Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-10-06
THE rEn1PERAMoE CAUSE.

The following is the Constitution Of the Win
chester Temperance Society, drawn up by Com
mi,tec, Of which JonS r. CooKE was the chair
man. l, contains the best argumeu; on the SUBJ
ject, ina short space, Of hny thing that we have
seen.
This instrument Of writing attests,
that we, whose names are subscribed
to it, have formed an association,
whose object il shall be to inculcate
in the community of which we form q
part, and in whose prosperity we are
deeply interested, what we conceive
to be just views of q subject Of vital
Importance. Ii is our belief
That the narcotic and stimulating
substance called alcohol. which is
found, more OF less diluted, in ardent
spirits, wine, strong beer and porter,
is properly classed by medical men
among the pOisons, or substances ia
tai to human life.
That to whatever extent ii may be
diluted or mixed with ether substance les,
II is still, more or less, pernicious to
the human system.
That IT is an enemy so much the
more dangerous, because insidious I:
and insIdiOus IN this; that, by means
of its stimulating quality, itappears to
gire bodily strength and flow Of ami.
nal spirits to those who use it; where.
IS, IN fact, IL oRly lends this stock Of
strength and spirits. and that on the
very worst terms for the borrower
II lends him an additional and super
fiuous stock, when he is in health, and
adequately supplied by the bounty Of
nature lit calls in the loan, burthen-
ed with heavy interest Of indirect
debility, when sickness has already
deprived him of his natural strength.
Ii lends him vigor in youth, when he
does not want u, and robs him. IN old
age, by the indirect debility which il
occasions, 81 The slender supply which
nature has LETT ban. Hence The aug
mented danger. ia sickness, of those
habituated To the stimulus Ul alcohol.
Hence the premature and excessive
debility Of our aged men, which we
are willing to impute TO climatic infu-
ences, 10 accidental causes, aud IN.
deed TO any cause but the real one
Ii IS time that these delusions should
be dispelled, and that all men should
learn the important truths, that the
strength and vigor Of men cannot be
raised by alcohol above their natural
level, for time, without falling below
u aiterwards-that the depression is
10 proportion to the extent and cont.
nuIty Of the stInulus-that pay d0y
must come 10 0H--that when II comes
IN sickness, il often produces a fatal
termination which the disease, Of t.
self. would not have produced--and
that. when u is pat OF 10 an advanced
period Of life, IL occasions deplorable
prostrstiOn Of the corpOreaI and men
tai faculties, premature decay and IN
lamented death.
J IL - moreover our belief, that Che
natural tendency Of the hsbitaal use
Of alcohol IN any shape is to produce
greater use Of it. For nothing is
more certain than that the excitabiiity
Of the human system is diminished by
excitement and. however slow thi,
diminutiOn may be. q Is not the les.
certain that u u going on. Hence Il
- that those Who use alcohol Teqtair,
more. and generally USe more, as they
advance "a lifr. II this augmentation
we're in al cases slow aud gradual
the evil nigh, be borne with. Bot "a
7 I'll Cypereacc shows that ,h.s aalarsl