The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-09-08

being It's 18th anniversary.
/, Mr.. PRESIDENT:
The subject Of temperance is one that
has engaged your attention so long, and
one on which you have been so often adj
dressed, that am at loss to know how
TO begin, or what 10 say Oh the present &C.
casion.
10 depict the personal evils Of intempe.
rance, would be but repetition of what,
perhaps, every individual here present has
witnessed, again and again, with their own
eyes. Who hos not seen Mda, yes, Nan,
endowed with reason and understanding,
capable Of thinking, rejecting aud Judging
of choosing the good and refusing the
evl-Man, who was made in the likeness
of bis Master-but q Little lower than the
angels--crowncd with honor and glory,
and set at the head, and over the other
works Of bis Creator---as il we're con.
meeting liuk between heaven and earth
who has DOT seen this exalted being bru-
tal,zed-brulalized nay, Infinitely worse !
my recollection cannot fix on a word in the
English language, that can convey any cor.
rect idea Of the shameful degradation of
4Uaa wallowing in the filth Of intempersnco.
But while remembering what man origin.
ally was, and what he still might lie, re.
collect how often ycu have seen him TAX.
ing the swine's place In the mire--and how
often rolling in the loalhsomo stuff disgore.
ed from his own stomach
/ But, let Us turn from this disgusting,
heart sickening sight, aud for moment
consider the gradual effects Of intoxicating
liquors upon the constitution. /, has been
ascertained by experiment, that Alcohol.
when taken into the stomach, passes through
the whole circulating system, without
change or assimilation, and distributes its
poisonous influences 10 every viscus and
every organ Of life.
It's FIRST deleierlous effects are discovered
on the liver, producing inflammation and
consequent torpor--lrom whence arises
either suppression, or morbid secretion
Of bile. In either case, the lone Of tho
stomach is impaired and hence Indigestion,
loathing Of food, fatulence, colics, and oil
tho miserable aud indescribable feelings
arising from Dyspepsia. From the liver
it proceeds, still unchanged and unussimila.
ted, through the heart TO the lungs, carrY-->
ing with /, all ns corrcding g.ssS'-.7Fita.
then becnrnaa- Ai.~ tr-th1sTresslng pulmonick
'6iiecIIons, no: necessary to mention at pres.
eni. Thus it passes through TIC ahoIc
system, leaving lis characteristic impress
ca overy part: and as certain writer just
" remarks, vltiaies the blood, deiiles the
breath, crimsons the nose, bloais the face,
dims the eye, wastes the muscles, palsias
tho limbs, deranges The nerves, lntiames
the brain, and de,hrones reason"
These, and such like, are the nyariable
effects of all intoxicating drinks in a great.
er or less degree.
Thus far We have only considered man
as al isolated being, aud only pointed at q
few Of the miserable consequences OF in
temperance, Us II regards himself as IN in.
d;vtduai. But man IS not thus Isolated
lie IS a social being, and however degraded
no has, or may become, lie exerts an intiI,
ence, TO greater or less extent, on others
around hun. His reason being deihroned,
oil the malignant passions OF his nature arc
let loose, and reign uncontrolled, aud hence,
how often have we seen the drunkard be.
come q curse TO The family and social cir.
Gle. How many thousand instances have
occurred, when the innocent, inohensive
and unofending wife Of his bosom, whom
he has vowed TO cherish and protect, has
become the victim of bis rage, and the sub.
Iect Of sutlerings, IN many instances, OF the
most cruel character, even to death How
often has she been deprived, not only Of
| the comforts, but even tho very necessarles
Of life How often has she been compelled
TO fly from her miserable home, with her
I helpless infants in her arms, and take shel-
ter from the pitiless storm in stable, or
4 bear lis pe,ings in the woods, to screen her
| from the more merclless fury of her satani.
cal husband So many instances of this
kind have been recorded, and so many have
como under your own observation, that
need not attempt, of this time, 10 rouse
your indignation, by the shameful recital.
In this short and imperfec. sketch, we sec
that the drunkard 10 exposed to fearful
catalogue Of diseases, any Of which, soon
becomes lncurable, especially, if aggrava-
ted by repetition Of the cause. De DO.
comes a curse to himself, TO his family, and
society-he becomes the associate of the
liar, the gambler, the swearcr, the debau'
chez, and, in word, exposes himself TO eve.
ry crime which would make humanity blush,
even TO name--be becomes a fl tool for
Satan, with which to accomplish any Of
his dabolical purposes, and when he has
served his turn on earth, he will reward
him at last, with place in his own deas
Dough, hell. However disagreeable such
reflections may be, they are necessary 10
excite and keep continual disgust with tho
accused evil
But. on the present occasion, in view Of
our approaching election, suffer me to sug-
gest few thoughts on the evils of in.empe-
rance, in q political point Of view. This
is subject, on which, have feared, our