Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-06-06
For the Wing and Intelllgencer.
TEMPERANCE NO. ii.

e'I hate the tenderness much in vogue"
81 call Ounce, Ounce, rogue, rogue"
Byron.
Near the close of my last number, com"
menced relating an anecdote, Twill now conclude
lit / observed on one end Of the counter, two
Tor three men discussing the contents OF tin cup OF
whiskey This WIS novel sight, and attracted
little attention till young man who had recently
lioined neiehbaring Temperance Socie y, 10
flow voice. made several remarks calculated to
draw observations upon the drinkers. They
were two much engaged in the SUBJECT before them
to notice it, AT length his zeal became SO much
awakened that he made some rather strong ex.
pressons against the use of wbiskey; and final
liv. to give practical demonstration of his own
superior habits, called for a pint of ,ciac
l. You, are aware, Messrs. Editors, that people
who are not much acquainted with wine, cohsld-
er ii little stronger than water;--a liquor which
! the most temperate may drink with impunity,
eycn had.not the Temperance Societies sanction
edit The wine was brought, and companion,
another temperance man, invited to aid In drink
Ing it. Scarce had he made sip, by way of
trying its quality, when his countenance betrayed
evidence that something was wrong in the fla
vor Of his beverage. "Mr --''sad he, aG-
dr'ssing the shop keeper, spears to me your wine
tastes mighty sorter .fat;sh; drank some, few
days ago, al ST. Louis, that didn't taste like this.
no hc~. This wine has been dulrifed." The
shsp. keeper canght the idea in an instant. ssO.',
sad he, 81 have drawn it from the old cask that
is almost out, and is mixed with the lees; Will
tale it back, and draw some from the new cask.
which am sure you will like, for it is perfectly
pnce." He took it into his back shop, and pour
ing back about half the wine filled the cup again
from Uhsshcy barrel.
! This mixture was pronounced ercellent The
new cask received the credit of being pure and
sHnduhryfed," and the drinkers, without suspect.
lpg they were drinking any thing more danger
Gus to moral habits than cold water, "spped and
talked and slipped and talked, and slipped again.
| While 1 live shall never forget the air of
lsef appreciation they exhibited, and the looks Of
pity and disapprobation these two wine drinkers
cast, now and then, upon the men engaged with
the tin cup of whiskey. Both became eloquent
lnpraise of temperance, and have no doubt but
ether would have suffered martyrdom rather
tim drink dram of whiskey.
| ,IBy sanctioning the use Of wine and malt IL
lqiors, our Temperance Societies, it is to be
teAfed, are drawing themselves bhndfolded with
inthe sweep of the whirl pool These liquors
WI be used freely and openly, till a thirst for in
tolloating drink has unsuspectingly been created,
top strong to be conquered; and thousand who
g mmenced with acine or beer, will end with
'ghiskey, and lie down in the grave of the drunk
Lara, can think of no possible way in which
'the great deep'' of temperance could be so eff.
fectuaily broken up-no plan so well devised to
lpour ntemperance, like reSistess torrent over
our land, as the very one pursued by the Tenn
perance Societies. They sanction the use Of
wine and such liquors, and take away all restraint
from their use, except to actual intoxicaton, and
thus allure thousands into love for alcohol Did
not these sanctioned liquors create thirst for ar
dent spirits, still should they be Stunned as a
lpestilence. Are the higher classes of England
more temperate than our own countrymen? The
scenes of drunkenness and debauchery so univer-
tsal among those who lay claim to being the 'shigh
lie OF that country, are proverbial. DO they
drink ardent spirits? Wine is the only liquor
employed IN their revels, and yet it is not long,
since one of our principal temperance journals
auded to the skies dinner giyen.in New York
by certain great man, because no liquors were
drank but apincs.
The poor classes in England drink little ar.
dent spirits, but who does not know the braifu-
ing, debaslng influence Of their ale houses? In
temperance, and all its train of misery as certain
~ follow the use Of beer, as it does that of phis.
Key, and ifthe English peasantry and laborlne
classes are more temperate than any portion Of
our own countrymen, it is not because ale is les
dangerous than whiskey, but because poverty and
oppression prevent them from indulgng their
propensities.
The temperance movement first originated in
the Eastern states, and will give them the cred
1t OF being actuated by the best and purest motives
have no doubt but all who are engaged in that
cause, have the good Of mankind in view, and are
influenced by no motive that is not honorable to
them as patriots and christians, but deem the
measures they have pursued to attain this desira.
bic object, marked with inconsistency. If thew
have sanctioned the use of wines &C., because
they believe them less baneful than ardent spirits.
and thereby countenancing what they know to be
evil, for the purpose of doing away greater one,
| must say that it reflects little credit upon their
frmness.
do not believe for a moment that our eastern
MEN who devised the plan of tempe,nce societies.
had the least intention of advancing their o,rn me-
cuniasy interest or of adding to the wealth of their
ocn section, in any manner that christianity or pa
triotism does not sanction. Ibelieve, as ibefore
observed, that their object was a holy one: but
still it can not be concealed that if wine and malt
liquor are substituted for whiskey, the agricultu.
raj g. mercantile interest of New England would
be advanced 10 an animal amount Of some mill.
ons. Grain isso high there, they can never pro.
iably manufacture whiskey
The West would enjoy that monopoly. The
West Indin trade no longer affords them the means
If manufacturing New England rum, which was f.