Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-07-28
From the Charleston Courier,

The Portraiture Of thc Drunkard. = With
an importunity, like that Of the widow in
sfho Scriptures, we have al. length sncceed-
6biainjIg fos: Tho ltlcatlon ofs oass g
readers generally and OF thes Sons OF
Temperance especially and f6r the good
ofall, President Finley's appalling and
highly finished porlraiture of the drunk
srd, which formed such an attractive
portion of his admired Temperance Ad-
dress, on the afternoon of Independence
Day.
.iBu, to illustrate the miseries Of intem-
psrance, len us like Sterne, take some
single captive, who has been subjected
m its power, aud follow him 10 his down
ward career to ruin. Behold that young
man, who not long since entered upon The
arena Of life. Behold him in the flower Of
his prime-b,essed with education, inbu-
ence. talents and virtues, which rendered
him the idol Of his family-the JOY OF his
friends-lhe hope Of his country. A few
wears have rolled by, and how. sad
change has passed Upon him. All that
was pure and lovely and Of good report
has disappeared--,nark his altered mien
the bloaled visage-lhe babbling tongue
the ,remulous hand the lallerlng step.
eAround him clings invisible a chain,
which gals forever-felter:ng though un-
seen, aud heavy though it clanks not DO,
YOU ask the cause ? He was turned from
his path by the song Of Siren. He was
tempted TO taste of the Intoxicating bowl,
and under its circean Influence, he has
beeu transformed into brute-genius,
honor, fortune, fame, have all been sacrl.
feed upon the alter rofintemperance. OF Alas!
how fair victim for 50 foul an altar, and
bow great is the guilt as well as the shame
orsuch self pollution; thus, by his own
act, 10 destroy the most noble, preroga'ive
Of man; dash from hisssGow the brightest
level Of bis nature, ,5sas wsilow, like the
swine, in the filth of eartbiEwhen he should
have scared; as the Eagle, TO the Stars Of
Heaven. We might also conduct you to
life's closing SCENE, and call on you TO
witness The fierce convulsons OF his slrug-
Cling spirit, aud those images of horror,
which, like spectres, haunt his deah-bed,
as if ioreboding the unuuerable and end
less torments Of the life to come. This is
no, all=the victim of intemperance may
also be husband, father. But what
TO him are the endearing claims of wife
and children; he would barter away the
most sacred tokens Of conjugal affection
for his morning dram; he would snatch
rhe last loaf from the grasp of his famish-
jhg children, that he nigh, revel in the
crop. shop. And what pencil can portray
the cares, ,.!he trials The wre,cbedness of
drunkard's wife. 1t is but small portion
Of her sufferings which meets the public
view. No human eye has ever pierced
Inc veil which shrouds' her sorrows. How
agonizing the panss of that wounded
spirit, while, during days ofloil and sleep
less nights, she mourns over her cherries
home, he. blasted joys, her helpless, beg.
cared children, beggared by fathers
crime; and doubtless, what strikes the
keenesl anguish into her bleeding. broken
heart, is ihe thought that all misery has
been caused.by him in whom she had
garnered up her brightest, ,fondest hopes
on whose arm she once had leaned fol
support; and TO whom she had been ac
cus,omed to look for shelter and protec
,ton from,he storms Of life. My friends