Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1845-10-09
MIS- CELL Al ECU S.
THE MIND-DESTROYER.

The following article, delivered at a tenn
perance meeting in New Haven, Conn, and
reported in the Fountain, has more than
common merit-we commend it to men OF
reflection.
I. The nature Of the evil Of intemperance
1t does not consist in tears, signs, poverty.
hunger, or any bodily misery. 1t is not like
stealing, lying, gambIing-these only pol
lutte mind-immortal mind. Mind is the
wealth of nations-not gold and silver
The mountains of Mexico secrete treasures
Of gold in their bcsoms; yet Mexico is poor
indeed, compared with New England.
Mind is power 10 a nation. Our fore
fathers had not money, arms, or soldiers,
wherewith to resist the mightiest nation on
the globe. 1t was mind rehellng, indomi-
table. independent mind-thal rent in sun
der the ties of blood and affection, and cast
the yoke of tyranny back on European
shores.
Mind is nations hope in future--her
stay in danger; not bulwarks, forts and ma
vies
Mind-inteligent minds a nations
glory. This makes the Eagle of America
and the Lion Of England float highest and
proudest amid the nations of the earth
Mind is the author Of science, literature, dis
coveries-ihe only trrc national CORY.
That must be whitening, blighting
curse, which destroys this source of ma
lions wealth, power, hope, and glory. War.
pesti!ence and lamiue arc blessings. com
pared with it. But intemperance, like some
vast, hideous fend, stands by this fountain
head of lie TO our nation, casting in the
deadly poison, which flows down in ten
thousand channels through our land, scat
tering death along its track. This is your
enemy-the real ApoI!yon of our land
breathing death over our community.
lsitnot true that intemperance is the mind
DESTROYER of our nation3 Take one drunk
ard, 1st. Does he not waste the vast amount
of influence which every man is bound tQ
exert on the destinies oG society? Does he
not squander the nations wealth, power and
glory? Cd. Does he leave any good intlu-
ence to go down to posterty? Coming
ages have claim on every man, 10 trans
nit to them manners, laws, and a nation
freed from every evil influence. Does the
drunkard do it? Every mind ruined, is as
if one star vas blotted out Of the armament
of heaven-ils light no more to shine on
coming ages Sd. His influence is actually
baneful-deady. All this is worse than
waste of mind in one man. Now gather the
hundreds in your city and look az them.-
Now add all in the State. Swell this amount
by all in the country. Set them aside on a
plain by themselves, and behold them, thou
sands of minds-immortaI minds ruined
Add 10 this vast crowd of wasted intellect.
the minds Of thousands of wives, whose en-
ergies are wasted by disappointment and
cruelty. Nor is this all place with these
the minds of all the children, slinted in in
tellect by the vices of drunken fathers, ruin
ed by wicked example, neglect or cruelty.
Let this tide of wasted mind and evil inhu-
ence roll like flood down into iuturity.
and even the scales of eternity cannot weigh
the loss. Go on then your cause is holy.
heavenly.
ii. For second motive / arOuld direct
you TO futurity. lst. Posterity demands OF
you this labor and sacrifice. Said Napoleon
at the battle of the Pyramids, pointing up to
those immense structures, "Soldiers re-
member forty centuries are beholding you
from the tops of yonder pyramds.n The
very thought was victory. And more than
forty centuries will soon be looking back
on us, demanding Of us not to entail upon
them the bIighting curse. Each age is a
pioneer-explorer on the track of time
through the field of truth for the coming
generations. God so ordans. The names
on that record pointing TO the roll Of The
Society will outIive their owners. They
go down with their influence to posterlty
Cd. You may behold in the future the fna