South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1834-09-06

character Of Americans proving itself
equally, if not more, injurious to the in
terests, and prosperity Of our country
than war, or famine, or pestilence:
Where, in the whole compass of evils
! which are abroad upon the earth, shall we
find one which will take rank with the
use Of ardent spirits. Not one. ltstands
alone; it has no compeer.
And what good thing has it done, or
will it do, to concordance those deplo-
rable and alarming effectsf NOT ONE.
There is not single redeeming quality.
1t neither prevents nor cures disease; 1t
does not aid the laborer in bis toll: it does
not increase the capital of tie merchant,
or give him more responsible, or more
respectable customers 1t does not pro-
duce family quiet or domestic happiness,
or social enjoyment 1t adds nothing to
national wealth or prosperity its works
are only evil, and that continually. AS
drink, ardent spirit is perfectly useless
and uneguivocally injurious. No man
can drink it at all, and not be injured in
his health-or habitually, and not incur
an iminent hazard of becoming drunk
ard. Such have been the decisions Of
many medical Institutions, and of more
than three thousand physicians in Europe
and America, and such have been the de-
auctions ofexperience, and the demonstra-
tions of physiological investigations and
inquiry.
And if ardent spirit be not necessary or
beneficial, why should it be used If it
be injurious, destroying property, cbnrac>
ter, health, and life, and imposing bur.
dens, "grievous to be borne," why should
its use not be Immediately discontinued 7
That the evils we have mentioned do ex.
ist, and to a far greater amount than we
have stated, admits not of a doubt. And
must this state of things continuee Must
the use of ardent spirit, with its conse-
quences--poverty, crime, disease and
death-handed down from generation to
generation, and be perpetuated to the We.
ny end of timea 1t were reflection upon
the American character to indulge tke j.
dea even for moment. Our fathers Of
'76, when political oppression stretched
over them her iron rod, and clanked her
letters in their ears, rose at once in virtu-
Gus TesiSta5Ce, and passed and executed
decree which gave freedom and its bless
ings, and broughtAa nation into being. In
that monstrous struggle, the voice of Vir.
gina was first heard, and her own Henry
dared to say he owed no allegiance to the
Mother Country.
virginians A worse despot, more
cruel and unrelenting, seeks to destroy
our liberties, and fasten upon US his gall
ing letters.
Do you ask, what can be done3 We
reply by inquiring what has been done :
In eight short years, the public atten.
ton has been awakened, the nature and
effects of ardent spirit has been investiga-
ted-an experiment of a proposed remedy
for intemperance has been successfully
made, proving by actual demonstration,
that the power to terminate the evils of in
temperance rests with the people. From
six to ten thousan drunkards have been
reclaimed; more than one million and a
half of persons of both sexes, and ofevery
age and condition in life and station in
society, have signed the pledge of total
abstinence, and as many more are prac.
Using upon the principles without signing.
In one State, (Maine,) more than two
thirds of the whole adult population, Who'll
y abstain from the use of distilled IL
quours; and in another, New York, a.
bout one half, from eight to ten thousand
merchants, grocers and inn.keepers, have
discontinued the sale OF ardent spirit
thousands of distilleries have put out their
fires, and every where the spirit of free.
dom from degrading vice, has been a.
wakened. All this has been done With
out coercion, and without any appeals,
except to the higher and nobler sentiments
Of our nature. Light and love have &C.
complshed every result. and awakened
every effort, and they will accomplish the
object.
This object zoe distinctly announce to
be the total disuse Of ardent spirit, as a
drink IN the United States, & throughout
the World.
In this great moral reform, our State
may, if she please, sustain an active and
honorable part. The largest and the most
populous state south of the Potomac, dis.
for the intelligence and patri-
otlsm of its citizens, and revered as the ma.
tive State of Washington, of Henry, of