Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1842-03-23
Iste rclrIbnlion. But. Oh. my

Imagination, with all It's accuieness, can
not fathom the depth of the aaonies it has
occasioned me! Had countless millions,
i would scatter them TO the four winds Of
Heaven, could I bio. out the slain il has
left Hpon my character. and the consequent
gpawings upon my conscieace!
! have thus attempted 10 give you a
sketch OF The effects the use Of ardent spr-
its have had on my person. my character
and conduct. And can you wonder 10 see
me thus ensaged, in warning My fellow
creatures asains, it, as common enemy,
and one that is calculated 10 lead them into
all the fatal errors il has mo! think you
will answer in the negative.
NV effort al this time. God is my judge,
is free from sei6shncss, aud could l but
know that this attempt would be The means
of arrcsling and snalcl,inS but one Of the
most degraded Of my fellow beings from
the vortex of that miserable, horrible and
degrading abyss Of drunkenness. it would
more than compensate me for the crosa |
now bear, and the risk am running Of
exposing my ignorance.
| will now leave the painful. or at least.
the experimental part Of the subject, and
trace its effects, that is, its most prominent
ones. on individuals and OH associations.
Beginning with the individual. Show
me the man, care not what his family or
fortune has been, who has given himself
up TO an Incorporate use of ardent spirits.
and nineteen times out Of twenty. will
show you a man that is reduced To penury,
beggary and want. will show you mau,
whose intellect, the only thing that elcvates
him above the brute. is impaired; whose
corporeal system is enfcebled; whose ma.
tural disposition is reversed; and in word
is reduced from the image Of his creator.
and confirmed To The image oi BeeEebuh
10 whom he belongs without reiorma-
,inn.
lfils bancfnI and fatal effects stopped
here. i, would he had enough. but more
,ulerable. Does i'll No. Where are That
mans socinl relations Has he no dear,
dear frcnis, that cares md feels interested
for him ! Has lie no father nor mother, no
brother nor sister Does not the influence
exerled on him by ardent spirits affect rhls
whole train Of relationship The whole is
not YET told. No. There is another reIa-
tior,hip more interesting than all these.
Perhaps tina: man is united TO an aniiublr
wife, Que who loves him. aud perhaps
hon he is himself. he reciprucales that
love, and were il uot for the introduction
Of the intoxicating drought. that harmony
which should ever exist in such cases,
would flow on uninterrupted ,hrnugh na.
turai life :ime. Perhaps he is The sire Of
an interesting offspring. marked strongly
with intellectual! cndowmeuls. Yet no,-
wilhstandins The aniablene.s Of the wife,
notwithstanding the gifts Of his children,
are they not compelled TO participate in
The same train a. misery and wa ant with the
husband aud the father. For. are not
familes. in great degree, estimated by
their head Es1--;fiifi-'r Cd %iii. 10 aSa5f, an.
s.st,f ..s!tS,f 10 the affirmative. for one declare
i, 10 be too much The case. Custom has
fixed il SO. and cannot charge it. You
zee then, he no; only brings upon his fami-
ly the same train Of misery and want with
himself, but also brings upon them The ad-
tlilional low estimate in which he is placed
by society. The inielligen, wife sees it.
She feels il. She bemoons the condition
of herself and family. She pleads with
her drunken husband. She demonstrates
with him, and rs the last and most power
(ul argument, she presents TO him bis own
offspring. his babe, and pleads in its behalf,
tina, be would reform.
Strong ani Irresistible as this argument
may seem. IL wont do. No. The man has
given himself up TO an intemperaie use Of
ardent spirits; his appeti'es are formed,
excr,in. an influence over his conduct, 100
powerful to be overcome by an earthly
consideration. The wife eventually des.
ponds. and perhaps is driven TO the same
fatal cup 70: relief. that has undone herself
and family. The children are neglected.
Those principles of virtue, morality, ,em-
perance and religion. which are so essen
rial to be inculcaled in the infant mind,
are overlooked. and from their having been
hahituated to such scenes of crime aud de.
bauch, that these scenes lose TO them their
tcrrors. AID they mo give over TO The habit.
Thus we see the effects of inlcmperance.
handed down from the father to the child,
creating moral wase from generation to
generation.
appeal 10 you. my audience, for the
truth of the above relations. Are they nor
facts. iuconirovcr!ible facts! Then, if these
are The effects of Ihe use of ardent spirits.
is i, not our imperative duty to uuite our
selves. aud use evory legal ctilrt we can
10 free ourselves from it Yes. as moral
ISIS, rs Christians, aud us Americans, we
SHOULD.
Le;us now look OF its effects on associ-
a,ions OF u more extensive character, such
as pleasure pGrtics, celebrations. Parndes,
&C., and see what il has done for them.
Time would fail me 10 enter into full de-
tail on those general heaGi. but will touch
on single one, that is celebrations. And
in producing arguments that deem ne
cessary on This subject. know not lie what
manucr could do il more effcctually. than
by giving nn account oitwo celebrations OF
American Liberty, which took place not
far from this place, on the Sd Of July last.
One of which was Of temperate charac