Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-01-26

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eXertion, AN exposure to heat or cold, "a
hearty rcpast or a lass OF cold water, not
unfrcquently extinguishes the small re-
mains of the vital principle.
II In the season that has Just closed upon
us, we have had melancholy cXhibi-
tion of the effect of intempcrance in the
tragical death of some dozens of our fell
| low citizens; and had the extreme heat
! which prevailed for several days, contn-
ucd for as many weeks, we should hard
/ " have had Il confirmed drunkard among
US.
/ Many of those deaths which came un-
der my notice seemed almost spontanc-
Gus, and some Of them took place in less
than one hour from the first symptom of
indispostion. Some died apparently
from slight excess of fatigue, some from
a few hours exposure to the sun, and some
from a small draught Of cold water; caus-
es quite inadequate to the production of
such effects in temperate persons.
Il Thus, fellow citizens, | have endeav-
orcd to dclineate the effects of ardent
spirit upon man, and more especially to
portray its influence on his moral intel
lectual, and physical powers. The sketch
! have given is bricfone, but the occa
sion would not permit me to say more,
and my feelings would not allow me to
have said less.
Let us, if indeed we have not already
done it, Danish ardent spirit from our hou-
scs at once, and forever, and then we can
act with decision and energy, and speak
in a tone of authority, and our voice will
be heard, ifpreccpt be sanctioned by en-
ample.
How prepostcrous an enlightened com
munity, protesting the highest regard for
morality and religion, making laws for
the suppression and punishment oGvice, *
the promotion of virtue and good order,
lnstltutlng societies to encourage indus
try, cnlighten the ignorant, reclaim the
vicious, bring back the wandercr, protect
the orphan, feed the hungry, clothc the
naked, bind up the broken hearted, and
restore domestic eace:-at the same
time to create and foster those very
means that carry idleness and igno-
rance, and vice and nakedness, and star
vation and discord into all ranks of soci-
ETY.; that make widows and orphans, that
SOW the seeds of disease and death among
us;-that strike, indeed, at the foundation
of all that is good and great.
You create paupcrs, and lodge them
in your almshouse; orphans, and give
them residence in your asylum; ;convlcts
and send them to the penitentiary. You
'seducc men to crime, and then arralgn
them at the bar of justice--immurc them
in prison. With one hand you thrust the
dagger to the heart, with the other at
tempt to assuage the pain it causes.
1 We all remember to have heard from
the lips of our parents, the narration OF
the fact, that i'm the early history OF our
country, the tomahawk and seal ping
knife were put into the hands of our say
age ncighbors, by our enemies at war,
and that bounty was awarded for the
deprcdations they committed on the lives
of our delcnceless tcllow-ctizens. Our
feelings were shocked at the recital, and
a prejudice was created, as well to those
poor wandering sayages, as to the nation
that promoted them to the work, which
neither time nor education has cradca-
ted. Yet, as mcrcilcss and savage as
this practice may appear to us, 1t was
christian, it was humane, compared with
ours; theirs sought only y the life blood,
and that of their enemies; ours seeks the
blood of souls, and that of our own cltl-
zens, and friends and ncighbors. Their
avaricc was satiatcd with a few inches
of the scalp, and the death inflicted was
often Il sudden and easy one; ours pro-
duces a death that fingers, and not con-
tent with the lives of our icllow-cltlzcnS,
it rifles their pockets. 1t revels III ra-
pine and robbery, it sacks whole towns
and villages; it lays waste fields and
vineyards; it riots on domestic peace, and
virtue and happiness it sets at variance
the husband and the wife; it causes the
parent to iorsakc the child, and the child
to curse the parent; it tears asunder the
strongest bonds of society; it sewers the
tcnderest ties of nature.
\ And who is the author of this-and
where lies the responsibility! appeal TO
my fellow citizens!
/ Are we not all authors-docs not the
responsibility rest upon us--ls 1t not so;
|. The power cmanatcs from us; we del
cgatc it to the constituted authorities, we
say to them 60 on, least iirc-brands, ar
rows and dcath;o aud let the blood of
those that perish 'bc on us and our chill
drcn." We put the tomahawk and scalp
;n,, L uilc int, tho hand. nf ,ur noiubh hnrs
and award them Il bounty. We do more
VIC share the plumber
Appeal to the medical profession Of
ihn ..n,,nirr mud MI ihnn 10 cnrrnrI Tho