The Columbian fountain., 1846-04-20
JOHN b. COUCH.


and has done wonders he was here week,
and spoke nine times. He lectured in the the
atre here. the largest room in the place,
and those that were not at the place al least
half an hour before the time of speaking,
could not get seat, and very often had to go
away, not even getting standing place. One
| afternoon he lectured TO the ladies', on which
| occasion 400 ladies signed the pledge, among
whom was one who, but few weeks before,
had said that she had never in her life heard
of lady joining the Temperance Society, and
that it was an insult TO ask her. Well, this
lady was one of the first who joined. They
have now here Young Mems Temperance
Society, numbering good many members,
and holding weekly meetings. So you see
that the ball has been set in motion here.
hope it viii be kept in notion"
MEssRs. EDITORS: have had the pleas
ure of attending the Senate of the United
States for many days, and have enjoyed the
pleasure of hearing the talented and eloquent
members Of that distinguished body. In COM
mon with the people Of the country, have
felt much solici,ude in the absorbing question
which, more than any other, occupies the pub
lie mind. But cannot but wonder that SO
much has been said upon the horrors OF prospec
the warfale, or the alternative of dishonorable
peace trust, and believe, that the day is
far distant when this people shall suffer the
horrors of ,car or national dishonor, in the ad-
jnsment of the conflicting claims Of Great
Britain and the United States, and all this Ia
mentaton seems to me to be of no practical
utility. 1t is good policy never to anticipate
evil, but endeavor to preventit; and it seems
to NE to be most unwise to lash ourselves into
| an excitement in relation to what may or may
not come, when evils of more magnitude are
upon US. The " dogs OF war" are generally
kenneled and over the whole civilized world
there seems to be growing disposition to ele~
vate the flag Of peace
! But not so with another evil. | allude TO
the sin of iatsmpsranee. While civilization
and christianity have tended to convert the
sword into plougshare, laws are enacted and
administered for the protection of the rum
} traffic; and while peace sheds her benign in
! fuences over our Republic, millions are sac
riiced at the shrine of Baechus. War is a
} great evil, but intemperance is still greater
3 evil War may kill the body only; drunken
ness casts soul and body into hell" War
! makes widows and orphans-intemperance
does the same, with the addition that it kills
the heart of the widow, and beggars the or
phan.
If a single American citizen were slain by
the British on the banks of the Colamba, the
wrong and injury would be proclaimed in
tones of thunder, and avenged by the strong
ann of the nation and it is all right that it
should be So But why should not the muir
der of our citizens in this District, under the
very seats of our legislators, be avenged, and
their murderers brought 10 justice. Is 1t OF
no consideration that hundreds Of our young
men here, and hundreds of those who come
here, are slain, and their blood found upon the
door posts of the Capitol Is there no ma
tonal dishonor in the fact that some of our lc-
gislators are being murdered piece meal? Are
1
| there no horrors in the death bed of the drunk
ard =? Is there no dishonor in the tottering,
and reeling to and fro of drunken legislators
| Is there no horror in the writings and an
gush of nuia o-potu? Do the graves that
annually hide the bloated forms and carbun-
cled faces Of thousands upon thousands OF our
population, conceal the horror and dishonor Of
their uutimely end?
| What parent among US, would not infinite
" prefer that his SOD, his best beloved son,
should die on the fed Of battle, with nothing
to support his faintiug head but the stars and
stripes of his country, and the last human
voice that greeted his ear, the shout OF freedom,
rather than that son should die in bar.room,
or sink into the grave confirmed drunkard.
| Would he not much rather stand upon the
plains that drank the blood of his son when he
| fell in his counuy's cause, and where his
bones lie uncoffiued, than to see that son 90
down to the chambers Of death, the victim Of
the rum-seller? Suppose, (and would 10 God
that we had no reason to fear that the supposi-
ton may be a reality,) that a,son Of one of our
worthiest citizens should commit a murder un-
A., ,yT !. Il. t.