Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-07-21
Who IS Responsible ?

" Nv
The following extract from a work recent
ly issued by p. S. White and DR., Fly, enti-
tied yindication of the Sons Of Tempe
rance" presents some instances of Clerical
lntemperance, which goes far to prove, that
in Drunkenness. as in all other popular sins,
the Church and Clergy are responsible
seeing that it is from them that society copies
its morals.
The True history of the prevalence of in
temperance in our country, and of the evils
10 which it exposes our whole population,
may be gathered from a variety of popular
maxims, facts, and biographical sketches.
A venerable divine of Boston, announced
it TO one of us as an axiom while he deliver
ed the cup TO a youth, and took another him
self, g that wine is the milk for old age"
Another Divine of high standing and ex-
tensive influence in Connecticut, fifty years
ago, gave this advice Z" If ever you become
a preacher, drink rum, raw rum it is the
best thing TO clear your voice. Don't drink
sweetened liquor, for then you will be likely
10 become a drunkard."
This advice he commended by his W
example, for several times in a day he would
put the case bottle TO his lips, and take two
or three swallows. Yet he lived and died
a sober man whose memory is revered, and
whose published sermons do great credit TO
his head and heart.
His eldest son become a distinguished
physician, but before he arrived at middle
age, made such a bad use of his fathers eX-
ample, that he died Il miserable inebriate, and
left his wife and lovely daughters to sustain
themselves by keeping a boarding school.
If many of the clergy, and many of our
senators and statesmen became inebriates,
what must have been the condition of a great
mass of their fellow citizens.
We could give a sad list Of divines who
were much injured in their health, reputation
and usefulness, by the common use of in
toxicating beverages, who did not become
notorious sots, and several of these, for talents,
learning, activity and eloguence, have not
left their superiors to survive them in the
American churches.
We could give the names of more than
thirty c%lergymen in the circle of our ac-
quaintance, who did become publicly known
as drunkard's and of these, four were Bish-
ops in the Protestant Episcopal Church 8
three had been Moderators of the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church and
ten were distinguished as Doctors Of DiUini-
ty.
OF the thirty TO whom we refer, twenty
have been hurried prematurely to the grave
by their excess in drink. Some Of them died
of deHrium tremens. Six of them were re-
claimed by the ecclesiastical discipline and
other means. One of them, returning from
a walk on a summers day, caught up a por-
ter bottle, which had the smell of ardent
spirits, and in haste drank heartily of it; but
he soon discovered that he had swallowed a
mixture of corrosive snblilnate and whiskey,
which his wife had prepated for the cleansing
of her bedsteads. He next swallowed in
still greater haste a flask of sweet oil and
by the help of emetics, and a skillul physi-
clan was then snatched from sudden death.
This did not cure his love of strong drink.
He was suspended from the ministry, and
dismissed from his pastoral charge. This
did not reclaim him. In a drunken fit he
subsequently, fell down stairs, dislocaied his
hip and fractured his thigh bone. For about
four months preceding his death he appeared
TO be a p~enitent, reformed man; and in his
dying moments, in answer to a friend who
asked after the state of his mind, replied
1.-The least of all Gods promises is quite
sufficient for such a sinner as | am"
One of the thirty was a German Lutheran
minister in a large town, of fine talents, and
OF exemplary character before drink over
powered him. He was suspended but not
until he had proved TO be SO drunken at the
communion table that his elders were under
the necessity of holding him up, while he
dispensed the emblems of the body and blood
of his Divine Master.