Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-02-24

iui- devastation and wholesale murder can
be tolerated for one moment2 Whv does
not the government interfere, for the protec
Ton OF the country. against this enormous
waste and horrible cruelty2 Where are
the forfyniNe regiments Of his Maiesty's
standing army in Ireland, that they do no,
arrest these robbers Of it's Qraneries and
bring them TO condign punishment 2 And
why, since the military and civil authorities
OF the island do nothing for its protection
why do not Rihbon-men and Oranre.men
the Whlic-boys and the Right boys, rise en-
nasse, and in all the strength OF a common
desperation. and anDihiaie every distiIery
and demolish every gin shop from Dublin 10
Galway---irom Malin Head to Cape Clear 2
What II some band Of foreign marauders
wefeto land at Donegal, or Port Rush, and
by sudden incursion destroy a few thous
and bushels of bread stuffs, how quickly
would every drum and buge echoe the It'd
ings from mountain to mountain and valley
to valley; and how many thousand blades
would flash, to turn back and avenge this
vandal irruplion? Nay. what il only half
dozen wheatericks should be fired, by
few scores OF the exasperated and hunger
bitten peasantry OF some remote district a.
How many tongues would cry out againsi
this barbarous destruction of human sub.
sistence. 1t would ring through the length
and breadth Of the island, so as TO make all
ears Jingle: and the rioters would soon find
themselves on the drop Of the gallows. or
under sailing orders for Botany Bay. And
infinitely greater would he the Indignation
and horror OF all men, were some thousands
Of domestic incendiaries, not only 10 burn
up i've. or six millions Of corn in starving
Ireland; but 10 substitute poison for bread,
and vend It all over the island. 10 the enor-
nous amount Of SS5,000.000i
While all this is doing. however, every
thing is as quiet rs summers lake. With
the exception Of few temperance agents
and phiIanlhropsts. nobody complains, that
the people are frs, famished by the manu-
iacturers und then slowly tortured to death
by the vendors Of strong drink. The gov
eminent stands and looks on. not with indif.
ference merely, but with positive and high
appreciation; and even the starving millions
themselves "love 10 have il So" The Chan
cellor Of the Exchequer, in presenting his
annual budget to parliament exults when he
comes TO the item of Irish ezcise, and is
cheered by the ministerial benches while
every body, both in and out of parliament
wonders at the incurabIe poverty aud de-
gradn,ion Of the sister island and all the
wisdom of Wing and Tory cabinets. as they
successfully come into power. is bafiled and
iolled, as soon as itcrosses the channel. Ii
never seems TO have occurred 10 any admin
istration that il is impossible for such coun-
try as Ireland to flourish. so long as the de-
mon Of intemperance is left TO sway his
sceptre over ii. and ii is garrisoncd and trod.
den down by his myrmidons.
The statistics of in.emperance in Ireland
are so much like those of our own country.
and OF every other country where il prevails. |
that a rapid glance at some OF It's more
prominent, features is all that justice to The
subject seems further to require. There. as
we'll as every where else, the use Of strong
drink inhames the blood. scorches and sears
the delicate organs Of digestion. generates
the most painful diseases, exasperates them
to fatal issues and renders many Of them
hereditary. It devours the substance, be-
gets idleness. pours gall and hemlock
through all the channels OF domestic fellow
ship, melamorphoses husbands and fathers
into demons. mothers into Turtles. and chill
dren into imps and reprobates- weakens the
intellect. fires and maddens the brain, sears
the conscience. hardens the heart, multplies
crimes. saps the very foundations of reli-
gon and social order, and widens immeas-
urabIy THE gates that leadetht to destruction
Where intemperance reigns, the very breath
of heaven is infected the clouds black and
pregnant with wrath, shoot out their light
nings and the earth opens her mouth to
swallow up that living mass of pu,reiaction
and pesiilence which it can no longer suffer
TO curse and disgrace its surface.
The render may form tolerably correct
notion OF the state Of the case in Ireland,
from the following brief minutes of the eci-
denee 10 which have already alluded. Ii
is said by some careful observers that twelve
out Of thirteen. and by Others that nine out
Of ten, who have beenfor any length Of time
engaged in the spirit trade, have been great
Iy Injured. If not ruined by it, Many shops
are kept by widows, whose husbands have
been killed by know. says Professor
Edgar, three such, one of whom had three
husbands and the others two each, who died
by drunkenness. The first of these had {
son, who killed himself by drinking; son
Of the second was transported for stealing
while drunk; and ofthe family Of the third /
'ioo sons and tour daughters became drunk 4
ards Upon the Powerconrt estate in (
Armagh. large enough almost for duke
1om the inhabitants Of which are ot'more
Incorporate than those Of any other district, !
sum equal TO one.third ofthe whole rental, |
vas till lately spent in spirituous LIQUORS - 4