The Washingtonian., 1845-06-14
From the New Haven Courier.
A CHAPTER ON INE.


A CHAPTER ON WINE.
! There is probably no one drink which men
have been, and are now accustomed to use, and
which possesses the intoxicating principle, that
has produced so much drunkenness, and con-
sequently SO much human misery, as wine.--
Long before ardent spirits were known, wine
was freely used, and with what effect once fou-
rishing, but now extinct, nations afford mourn
full history. We have not time to take up this
subject at length, or hardly to give it passing
notice; were it otherwise, we think that we
could show that seven-eighths Of all the drum
kenness in the world is directly chargeable to
its use.
Immediately after the food we see it COM
mencing its destructive work. Noah, who had
been selected from among the inhabitants Of the
old world to survive with his family the gene
raj deluge, planted the vine, and as result was
debased and made drunken, and curse en-
tailed upon = descendants Lot, who was
chosen + 5r! for his " righteousness"
and idad . ,-n angel from the cities of the
lala, Ia soon after brought on a level with
a b. ate creation, from the use of the produc-
/ n of the vine.
Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Rome, Carthage,
Greece. and many other once mighty cities and
nations, have long been numbered with the
things that were, but now are not, from licen-
tiousness; the principal cause of which was this
drink.
Alexander, the King Of the Macedonians, the
mighty ruler and conqueror, was himself con-
quered and slain by wine. We behold in him,
and the remnant Of his army, on their return
from India, sad example Of the effects of this
exhiIirating beverage. For seven days they
presented scene Of brutal indulgence, which
in the worlds history has not a parallel. Dur
ing this period they were an army Of raving
maniacs, cutting the most grotesque pranks,
and giving themselves up to the worst species
Of licentousness. But Alexander was not long
to enjoy this kind Of pleasure; for soon, after
attending continual feasts, he was stricken to
the floor while grasPing a Ponderous wine cup
which he successfully drained, and sunk into a
drunkard's grave at the early age Of th;rty-two
years, and the thirteenth Of his reign Here,
them" says historian, /" is this hero, invincbe
by all the tolls of prodigious marches--by the
dangers of sieges and combat-by the most Vi
nlent extremes of heat and cold--here he lies,
conquered by his intemperance, and struck to
~ - - r hu Tho cur IF Horcuioo -
But we need not go back to the history of
the ancients to see exhibited, in its hideous
forms, the destroying effects of wine. Look at
its ravages in our own country. It is a truth,
and undenable, that men who have held seats
in our national council, and officers Of State
men of the most capacious intelect-minds
cultivated and enlarged by all that learning and
refinement could add to giant abilities, have sunk
to premature graves from the use Of wine, thus
robbing their country Of her once bright orna-
nents, and robbing the world of those designed
cast around it the happy influence of rightly
ned talents. Among the ving-those the
W 1 4, We acknowledged great, and paid due
NEE, ise to their names and productions
are l no are beginning to wither from
the scorp2as sSug, and unless some power
beyond their elf-control, speedily inter-
poses between !. nd the wine cup, they,
too, will sink to dru .ards' graves, and the re-
cord left for future ages that they died in the
prime Of life, because they were unable to gov
ern their own debased passions.
Cast your eye around our city, and as it rests
upon one and another fit abode for peace and
comfort, think how many within your recollec-
ton have left the family circle and are now no
more, who, but for wine, might at this time
have been participating in the comforts of do.
mestic enjoyment.
Thousands upon thousands have been ruined,
and are remembered only with disgust or re-
gret, where wire was the first, if not the sole
cause. IT'S the wine cups ruby glow, the
bright, sparkling champagne, which too often
templs the youth to venture on the path OF dis
spation. The child beholds its parents quaff
this nectar deU of death, and from them it learns
the first lesson in ntemperance, bu to COM
ple,e its education among the vile and debased,
and banshed.
From letter of the Hon. John IA. Cooke, OF
Virginia, who has lately visited the Southwest
orn Ctotoo ~ aopoars that the Cause of Tenn