The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-12-25
From the n, Y, Temperance Journal.
hIVho Slew all These 33

The history Of Intemperance is one of
fearful interest. Look where you may
at The past, 10 every age since The intro
duction Of Alcohol, and you see the rav>
ages OF the dread destroyer. Nations,
once prosperous and powerful, under the
benign influence Of temperance principles,
were reduced to et1eminacy and poverty,
through excessive indulgence in wine, and
the many mmoralilies which follow in
The train of Bacchus. Where are proud
Babylon and Nneveh? Their greatness
stands recorded on the pages of history,
their ruin is declared in the annals of In
temperance; and the great Empire an
Alexander called his own, what says the
cpitaph which commentaries lis over
throw? Thus does it read" founded in
rigid abstemiousness and viriue-destroy>
ed by Inemperance and its whitening at
PENDANTS p Rome loo has fallen, AID look
at the origin of her decay. Her legions,
while suong in uncorrupted appetite, were
invncible; but when the TEMPER came
with poisoned cup, she drank, and fell be-
fore her enemies. The iron power Of
Daniels vision became mixed with clay,
and crumbled, because not cemented with
Temperance and Virtue. These are a
few of the wrecks of empires, all OF them
mighty, which, like high and fearful mon
uments. attest the remorseless energy Of
Alcohol. But we have only glanced at
the loss Of national greatness, as the result
Of Incorporate habits. Let US people
these empires, and cast our eyes over the
vast mul!itudes whose souls and bodies
have been consumed by Alcoholic fires.
Oh! what Il melancholy sight and could
we hear the piercing shrieks of the i'm
moated victims, methinks our souls would
loathe, with infinite disgust, the procur-
ing cause of such vast accumulation of
human wo. Look at those rcelIne, fren>
zied parents, as they cast their tender off
spring into The arms of the insata.e Mo-
!och, whose embrace is cruel ath-Iook
at the long array of broken-hearted wives
of widows with banched cheeks telling
Of mental and bodily anguish; and as you
see the vas! concourse, with others equal
~ oppressed and tortured, sink into an uu-
timely grave, let your hearts bleed and
your lips vow eternal hatred of that which
has produced such fearful aggregate of
wretchedness. But look again, if you
would know more Of what lntemperance
has done. 1t has filled many cavern oflhe
ocean with lis victims. See those sinking
vessels and the frantic groups tina, crowd
their decks, shrieking for heIp-but all in
vain. How came, they thus suddenly TO
meet a watery grave! The demon AL
cohol replies, "'Twas | who did the deed"
Yes no doubt twas he-and could the
ocean bed but yield its myriads, and should
they tell who sen! them TO their coral rest
ing places, they would corrobora!e his
testimony. But have we seen the whole
amount of misery and death which have
marked the progress OF the Alcoholic
cause? No we have only looked "Ehrough
a glass darkly," and at some few of its
desoatons. There are yet TO pass in re-
view the wrecks Of gigantic intellects-
the blasted reputation OF countless thou
sands--ruined families---lhe death.bed
scenes of those who, in their "delirsum
remens" talked of hell and inward fires
these are continuation of what may, with
truth, be called the melancholy results of
Intemperance.
Reader can you, dare you tamper with
such an enemy2 Will you introduce
him to your family circle, there to sow
the seeds of discord--to corrupt the NOR
ais and destroy the health and happiness
Of those who look up to you as their pro.
tecor2 Oh will you not become their
shield from those mighty woes which