Washington telegraph., 1851-11-12
r.THER MATHEW AT THE
TOMBS PRISON.

EATHER MA L lie I" A4 L liz
TOMBS PRISON.
Tho New York Tribune states tina,
-. benevolent and indefatigable advc-
'',9 .s Of temperance OH Thursday visited
eA c.. Tombs prison in New York. by invi-
n,;on .n of Mr.. Edmonds. the worthy keep
The reverend gentleman arrived at
e. .,u, one o'clock, accompanied by his
acre,ary, 'D and. having been heartily wei
.,ed by Mr. Edmonds, was conducted
=, that gentleman to place whence he
D5d,essed the prisoners, in substance, as
follows:
,b,t I am glad to see you. My heart
inks within me-my spirits fail and die
swav a, the sad spectacle which is now
O,esented to my eyes. l see before me
in,nv of my own countrymen, who left
nome with bright hopes and prospects,
,b;ch have been blasted by an insane
r,ssion for strong drink, the root of all
svil. No man can prosper who drinks
mo man was ever born a drunkard.-
No man or woman ever deliberately de-
.;gned 10 be drunkard. Whence, then,
do thew come? The first glass, taken at
the social party. is what finally produces
the so,. Men fall by degrees. SO slight
as to be almost imperceprible to them
.e,ves. Total abstinence from all that
cao intoxicate is the only refuge of safe.
~ Temperance and virtue are the only
.nre foundations of success, while indul-
renee in intoxicating drinks brings in its
rain poverty. degradation and crime. l
know not whether intemperance brought
vou here, but throw out these remarks as
General. Alcohol is an unnatural bever-
see. When God placed our great an-
css,ors, Adam and Eve, in the garden OF
Paradise, alcohol was not provided tor
them. Their happiness was complete
without strong drink. Their beverage
was pure cold water. trust, my friends.
that you will seek happiness i'll sobriety
and virtue. While many whom J. see
before me are in the spring of life, none
are TOO old TO reform-while there is lite
there is hope. In this great and free Re-
public the door to prosperity and happi-
ness is thrown wide open to you. For
tune, place, fame, are all within your
orasp. You have but TO reach forth to
them aud they are yours. The genius OF
American institutions says to all citizens,
whether native or adopted. Go run your
race for the prize; the reward shall enrich
the brow of the most worthy Since
nv arrival in the United States / have
seen many of my ceuntrymen who left
home penuiless. who. by industry, sobrie-
~ and virtue have anassed immense
fortunes and obtained high honors i'll their
adopted country. ! see before me many
in the bloom of youth. Now is the time
TO begin life anew. Formerly the opin-
ion prevailed that man once drunkard
must remain so forever; but fortunately
the temperance reform has completely
exploded that doctrine. 1t is now Al OBJ
solete idea Thank God. there IS
balm in Gilead-there is a physician
there 1t is ou!y necessary to take the
pledge, and keep it. The return to the
paths Of sobriety and virtue is not half
80 difficult as the devil would have you
believe. You have only to form the res
olutlon and the work is half accomplish
ed. Every good man seeing you sin-
cerely attempting to throw off the terrible
bondage of iutoxication will extend TO
YOU the right-hand of fellowship, and
God has promised that no temptation
shall be equal to your strength of resist
ance"
During the delivery of the Rev. Faith
er's brief and pertinent address, of which
the above is but All outline. (says the
Trbune,) the prisoners gave close atten
ton. and many of them were sensibly at
iected. Having concluded his remarks,
he afec,ionately invited such as were
disposed to take the pledge Of total alb
stineuce from all intoxicating drinks
Between two and three hundred, including
men, women, and children, availed them
selves of this offer. They took the
pledge in kneeling posture, repeating
after Father Mathew the following
pledge. which he pronounced in very
Impressive manner:
II promise, with the Divine assistance,
to abstain from all intoxicating liquors.
including cordials, cider, malt and fruit Ii
quors. and to prevent as much as posi-
be, by advice and example, drunkenness
IN Others"
And then the Father added:
MAY God bless you. and grant you
grace and strength to keep the pledge"
A medal and card containing the
pledge were presented to each prisoner.