Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1842-05-18

still encounter; not the opposition oil truth, or
reason or argument, but pecuniary interest and
appetite and worse than all, established, nvet-
crate fashion; and the death grapple with these
enemies is yet 10 come.
He had tried TO imagine what could be said
in favor of inemperance; and TO prepare Tor
meeting the arguments on that side, he had
taken counsel of Cicero, who always supposed
himself, in preparing cause for trial. in the
place of his adversary, and having first present
ed the arguments agaist himself in the strong
est possible light, proceeded to demollsh them.
Thus placing himself, he had tried to frame an
argument in favor Of inlemperance, and the
mos, plausible plea he could invent, for the life
and soul of him, was this.
"The appetite for Alcohol is implanted IN
man by nature Alcohol exists in nature, and
The ingenuity Of man elicits it 10 crafty this
natural appetite. Why was this arrangement
made, if it was not designed that the appetite
should be gralifed with The Alcohol. Nature
does nothing in vain There is evidence of
adaptation in every department ofthe Universe" !"
Here the speaker drew striking illustrations
from "the wisdom displayed in the construc-
ton of the solar SYSTEM; adjusting the distance
of the earth from the sun, and the size of the
earth 10 the nature of the plants and animals
that are on its surface, and then asked why did
that wisdom form this appetite and furnish the
source for its qualification"
In reply 10 this argument he might deny the
fundamental assumption that the appetite is
natural; he did not believe il; but admitting that
il is. human reason has demonstrated that the
qualification Of il is injurious 10 man, under all
circumstances; and alcohol was never furnished
by nature as food for man. Nature has provl-
ded food to support his existence and sustain
his spirits; and Mr.. NJ had often conrasted
that substance which nature has provided for
the noiIrishment Of man in the season of help
less infancy. with this invention. lfthere are
two things, of all Others the most exactly un-
like, they are milk and alcohol; and in the Uni
verse, where, where could be found two OBJ
Iects more unlike than the mothers breast and
the worm of the still: the fountain Of human life
and the accused source of human wretched-
ness
But admit that the appetite is natural, what
does it prove ? Is nature unjust 10 man and
unkinder to him than TO the lower orders OF the
animal creation In them The appetite IS
wanting Brutes have no appetite for alcohol.
You can't teach them 10 love IT, Man is the
ONLY animal in the broad universe that will get
druak more than once. The experiment has
been tried land here Mr.. NJ. related an anec-
dole of monkey, which two wags made drunk,
and the next time they attempted TO force him
TO drink he fought himself away from them and
fled to the top of the house, and if the brute
naturally refuses alcohol, is not nature unkind
to man in endowing him with an appetite for il !
I II L III hn q c
also given him what no other animal has, the
reason to detect and the p0cer 10 avoid the con-
sequences She has armed him with weaP-
on sufficient to protect him from the evil, and
is it no, a proof of the high estimate put upon
the human mind by its Author, that he clothes
| il with power 10 overcome temptation, and
| holds the possessOr responsible, as moral and
| intellectual being, for the use OF his gliIs!-
Blame not then God or nature for the evils ol
intemperance. Drunkenness is mans own
work. 1t is peculiar to him. no where else in
creation can voa find an animal that falls under
! iis power.
A drunkard is the hardest thing in The world
for philosopher TO classify. You can't tell to
wha. genus he belongs-he amt nan-you
can't make man of him, any way-he has not
| the form, or feature, or feeling of ] mani
speak after ample opportunity of leeling-he
! has neither the face or The form OF man; ne
no longer holds up his face as man, he can
walk like man; intemperance has fuddled his
BRAIN blcared his eyes, dea'ened his ears,
swelled his body, dwindled his legs, and thus
destroyed his title to be classed among men,
| But these are The least Of its evils. We might
forgive in,emperance if il did no more than mar
our beauty, dilapidate our fortunes, waste our
health, and destroy our lives. Man must die,
and if death were the mere dissolution Of this
BODY of ours, it would no. be matter OF any
great moment if the period were precipiIated
for few months or years. But what is man
What doas he mean when he speaks of him
self? Is it this frail perishng clay! No; no
1t is the diUina particula, breathed into this clay
by Deity himself, and given 10 man only OF all
that live on earlh--it is the reason and the
heart-the reason that enables him 10 examine
and prove-,he heart that loves; that makes ca
pable of parental affection and all those finer
sensibiilies that adorn human nature and dis
iinguish it in the creation of God. This is the
oro;ocpIa tba, makes man; this IL Is that is eter-