirty-five 
thousand reformed drunkards in that     
country1 fifty-six hundred have become  
members of ,christian churches1 having  
hope in ,god and joy in the ,holy       
,ghost4 ,so it has been in ,scotland2   
many there now sing of grace and glory4 
,so it manifestly is in ,america1 and so
 will it be more and more around the    

world1 as ministers and ,christians meet
 them in kindness and lead them to the  
waters of salvation4  ,but what can we  
do8 ,how can we aid the poor unfortunate
 drunkard8 ,this is the question4  ,all 
can do a little4 ,some can do much4     
,every man can get out of the way of his
 reform2 cease setting him an example   
which proves his ruin2 cease selling him
 an article which is death to the soul2 
discountenance the drinking usages of   
society1 and those licensed and         
unlicensed dram-shops which darken the  
land4 ,every man can speak an           
encouraging word to the wretched        
inebriate2 tell him of what is doing in 
the land1 allure him and go with him to 
the temperance-meeting1 and urge him to 
sign the pledge2 and when he has signed1
 comfort and strengthen him1 give him   
employment1 give him clothing2 and if he
 falls1 raise him up1 and if he falls   
seven times1 raise him up and forgive   
him4  ,try it1 ,christian brother4 ,i   
know your heart beats in gratitude to   

,god for what he has done2 that he has  
raised up a new instrumentality for     
rescuing thousands of our race from the 
lowest degradation4 ,it is a token of   
good for our country and the world4     
,enter into this field of labor4 ,you   
know the grace of our ,lord ,jesus      
,christ2 that though he was rich1 yet   
for our sakes he became poor1 that we   
through his poverty might become rich4  
,go imitate his example2 become poor1 if
 need be1 to save the lost4 ,go out into
 the highways and hedges1 and compel    
them to come in4  ,try it1 ,christian   
philanthropist4 ,it is good neither to  
eat flesh1 nor to drink wine1 nor any   
thing whereby thy brother stumbleth1 or 
is offended1 or made weak4 ,sacrifices  
make the world happy1 and ,god glorious4
  ,try it1 ,christian female4 ,it is    
work for your sex4 ,woman is the        
greatest sufferer from intemperance3    
driven by it from her home2 made an     
outcast from all the comforts of        
domestic love1 while her babes cry for  

bread1 and she has no relief4 ,lost men 
will listen to your words of kindness1  
be cheered by your benefactions1        
encouraged by your smiles4  ,try it1    
young men4 ,have you no companions early
 palsied1 withered1 and scathed by      
alcoholic fires1 treading now on the    
verge of the drunkard's grave8 ,go after
 them in their misery4 ,go1 thanking    
,god that you are not as they are4 ,go1 
believing that you may save them2 that  
they will receive you thankfully2 that  
they must have your help1 or be lost4   
,go1 and be strong in this work4 ,the   
movements of ,providence call you to    
effort for the unfortunate and wretched1
 that you may pull them out of the fire4
 ,what you do in the blessed work1 do   
quickly4 ,o1 if it be in your power to  
save one young man1 do it quickly4 ,run 
and speak to that young man4 ,he will   
thank you for it4 ,his father will thank
 you4 ,his mother will thank you4 ,his  
sisters will thank you4 ,his immortal   
soul1 rescued and saved1 will love you  

for ever4   ,,to ,,the ,,poor           
,,unfortunate ,,drunkard4  ,,my ,,friend
 ,,and ,,brother--,you are poor and     
wretched4 ,a horrid appetite hurries you
 on in the road to ruin4 ,abroad you are
 despised4 ,home is a desolation4 ,a    
heart-broken wife weeps over you1 yet   
does not forsake you4 ,she hopes1 she   
waits for your reform and for better    
days4 ,conscience bids you stop4 ,but   
appetite1 companions1 and custom say1   
,one glass more4 ,that is a fatal glass4
 ,you rise but to fall again1 and you   
feel that you can never reform4 ,but you
 ,,can ,,reform4 ,thousands and         
thousands around you have reformed1 and 
would not for worlds go back to         
drinking4 ,they are happy at home2      
respected abroad2 well dressed2 well    
employed2 have no thirst for the        
dreadful cup4 ,they feel for you4 ,they 
say1 ,come thou with us1 and we will do 
thee good4 ,come sign the pledge1 the   
pledge of total abstinence4 ,in this is 
your only hope4 ,this is a certain cure4

 ,touch not1 taste not1 handle not rum1 
brandy1 whiskey1 wine1 cider1 beer1 or  
any thing that intoxicates1 and you will
 be a new man1 a happy man4 ,begin now4 
,try it now in the strength of the      
,lord4 ,from this good hour resolve that
 none of these accursed drinks shall    
ever enter your lips4 ,the struggle may 
be severe1 but it will soon be over4    
,say then1 ,come life1 come death1 by   
the help of ,god ,i will be free4       
,,published ,,by ,,the ,,american       
,,tract ,,society4     ,,tom ,,starboard
  ,,and  ,,jack ,,halyard4  ,a          
,,nautical ,,temperance ,,dialogue4     
,illustration3 ,tom ,starboard and ,jack
 ,halyard   ,,jack4 ,halloo1 shipmate2  
what cheer8 ,mayhap1 however1 you don't 
choose to remember an old crony4  ,,tom4
 ,why1 ,jack1 is that you8 ,well1 ,i    
must say1 that if you hadn't hailed me  
,i should have sailed by without knowing
 you4 ,how you're altered6 ,who would   
have supposed that this weather-beaten  
hulk was my old messmate ,jack ,halyard1

 with whom ,i've soaked many a hard     
biscuit1 and weathered many a tough gale
 on old ,ocean8 and then you used to be 
as trim in your rigging as the ,alert   
herself2 but now it's as full of ends as
 the old ,wilmington brig that we used  
to crack so many jokes about at         
,barbadoes4 ,give me another grip1 my   
hearty1 and tell me how you come on4    
,,jack4 ,bad enough1 ,tom--bad enough4  
,i'm very glad1 however1 to overhaul you
 again1 and to find you so merry1 and   
looking so fat and hearty4 ,the world   
must have gone well with you1 ,tom4     
,,tom4 ,you may well say that1 ,jack1   
and no mistake4 ,the world has gone well
 with me4 ,my appetite is good1 my sleep
 sound2 and ,i always take care to have 
a shot in the locker1 and let alone a   
snug little sum in the seamen's         
savings-bank1 that ,i've stowed away for
 squally times1 or when ,i get old1 so  
as to be independent of hospitals and   
retreats1 and all that sort of thing4   
,and what's more to the purpose1 ,jack1 

,i try to have a clean conscience--the  
most comfortable of all2 don't you think
 so8  ,,jack4 ,why yes1 ,tom1 ,i do     
think that a clean conscience must be a 
very comfortable thing for a man to     
have4 ,but ,i can't brag much of mine   
now-a-days2 it gives me a deal of       
trouble sometimes4  ,,tom4 ,ah1 that's  
bad1 ,jack--very bad4 ,but come1 let me 
hear something about you since we       
parted1 some four years or so ago4      
,where have you last been1 in what      
craft1 etc48 ,give me a long yarn3 you  
used to be a famous hand at spinning    
long yarns1 you know1 ,jack4 ,don't you 
remember how angry old copper-nosed     
,grimes used to get when the larboard   
watch turned in1 and1 instead of        
sleeping1 we made you go ahead with the 
story you were on1 which made him wish  
us all at ,davy ,jones' locker8 ,ha1 ha1
 ha4  ,,jack4 ,o yes1 ,tom1 ,i remember 
it all very well2 but--  ,,tom4 ,and    
then1 don't you recollect how we used to
 skylark in the lee scuppers with those 

jolly fellows1 ,buntline and            
,reeftackle1 until the ,luff had to     
hail1 and send a ,middy with his        
compliments to the gentlemen of the     
larboard watch1 and to say1 that if     
quite agreeable to them1 less noise     
would be desirable8 ,i say1 ,jack1 you  
seem to have forgotten all these funny  
times in the ,alert4 ,cheer up1 man2    
don't be downhearted4 ,give me your     
flipper again2 and if you are really in 
trouble1 you may be sure1 that as long  
as your old messmate ,tom ,starboard has
 a shot in the locker1 or a drop of     
blood in his veins1 he'll stand by ,jack
 ,halyard--aye1 aye1 to the last4       
,,jack4 ,thank you1 ,tom--thank you4    
,you were always an honest fellow1 and  
meant what you said2 so let us steer for
 the sign of ,the ,jolly ,tar1 round the
 corner1 and over a bowl of hot flip    
we'll talk over old times1 and--  ,,tom4
 ,avast there1 ,jack--avast1 my hearty4 
,none of your hot flip1 or cold flip1 or
 any other kind of flip for me4 ,the    

burnt child dreads the fire1 as the old 
proverb says2 and ,i am the child that  
was once pretty well scorched3 but now  
,i give it a wide berth4 ,if you will   
come with me to my quiet boarding-house1
 ,,the ,,sailor',s ,,home1 ,i will be   
very glad to crack a joke with you2 but 
you won't catch me in any such place as 
,the ,jolly ,tar1 ,i can tell you4 ,i   
mind what the old ,philadelphia ,quaker 
said to his son1 who1 as he was once    
coming out of a house of ill-fame1 spied
 old ,broadbrim heaving in sight1 and   
immediately wore ship4 ,the old chap1   
however1 who always kept his weather-eye
 open1 had had a squint of young        
graceless1 and so up helm and hard after
 he cracked1 and following him in1      
hailed him with1 ,ah1 ,obadiah1         
,obadiah1 thee should never be ashamed  
of coming out--thee should always be    
ashamed of going in4 ,no1 no1 ,jack1 ,i 
side with friend ,broadbrim3 ,i won't   
enter such places4  ,,jack4 ,well1 ,i   
don't know1 ,tom1 but that you are about

 half right4 ,i think1 myself1 that ,the
 ,jolly ,tar is not what it's cracked up
 to be4 ,i am sure that neither the     
landlord nor the landlady look half as  
kindly on me as they did when ,i first  
came in1 with plenty of money in my     
pocket4 ,indeed1 they have been pretty  
rough within the last few days1 and tell
 me that ,i must ship1 as they want my  
advance towards the score run up1 of the
 most of which ,i am sure ,i know       
nothing2 but it's always the way4       
,,tom4 ,yes1 ,jack1 it's always the way 
with such folks4 ,the poor tar is       
welcomed and made much of as long as his
 pockets are well lined2 but let them   
begin to lighten1 and then the smiles   
begin to slacken off2 and when the rhino
 is all gone1 poor ,jack1 who was held  
up as such a great man1 is frowned upon1
 and at last kicked out of doors3 or if1
 mayhap1 they have let him run up a     
score1 he is hastily shipped off1       
perhaps half naked1 and the advance is  
grabbed by the hard-hearted landlord1   

who made poor ,jack worse than a brute  
with his maddening poison4 ,oh1 ,jack1  
how my heart has bled at witnessing the 
cruel impositions practised upon our    
poor brother sailors by these harpies4  
,but come1 ,i want to hear all about my 
old messmate4 ,if ,i am not greatly out 
of my reckoning1 grog is at the bottom  
of all your troubles1 and long faces1   
and sighs1 and groans4 ,cheer up1 ,jack1
 and unbosom yourself to your old friend
 and pitcher4  ,,jack4 ,well1 ,tom1 as  
,i know you to be a sincere fellow1 ,i  
will unbosom myself4 ,you were never    
nearer your right latitude than when you
 said that grog was at the bottom of my 
troubles4 ,yes1 grog has pretty nearly  
used up poor ,jack ,halyard4 ,a few     
years ago ,i was a light-hearted1 happy 
fellow1 and only drank because others   
did--not that ,i liked the taste        
particularly in those days1 but ,i did  
it for good-fellowship1 as it was       
called2 and moreover1 ,i did not like to
 seem odd2 and when ,i shipped on board 

the man-of-war1 where it was served out 
to us twice a day1 ,i soon became fond  
of it4 ,and you know we both used to    
long for the sun to get above the       
fore-yard1 and for the afternoon middle 
watch1 that we might splice the         
main-brace4 ,sure ,i am that it was     
there ,i first took a liking to the     
stuff2 and ,o1 ,tom1 don't you think the
 government will have much to answer    
for1 in putting temptation in the way of
 us poor sailors8 ,instead of being our 
protector1 it is our seducer4 ,our blood
 will stick in its skirts4  ,,tom4 ,yes1
 ,jack1 ,i think that ,uncle ,sam has a 
great deal to answer for on that tack2  
and ,i can say1 too1 that the love of   
rum that ,i acquired in the government  
service had pretty nearly fixed my      
flint1 both for this world and the next4
 ,but still1 ,jack1 it wont do for      
seamen to drink grog because the        
government supplies it1 and think to    
excuse themselves by blaming it4 ,no1   
no2 that is a poor excuse4 ,men who     

brave the dangers of the mighty deep1 as
 our class do1 and face death in every  
form with unshrinking courage1 ought to 
be able to resist such a temptation4 ,it
 will be a poor reason to hand in to the
 ,almighty when the angel summons all   
hands before his dread tribunal1 in     
palliation of our drunkenness and the   
sins committed by us when under the     
influence of liquor1 that the           
government1 instead of comforting us1   
and fortifying us against heat and cold1
 etc41 with coffee1 and tea1 and other  
wholesome small stores1 poisoned our    
bodies and souls with vile rum4 ,no1    
indeed1 ,jack1 that will avail us naught
 in that awful day2 and it will be poor 
consolation in the drunkard's hell1 to  
blame the government4 ,but go on4       
,,jack4 ,well1 when the ,alert's cruise 
was up1 and we were paid off1 about a   
dozen of us went to lodge with old      
,peter ,hardheart1 at the sign of the   
,foul ,anchor2 and as we had plenty of  
money1 we thought we would have a       

regular blow-out4 ,so ,peter got a      
fiddler and some other unmentionable    
requisites for a jig1 and we had a      
set-to in firstrate style4 ,why1 our    
great frolic at ,santa ,martha1 when    
,paddy ,chips1 the ,irish carpenter1    
danced away his watch1 and jacket1 and  
tarpaulin1 and nearly all his toggery1  
you know1 and next morning came scudding
 along the beach towards the ,alert1 as 
she lay moored near shore1 and crept on 
board on all-fours1 like a half-drowned 
monkey1 along the best bower1 wouldn't  
have made a nose to it4 ,well1 next     
morning ,i had a pretty smart touch of  
the horrors1 and felt rather muddy about
 the head2 but old ,peter soon set us   
agoing again1 and we kept it up for     
three days and three nights1            
carriage-riding1 and dancing1 and       
drinking1 and theatre-going1 etc42 and  
we thought the world was too little for 
us3 when all at once old ,hardheart took
 a round turn on us with1 ,i'll tell you
 what it is1 you drunken swabs1 ,i'll   

not have such goings-on in my house--my 
house is a decent house--you must all   
ship2 yes1 ship's the word4 ,i must have
 the advance--you're more than a month's
 wages apiece in my debt4 ,tom1 ,i was  
sober in an instant4 ,my conscience     
smote me4 ,in three days ,i had         
squandered the wages of a three years'  
cruise1 and had not a dollar left to    
take to my poor old mother in the       
country1 whom ,i had intended to go to  
see after the frolic was over1 and give 
all my money to4 ,o ,tom1 what a poor1  
pitiful1 sneaking wretch ,i felt that ,i
 was4 ,the two letters that ,i had      
received from her during my absence--so 
kind1 so affectionate1 and so full of   
fervent prayers to ,god that her poor   
boy might be preserved from the         
temptations that beset the sailor1 and  
be brought safely back to her widowed   
arms--rushed to my remembrance1 and     
overwhelmed me with grief2 and ,i--,i1  
who ought to have denied myself even    
innocent gratification until ,i had     

ministered to her wants1 had forgotten  
the best of mothers1 and had spent all  
of my hard earnings with the vilest of  
the vile4  ,,tom4 ,poor ,jack1 my heart 
bleeds for you2 but cheer up1 and go on4
  ,,jack4 ,well1 to shorten a long      
story1 ,i was the next day bundled1 when
 about three sheets in the wind1 on     
board a merchantman1 with an empty      
chest1 although it was winter1 old      
,hardheart nabbing the whole of my      
advance2 and for two or three days1     
,tom1 ,i suffered awfully from the      
horrors4 ,i thought ,i was already in   
the hell to which the wicked who don't  
repent must go4 ,awake1 asleep1 at the  
helm1 on the yard1 in the storm1 in the 
calm1 everywhere ,i was haunted with the
 remembrance of my ingratitude to my    
poor dear mother--to her who had watched
 over me in helpless infancy and        
childhood2 who had prayed over and for  
me so much2 who had pinched herself to  
give me a snug outfit when ,i first went
 to sea2 and who ,i knew had strained   

her poor old eyes in watching for the   
loved form of her ,jack--for the papers 
must have apprised her of the arrival of
 the ,alert two days after we got in4   
,but1 dear old woman1 she watched in    
vain2 ,jack had forgotten his best      
friend2 he had herded with beasts1 and  
had became a beast himself4 ,o ,tom1    
what a miserable wretch ,i was4 ,i      
sometimes tried to read in the ,bible   
that she had given me1 but it seemed as 
if every verse was a fiery scorpion     
stinging me for my crimes and           
ingratitude4 ,as the ship in which ,i   
was1 sailed under the temperance clause1
 ,i could get no liquor on board1 and ,i
 determined to shun the accursed thing  
ever after2 to turn over a new leaf in  
my log-book of life2 to save my money2  
and to become a steady1 sober lad1 so   
that ,i might after a while be made a   
mate1 and then a master1 and have a shot
 in the locker for my dear old mother4  
,these good resolutions lasted as long  
as ,i had no liquor2 but you will see   

that they vanished like smoke when ,i   
came ashore1 on the return of the       
vessel4 ,as the wind was light in the   
bay in coming up1 we were boarded by    
several boats from sailor               
boarding-houses1 and among the rest by  
old ,hardheart4 ,when ,i saw him ,i     
fairly gritted my teeth with rage1 for  
,i had not forgotten how he treated me  
before2 but he came up to me in so kind 
a manner1 and inquired so affectionately
 after my health1 and seemed to feel    
such a real interest in me1 that ,i     
swallowed all his blarney and coaxing1  
and at last agreed to stop with him     
again for the night that ,i would be in 
the city1 intending1 the moment that we 
should be paid off next day1 to steer   
straight for my old mother1 if1 mayhap1 
my cruelty had not broken her heart2 and
 moreover1 determining not to drink a   
drop of liquor in his house4  ,,tom4    
,dear ,jack1 ,i trust that you were able
 to keep that resolution4  ,,jack4 ,you 
shall hear1 ,tom4 ,when we got to old   

,peter's1 ,i found1 as usual1 a good    
many people in the house2 and the old   
woman and the girls were rejoiced to see
 me again1 as they made out4 ,the old   
woman at once proposed that we should   
celebrate my safe return in the big     
punch-bowl2 but ,peter said1 ,no1 ,jack 
has turned cold-water man1 and he can't 
drink2 but we'll drink for him4 ,i      
observed that ,peter sneered whilst he  
said this1 and so did all the rest1 and 
it galled me a good deal4 ,while the    
punch was brewing1 some of the men      
whispered1 ,white-liver--poor sneak--no 
sailor2 and after the punch had passed  
round amongst them once or twice1 ,i    
thought ,i would just take one swig1 to 
show them that ,i was not the poor sneak
 they took me for1 and no more4 ,but1   
,tom1 that one swig sealed my doom3     
,,the ,,danger',s ,,always ,,in ,,the   
,,first ,,glass4 ,the men cheered1 and  
said they knew ,i was a man1 and a real 
seaman1 by the cut of my jib1 and that  
,i was too good for the ,temperance     

,society2 and the girls cast            
sheep's-eyes at me1 and said that ,i was
 just the chap to run away with a       
woman's heart1 and that my eyes were not
 made for the good of my soul1 and      
such-like foolish and wicked talk4 ,my  
weak head could not stand the punch1 nor
 my vain heart the flattery1 and ,i was 
soon regularly used up4 ,instead of     
having a dollar to take home to my poor 
old mother1 ,i found myself1 in a few   
days1 the second time penniless2 was    
forced to ship again2 got back2 the same
 scenes were acted over2 and here ,i am1
 the miserable wretch that you see      
me--light in purse1 sick in body1 and   
tormented in mind2 the past a curse1 the
 future despair4  ,,tom4 ,well1 ,jack1  
,i must say1 that your case is hard     
enough4 ,but don't despair1 my boy4     
,many a poor fellow who has hung to a   
plank in mid-ocean until he thought it  
was surely all over with him1 has been  
picked up and saved4 ,the same kind     
,providence who has watched over us1 and

 preserved us in so many dangers1 will  
not desert us4 ,what we have to do is1  
to turn from every evil way1 and humbly 
trusting in the merits of ,christ our   
,saviour1 look up to him for mercy1     
repent of all sin1 and resolve1 in his  
strength1 to fear and obey him in       
future4 ,and ,i trust1 ,jack1 that all  
will yet be well with you2 and ,i       
rejoice that ,i have wherewithal to give
 you a lift towards fitting you out1 and
 heading you off towards your old       
mother4  ,,jack4 ,a thousand thanks1    
,tom--a thousand thanks4 ,a friend in   
need is a friend indeed4 ,you have      
lightened my mind of a heavy cargo of   
care by your kind offer1 made with the  
frankness of a sailor1 and which ,i must
 gratefully accept4 ,and now that ,i    
have finished my long and mournful yarn1
 it is your turn2 and to tell the truth1
 ,tom1 ,i am exceedingly anxious to hear
 all about you4 ,so heave ahead4  ,,tom4
 ,well1 ,jack1 here goes4 ,you know when
 we left the ,alert we had plenty of    

rhino in our pockets4 ,so ,i intended to
 steer straight for my native village1  
in the state of ,pennsylvania1 where ,i 
had left my old father and a sweet1 dear
 little sister1 three years before1 to  
cheer their hearts with a sight of their
 sailor-boy1 and to make them           
comfortable with the cash4              
,unfortunately1 as ,i passed through    
,philadelphia1 ,i went with some wild   
fellows to the theatre--to so many the  
gateway to hell--and having grog enough 
aboard to make me pretty crank and      
foolish1 ,i soon found myself in the    
third tier among the painted fire-ships2
 and as the proverb says1 ,when the wine
 is in1 the wit is out1 so ,i was led as
 the simple one of ,scripture1 like an  
ox to the slaughter4 ,truly1 ,jack1 her 
house is the way to hell1 going down to 
the chambers of death4 ,the consequences
 you may readily imagine4 ,i was made to
 drink until ,i was quite insensible2   
was robbed of all my money1 and then    
turned out of doors into the cold       

street4 ,when ,i came to myself it was  
nearly sunrise1 and ,i could not imagine
 how ,i had got there4 ,my head swam1 my
 bones ached1 and ,i felt as if it was  
blue ,monday with me4 ,i staggered off  
not knowing where ,i was or whither ,i  
went1 for half an hour or more1 when ,i 
sat down on a flight of steps1 and fell 
asleep4 ,when ,i awoke1 all the horrors 
of my situation rushed upon my mind2 and
 ,o1 ,jack1 ,i felt the raging hell in  
my bosom that you did when ,hardheart   
first shipped you off4 ,how sunk and    
degraded in my own eyes4 ,i determined1 
however1 upon going home1 as the        
distance was short--only fifteen        
miles--and a bitter journey it was1     
,jack4 ,i thought on my madness and     
folly1 and wondered1 with the poor      
ignorant ,indian1 why people would put  
an enemy into their mouths to steal away
 their brains4 ,instead of going to meet
 my dear father and sweet little sister 
with a joyous face and a pocket full of 
money1 with which to make their hearts  

sing for joy1 ,i was returning1 like the
 prodigal son1 from feeding upon husks  
with swine--poor1 and with a heavy heart
 and a gnawing conscience4 ,o the hell1 
,jack1 of a bad conscience4 ,it is the  
beginning of the existence of the worm  
that never dies1 and of the fire that is
 never quenched4 ,it is a foretaste of  
that eternal hell prepared for those who
 persist in violating ,god's holy laws4 
,well1 ,i reached home at last1 and a   
sad home ,i found it4 ,the sand of my   
dear father's glass was almost run      
out--the poor old man was about slipping
 his cable4 ,but ,o1 ,jack1 how happy he
 looked2 and so calm and resigned to the
 will of his heavenly ,father1 as he    
said--ready to set sail on the great    
voyage of eternity1 or to stay and      
weather more of the rough gales of      
adversity in this life1 just as ,god    
pleased4 ,he held out his thin1 white   
hand to me1 and welcomed his boy1 and   
thanked the ,lord that he had given him 
a sight of me before his eyes were      

scaled in death4 ,my poor sister hung   
weeping on my neck4 ,but1 ,jack1 bad as 
,i then felt1 ,i felt a thousand times  
worse when my dear old father beckoned  
me to him1 and laying his hand on my    
head1 prayed that ,god--his ,god1 the   
,friend who had stood by him in every   
gale and tempest of life1 and proved    
true to him till the last--would bless  
his dear boy ,thomas1 and take him into 
his especial keeping1 and lead him to   
the blessed ,jesus2 and finally1 when   
the voyage of life was over1 that we all
 three might join the dear mother who   
had gone before us1 at the right hand of
 the throne of ,god1 to bless and praise
 his holy name for ever4 ,he then put   
,susan's hand into mine1 and blessed us 
both again1 and said1 ,thomas1 ,i leave 
this dear1 precious girl with you2 watch
 over her1 cherish and protect her1 and 
be to her both father and brother4 ,may 
the great ,god bless you1 my dear       
children1 and make you his4 ,i have but 
little time to say more1 for the icy    

hand of death is on me2 my ,saviour     
beckons1 and ,i must away4 ,come1 ,lord 
,jesus4 ,with these words the glorified 
spirit of my beloved father winged its  
flight to mansions in the skies--to that
 rest prepared for the people of ,god2  
and ,i was left with my weeping sister1 
almost stupefied with grief4 ,three days
 after1 the clods of the valley covered 
the mortal remains of my honored parent1
 and then poor ,sue and ,i felt that we 
were all in all to each other4 ,i told  
her of all my troubles1 and that ,i had 
robbed her by my vileness2 but the dear 
girl kissed me1 and said1 ,dear brother1
 do not mourn on my account2 ,i am young
 and healthy1 and can easily support    
myself by my needle2 but mourn on your  
own account--mourn over your sins1 and  
your ingratitude to the great ,being who
 has upheld you and preserved you in so 
many dangers1 known and unknown1 on the 
mighty deep4 ,and promise me1 dear      
brother1 that you will never touch      
another drop of liquor again2 it will be

 the first step towards reformation4    
,,jack4 ,poor dear girl4 ,of course1    
,tom1 you promised8  ,,tom4 ,aye1 aye1  
,jack1 ,i did promise2 and what's more1 
,i kept my promise4 ,but you must know  
how ,i was able to do it4 ,before ,i    
left the village a great                
,temperance-meeting was held there1 and 
several of the friends of the cause     
delivered addresses1 in which they      
showed so clearly and conclusively the  
great evils resulting from the use of   
spirituous liquors1 that nearly every   
body in the village signed the pledge of
 total abstinence--at least1 all of the 
respectable part of the community1 and  
even a good many sots who had been given
 up as incorrigible4 ,o ,jack1 if you   
had heard the awful accounts they gave  
of broken-hearted wives and beggared    
children2 of the widows and orphans made
 by rum2 of the misery and degradation  
attendant upon it2 of the crimes        
committed under its influence--robbery1 
murder1 suicide--leading to the         

penitentiary1 the gallows1 and death1 it
 would have made your blood freeze in   
your veins4 ,and these accounts were all
 true1 ,jack1 for many of the horrible  
scenes had taken place about the        
neighborhood4  ,,jack4 ,i don't doubt it
 at all1 ,tom4 ,and moreover1 ,i believe
 that not one half of the misery caused 
by rum--no1 not the thousandth part1 is 
ever known by the public4 ,many an      
injured wife and suffering and ruined   
child have concealed the history of     
their woes from the eye and ear of the  
world1 and buried their sorrows deep in 
their own bosoms4  ,,tom4 ,true1 ,jack1 
or breathed them only to their ,god1    
whose ear is always open to the cry of  
the afflicted1 and whose hand is always 
ready to aid them4 ,well1 ,i signed the 
pledge1 which ,i am sure has a great    
effect in restraining one when tempted  
to swerve2 for what man of honorable    
feelings would wilfully violate his word
 and promise--and a few weeks after1    
having fixed my sister comfortably with 

a pious milliner1 ,i went to            
,philadelphia1 and there shipped with a 
temperance captain for a ,south         
,american port4 ,o ,jack1 what a blessed
 voyage that was to me4 ,on the first   
day out1 all hands were called aft to   
the break of the quarterdeck1 when the  
captain1 who was a pious man1 told us in
 a few words1 that it was his practice  
to have family worship every morning and
 evening in the cabin1 and he hoped that
 all his men would cheerfully unite with
 him4 ,the captain was so kind in his   
manner1 and appeared to be so sincere1  
and as he seemed1 moreover1 to regard us
 as human beings with immortal souls1   
and not as brute beasts1 out of whose   
muscles and sinews he cared only to get 
plenty of work1 we all willingly        
consented4 ,so at sundown all hands were
 mustered in the cabin1 except the man  
at the helm1 as the weather was mild and
 the ship under easy sail2 and the      
captain prayed fervently that ,god would
 give us a safe and pleasant passage1   

and bring us all to think of our souls4 
,he then read a portion of ,scripture1  
which he explained to us1 and after     
singing a couple of hymns we were       
dismissed4  ,,jack4 ,ah1 ,tom1 good     
captains make good crews1 all the world 
over2 and ,i'll warrant there was       
neither knocking down nor mutiny aboard 
of that vessel4  ,,tom4 ,no1 ,jack2     
there was nothing but peace1 and        
quietness1 and good order2 every man    
knew his place and did his duty2 and the
 captain was like a father to us4 ,he   
had a spare quadrant1 which each of us  
used in turn in taking the daily        
observation1 under his own eye2 and he  
taught us how to work our reckoning2 so 
that in the course of the voyage some of
 us got to know a good deal about       
navigation4 ,and1 ,jack1 ,i had good    
evidence of the value of religion also1 
particularly when we encountered the    
equinoctial gale in the southern tropic1
 and were near going down4 ,then it was1
 ,jack1 when we had lost our            

foretopmast1 and our maintopsail and    
most of our other sails had been blown  
into ribbons2 when the sea had carried  
away nearly all our bulwarks1 and swept 
the decks clear of caboose1 longboat1   
etc42 and the pumps were constantly     
going--at one time to the tune of more  
than a thousand strokes an hour--to keep
 the vessel free2 and the axes were at  
hand1 ready to cut away the masts when  
the worst should come--that our captain 
was calm and collected4 ,he seemed to be
 as patient and submissive to the will  
of ,god1 as if he had been born a       
,christian2 and he gave many a kind word
 of encouragement to his men4 ,what a   
difference there must have been between 
him and the vulgar1 bullying man that   
,sam ,bowsprit once sailed with1 who was
 a wolf when there was no danger1 and a 
sheep when there was2 but it is always  
so with your bullies1 whether in the    
cabin or the forecastle4 ,to return to  
my story3 in two or three days the gale 
spent its fury1 and we reached our port 

in safety4 ,one day while in port1 in   
rummaging my chest1 ,i discovered at the
 bottom a little package neatly tied up1
 which1 upon opening1 ,i found to       
contain two small books1 called1 ,james'
 ,anxious ,inquirer after ,salvation1   
and ,baxter's ,call to the ,unconverted2
 with a few touching lines from my dear 
sister1 earnestly beseeching me to look 
to my soul1 and to read my ,bible and   
these little books1 and never to forget 
my ,god4 ,jack1 this went to my heart   
like an arrow4 ,it brought fresh to my  
mind the death-bed scene of my dear     
father1 and ,i fell upon my knees1 and1 
for the first time1 really prayed to    
,god4 ,yes1 ,jack1 ,i then prayed       
indeed4 ,i felt my ingratitude to ,god  
to some extent1 and ,i began to see what
 a sinner ,i had been4 ,i at once       
commenced reading my ,bible and the     
little books1 that ,i might learn more  
of my lost condition1 and how to flee   
from the wrath to come4 ,in the course  
of a day or two the captain observed    

that ,i was uneasy in my mind1 and      
called me to him to ask if he could do  
any thing to aid me4 ,i frankly told him
 all my trouble1 and he at once pointed 
me to the ,lamb of ,god1 who takes away 
the sin of the world4 ,he then gradually
 and clearly unfolded to me the great   
gospel plan of redemption2 and kneeling 
down together1 he prayed most fervently 
for me4 ,after a few days of deep       
solicitude and constant prayer to       
,almighty ,god1 he1 in his infinite     
mercy1 shed light upon my soul1 and ,i  
felt that ,christ had died for me--even 
me4 ,o ,jack1 then it was that ,i first 
tasted true joy--that joy which the     
world cannot give1 and which the world  
cannot take away2 that peace of mind    
which passeth understanding4 ,and with  
,god's aid1 ,i have ever since tried to 
walk close in the way prescribed by him2
 and ,i trust that my dear father's     
dying prayer will indeed be answered1   
and that we shall all meet in heaven4   
,,jack4 ,well1 ,tom1 ,i congratulate    

you1 for although ,i make no pretensions
 to religion myself1 ,i sincerely       
respect it in others--that is1 where it 
is genuine1 as ,i am sure it is in your 
case2 but ,i can't stand playing soldier
 in religion1 ,tom1 as ,i have seen it  
done by some hypocrites4  ,,tom4 ,so    
much the worse for them1 ,jack4 ,but1 my
 dear fellow1 ,i advise you1 as a       
friend1 not to put off seeking religion 
another day4 ,this day may be your last1
 ,jack4 ,don't you remember the story of
 the rich man in ,scripture1 who said1  
,soul1 thou hast much goods laid up for 
many years2 take thine ease1 eat1 drink1
 and be merry8 ,but ,god said unto him1 
,thou fool1 this night thy soul shall be
 required of thee4 ,o ,jack1 don't put  
off this most important of all works to 
a dying bed1 for you may not have one2  
you may be called into eternity at a    
moment's warning4 ,you surely have not  
forgotten the awful death of swearing   
,joe ,swifter1 who was shaken off the   
yard into the boiling sea in that       

terrible night off the ,canaries1 when  
we were all aloft close reefing the     
,alert's maintopsail8 ,and1 ,jack1 can  
you ever forget his cry of agony as we  
shot ahead in the gale1 forced to leave 
him to perish8 ,i am sure it will haunt 
me to my dying hour4 ,poor ,joe1 thou   
wert called with all thy sins upon thy  
head into the presence of an offended   
,god4  ,,jack4 ,poor ,joe4 ,i remember  
it as if it had occurred but yesterday1 
,tom4 ,it was an awful warning2 and ,i  
don't think there were three oaths sworn
 on board the ,alert for three days     
after4 ,to tell the truth1 ,tom1 ,i have
 had some queer feelings about death and
 the judgment1 lately2 and although ,i  
tried hard to drown them in grog1 they  
would come up in spite of me4 ,but ,i'll
 tell you more about it when we reach   
your lodgings1 where we will be quiet   
and uninterrupted4 ,you got safely back1
 ,i hope8  ,,tom4 ,yes1 ,jack1 thanks to
 a kind ,providence4 ,i made two more   
voyages with the same captain2 and ,i   

expect to go with him next trip as mate4
 ,i have been able to send my sister a  
snug little sum to keep her comfortable2
 and ,i have something handsome in the  
seamen's savings bank1 as ,i told you   
before2 together with a clear head and a
 happy heart2 trusting in my ,god1 and  
loving all who bear his image4 ,now1    
,jack1 what do you think of temperance8 
,,jack4 ,think of it8 ,why1 ,tom1 ,i    
always thought well of it1 though ,i    
can't say that ,i have latterly         
practised it much2 but ,i like it now   
better than ever4 ,i have ruminated a   
good deal upon its evils1 both at sea   
and ashore4 ,don't you think1 ,tom1 that
 rum is at the bottom of nine out of ten
 of the floggings that take place in the
 navy8  ,,tom4 ,yes1 indeed1 ,jack1 ,i  
am sure of it4 ,and ,i think1 moreover1 
that if it were discarded entirely from 
the government and merchant service1    
insubordination and floggings would be  
of rare occurrence in the one1 and      
trouble and mutiny in the other4 ,and   

there would be fewer vessels and lives  
lost in the merchant-service1 in the    
bargain4  ,,jack4 ,i have often thought1
 ,tom1 what a degrading thing that      
flogging is4 ,it sinks a man below the  
level of a brute1 both in his own and   
the eyes of others4 ,it seems to me that
 if ,i had ever been triced up at the   
gratings1 and had a stroke of the cat1  
it would have completely crushed my     
spirit1 if it had not broken my heart   
outright4  ,,tom4 ,i think it would have
 had the same effect on me too1 ,jack4  
,i am sure ,i could not have stood it4  
,,jack4 ,and1 ,tom1 to show more of the 
bad effects of liquor1 ,i remember that 
,i was once in ,port-au-,prince1 in the 
island of ,st4 ,domingo1 during the     
sickly season1 when a fearful mortality 
raged among the shipping1 so that every 
vessel lost some of her men2 most of    
them bringing on the yellow-fever by    
their intemperance4 ,there were three   
ships that were left without a man2 all 
were swept off from the captain to the  

cook4  ,,tom4 ,awful1 ,jack1 awful4 ,i  
have also seen many a stout and         
noble-hearted tar1 in those yellow-fever
 countries1 stowed away under a foot of 
earth for the landcrabs to feed upon1   
just from drinking rum1 or the strong   
brandy of the country4 ,i'll tell you   
what it is1 ,jack1 when the coppers are 
scalded by rum1 physic can't get a      
hold--it is just like casting anchor on 
a rocky bottom--and so the grip of the  
grim monster ,death is sure4 ,the only  
safe man there1 as well as everywhere   
else1 indeed1 is the teetotaler4        
,,jack4 ,what is a teetotaler1 ,tom8 ,i 
have often heard the term1 without fully
 knowing what it meant4  ,,tom4 ,a      
teetotaler1 ,jack1 is one who           
conscientiously abstains from every     
description of intoxicating drink3 rum1 
whiskey1 brandy1 gin1 cordials1 wine1   
cider1 ale1 and even beer4  ,,jack4     
,what1 ,tom1 you don't mean to say that 
you give such a wide berth to beer8     
,tell that to the marines1 for old      

sailors won't believe it4  ,,tom4 ,i do 
say it1 ,jack4 ,i give even beer a wide 
berth4 ,don't you know that it contains 
alcohol8 ,and what is perhaps worse1    
there is but little beer and ale made   
for sale that does not contain many     
hurtful ingredients--poisonous drugs4   
,no1 no2 nothing for me that can in the 
slightest degree affect my noble reason1
 that great gift of ,almighty ,god4     
,pure cold water--,adam's sparkling1    
life-invigorating ale--and coffee and   
tea1 are my beverages4 ,try them once1  
,jack1 and the word of an honest sailor 
for it1 you will never go back to       
alcohol1 or any of its accursed family4 
,,jack4 ,well1 ,tom1 ,i think ,i will4  
,the fact is1 you seem to be so well in 
body and happy in mind1 so comfortable  
and respectable in worldly matters1 and 
speak so cheeringly of another world--to
 which ,i know that the rapid current of
 time is hurrying us both--that ,i'll   
follow in your wake1 and try to make a  
little headway in these things myself4  

,,tom4 ,well said1 my hearty4 ,give me  
another shake of your honest fist4 ,now 
,i begin to recognize my old            
true-hearted friend and messmate ,jack  
,halyard in his early days1 when we     
swore friendship to each other across   
the sea-chest1 on board the ,alert4 ,you
 are the man for me1 ,jack2 so come up  
with me at once to the ,sailor's ,home1 
and ,i'll rig you out a little more     
decently--make you look a little more   
shipshape--and to-night we will go to   
the great temperance-meeting at the     
seamen's bethel chapel1 and you shall   
sign the pledge1 which will be the      
wisest act of your life1 ,jack1 as ,i'll
 wager a barrel of pork against a mouldy
 biscuit3 aye1 ,i'll warrant me you will
 say so at some future day4 ,there will 
be plenty of blue-jackets there that    
will lend a hand in so good a cause4    
,,jack4 ,well1 heave ahead1 old         
messmate4 ,i did think of tapering      
off--quitting by degrees--but perhaps   
the safest and easiest plan will be1 to 

break off at once4  ,,tom4 ,that is the 
way1 ,jack1 the only true way4 ,tapering
 off is not what it is cracked up to be4
 ,it is very hazardous2 for it keeps up 
excitement1 and the taste of the liquor 
hangs about the palate4 ,don't you      
remember ,ben ,hawser1 one of the best  
maintopmen of the ,alert--he who saved  
the first ,luff from drowning at ,port  
,mahon1 when he fell overboard from the 
cutter8  ,,jack4 ,surely ,i do1 ,tom4   
,do you suppose ,i could forget such a  
noble-hearted fellow as ,ben ,hawser--as
 fine a fellow as ever laid out upon a  
yard1 or stood at the wheel2 and such a 
firstrate marlinespike seaman in the    
bargain8 ,no1 indeed4  ,,tom4 ,you are  
right1 ,jack4 ,he was a noble fellow1   
and a thorough seaman4 ,there was       
nothing of the lubber about poor ,ben3  
always the first man at his duty1 and   
ready to share his last copper with a   
fellow-mortal in distress1 whether      
seaman or landsman4 ,well1 ,ben once got
 into a great frolic ashore1 and kicked 

up such a bobbery that the watchman     
clapped him in limbo for the night2 and 
the justice next morning gave him such a
 clapper-clawing with his tongue1 and   
bore down upon him so hard with his     
reprimands1 as ,i think the lawyers call
 it1 and raked him so severely fore and 
aft with his good advice1 to wind up    
with1 that ,ben felt pretty sheepish2   
and1 as he told us afterwards1 didn't   
know whether he was on his head or his  
heels--on the truck1 or on the keelson4 
,he felt so sore about it1 and so much  
ashamed of himself1 that he did not     
touch a drop for six weeks4 ,he then    
thought he would take it moderately just
 enough to keep the steam up--or1 as    
some folks say1 he thought he would be a
 temperate drinker4 ,o1 ,jack1 that     
temperate drinking is a famous net of   
old ,satan's to catch fools in4 ,your   
temperate drinker treads on slippery    
ground2 for as ,i verily believe that   
alcohol is one of the most active imps  
for the destruction of both body and    

soul1 the temperate drinker is too often
 gradually led on by the fiend1 until   
the habit becomes fixed and inveterate2 
and he drags a galling chain1 each day  
riveted more strongly1 and the poor     
wretch hourly becomes more callous to   
shame1 until he sinks into the          
grave--the drunkard's grave4  ,,jack4   
,but1 ,tom1 you don't mean to say that  
poor ,ben's reel has been run off in    
that style1 do you8  ,,tom4 ,indeed1    
,jack1 it is true1 and sorry am ,i that 
it is so4 ,yes1 ,i followed the worn-out
 hulk of ,ben ,hawser to the dark and   
silent grave a fortnight ago4 ,he       
slipped his cable in the prime of life2 
and all along of temperate drinking at  
first4 ,ben1 like many other men1       
thought he was strong-minded1 and could 
stop at a certain point2 but he found1  
to his cost1 that king ,alcohol was     
stronger1 and that when once he had     
forged his chains around his victim1 he 
was sure of him1 unless the grace of a  
merciful ,god intervened1 and plucked   

him as a brand from the burning4 ,so ,i 
advise every one to beware of temperate 
drinking4 ,give it a wide berth1 or it  
may wreck you for time and for eternity4
  ,one thing more1 ,jack4 ,i would like 
your temperate drinker to pause1 and    
reflect upon the fact1 that the quantity
 of brandy or rum that he took at a     
drink1 when he commenced this downhill  
course1 has been gradually increased2 so
 that in the second year1 what had been 
quite sufficient to please his palate   
and produce all the desired effects in  
the first1 was then insipidly small2 and
 more so in the third year1 if1 mayhap1 
he could with any decency lay claim to  
the title of temperate drinker so long4 
,jack1 this is a fearful reflection for 
one of this class of the slaves of      
alcohol2 but let him think upon it when 
quite free from excitement1 say after   
two or three days' abstinence--if he can
 abstain that long just to cool off for 
reflection--and ,i'll warrant he will   
tremble at the prospect4  ,besides1     

,jack1 the influence of your temperate  
drinker is ten times worse than that of 
the confirmed and notorious drunkard2   
for it is not likely that any one in his
 senses would desire to copy the        
confirmed sot in his beastliness4 ,no1  
indeed2 he would shrink with horror from
 the intoxicating bowl1 if he felt sure 
that such would be the result to him1 if
 he indulged4 ,but he should remember1  
that no one ever became a sot at once2  
the degradation was by degrees4 ,and it 
may be that your temperate drinker is a 
respectable and thriving man in the eyes
 of the world--say a great merchant1 or 
lawyer1 or master of a ship--and small  
folks do not imagine they are in any    
danger when they see such men stand     
fast1 as they think3 but they had all   
better remember the advice in           
,scripture1 ,let him that thinketh he   
standeth1 take heed lest he fall2 and so
 they follow in the wake1 and perhaps   
nine out of ten go down to the grave    
drunkards2 often1 ,i am sure1 in company

 with the very men whose example they   
thought so safe1 but which led them to  
certain ruin4 ,it is an awful thought1  
,jack1 that we have been the means of   
misleading others1 either by example or 
precept2 and one that will weigh like   
lead upon the conscience of many a man  
on his death-bed4 ,no1 no2 my motto is1 
,,touch ,,not1 ,,taste ,,not1 ,,handle  
,,not4 ,the wise man of ,scripture knew 
what he was about when he said1 ,look   
not upon the wine when it is red1 when  
it giveth his color in the cup2 at the  
last it biteth like a serpent1 and      
stingeth like an adder4 ,the same wise  
man said also1 that the drunkard and the
 glutton shall come to poverty4 ,but1   
,jack1 what are poverty and shame1 bad  
as they are1 in comparison with the loss
 of the soul8 ,think of that--the loss  
of the immortal soul--for ,god says1    
that neither thieves1 nor drunkards1 nor
 any thing that defileth1 shall enter   
heaven4 ,and ,o1 ,jack1 to think of     
being cast into hell for ever1 with the 

devil and his angels2 how awful6 but    
such must be the fate of the unrepentant
 drunkard4  ,,jack4 ,awful1 indeed1     
,tom4 ,i am now fully persuaded that you
 are right2 and so ,i'll follow your    
good example1 and sign the teetotal     
pledge4 ,and what is more1 ,i'll try to 
be a ,christian too1 for ,i believe that
 religion is the best security against  
every kind of temptation4  ,,tom4 ,i    
like that1 ,jack2 it is truth itself4   
,so we will shape our course for the    
,sailor's ,home1 under the direction of 
that noble institution1 ,the ,american  
,seamen's ,friend ,society2 there you   
will be out of the way of temptation1   
and there is a good deal in that--and   
to-night we will go to the ,bethel4 ,by 
the way1 ,jack1 you can't think what    
excellent places these ,homes are for   
the poor tempest-tossed mariner2 and how
 snug and comfortable we all are there4 
,the rules of the houses are excellent2 
neither swearing nor drinking is        
allowed2 and every night and morning we 

unite with the families in worship2 and 
on the ,sabbath1 and some of the        
evenings of the week1 we are kindly     
invited to the ,bethel chapel1 where we 
have excellent preaching on the word of 
,god2 and in the family prayers1 the    
good of us poor sailors1 for time and   
eternity1 is not forgotten1 ,i can tell 
you4 ,it reminds me of the days of my   
boyhood1 when my dear father called us  
together1 morning and evening1 to praise
 ,god2 and also of the happy time ,i    
have spent with my present good captain4
  ,and then1 ,jack1 when any of us are  
sick they are so kind and attentive just
 like our own dear mothers and sisters4 
,i saw how kindly poor ,martin ,gray was
 treated during his long illness1 by the
 manager--a worthy old salt--and his    
excellent family2 and how they smoothed 
his dying pillow1 and did all they could
 to make his way easy towards the dark  
valley of the shadow of death4 ,oh1     
,jack1 it is a great thing to fall in   
with real ,christians at such a time4   

,it makes one think of the poor man in  
,scripture who fell among thieves1 and  
had his wounds dressed and care taken of
 him by the good ,samaritan4 ,aye1 aye1 
,jack2 and ,i know1 moreover1 that the  
good example and excellent advice in    
these houses have been the means1 in the
 ,lord's hands1 of saving both the body 
and soul of many a poor neglected1      
weather-beaten tar1 who would otherwise 
have fallen into the jaws of the        
devouring sharks who are always on the  
watch1 with open mouths1 to prey upon   
the poor son of ocean1 and to swallow   
him up without pity or remorse4  ,,jack4
 ,well1 heave ahead1 my hearty2 ,i'm the
 lad that won't flinch4 ,so1 three      
cheers for the glorious ,temperance     
cause1 for ,sailor's ,homes and         
,bethels1 and for the mothers1 wives1   
sisters1 and sweethearts of all         
true-hearted seamen4 ,and let every     
jolly tar who loves his family and      
domestic peace1 and wants to do his duty
 and be respected in this world1 and lay

 an anchor to windward of another and   
better world1 toe the plank1 and sign   
the pledge right off the reel4 ,huzza1  
huzza1 huzza4     ,,the ,,ox ,,sermon4  
,among the laws given by the divine     
,lawgiver through ,moses to the ,jews1  
was the following3 ,if an ox gore a man 
or a woman that they die1 then the ox   
shall be surely stoned2 but the owner of
 the ox shall be quit4 ,but if the ox   
were wont to push with his horn in time 
past1 and it hath been testified to his 
owner1 and he hath not kept him in1 but 
he hath killed a man or a woman1 the ox 
shall be stoned1 and his owner also     
shall be put to death4 ,exod4 #ba3 #bh1 
#bi4  ,the principle of this law is a   
very plain one1 and a very broad        
one--here applied in a specific case1   
but extending to ten thousand others4   
,it is this4 ,every man is responsible  
to ,god for the evils which result from 
his selfishness1 or his indifference to 
the welfare of others4  ,ages before    
this law was given1 ,god says to ,noah1 

,your blood of your lives will ,i       
require3 at the hand of every beast will
 ,i require it1 and at the hand of man4 
,a stigma shall be fixed upon man or    
beast that shall destroy him who is made
 after the similitude of ,god4 ,but why1
 in the case first supposed1 is the     
owner quit1 or guiltless8 ,simply       
because the death is not in any way the 
result of his carelessness or of his    
selfishness4 ,from any thing within his 
knowledge1 he had no reason to expect   
such a result4 ,but if the ox hath been 
wont to push with his horns1 and he knew
 it1 he shall be responsible for the    
consequences1 whatever they may be2 for 
he had every reason to expect that      
mischief would be done1 and took no     
measures to prevent it4 ,and if the ox  
kill a man or woman1 the owner hath done
 the murder1 and he shall be put to     
death4 ,why8 ,the death was the result  
of his selfishness1 or his indifference 
to the lives of others4 ,and according  
to the law of ,god1 his life shall go   

for it4 ,the principle of this law is a 
principle of common-sense4  ,you see a  
fellow-creature struggling in the water4
 ,you know that he can never deliver    
himself4 ,and you know that a very      
little assistance1 such as you can      
render1 will rescue him from a watery   
grave4 ,you look on and pass by4 ,true1 
you did not thrust him in4 ,but he dies 
by your neglect4 ,his blood will be upon
 your head4 ,at the bar of ,god1 and at 
the bar of conscience1 you are his      
murderer4 ,why8 ,you did not kill him4  
,neither did the owner of the ox lift a 
hand4 ,but he shall surely be put to    
death4 ,you had no malice1 neither had  
he4 ,you did not intend his death--at   
the very worst1 you did not care4 ,this 
is just his crime4 ,he did not care4 ,he
 turned loose a wild1 fiery1            
ungovernable animal1 knowing him to be  
such2 and what mischief that animal     
might do1 or what suffering he might    
cause1 he did not care4 ,but ,god held  
him responsible4  ,every man is         

responsible for evils which result from 
his own selfishness or indifference to  
the lives of men4 ,in other words1 to   
make a man responsible for results1 it  
is not necessary to prove that he has   
malice1 or that he intended the results4
 ,the highwayman has no malice against  
him he robs and murders1 nor does he    
desire his death1 but his money2 and if 
he can get the money1 he does not care4 
,and he robs and murders because he     
loves himself and does not care for     
others2 acting in a different way1 but  
on the same selfish principle with the  
owner of the ox2 and on the very same   
principle is he held responsible4  ,in  
the trial of the owner of the ox1 the   
only questions to be asked were these   
two3 ,was the ox wont to push with his  
horn in time past8 ,did the owner know  
it when he let him loose8 ,if both these
 questions were answered in the         
affirmative1 the owner was responsible  
for all the consequences4 ,this is a    
rule which ,god himself has established4

         99       99       99       99  
99  ,is ,,intoxicating ,,liquor wont to 
produce misery1 and wretchedness1 and   
death8 ,has this been testified to those
 who make and deal in it as a beverage8 
,if these two things can be established1
 the inference is inevitable--they are  
responsible on a principle perfectly    
intelligible1 a principle recognized and
 proclaimed1 and acted upon by ,god     
himself4  ,turn then your attention to  
these two facts4 #a4 ,intoxicating      
liquor is wont to produce misery4 #b4   
,those who make or traffic in it1 know  
this4  #a4 ,upon the first point it will
 be sufficient to remind you of the     
hopes which intoxicating liquor has     
blasted1 and the tears it has caused to 
flow4 ,let any one of us count up the   
number of its victims which we have     
known--consider their character and     
standing in society--their once happy   
families and prospects1 and what a      
fearful change has a few years' use of  
strong drink produced4 ,very few but    

remember twenty1 thirty1 fifty1 or one  
hundred families ruined in this way4    
,some of them were once our intimate    
friends--and their story is soon told4  
,they drank occasionally1 for the sake  
of company1 or merely for exhilaration4 
,the relish for stimulants was thus     
acquired1 and habits of dissipation     
formed4 ,they became idle1 and of course
 uneasy4 ,and they continued to drink1  
partly to gratify taste and partly to   
quiet conscience4 ,they saw the ruin    
that was coming upon them1 and they made
 some earnest but ineffectual struggles 
against it4 ,but the resistance became  
weaker and weaker--by and by the        
struggle is ended--they float with the  
current1 and where are they8 ,one has   
been found by the temperance            
reformation1 a mere wreck in property1  
character1 body1 and mind1 and          
reclaimed4 ,another is dead3 his        
constitution could not bear his         
continued dissipation4 ,another died in 
a fit2 another was found by the         

road-side one cold morning1 a stiffened 
corpse4 ,another was thrown from his    
horse1 and is a cripple for life1 but   
still can contrive means to pay a daily 
visit to the dram-shop4 ,another is a   
mere vagabond1 unprincipled and         
shameless--wandering from shop to shop1 
a fit companion for the lowest company1 
a nuisance to society and a curse to his
 kindred4 ,another is in the            
penitentiary for a crime which he       
committed in a drunken frolic4  ,go into
 the crowded court-house and you may see
 another2 his countenance haggard and   
ghastly1 and his eye wildly rolling in  
despair4 ,what has he done8 ,one night1 
after spending all his money for drink1 
and loitering about till all the shops  
were closed1 he returned to his         
miserable habitation4 ,he found a few   
coals on the hearth1 and his wife and   
children sitting by them4 ,he threw one 
child this way and another that1 for he 
was cold4 ,his wife remonstrated1 and   
withal told him that what little fire   

there was was none of his providing4    
,with many a horrid oath he declared he 
would not be scolded after that sort4   
,he would let her know who should       
govern1 and by way of supporting his    
authority1 beat her brains out with the 
last remaining stick of wood4 ,he did   
not mean to kill her4 ,her dying        
struggles brought him to his senses1 and
 he stood horror-struck4 ,he would give 
almost any thing that the deed were not 
done4 ,if that could restore her to     
life1 he would be almost ready to give a
 pledge never to taste intoxicating     
liquor again4 ,now look at the          
wretchedness of his family4 ,for years  
he has made very little provision for   
them2 they have lived as they could1    
half naked and half starved1 and not    
educated at all--with a most wretched   
example before their eyes4 ,what        
encouragement had the wife or the       
children to attempt any thing--to make  
any exertion8 ,the children are abused  
and trampled on at home1 and they grow  

up without self-respect1 without shame1 
and without principle4 ,can any thing   
good be expected of them8 ,and if they  
do rise1 it must be through a world of  
difficulty4  ,how many thousand families
 have been ruined in some such way as   
this4 ,the father was a drunkard1 and   
the mother--what could she do8 ,she     
endured1 hoping against hope--and for   
the children's sake bore up against the 
current2 and many a time disguised a sad
 despairing heart under a joyful        
countenance1 till at length she died of 
a broken heart1 or died by the hands of 
him who had sworn to protect her4       
,these1 and things like these1 are the  
effects of intoxicating liquor--not     
casual1 accidental1 but common1 natural 
edicts1 seen everywhere1 in every town1 
in every neighborhood1 and in every     
connection4 ,look which way we will1 we 
see some of these effects4 ,the greatest
 wretchedness which human nature in this
 world is called to endure1 is connected
 with the use of inebriating drink4     

,there is nothing else that degrades and
 debases man like it--nothing so mean   
that a drunkard will not stoop to       
it--nothing too base for him to do to   
obtain his favorite drink4 ,nothing else
 so sinks the whole man--so completely  
destroys not only all moral principle1  
but all self-respect1 all regard to     
character1 all shame1 all human feeling4
 ,the drunkard can break out from every 
kind of endearing connection1 and break 
over every kind of restraint2 so        
completely extinct is human feeling1    
that he can be drunk at the funeral of  
his dearest relative1 and call for drink
 in the last accents of expiring nature4
  ,now look at a human being1 whom ,god 
has made for noble purposes1 and endowed
 with noble faculties1 degraded1        
disgraced1 polluted1 unfit for heaven1  
and a nuisance on earth4 ,he is the     
centre of a circle--count up his        
influence in his family and his         
neighborhood--the wretchedness he       
endures1 and the wretchedness he        

causes--count up the tears of a wretched
 wife who curses the day of her         
espousals1 and of wretched children who 
curse the day of their birth4 ,to all   
this positive evil which intoxicating   
liquor has caused1 add the happiness    
which but for it this family might have 
enjoyed and communicated4 ,go through a 
neighborhood or a town in this way1     
count up all the misery which follows in
 the train of intoxicating liquor1 and  
you will be ready to ask1 ,can the      
regions of eternal death send forth any 
thing more deadly8 ,wherever it goes1   
the same cry may be heard--lamentation1 
and mourning1 and woe2 and whatever     
things are pure1 or lovely1 or          
venerable1 or of good report1 fall      
before it4 ,these are its effects4 ,can 
any man deny that the ox is wont to push
 with his horn8  #b4 ,has this been     
testified to the owner8 ,are the makers 
and venders aware of its effects8 ,the  
effects are manifest1 and they have     
eyes1 ears1 and understandings1 as well 

as others4 ,they know that whatever     
profit they make is at the expense of   
human life or comfort2 and that the tide
 which is swelled by their unhallowed   
merchandise sweeps ten thousand yearly  
to temporal and eternal ruin4 ,but this 
is not all4 ,the attention of the public
 has been strongly turned to this       
subject4 ,the minds of men have been    
enlightened1 and their responsibility   
pressed home upon them4 ,the subject has
 been presented to them in a new light1 
and men cannot but see the absurdity of 
reprobating the tempted1 while the      
tempter is honored--of blaming          
drunkards1 and holding in reputation    
those whose business it is to make      
drunkards4  ,but are the makers of      
intoxicating liquor aware of its        
effects8 ,look at the neighborhood of a 
distillery--an influence goes forth from
 that spot which reaches miles around--a
 kind of constraining influence1 that   
brings in the poor1 and wretched1 and   
thirsty1 and vicious4 ,those who have   

money bring it--those who have none1    
bring corn--those who have neither1     
bring household furniture--those who    
have nothing1 bring themselves and pay  
in labor4 ,now the maker knows all these
 men1 and knows their temperament1 and  
probably knows their families4 ,he can  
calculate effects1 and he sends them    
off1 one to die by the way1 another to  
abuse his family1 and another just ready
 for any deed of wickedness4 ,will he   
say that he is not responsible1 and like
 ,cain ask1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 
,he knew what might be the result1 and  
for a mere pittance of gain was willing 
to risk it4 ,whether this man should    
abuse his family1 or that man die by the
 way1 so his purpose was answered1 he   
did not care4 ,the ox was wont to push  
with his horn1 and he knew it2 and for a
 little paltry gain he let him loose1   
and ,god will support his law by holding
 him responsible for the consequences4  
,but a common excuse is1 that very      
little of our manufacture is used in the

 neighborhood2 we send it off4 ,and are 
its effects any less deadly8 ,in this   
way you avoid seeing the effects1 and   
poison strangers instead of neighbors4  
,what would you say to a man who traded 
in clothes infected with the smallpox1  
and who would say by way of apology1    
that he sent them off--he did not sell  
any in the neighborhood8 ,good man6 he  
is willing to send disease and death all
 abroad2 but he is too kind-hearted to  
expose his neighbors4 ,would you not say
 to him1 you may send them off1 but you 
cannot send off the responsibility8 ,the
 eye of ,god goes with them1 and all the
 misery which they cause will be charged
 to you4 ,so we say to the man who sends
 off his intoxicating liquor4  ,but if  
,i do not make it and traffic in it1    
somebody else will4 ,what sin or crime  
cannot be excused in this way8 ,i know  
of a plot to rob my neighbor2 if ,i do  
not plunder him1 somebody else will4 ,is
 it a privilege to bear the             
responsibility of sending abroad        

pestilence and misery and death8 ,our   
cause is going down1 thought ,judas1 and
 a price is set upon the head of our    
,master1 and if ,i do not betray him    
somebody else will4 ,and why may not ,i 
as well pocket the money as another8 ,if
 you consider it a privilege to pocket  
the wages of unrighteousness1 do so4    
,but do not pretend to be the friend of 
,god or man while you count it a        
privilege to insult the one and ruin the
 other8  ,says another1 ,i wish it were 
banished from the earth4 ,but then what 
can ,i do8 ,what can you do8 ,you can   
keep one man clear2 you can wash your   
own hands of this wretched business4    
,and if you are not willing to do that1 
very little reliance can be placed on   
your good wishes4 ,he that is unjust in 
the least1 is unjust also in much4 ,i   
can hardly conceive any thing more      
inconsistent with every generous        
feeling1 every noble principle1 than the
 traffic in intoxicating liquor at the  
present day4 ,the days of ignorance on  

this subject have passed by2 every man  
acts with his eyes open4  ,look at the  
shop and company of the retailer4 ,there
 he stands in the midst of dissipation1 
surrounded by the most degraded and     
filthy of human beings1 in the last     
stages of earthly wretchedness4 ,his    
business is to kindle strife1 to        
encourage profanity1 to excite every    
evil passion1 to destroy all salutary   
fears1 to remove every restraint1 and to
 produce a recklessness that regards    
neither ,god nor man4 ,and how often in 
the providence of ,god is he given over 
to drink his own poison1 and to become  
the most wretched of this wretched      
company4 ,who can behold an instance of 
this kind without feeling that ,god is  
just4 ,he sunk down into the pit which  
he made2 in the net which he hid is his 
own foot taken4  ,another will say1 ,i  
neither make nor traffic in it4 ,but you
 drink it occasionally1 and your example
 goes to support the use of it4 ,you see
 its tremendous effects1 and yet you    

receive it into your house and bid it   
,god speed4 ,as far as your influence   
supports it and gives it currency1 so   
far are you a partaker of its evil      
deeds4 ,if you lend your influence to   
make the path of ruin respectable1 or   
will not help to affix disgrace to that 
path1 ,god will not hold you guiltless4 
,you cannot innocently stand aside and  
do nothing4  ,a deadly poison is        
circulating over the land1 carrying     
disease and desolation and death in its 
course4 ,the alarm has been given4 ,its 
deadly effects have been described1     
seen1 and felt4 ,its victims are of     
every class2 and however wide the       
difference in fortune1 education1       
intellect1 it brings them to the same   
dead level4 ,an effort has been made to 
stay the plague1 and a success          
surpassing all expectation has crowned  
the effort4 ,still1 the plague rages to 
an immense extent4 ,what will every good
 citizen do8 ,will he not clear his     
house1 his shop1 his premises of it8    

,will he not take every precaution to   
defend himself against it1 and use his  
influence and his exertions to diminish 
its circulation and thus diminish human 
misery8 ,if he fears ,god or regards    
man1 can he stop short of this8 ,can he1
 in his recklessness and selfishness    
say1 ,let others take care of           
themselves8 ,i'll make no               
promises--,i'll not be bound--,i am in  
no danger8 ,if he can speak and act     
thus1 and stands aloof1 and continues to
 drink1 is he not guilty1 and with the  
distiller and vender accountable to ,god
 for the perpetuation of these mighty   
evils1 which but for his cooperation and
 agency must soon cease to exist8 ,i    
speak as unto wise men2 judge ye what ,i
 say4   ,,published ,,by ,,the          
,,american ,,tract ,,society4           
99       99       99       99       99  
,the ,american ,tract ,society1  ,,issue
   ,,the ,,religious 7,,or ,,pastor',s7 
,,library1  ,of #be standard evangelical
 volumes #abmo1 at #aj4   ,,the         

,,evangelical ,,family ,,library1  ,of  
#ae volumes1 with steel portraits1      
frontispieces1 and other engravings1 at 
#e #ej4  ,,also  ,twenty-one volumes to 
match the ,family ,library1 at #g #ej4  
,,the ,,youth',s ,,library1  ,of #gj    
volumes1 #ahmo1 comprising ,hannah      
,more's ,,cheap ,,repository1 in #h     
volumes1 and #bee highly finished       
engravings4   ,,the ,,family ,,testament
 ,,and ,,psalms1 ,with brief ,notes and 
,instructions1 and ,maps4   ,a          
,,concordance ,,to ,,the ,,holy         
,,scriptures2 ,,cruden ,,condensed4     
,,flavel',s ,,redemption1 ,comprising   
the ,fountain of ,life1 ,method of      
,grace1 and ,christ ,knocking at the    
,door4   ,d',,aubigne',s ,,history ,,of 
,,the ,,reformation1 #e vols4 ,a new    
translation revised by the author4      
,,standard ,,practical ,,works  ,of     
,baxter1 ,flavel1 ,bunyan1 ,alleine1    
,venn1 ,edwards1 ,backus1 ,romaine1     
,william ,jay1 ,john ,angell ,james1 and
 numerous works of kindred characters4  

,,bunyan',s ,,pilgrim',s ,,progress4    
,,atonement ,,and ,,justification4 ,by  
,rev4 ,andrew ,fuller4   ,,memoir ,,of  
,,rev4 ,,justin ,,edwards1 ,d4 ,d4      
,,life ,,of ,,rev4 ,,jeremiah ,,and     
,,moses ,,hallock1 ,laborers in the work
 of ,god about the year #ahjj4          
,,chalmers' ,,astronomical ,,discourses4
   ,,backus' ,,scripture ,,doctrine ,,of
 ,,regeneration4   ,,romaine',s ,,life  
,,of ,,faith4   ,,jay',s ,,morning      
,,exercises4   ,,james' ,,anxious       
,,inquirer1    ,and  ,,christian        
,,progress4   ,,lady ,,huntington ,,and 
,,her ,,friends1 ,with steel ,portraits4
 ,by ,mrs4 ,h4 ,c4 ,knight4   ,,dr4     
,,sprague',s ,,letters ,,to ,a          
,,daughter4   ,,elegant ,,narratives1   
,with fine ,engravings4   ,,pictorial   
,,narratives1 ,comprising #bd           
,narratives4   ,,gallaudet',s           
,,scripture ,,biography4 ,the ,old      
,testament complete in #aj volumes1 #b  
#ej4   ,,songs ,,for ,,the ,,little     
,,ones ,,at ,,home1 ,with #fb           

engravings1 a gem for every family of   
children4   ,,illustrated ,,tract       
,,primer1 ,,bible ,,primer1 and numerous
 kindred works1 beautifully illustrated1
 and highly attractive to the ,young2   
including more than #bjj little books   
for ,children1 in small libraries1 or   
neatly enveloped packets4 ,also a packet
 of attractive ,,picture ,,cards4       
,,pocket ,,manuals4  ,daily ,food1      
,daily ,texts1 ,heavenly ,manna1        
,threefold ,cord1 the ,lord's ,supper1  
,dew-,drops1 etc43 with other issues of 
the ,society1 comprising upwards of two 
hundred volumes1 in fine paper1         
printing1 and binding2 many of those for
 the young being beautifully            
illustrated4 ,no works in the ,english  
language are better adapted for         
circulation in families1 or for district
 or ,sunday-school libraries1 while the 
very low prices at which they are sold1 
place them within the means of all      
classes of the community4   ,,to ,,be   
,,had ,,at  #aej ,nassau-street1 ,new   

,york2 #bh ,cornhill1 ,boston2 and in   
other cities and towns4          99     
99       99       99       99           
,,transcriber',s ,,note3  ,every effort 
has been made to replicate this text as 
faithfully as possible1 including       
obsolete and variant spellings4 ,obvious
 typographical errors in punctuation    
7misplaced quotes and the like7 have    
been fixed4 ,the letter after the page  
number indicates the ,tract 7see the    
,table of ,contents74 ,corrections in   
brackets in the text are noted below3   
page #c1 ,a3 typo corrected     and ,i  
have heard of its speadingspreading     
through a whole    family composed of   
members  page #h1 ,a3 typo corrected    
,the strength they produce in labor is  
of a transient nature1 and    is always 
followed by a sense of weakness ndand   
fatigue4  page #c1 ,d3 removed          
extraneous quote     his influence to   
continue a practice1 or he should at    
least be    conniving at a practice1    
which was destroying more lives1        

making more mothers widows1 and children
  page #h1 ,d3 typo fixed     attend    
public worship4 ,in a word1 their whole 
deportment1 both at    home and         
abread1abroad is improved1 and to a     
greater extent    than any1 without     
witnessing it1 can well imagine4  page  
#d1 ,p3 typo fixed     ,it is believed  
that no vice has ever been so faithfully
    guagedgauged1 and the details so    
well ascertained1 as the vice