Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-06-27
CONFESSION OF \ PRISONER.

rhe following Confessions of Prisoner in one OF our
State Penten,isres present some interesting facts in
relation to the insdous progress of the wise OF in
temperance, and the power of vicious habit against
she remon,trances of reason and conscience. They
arc contained in communication addressed, some
months since. TO the General Agent of the American
Temperance Society. The unhappy author discloses
HI, own history with much apparent faithfuness -
In the course OF private note, he frankly remarks
.'Certsinly DO Hot write for fame, and have
deayored to dwell more briefly upon the favorable
than the unfa,orable parts OF my unhappy story"
Sia:-I address you from the solitary cell If
a prni,en,ary prisoa The specific crime al,
lodged aglins, me is forgery, but the cause OF
NV present conditIon, and Ut all the calanrties
win h have att uded my dev'ons oareer OF lie,
is The Undertaking bo,ck Nearly fou' years have
PASSED srpee entsr, q rNe>e dreary walls, and
more than hree others remain for me TO spend
here An offended God, IN wrath RENE mheied
mercy The morning biI,ers the drains oil he
day OF of The night, have not reached me-, Eyes
that were once lnflamed ave acquired their IA
live clearness; trembling h'nb. have resumed
their wontcu functions, intern Il Eevrrs and rurn-
ings, are qucnc he'd Ruined, degraded, and
wre,ch-d i, my condition may seem, IL is very
possible, that when the s, al,d book hail be
peneG, il will appear that wIh me the prls
wa, bstilu,ed for .he tomb;-ihat Will IN
temperance was hurrying. thousandS 10 h. gates
of .ira h, wasrescued as brand from he burn
ing Ii the graves which int mperance, 'hs
prime m'Aisier Of Death had peopled, shout
''g,.rsi their marble jaws, TO raise warning
voice 10 The living, the church yards would fear
fully yawn, rs by mighty earthquake, and 'ae
upi'ed m ontipns of ali that IS loa, tbs me, APP
pallins or rariul, would cry to he ,otsti's Of
the cup, il more than human accents. Be,oare!
Butthough no spirit may rise from tue lomhs
r ss,e el.sed ssa "a t vr yrf, se..
err punishment, whether considered as he ne
rrssary sanction 10 human laws, IS The dis
pensa,ion Of an overruiing Providence, has pso-
duced us legitimate rffec,; whenever the pride
Of the human heart is humbled under the nigh
" hand Of off ndsd heaven, there will be 10
HESITATION i'm stating he causes which led 10 in-
famyanG rain
While could wish 10 spare the feelings Of the
connexions Of my family; FOR myself Ishould be
willing that the Story OF one, whose earthly
homes incompetence had blasted, SHOULD be
wr,,en upon the walls Of the oiIy, and find its
way 10 every tap room in the nation. 1 hnd
myself surrounded with more than five hundred
beings in the same condiion with my, self. The
Atmospheric l breathe IS agilaIed wi signs
and grGans; and my individual, Calamity seems
list il he Hie,c ,edness that sur ounds m,
Waere 81 II we look fnr the source of all This
misery? L., the Keepers docket tell Tn f.,
forgery, burglary, 5es'i-lity, rape, murder; ev-
cry ,pe, Is o. cfiu,t, al The naint If which h.
so,,t rrcuils, Spprsr, in the black oatalngne -
la-sr are spccihc acions, upon the .ptfpe Ia
to- Il which the law can Fix IL hold. b., The
vice which leads O every Other, elndes the x asp
Of the !aw
lna md eyes, b!oarrd sisage, pasied limos,
sitkn-Ns, poverty, or even death, no, the
things which give To his vice its most appall
ing aspect IL unrerves he sou more fearfuliy
than II does the body. II gradually destroy,
the moral sen Illities Of ME hear, and roLs's
the wildcat passions OF our dcpra,ed nature. l.
rn,rs the ,,nft and refined emotions Of HE soul
like The hiieous Trail of the serp,n over the
bighles blossoms Of Ed,n. II he pillow be
sometimes he place % serious thought, b. Ii
ba ION Of he morning obi,trates the saiutary
les,on. On d'aughi calls for second ne
second sl NOR loudly for The ,tird, ano ,her
for Ano hr,, until every other tn,imen, and feet
my ., ST IN the insltIaAe cry-''g're, gree
Such was once my ovndi ion. saw indeed that
destruction va, f,,e ms, and sill approat h
ed, With accelerated p e the ho,rid gulf -
Wan ch'll, one Saw bird charm. d by
the spar King ewes at a trpebt, and approach
ing near the reotile which ln'ked for ITS des-
traction When, from pity, destroyed The en-.
chanter, and SET the ALTERING captive. free, how
lutte did hink rhat should ever be enc anti
ed--thar the fr,ghtful pit OF perdi'ion should
yowh before me, and yet ihat should yolunta
riiy rush with open ey's, towards the abyss -
An overriding Providence interposed, and my
career OF vice was arrested by the arm Of civil
authority
The des,iay which denied me the accus,om-
ed stimulus. vas, al :hc first, inexprt ssib!y
painful; the sepai alton from he bottle seem. d
TX the separation Of the "ionis and marrow .
Al artificial and vi'ia'ed appetite had predomi-
med over eve y other feeling; overpou cred The
entreaties OF friendship. the induclions Of Tea-
son, he Donilions If conscience. No di.sua,
si,r from nay vic. was .ffrcrual, whether drawn
f,on that which is desirable in life, or from
va IS "epHsnan' IN NJ prospect o. vagab nd
degradation and premature deG,h. Heaven had