The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-02-15

people fthe United States, unless we car
induce the rising generation to turn thu
current OF public opinion against it.
The plague, like the Egyptian plague
of frogs, is felt every where, ard in every
thing. 1t poisons the streets, the clubs
and the coffee houses ;-furnilure clothes
equipage. persons, are redoent of the
Iabominalion. 1t makes even the dulness
of the newspapers doubIy narcotic: every
eatabIe and drinkable, all that can be seen
fell, heard or understood, is saturated
with tobacco the very air we breathe is
but conveyance for this poison into the
lungs; and every man, woman, and child
rapidly acquires the complexion ola boiled
chicken. From the hour of their wax
ing, if nine.tenths of their population can
be said to awake at all, to the hour oflheir
lying down, the pipe is never out Of their
mouths. One mighty iumgaion reigns.
and human nature is smoked dry by tens
of thousands of square miles. The Ger
man psychologists compute, that of 20
deaths, between eighteen and thirty five
years, 10 originate in the waste of the
constitution by smoking
This is indeed horrid picture; but
when it is considered that the best esi-
mates which can he made concur in show
ing that tobacco, to the amount Of $780,
100000. is consumed in the United States
annually, and that by ia: the greater part
OF this is in smoking cigars, there is Ger
tainl y room for gloomy apprehensions.-
What though we do not use the dirty pipe
of the Dutch and Germans! If we only
use the tobacco, the mischief is eftctuaIly
accomplished. Perhaps it were even bet
ter that we should lay out a part of our
money for pipes, than 10 spend the whole
for tobacco.
Smoking is indecent, filthy, and rude,
and TO many individuals highly offensive.
When first introduced into Europe, in the
10th century, its use was prohibited un-
der very we're penalties, which in some
countries amounted even to cutting off the
nose. And how much better is the prac.
lice of voluntarily burning up our noses,
by making "a chimney of Them! l am
happy, however, in being able to state.
that this objectionable practice is now
abandoned in many of the fashionable So
cieties in Europe. There is one remark
able fact 10 be observed in speaking on
this subject. No parent ever teaches his
child the use of tobacco, or even encour-
ages it, except by his example. Thus the
smoker virtually condemns himself in the
very thing which he aIlowelh.' 1t is
ROT precisely so in the case Of spirits; for
many parens directly encourage the use
of that. Tobacco is one OF the most pow
erlul poisons in nature. Even the physi-
clan, some of whose medicines are so ac-
live that few grains, or few drops, will
destroy life at once, finds tobacco too pow
erlul for his use; aud in those cases
where it is most clear v required, only
makes it a last resort. lis daily use, in
any form, deranges, and sometimes des-
troys the stomach and nerves. produces
weakness, low spirits dyspepsy, vertigo
and many other complaints. These are
its more immediate effects.
Its renoer effects are scarcely less
dreadful. It dries the mouth and nostriIs
and probably the brain; benumbs the
senses of smell and taste, mpairs The hear
ing ,and ultimately the eye-sight. Germ,
any, smoking nation, Is at the same time
a specialized nation. More than all this;
it dries the blood creates thirst and loss
of appetite; and in this and other ways,
often lays the foundation OF incompetence.
la fact, not few persons are made drunk.
ards by this very means. DR.. Rush has
a long chapter on this subject in one of his
volumes which is well worth your aten.
ton. In addition to all this, it has often
been observed that in ftvers and other dis
eases, medicines never operate well in
constitutions which have been accustomed
TO the use of tobacco.
Oflne expense which the use of it in
wolves, have already spoken. Of the
thus expended, $4,000, 900
are supposed to be for smoking Spanish
cigars; $6,500,OOO for smoking Ameri.
can tobacco, and tor chewing it; and
$500, 600 for snuff.
TWcnty.Eighth Congress.