Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-04-11
. ENGLISH REFORMERSE

f." ENGLISH REFORMERS.g > -
A friend has very obligingly loaned us
several numbers of Cobbett's Weekly
Register, received by the Albion, and
also pamphlet being a report of the
proceedings of some public meetings
in England A meeting was held ON
the 18th December, at the Crown and
Anchor tavern, " to consider the pro-
priety of adopting plan for abstain
ing from the use of wine, spirits, tea,
coffee, &c. Sec Mr.. Goblet, Mr..
Hunt, and other g friends of sobriety,"
took part in the proceedings. Mr..
Hunt was called to the chair, and not.
withstanding the pressure, a great
number OF ladies were Accommodated
with seats in the centre the room.
~ Y. Col.
When Mr.. Goblet rose he was pre-
vented from speaking for some minutes,
by the acclamations of the assembly.
lie at length addressed them as follows:
Ladies and Conference.-The Chair.
man having done me the honor of men,
tloning to you my intention of offering
some resolutions to- your notice, | beg
leave previously to make few obser.
valions with regard to the subject which
we are met to consider,-(Applause. y
In the first place, have to remark, that
no one circumstance of my life has given
me greater pleasure than the meeting
such an assembly on such subject.
Every person who knows me, can bear
witness that have always been, not on-
ly the undertaking advocate of sobrety,
but man of sober habits in my own
person. Indeed for the last two years T
have drank nothing but milk and water
and here l am, in the fifty-third year of
my age, without ever having experienced
serious fit ofillness, or even any indis.
position worth mentioning. may there
fore be said to be, in some degree, quail
fed for addressing you on the present
occasion.-(Applause.) Let me beg of
you, ladies and gentlemen, if any of you
should think properto address this meet
ing, to leave politics entirely out of the
question. 1t is true that l have taken
advantage of the political ferment of the
moment; and l hold it perfectly fair so
to do, for the advancement of any moral
purpose.-(Cheers.) But to proceed.
A man subject to get drunk, is not half
himself: he cannot trust himself, and
therefore he need not wonder if others
are not inclined to trust him. Besides
that he is daily undermining his own
constitution, and utterly destroying the
peace and happiness of his family, if he
happen to have any. 80 - et.f 80
Foreign spirits pay tax -four ftihs {
and believe those made at home pay
nearly the same, and yet they are both
POISON to the human constitution abe
solute hoiaon. Besides, never knew
drinker of spirits that continued long to
be a good rnan.-(Hear hear lit not
only tends to the destruction of his
health, burns out his very vitals, as it
were, and shortens his life, but it blasss
his character, and destroys his very
81 would here beg to impress upon
all who hear me, that it is the imperative
duty of fathers to prevent this thing be-
ing begun; to restrain the habit in it's
very infancy-and the best way for them
to do this, is to abstain from drinking
themselves remembering always that
example is better than precept.-(Ap+
plause. III shall, perhaps, ladies and
gentlemen, be accused of egotism.---.
(Cries of No! No .)--But think, that
in order to illustrate my doctrine, there
can be no harm in showing myself to YOU
as a Observation-Disclosures and app
plause)-and, at the end of fifty three
years, ! think l am pretty good SAM
pie. - II - - assig
THE healthful and portly appearance
of the speaker, and the familiarity with
which he continued this oration; height-
ened here by look of hearty good
humour, excited feeling of indescriba-
BILE pleasantly throughout the room.] IL
81 have three sons, the youngest of
them upwards of 10 years of age, and
neither of them has yet drank any thing
stronger than. strong beer.s They hays
no wish, nor desire for any thing strons4
err; and yet they have never had q day s
illness, except those complaints which
inevitably accompany infancy. X .4
There are other articles which may
be also dispensed with, andwhic u thin|
ought to be dispensed, with in the, pre-,
sent season Of distress-this time 50 lll
of powerful motives, to allwho love thei
country, The ayticles-I allpas e az