Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1848-04-06
ALCOHOL A PRISONER AT THE BAR.

ALCOHOL PRISONER AT THE BAR.
On Friday evening, Mr.. Jabez Inwards,
agent of the National Temperance Society,
delivered the first part of his celebrated lee
,ure, entitled, "Alcohol Prisoner at the
Bar" at the Southampton Polytechnic Insti-
tuition, which was crowded OH the occasion
by highly respectable audience, who paid
the most marked attention to the evidence
adduced against the prisoner. The indict-
ment preferred against him contained the
following charges, viz: that he was a thief,
deceiver, traitor, and murderer. 1t was
proved that as thief he has robbed Eng
land Of its moral glory, inasmuch as at the
present time we are considered to be the
mos. drunken country in the world. He
has stolen, and is stealing, money from the
pocket, health from the body, and peace from
the mind. In aany instances he has stolen
hope from the soul, and fastened it down
10 eternal woe. As deceiver, he is Nigh
~ in his influence; in all ages he has led
the people astray; he has deceived kings,
warriors. bishops, and clergvmen Of all de-
nominations; ne has deceived merchants
and ,radesmen; he deceives, also, The mod
crate drinkers, who foolishly believe that
Alcohol imparts strength. As traitor, he
marches through this country with six hun
;Ired thousand drunkards at his heels, and is
continually carrying on warfare against
the good order and peace of society. He
arms his victims with the implements of re-
bellon; they fill The air with vile impreca-
lions, and inpart an influence which is de-
structive TO thousands. As murderer, the
evidence was very clear. A great many of
the murders committed in this country are
committed under his influence. He fills the
toul with desperate designs, and madly leads
his victims on, until they are guilty of the
foul deed Of numbering their (ellow-men.-
He was also proved to be murderer, mas
much as many are slain by his own direci
fiery influence upon the physical system
This is hut brief outline Of the indictment,
after which the following witnesses were
called 10 speak against the prisoner at the
bar list. The Bible, the evidence of which
went to prove that Alcohol was an enemy
TO man. Noah's intemperance was cited a.
gainst him, and the influence he possessed
in causing the prophets and the priests to
err. The names by which he is known in
the Bible are, "a mocker, a serpent, an adj
der" &C., and the command Of the Bible is,
s.Look not upon the wine when it is red.''
ministers were then called upon TO give evil
dence. Their declarations against the pri-
soner were of an appalling nature. They
spoke of his mighty doings a, home and a
b,oad-how he curses the people by land
and BY sea-how he retards the progress OF
the Gospel, and how even many ministers
have fallen by his power The Christian
professor was then called upon, who stated
that Alcohol caused thirty thousand Chris
,ian professors to backside from the church
every year-lha, some of those who were
once his Christian friends were now the in
mates of The public-house, and were sing
ing the songs of Bacchus. History was
then called upon, and gave evidence 10 the
following efec, THAT Alcohol, in all
countries and all cimes, had been an enemy
TO man. He told us Of Alexander the Great,
who killed Clitus, his best friend, under its
influence, and how that great man died a.
the age of 80 in consequence of Alcohol
1t told US Of the in,emperance in ancien,
Greece and Rome, and came down to later
period, faithfully assuring the jury that the
prisoner is continual foe TO man. Hsto-
ry told of Shakspeare's being injured by it;
of Byron's intemperance; of poor Burns.
who was reduced to poverty; and of Sheri-
dan, whose once glorious sun shone bright
ly, but who fell victim to the prisoner,
Alcohol. The Physician then proved that
Alcohol was poison which sprang out of
vegetable death; that it was an enemy to
the physical ysem. And a, las. the Poor
Drunkard gave evidence against his Destroy
er; this was very solemn part of the meet
ing, and the attention was profound. He
spoke of his fathers embrace. and his mo-
theirs care, and referred to the time when
his character was unsullIed, and his hopes
bright; but Alcohol met him in the days of
his youth, and for time he was strictly
moderate, blu: at length he fell, and in that
fall he separated himself from all that was
good, he had ruined his children, and broke
the heart Of his wife. He stood before them
as a representative of 10000 of his miser-
able lellow-suherers and he soIemnly
charged all his disease and wretchedness 10
Alcohol-lhe prisoner at the bar. This
closed the evidence for the prosecution,
with which the first lecture terminated
London Examiner.
Sc