Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-07-02
MISCELLANY.
From the Cogitations of Uncle John.
INTEMPER

There is an evil "a matter vice-the
prolific mother OF thouiand woes-the
perennial fpriog Of bouadlefs mifsry,
prevailing in the land. which can only be
arreited by the firm. perievering efforts
Of the wife and good.
That vice is INTEMpERAHcE.
1t prevails to an unbounded extent, i'm
fecting all clsf1es of the community, from
the humble cottage to the lofty dome,
bringing 10 lis train moral depravity, dif.
cafs and death.
BY the influence Of this dreadful, con.
terminating vice, the noble mind Of man,
that places him frR in9thc fphcre of cre-
ated beings and af1imilates him to the
image of his Divine Maker, is dethroned.
His immortal foul is degraded and prof.
trated in the duff, and he lirks below the
BEATS that PERTH.
The habit of intox'cation, like mott
other vices, is of flow and flent growth.
A bitterf In the morning A glafs OF cool
grog at eleven. A little brandy to fet-
tie the dinner, and cup with friend in
the evening, often repeated, renders the
practice inveterate. Liquor becomes a
'tyrant. The noblcft mind finks into the
degraded, rciiltlefs fave of appetite and
indulgence. And then-happy is the
victim if vice does not tread falt on the
heels of folly, and crimes foul and un.
feemly, blatt the reputation of the man,
who, but for in'emperance, might have
proved an ornament 10 fociety, and q
pattern to husbands, fathers, and friends.
Go TO the ab5des of indulgence and
wre,chedneis, and ask the caufe of their
milery The anfwer, ten times in elev-
en-, will be, IkTEMPERANcR entered our
dwelling and happiness and plenty fed
Enquire the fouree of domeitic infcli.
city |? Ask the pale wife why fhe weeps
in iecret ! Ask at the iron graiiogs Of
your ptifons, for the caufes why 70 many
human beings are frqueftered from
friends and liberty. Go to the Aims.
houfc and hofpital Of your cities, and en-
quire into the origin of 70 much Gck.
neis, poverty and woe, and my word for
it. you may trace nine tenths Of all ,hefe
evils to Istsmpfvance.
Witt the Court of Juftice, and hear
the criminals pleading at the bar, and
how common are the inRanccs, that the
only apology for theft. rape and murder.
is the dreadful plea of Intoxicatim.
A fage lawgiver Of ancient times, de-
creed, that an offence committed in Ii.
quor fhould be doubly punilhed. And
the decree was wife.
Surely the very feeds Of vice that pro.
duces fuch dreadful effects, ought to be
rooted out from the earth 1t is worfe
than all the plaques Of Egypt The cup
is more poifonous than that ofCirce. l. is
bitterer than the waters of Marah. Lot
was betrayed by liquor into the inceitu
Gus embraces of daughter alexander
in his wine flew the friend of his bolom!
and its baletul effects, within our own
obfervation, are too dreadful and frequent
to bear recital If the Small-pox and
ryphus Fever may boat that they have
ilain their thouiands, Liquor may sxut
with all the malignani joy of Demon,
Ibave slain tens Q, tbohtands. Ny count
rymcn tbs montter hath entwined you in
his folds. Break from him or you are
loft forever The viper is upon your
hand ihake him thence, or your deifruc-
ton is inevitable.