The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-06-01
WaNinqtord, Mar u, 1918.

, '"t'"'WW"i 4ioY *, lOiS
Dear Sir: Will you excuse the seeming bodncss
with which obtrude myself upon your notice p
Believe me, sir, it is with great diflidence that
address to you few lines. hope they will be re-
ceivcd in the same spirit of kindness with which
they are submitted, l hope they will not fail to
receive an attentive perusal and your candid re-
Election.
A recent occurrence, which wrung my heart with
anguish, prompts me to suggest to you the impor-
lance of immediate and total disuse of all ntox-
cating liquors. Is this suggestion too bold? Dol
ask too much? Before you shall answer these
questions afirmatively, tell me, if you w-or can,
what benefit You derive from the use of alcoholic
drinks. If you could show one valid reason for
their use, should of course be less mperious in my
request. But if there could be one good reason
shown for the of ardent spirits, a beverage,
which deny, there be many strong reasons
and weighty arguments shown against their use. -
Ought not the preponderancc of testimony and the
weight Of argument to decide this question |
trust you will have the frankness and caudor to adj
NIT they had then is there not an end Of your side
of the case? And do you not stand convicted on
on your own admission, of INDUCING in practice
which your own good judgment condemns? IT,
then, your own conscience abhors the practice
even in yourself, and much more in others-and
assume that it does-how much greater must be the
condemnation of such course by your friends and
by your God.
1t is natural for men to suppose or assume that
what they do is right. But is it right to get drunk
Do you say that moderate of ardent spirits
does no injury, and is therefore right But you
do not use them even moderately, how often is it
that you cover yourself with, and lay in your own
vomit? Do you not see that your own appetite
even now controls your will? Is it safe then for
you to talk of moderation-of a moderate use of
rum? Nay rather talk of total abstinence.
But, to the right of the matter. Man was created
to love- serve and obey his Creator. To do so is
right not to do so is wrong Now, what effect has
the use Of Intoxicating liquor upon mans dcvo-
ton? When man comes into the presence Of his
Maker, he should come with reverence, meekness
and humility, realizing the goodness of His Majesty,
Power, and Justice, as well goodness, and also
his own sinfulness and total unworthiness to come
before the Great King Eternal. Is aman under the
influence Of liquors prepared to make an acceptable
sacrifice unto the Lord? Will the prayers of such
man avail much? Docs not drunkenness lead to
profanity? And is there not a direct and positive
command against profaneness, which says, " Thou
shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain? How then can it be right to taste the ntoxi-
the inebriate i'll the world to come? The solemn
and awful declaration of scripture is No lrunkard
shall inherit the Kingdom of God" Is not this
then, conclusive evidence that it is wrong to be
drunkard? for all that do right, will be saved do
not say all who do not drink rum. But if Il man
does right in every thing else, this one cause,
drunkenness, will exclude him from the realms of
uncreated light and glory his hand shall never
pluck ambrosial fruit from the tree Of life
But do YOU say that you have nothing to do with
the morality of the subject Say not such thing
my friend Be assured that for all your thoughts
words and acts, whether they be good Or evil, you
will in the great day of retribution, give strict and
impartial account. Because sentence against an
evil work is not executed speedily, take courage
to continue in your sins and intemperance for know
though its execution be long delayed it is none the
less certain, and will be none the less fearful.
But aside from these moral considerations, what
is the effect of your Incorporate habits upon your
family and friends? All let me turn aside, and
not lift the vail to expose to view the disorder OF
your domestic circle, and the unhappEess of your
wife and children, and only say for your friends that
they witness your course with modification and
regret. Once | heard your wife make her boast
that she had as temperate q husband as any other
woman Alas for the poor woman; would that
she could say the same now; but she cannot. Her
countenance once cheerful, and bespeaking happi
ness, is now detected and melancholy, and seems to
indicate her efforts to the contrary notwithstanding
that her brightest days are gone, and her dreams
of future happiness for this life, are blasted in the
bud and that her future days will be days of deep
modification and pungent sorrow, and all in conse-
quence of an unfathfu husband and drunken
| father.
Did you ever reflect upon the example you are
setting before your children and those of your
neighbors? If the curtain which separates the
present from the future could be raised, and you
see that even one from your example should become
drunkard would you not start back with horror at
the sight? Do you not reflect that bad as the ex.
ample is, it may be followed by some to their des-
tructon, or do you suppose that mono will be so
foolish as to follow an example so despisable in it
self and so destructive of human happiness in its
consequences? Would that the latter were the
case; but, alas observation shows the fact to be
far otherwise. Your children, sir following the ex-
ample of a father, may grow up drunkards-may