Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1851-10-02

received the testimony, In iis favor, of
ancient philosophers, for thousands OF
years. Thus, in Senneca's WORK, DE ,
Tranquililate Animi,' ch. XIV, he says
Aliquaudo vectatio, iterque, ct mutata
regio vigorem dabunt, convictusque ct
liberation potio non Dumqnam, etusque
ad ebrietalcm venicndun, non ut
mergat nos, sed vi depriihai, how md
then, riding, a journey, aud change Of
scene, and more liberal allowance Of
meat and drink will give strength car
rying il, occasionally, even up TO the .
point OF intoxcation-n not that il should
make us drunk, but abstract us from our
cares.
Again, in the same chapter-"Li-
bcique non oh licen,am lingup dictus-
est inventor vini, sed quia liberat servit-
10 curarum animum, ct ASSERT, vegetat-
que, ct audaciorem in omnes cOnatus fda
cit. Scd, ut libertatis. ita vini, salubris
moderatio est. Et Solomon, Arcesil- .
aumque indulsissc vino credunt"-Thc
god, Lib.r, is not called the inventor of
wine, because il lets loose the tongue,
but because il relieves the mind from
the slavery o. cares, frees and enlivens ,
it, and supplies il with fresh courage
for every undertaking. But the moder-
ate use of wine, as of liberty, is healthy.
Both Scion and Arcesilaus are believed
TO have INDUCED in the use of wine. ,
The ancient theory is still more iorci-
bly, presented, little further on-"Nam,
sive greco poetic credimus, ahgudndOet ct
insanire jucundun, est sive Plaioni,
"irustrn poeticas iores compossui pepu-
liz :" sive Aristoteli, "nullum magnum
ingeniu n sine mxtura demcntie fuit."
Non postest grande aliquid ct supra c@-
teros ioqui, nisi moia mems "-For, 1--WE
believe the Greek poet, 'it is pleasant
TO be mad now and them" if we believe
Plato, mo man who was not somewhat
beside himself had ever found his way
through the portals OF the muses. :" il we
believe Aristotle, "thcre is no great ge- ,
Mus, without mixture Of madness. u
The mind, unless it is sti, red up, can ut.
ter nothing great or superior to others.
Such were the sentiments Of Seneca.
and Of many other wise and good men,
in every age, down to the period, when
the temperance reformation commenced
The Hon. Samuel Dexter, who was the
first President Of the first temperance"
society in New Eng gland, never contcm-
plated the REIMBURSEMENT Of wine, nor
the total abandonment of ardent spirits,
but SIM ly ''the modera ton of its use"
From the Pis yah. upon which he stood,
he caught no glimpse Of the ''nova pro-
genes," the system Of total abstinence"
under whose banners, millions are, ut
this moment enrolled. That great man
cOndcscended 10 honor me with his
friendship. knew him well and /
exceedingly doubt, had he lived, ill the
system ol"total abstinence" came to be
adopted, ifhe would have made the sac
rfice of his ancient habits, and embrac-
cd the novel proposition. In such case,
like Mr.. John Quincy Adams, and a
multitude OF eminent men b. side, he
would probably have taken as much as
his experience taught him TO believe
was good for him. to the end OF his days.
And then il is quite possible, that some
political Zoil.s, who owed him grudge
might have charged him, with being
''notoriously addicted to intoxication"
with "getting drunk"-with "hiccup-
ping the praises of God, in hIs speeches.
and have justified the biIlinGsgate, by
the example of Martin Luther
With all our cordial respect for total
abstinence societies. we desire TO set our
faces, like flint, against the practice Of
tire ating all the rest Of mankind, as if
they were utterly against us, because
they are not entirely with us. This
practice is. obviously, rs impolitic, as it
ls ia lically absurd. There are some in
dividuals, upon whom alcohol appears
to have as little effect, as mercury upon
others. 1t seems almost impossible TO
lntoxicate the former, or TO saIivate the
latter. From this desire to draw no
other inference, than-that we have no
sigh! TO assume any individual to be
drunk, merely upon account oflhe guam
tity he may drink. but are bound to con-
slider the effect, before we proclaim him
a drunkard.
Christian Observer. OLD TIMES.