Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-05-05

quit her side, and forsake her society, Tor the
dram shop the frolic, the midnight brawl-how
he had resolved, and broken his resolutions, TIL
his business forsook him. his friends deserted him,
his furniture seized for debt, his clothing pawned
for drink. his wife broken-hearted, his children
! starving, his home desert, and his heart hell
And then, IN language true TO nature they viii eN.
ultngly recount the wonders wrought IN their con
dl,lon by this same pledge. "My friends have
| come back have good clothes on-l am at work
| again. am giving food and providing comforts for
my children-l am free, | am a man, am at peace
| here. My children no longer shrink covering and
budding together in corners, under the bed. tor
protection from the face of their own father. When
| return at night they bound into my arms and
nestle IN my bosom. My wife no longer with a
/ throbbIng heart and agonized ear counts my steps
| before she sees me TO discover whether am drunk
or sober-l find her singing and at work.
What simple but exquisite illustration Of wo-
mans love, anxiety, and suffering The fine in
snct of wifes detecting from the intervals OF
his football, before he had yet reached his door,
whether it was the drunken or the sober step, whe
Their she was TO receive her husband an infatuated
monster in his likeness. | say, sir, these things
have an interest, mighty interest for me; and
deem them not entirely beneath the regard OF the
proudest statesman here. On my conscience, sir,
| | speak the truth when say that, member OF Cons
gresS as | am-(and no man Is prouder of his COM
\ mission -nember Of Congress MS sm, II, by taxi
ing the pledge, IL were even probable that II
would bring back one human being to ha ppness and
virtue, no matter what his ranker condition, recall
the smile of hope and trus; and love to the cheek
of one wife she again pillowed il in safety, peace
and confidence upon the ransomed bosom of hcT
reclaimed and natural protector, send one rosy child
bounding to the arms OF a parent, from whence
drunkenness had eNled 1t long, would dare all the
| ridcule OF all the ridiculous people IN the world
| and thank God that had not lived in vain. And
str, have had tia, pleasure.
MIR President, II IS really astonishing whata pro
/ disIousy great man member Of Congress Is NJ
the estmnuon of some people. Now, suppose, oil
those members who are themselves temperate men
and they constitute, th,nk heaven, an over
whelmins ma 1rtv IN 10th liouscs-woulj, 10y
common consent, become mHmoers of tins Ccnsres
sionsl Temperance Society what sort OF influence
DO yoJ suppose Il would have both within and with
out these wallsl They would make sacrifice IN
cong th,'-it costs such nen nothing and II they
would only DO L., aver that, before the close ol
I tins present session, We should not have SINGLE
drinking character i.it IA either branch OF the Ma
| 'iOnal Leg stature. They never could stand out
against tt know they could not. | was myself
about rs bold, aud as up-u. md As hardy soul -
ever swallowed luip. | rm not care who saw
me DRINK; ami though, as have Already admitted.
lpned the Icu,re .ance socciy because YVES sc-r
ed on my account and not for the plrpose Of ~
fIencins others. under tho influence Of oilers,
vet sure | am, that II a.! my fellow me .bers Who
are temperate had joined this association (iOr they
constitute majority far greater than is Necessary
TO suspend The rules of the House or 10 reverse Il
EtSlutntit veto, l should have lOunt mYsft let
IN 50 very small and lean minority. As the drunk
ards corps would have amounted to when the line
was once drawn iei~een The p'tles, thai never
could have stood nc shame. Why u would be the
weakest, meanest, poorest, most contemplate, pow
eress little faction that did appear IN Congress.
WHAT figure would half dozen rds cut
against the whole boiy OF both uous : WHY.
there would not be enough to guard The otsequ,cs
to form decent funeral procession ior kns al
eodol- they would be ashamed to attend the Io-
mans OF their dead m scr tron the Ciprol. No,
SIR; they would have tostop drinking IN mere self
defence.
Sir, II there be within this Hall an Individual nan
who thinks that his vast dignity and importance
would be lowered nc laurels winch he has hereto.
tore won would he furnished ms glowing and all
conqueuns popularity at home be leSsened, 10y an
act designed 10 redeem any portion OF ms colleagues
or fellow men from rum and shame, oil can say
IS, that he and pat very different estimate upon
The matter. should say, SIR, that the act was not
only the most benevolent, but, m the preseu; state
OF opinion, the most polite, the most popular look
ING down az MIR Wise, who sat ust under the Clerks
stand, Mr. NJ. added with sme,l the very Uisss.
thing he did IL his life. Think rot, sir. (sall
Mr. NJ, still regarding Mr. W. with great elrnes,
ness,l think noi that feel myself IN Z ridicu Gus
si;uauon, and ike the fox in The fable, wish 10 d.
vide It with others by converting cefosmity into
fashion. No, So; by my honor as a gentleman,
not so. ! was not what was represented to be
had and have shown that had fui. power over
myself But Inc pledge have taken renders RE
secure forever from fate Inerta3 following tat.s
ise n GA iA:e more teul1e than tea:l. Thst
petse-,holsh .orinsc 70 myself alooe. a-5 wi.h
reiersnc= Q, d. oa.y sGsct 900 ne. NJ 70 &c, -1v
'=a--- ~ -,-F. S--r- roc sE-rI1-s '--l m
-c s cd 1r-1-.ar i'c 90 -@ar- ~ 81. Hr sf .ir
-t-e- -f --s -sncel1cs =IIae - .lrrE I--. lr ~
la-tE e- is E-rl. le -.acilsi! r1u 10 t-t-.
-.cz - -il1o'!s -rrcl-s 70 -anr' Ir not. ur
Gee sra. -=g=-. -s9sr -srerr v1a- tar. .1n.--
! ave 1--er 10 = a, az '-e .7zrv -cuer- ~
~ e sure, --srz ~ tsspt-r. 81 YOU'D
n1t eE-ra1ze ~ p1yLc4 t.-s8-c-1-t-e -.sr.
sense of anna. -s.rz ben 10 oozs 'oa mar 80
io,4 = reffsins from a. tna. ir .0x - srsr-
Or 1e'lrge as ner7olg t-rI-t.-s-f-s . lste.tTp n
~hich &c oo-ncs from his co.eh in re -r.crrIrg-
the sweet rfpos. ~ ads lin J; ugnt--ns fse ~
g" n winch be cunEs ~ through us s-r eyes III
beauty AMI grandeur of sgrr5 md - ~ IRE; sayt
would 70; Exchange ny -5n.,o-s bang 1ss s.f.e.-
" temperate man ne sense ofrsr1gsis5 yo.th-ths
CAD pay with Which ny p.sss r1E eat les. .hful
muse-the bounding viylciy -i.h ph'ch he Re
blood courses ~ eI4.u1g ~4Y through every fibre
Of my irsms-he communion tigl When my
heaIthiu. ear ami eve nov 10 = Uun q. The gor.
seo1s universe o. G04-fhs aa.en1ors u the nom
ing, the sof,ness Of he evening sky-the boom the
beauty the ysfGurs Of earth the music Of the or
and tie ~aters-~Ith all e grand alsocia;ons of
external nature, fcopene5 % the hne avenues of
sense mo, s.r, though poverty logged me-thoush
scorn pointed It's slow niger at me as passed-th1
want md restitution, and every element Of earthly
misery, save only crime, met my waking eye from
day 70 day-nOt for the brightest and the nobIest
wreath that ever encrcied a siatesmans broW-no,.
d some angel commissioned by heaven, or some
demon rather sent fresh from he 10 test the resist
ing strength Of vrtuous resolution, should tempt
me back, with all the wealth and all the honors
which word can Destow; not Tor oil that time and
all that earth can give would cast ffJrn me this
precious pledge Of liberated mind, this talsnln
against temptation, and plunge agaln into the dan.
gers and the ierrors which once bcset my path
50 help me heaven, sir. as | Would spurn beneath
my very feet all the gifts the universe could Offer.
and 1--we and die as am, p5or but soJsr.