Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-05-19

picHisH any WHSLE WHICH may occur, o.
the demands of business or the pursuits o
life. Why, the stimulus which alcoho
affords is like that which an incendiary
would supply to the means OF defence
provided by country in its magazine
ample magazines of powder sufficient Il
serve you throughout a long and danger
Gus war, # you only call upon IT in pru
dent manner, and make demands proper
toned to the danger which presses. Blu
the mad incendary may rush into the
magazine with a blazing torch, and in one
moment blow up in one awful confagra-
ton all the means of defence Of a greal
nation. You might call that stimulus
(Here the honorable gentleman's voice
rose to its highest pitch, and with start.
ling energy he added)-and it would re.
semble the stimulus which alcohol furnish
es to the animal spirits! {Here the ap.
plausc was absolutely deafening for some
seconds. No language could convey an
adequate idea Of the enthusiasm with
which the speaker uttered these few SEN
tences-his whole frame shook with emo
tion. and the feelings of the audience seem.
ed spell bound.)
A little further on, he related the fol-
lowing anecdote
GA short time since, met a gentle
mana real gentleman-and there's al
ways something in the real gentleman
that impresses itself on his person as on
his mind, and ali over, by which he can
be known easily; CHEERS y and BY these
marks knew him to be a real gentleman.
He and met accidentally in travelling at
tavern. He seemed to have great
desire to converse with and form an &C.
quantance with me. And after the din.
ner was over, he told the landlord to bring
in bottle Divine. Well, felt just then,
not quite so good Washingtonian as
thought | was. daughter and cheers
Some of the old habits seemed coming
back. (Cheers.) A little OF the old feel.
ing seemed crawling over me, that if |
said | was Washingtonian he'd think af.
ter all that was vulgar sort Of a fellow
who had never been used to the drinking
of wine, and didn't know what real gen.
tleman!y good society wos. (Cheers and
laughter.) However, sat still and said
nothing; CHEERS j and thought to my.
self, let it come-if the worst comes to
the worst Eve got my certificate in my
pocket. (Roars of laughter and loud
cheering.) Well, the wine came in, and
the gentleman, with that peculiar ele-
gance, grace, finish and dellcacy of touch
and dexterity with which your real gen.
tleman knows how to draw a cork out Of
a bottle Of wine, (roars Of Iaughter,) drew
the cork (Cheers.) "Come Sill" said
he, wine with you" (Cheers.) Why
sir, said |, the fact is, they have got me
down here in one oe these temperance So
ceties, and il was to drink with you,
they'd only make fuss, and so you'll ex-
cuse mo if you please. Tremendous
cheers.) And the blood mounted to his
hair. (Cheers.) He blushed just exactly
as gentleman ought to blush. Roars
of laughter and enthusiastic cheering
And, now, the time has been, when TO
have done that, should have been thought
a low, vulgar fellow, who didn't know
what good wine was. (Laughter.) So
we've got that far at least Crremend-
Gus cheering.) Vice is compelled so far
to pay tribute to virtue that il il finds vir.
tue there, it bushes to the eyes TO think
that it has dared to offer temptation to
it. Tremendous cheering, which lasted
some minutes.) We have proved, then,
that this custom of wine drinking is not
only useless-but worse-it is absolutely
injurious, whenever and wherever il is
employed. "-(Cheers.)
He thus alluded to the wonderful pro-
gress of temperance
| have said there are indications going
on in regard to this greal moral revolution
which show that power higher than man
has had TO do with it. And the greatest
works that have taken place in the history
Of this.earth have marked the influence Of
the same power by the insignlfcance Of
its agents. And it may be that this is
above man, that so simple thing as this
pledge is marked out to root out and rem
edy all these ends. know there is
charm in it, which no other oath taken by
yourself can bring. If asked why or
how, in my case, might answer as the
sick man in the Scripture, who was re-
lieved from his blindness, did. When He
who went about doing good-He who
spake as never man spake-when He who
threw up, and opened wide, and lifted on
high the precious doctrine Of the immor.
tally Of MAINLAND who brought light and
Immortality to life by his gospel--when
by the touch of His Almighty finger, the
scales were torn from the eyes Of the blind,
and sight was restored, the prosecuting
priests and Sa dducees, who sought occa-
sion against this Jesus Of Nazareth, went
TO the parents 10 see If there was any pre-
text in the cure by which they could
charge this high and holy one as claim
ing to be equal to the God of the Jews
The parents replied, He is OF age--ask
him." When they asked the son when
it was done, and how was il done, all he
could reply was, al only know that | was
blnd--he laid his finger on my eyes, and
now see J" So can only say, that
whereas once was blind put my fin
ger to that pledge-ihe cloud departed,
There he raised his head up in peculiar
manner] and my eyes is bright as when |
was fifteen years OF age. Tremendous
cheering, which fairly shook the build
ing.) have alluded to so much Of my