The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-07-06
PEOPLES PRESS.
Tuesday Morning, July 6, Is4I.

The FoURTH AND DEMONSTRATION all
quarters we find that preparations are being
made for the celebration of the birth day of
the nation IN various. ways, and ere this paper
goes TO the press they will have been generally
consummated. Whenever the day cannot
Conveniently be derotod to Tt-enkindling that
noble glow of patriotism, which inspi red our
ancestors to pied &c their lives their fortunes
and their sacred honor on the altar of their
country, for few years past, it has been lau-
daily devoted to the equally noble purpose OF
intoxicating those principles of morality and re-
ligion which, alone, can pcrpetuate the liber-
ties, which their persevering bravery enabled
them to achieve. Until recently the fact has
never been fully developed to the world, that
for centuries past, there has been bondage a.
mong men more debasing than the most iron
despotisms of the east. 1t is the CALLING yoke
of itItctnperance, reducing its wretched VIC
Tins to as complete slavery to their appetites,
as nation was ever enchanted to its political
tyrants. Well, then, may day consecrated
to freedom beimproved, in celebrating the glo-
rious triumphs of the temperance reform,
which has brought emancipation to countless
thousands of our countrymen fro I'M the tyran-
ny of the loathsome vice, with which it is at
war. The Temperance reform may have its
vibrations but it is so preventive of evil, and
so boundlcss in its blessings as to create
strong assurance, that it will eventually tri-
umph in every intelligent community. For
few years past, we have been doomed TO
witness the ebbings of this noble enterprise,
until scarce returning ripple has interrupted
the deathlike stiffness which brooded over the
public upon This important subject
Within few months, however, it has gath
cred fresh strength, and the public reprobation
of this odious vice, is now swelling to height
quite uncomfortable to those who are disposed
to resist its salutary progress. Several events
have contributed to this cheering result. Tile
most important is the miraculous change,
which under God, has been effected upon the
population of Ireland, by the instrumentaEty
of Father Mathew. Ireland has her favorite
saints, but none more worthy of cannonization
than this great apostle of temperance. Under
his preaching, the temperance reform has there
made progress only equalled in rapidity by
that of Christianity itself. Within an in
credible short period this individual has recei-
we'd, under his own eye, near five millions of
pledges-so many human beings thus rescued
from the fatal consequences of vice, which, |
curses both soul and body, fills the world with |
the signs and tsars of widows and orphans, and
steals the last crust from the hard earnings of
penury and want. The strings of fhe Irish
heart once struck in the father land, did not !
cease to vbrate TIL they had touched the SYM
pathies Of her emigrant sons all around the
world. In our country, at the present mo:
ment, no statistics Of temperance can be per-
feet without comprehending the multitudes of
our adopted fellow citizens, who have taken
the solemn VOW of abstinence. Even in Mid.
dlebury large portion of the irish population
have taken the pledge, and, we believe, kept
with the most scrupulous fidelity.
To the example of Ireland is to be added the
vigor which has been impaired to it, by the
efforts of inebriates themselves. Under these
combined influences, in New York, Boston,
DWELL Alhanv Buffalo phiIadejnhia psJt;