American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-11-13
From the PHILADELPHIA sun.l
THE MINDS THE STANDARD OF THE Ma


Vivid conceptions, clear views, unlmpaired
senses, an elastic spirit, happy flow OF thought,
and keen appetite, accompanied by hardy and
robust health, are among few OF the blessings
that crown the virtues of the Temperate man,
in reward for his fidelity to the la,cS Of Nature
There is but one King, who reigns with supreme
power over the destinies of man-and that IS
NATURE-the potent creature of the omnlpo-
tent God. At this throne we owe tealty and
must render homage, or we fall victims to our
dsobedence. Nature presents US with the ele-
ment of Water, as beverage. Avarce, the
USurper of her throne, presents us with '7tcohoL
We must obey Nature, or perish for our trea-
son.
RELYING on the energies of our iron.coustltu-
ton, some indulge in alcohol, from convc-
ton of entire impunity TO their physical nature
They can drink, and as they boast, "not feet H"
We have known such. We have gazed with
wonder on the physical resistance of their con-
stitution to the poisonous ravagcs of hard drink
ing But alas! they were vulnerable in no.
bier part. Their bodies remained unchanged
except the blOat of the visage, and The biear OF
the eve which marked the havoc of the poison
which avarice infuses in the beer bottle, the GIN
bottle, and the wine casl. But where, alas.
We're there minds; They ga2ed on vacancy
They thought of nothing. The divine i1re OF
intellect was eXtinguished. The soul no longer
cast its radiant glow over The dead and mex
pressve face. It seemed as if heaven had re-
recalled the soul from its clay tenement, that 1t
might not be deflcd by its degrading vices
The iron image of the man was there-but all
that sheds light, and beauty, and grace, had de-
parted; no intellect beamed-no fancy rioted-
no reason reirned-no glorious play Of heaven
ly thought shed the etiulgence of soul on the
staid, dull, heavy, and Supplied form that dar-
ed TO look heaven in the face, and yet had no
flash of Gods reason, with which to hail the
chances Of immortal light.
Can there be in nature more pitcous object
more heart-rending spectacle, than human
being bereft of intellect? man without mind!
Or 4 woman without soul! But how inil-
nitely more humiliating is such spectacle,
when we are told that this dreadful deprivation
was the work of intempe9unce?.
What glorious genius have we seen over
thrown, Frustrated, laid waste, covered with
ruins, and pulversed to dust, by lntcmperance!
Alas Even an enemy would weep tears OF an
guish over the dilapidated Intellect of the i'm
beetle Incbriate.
The body may repel the havoc of drinking
| for time, but 1t will at last show the victory
| which Poison gains over nature. Would not
! death be preferable thousand times, to shat
tered mind? A broken down brain? A stupid
and inert intellect? The Memory gone. The
reason extnguished The imagination dead
| The brain paralysed!
Over the graves of the noblest sons OF gifted
genius, have we shed the tear of friendship toi
! the premature ruin of the mortal habitaton OF
mans soul. But deep as was the pang OF an
I guish for their untimely fate, we would prefer
/ following a hundred to their last resting place,
than to gaze in the face Of one, whose soul had
been made captive by the fiends of rum-and
! in whose visage stared the black ldocy OF de-
menied inehrlate.
81 congratulate you, said |, the other day, to
friend, that is reformed"
"Yes-a fortunate eyent-but his mind is
gone. The she'll remains, but the soul has de-
parted"
Gracious God! The next day met the re-
! formed man, but he was in Intellect child
Three years ago, and | trembled before the
mighty mind of that unfortunate man, as a
superior being who irowned all others into no
thingness.
The minds the standard of the man! How
true. And what lesson it inculcates on hu,
man beings, to avoid all those violations O
Gods laws, which are certain to bring dowr
upon US the dreadful retribution Of their in
trngement.