The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-11-16

ouired Where is the shirt of Howard? His stat
ue is in ST. Paul's Cathredal. But his spirit
seems to animate no living Bron; or he would
surely explore these PRISONS of the SOUL and, al
ter paugino the depth of misery there concealed,
present the moral statistics to his countrymen,
give the details of crime and wretchedness until
The spirit of a holy crusade were aroused in the
breast ofthat noble nation. was compelled to
asks this the city where tens of thousands
come up annually to compassionate the con-
diton of the Pagans? Is this the seat of those
glorious Missionary institutions which are pene-
tratng theremoest prisons Of the earth, where Sa-
tan has bound captive souls? Is this the mighty
center from which radiates that moral influence
which burst the shackes of W. |. servitude? If
friendship should attach any value to my remon-
STRANGE it will there be understood that desire
to feed no morbid spirit of rivalry here. But
may say, that our friends in London are not
fading US as they should be; that they seem not
Sufficiently sensible Of the disgrace which attach
les TO the existence of such traffic, on so exten-
sive scale, in the great metropolis. know not
how many hundreds of men are there licensed to
carry on the witchcraft and murder Of the spirit
trade. In many of the most frequented streets,
the most attractive object to the passing strangers
Ieye is the brilliant trap for human souls which is
decorated with all the ornaments Of architectural
taste, and shines at n ght like the brilliant en-
trance to palace.
Yes, sir, want my English friends, who have
treated me with such unmerited kindness, TO hear
my description of their metropolis. My words
will drop like oil; for they are the wounds Of
friend. want tic provoke them not to anger,
but 10 holy zeal 70 purify their city. And then
come their great beer factories some of them
covering acres of ground and employing hun
deds o. money and Of men, to drown the con-
science Of hearts and intellect and soul of millions
of Engshmen. Foul blot these on their city
And to see the fountains of drunkenness kept
open by men of the first responsibility increases
our fear that England will long be cursed with
beer and gin-drinking. There is another dark
shade TO the picture. Few are at work 10 pro-
duce change And, with few exceptions, all
the Influence Of the land is against them. The
ministers of the gospel use and recommend the
moderate cup of intoxicating drink. There is,
indeed, great Temperance Society, under the
gudence Of the Bishop OF London. But con-
ceive its labors to be almost useless; for it per-
suades men to give up alchohol and drink wine
while three Of every four bottles OF wine in
England, is fully, directly, purely or i'm
purely alchoho, as so much brandy and water.
And their labors are useless, because the public
that alchohol is aIchohol, whether it foos in
the poor mans whskey pot, or the bishops wine
fagon. The mass OF the people, sir, lack the
chemical science which demonstrates the sinceri-
y OF him who, with an intoxicating liquor at his
lips, persuades men to abandon the use of ntox-
cating liquors. Yes. sir, the ministers of the
gospel in my estimation, are, | will not say
guilty, but really, in the way of saving Great
Britain from drunkenness with all its crimes and
horrors. But, sir, there are many cheering indi-
| cations for this cause in England. There are
many true hearted friends to it and jealous work.
ers. God has not given them Delavan to fur
nsh and procure his thousands of pounds for the
gratuitous circulation Of light That gave the
cause its triumphant and rapid ascendcncy in this
country. Nor has Providence furnished them
set with an Edwards to pour the beams of clear,
calm logic on the whole subject of use, traffic,
and legislation. But they are advancing. The
efforts Of Jeffrey, and the Investigations Of Par
sons and the noble abors OF Lively, will not be
in vain.
You expect word in reference to the Cont
nent. Sir, my surprise Is, that good men IN this
country, who are not unacquainted with the his
tory Of other times, and other lands, should still
believe that we should be rid of drunkenness by
securing the cultivation of the vine. But if to
SuCl llien any duulllohul testimony is Heeueu,
give them two instances of very unequal worth.
One is on the page Of sacred and profane history.
The other is my poor observation Of facts. Con-
corning history only inquire--has not drunken
ness been the scourge of every wne-growing
country? lhave found drunkenness Astounding
peculiarly in large cities, wherever have been.
And know not how a traveller can remain in
Paris, and say that there is little Or no dunSen-
ness there. If vines were cultivated for the
grape it would be an excellent addition to many
places in our fruits, both for innocent luxury
aud Tor nourishment. But if we are to appro.
pirate time and labor to raising grapes for pro-
duction of a substance not even as palpatable,
and no more nutritious than our poor cider, when
the same time and labor might be bestowed upon
the production of bread suf1$, think it con be
demonstrated, that the loss will be immense in
point of pecuniary profit, generally health and
morality. Who that has travelled over the vine
growing districts Of France, and see the miserable
sour, alchoholic beverage which the poor man en-
Joys as the fruit Of his toll can wish that we,
who have just begun to destroy our cider mills,
md feed the apples to the "stock." should now
come back to the substitution Of yet poorer me-
1ium Of drunkenness
From the Pennsylvania freeman,
GREAT MEETING AT CLEVELAND