The Arkansas advocate., 1834-02-28
Fsb. 24,lsa4.


 Feb. 24, 1894.
 MR. BUTLER said--In the third place. 7 the young men are urged mi1he resolution, by various motives, to sustain the Temper anee Reform.
 Let me explain the subject, and sec if our principles are sound, and our objects conmendable. Our principles arc to ab- stan tofeyer from tine Use Of ardent spirit, except for medicine. And recent experi- ence has demonstrated that this exception is Of little importance, for 1t is found that ardent spirit IS quite unnecessary in the healing art. But we believe the evils of general intemperance will yield to this pledge as 1t is. Other articles may indeed produce intnxication But in eeO eases out of thousand, habit,lal intemperance is pro- duced by ardent spirit. Some old drunk- ards, whose constitutions arc broken down, get drunk on strong beer. But the Tenn perance Societies have confined their ex- ertIons mainly to destroy the use of alco- holic liquors. They believe that if the community can be induced to give up these, there will be an easy return to the habits of simplicity which ennobled our ancestors. ifmen take this pledge from principle, from a desire to do good to suppress intemper- ance, and secure themselves and their country, cannot believe that they will use other liquors to the injury of themselves or others.
 wish to use the freedom freely award 10 others. But for myself, Ihave all along thought that those who were desirous to extend the pledge, to the prescription of other drinks, were III error. Ardent spirit IS the giant enemy, and must be first slain. All other intoxicating liquors are but pig mes, aud If found troublesome can be ca sly crushed, when the giant is away.
 notice in the history of all reformers, a propensity 10 push things to extremes. Those who are thus engaged, seem to for get inc analogy of nature in other things, where every good Is produced gradually The sturdy oak whsh has stood the storms of century, was once an acorn, which a man might carry in his pocket This mighty Hudson, which brings hourly to yos:s city the productions of providence, why sir, have myself traced 1t till 1t was no more than a Til, which you cross with your foot Why should any of the friends of temperance forget the analogy of na- ture and the disponsation of Providence, which have nothing sudden nor yiolent.- Let Us confine our efforts to the destruc- ton of tiris great serpent The smaller sipers may then be easily crushed.
 Ardent spirit Is so essentially different from every other drink, that 1t cannot be used without evil. If 20 young men should commence to day, the moderate use of ar- dent spirit, and continue the habit, though they were all respectable and no one of them intended ever to be drunkard, I am certain that in ten or fifteen years, several of them would be drunkards, and all the others greatly injured. l have the same evidence of 1t which have that the sun will rise tomorrow; that Is, the testimony o.s :.!ll ::.l past experience. Mankind have seen the sun rise daily for 6000 years, like oi- ant to run his course. And hence we feel assured he will rise again tomorrow It IS true, We have not so long experience of the effect ol moderate drinking, for alcohol has not been known more than few hundred years. But we have tho same k,ad of eyi- donce, in the same uniform experience.
 h thls contest, a man can place no reli- ance upon his own strength of constitution to preserve him, nor cn the goodness of his principles, oi the stability of his habits, his unsuIlied reputation, or affection for his friends, or honorable ambition, or any other motive the most powerful in the human