The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-02-13
ADDRESS
OF THE STATE TEMPERANCE SOCI
ETY. To TIE FREEMEN OF YER
MONT.

Feltolv citizens Of PermOnL: BY law of
the last session Of the Legislature, it is pro-
vided, that on the first Tuesday OF March,
town meetings shall bo held in every town in
this State, AZ which the votes Of the Frecmen
inscribed either License or No License, shall
be received by the proper authority, and "itu
minority oithc votes returned throughout the
entire state shall he License, it shall he the
DUTY ofIhc assistant Judges ofihc several
County Courts to grant licenses, in uccor
dance with the provisions OF the act, TO ALL
SUCH PERSONS US SHALL MAKE APPLICATION
THEREFORE,, and WHO sustain good moral
character"
1.-THE majority oflhe votes shall be No III
cease. the assistant Judges SHALL have power
to grant licenses, only for medicinal, chcmi-
cal and mechanical purposes, 10 such persons
only, us shall have been appreciated for such
purpose ly the civil authority OF the town.
Such is the ln0nCuIeus question, which Is
soon 10 he submitted 10 your decision; qucs-
ton of deeper and more lhriIling interest to
the people OF tile State, than any other that
has come before them since the adoption of
their constitution Tho issue to be made is,
whether Intoxicating liquors shall be confn-
ed To legitimate and useful purposes, or shall
flow unrcstl9iired, with tide of deSVlation,
over tie length and breadth ofthe State. This
is II subject ofvital importance TO every par
lion otthe community, affecting, ms 1t does,
the civil, social and moral prosperity and
happiness Oft!o people, and the character
Of our common wealth.
In This crisis, we deem appropriate to ad-
dress TO you some considerations, which may
tend to prepare Won for right action on this
subject, and we beg yOn 10 give them yoNr
candid attention.
That intoxicating drinks are neither ncces-
sary nor useful to Pcrs0us IN health is now
generally admitted The fact is established
beyond doubt by the testimony of physic-
iuns and hV the experience OF mUtItudCS,
who have discontinued the use otlhem. Nor
can it be denied, that HEY are prolific of evil.
Their deadly influence is matter of constant
Observations, and new and varied forms of
Indebtedness, attributable solely TO them, arc
daily brought To our notice.
Bun familiar us y3u may he with the sad dc
rails of intcmperauce, it is impossible 10 ton2
an adequate conception of its dreadful Cvlls,
Much less is it possible fully to portray them.
Not only is language inadequate to set torh
their cnormitv. but the mind itself cannot
grasp the multiplied forms Of anguish and
distress, ofwhich they arc the cause.
Consider their effects upon the unhappy
subjects of their immediate influence.
THey consume lie e,idic HeSidCS the caor-
nous sums paid for intoxicating drinks! i'll
cludc the loss Oitimc, the indispostion and
uniitneEs, for managing business, the impair
ed strength and the general want Of Thrift
which they occasion, and the amount, worse
than wasted by their use, almost exceeds com
putalion. In New England village i'll the
course of forty years, so farms were fquan-
dcrcd and aIicnated from the families which
had possessed them, from this cause.
They impair The health. The Intoxicating
principle is IL poison; it conveys no hourlsll-
ment to the body; the stomach REJECTS 1t; It
inhames the nerves, goes into the blood and
passes through the system. sometimes was
ting and again boating it, till itscttles IN tho
brain, and thus, 10y process more or less
rapid, destroys the functiohs Of life. Such
are the terrible effects of alcoholic drinks,
when pure. But we are toll, on high medi-
cal authority, that the intoxicating liquors ~
common use are almost universally uduter-
ated with active poisons, aud in consequence
"there arc but few constitutions, which pos
scss sufficient energy to resist the deadly ci-
ftcts oftIlo haiiuIai Use o. them even five
years"
They ijeakea, deiunge and destroy the reason. &.
OF $50 maniatS i'll various asylnnS, 400 oW-
ed their loss % reason tn intoxicating drinks.
'Iutenperanrc," said DR.. Woodward in Is
Al, "stiR takes The first rank among the eau
ScS OF insanity II is not only the cause OF IN
sanity,bu is too frequently the source OF other
evils which arc prolific causes of,hc disease.
five could ascertain how many otthc cases
of i'll health Of domestic afliiction, of fear OF
poverty, loss ofpropcrty and even religious
depression and Melancholy arise irom il, the
list would he appalling, and would he nearly
or quito double What it uOW is" EsguiroI.
who is celebrated for his researches into sta
tis,Cs ol'nadncss was Of opinion that ntcn-
pcraucc gives rise 10 one half Of the cases Of
insanity in Great Britain. .....
They destroy life. lE 1915 the coroner Of
the city ol'NGw York held inIuests ON the
bodies %! tS}i persons. Otthesc 3-5 died Of
Ii,