The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-09-10
AN OF TAE TEMPERANCE REFORM.


five parts, four of those parts would
be traceabIe to Strong Drink. And
this, no doubt, is true here in Vir-
ginia.
Now, my answer to this is, that as
nearly every criminal employs one or
more lawyers, the more criminals there
are, The better for us9 So much for
Sir Mathew.
live wish to rank high in society,
we must shun the vulgarity of e" total
abstinence" Nearly all of the up
per classes drink, temperately. The
wealthiest and most fashionable GEN
tlemen, in town and country, drink.
80 do most of our Judges, Members
of Congress, and of the Legislature.
Of the great lawyers, 1 believe not one
is a cold water man. Some of the
greatest have been very much other
wise : and there is no telling how
many owe success in their profession,
and their being made judges to their
loving liquor 1t is the same with
most of our militia Generals. At least
one Of them, on his election lately,
made, l know not how many of the
Legislature drunk, for having elected
him. Some liberal minded clergy
InenseVen Bishops will not refuse a
cheerful glass.
Against SO many high examples, I
should blush to be caught saying,
when l am asked to drink" No |
thank you sir, Tam a cold aOaier man.
How can VIC expect Judges, Members,
of Congress, Generals and Bishops
to visit us, if we give them nothing
stronger than water And if they do
not visit as, how can we hope for in
vitations to their houses ? We shall
be excluded from general society
1t is clear, then, that we are bound
to give no countenance to this Tenn
perance Reformation" The total
abstinence principle threatens our
ally with extirpaton. Let
us not aid or abet the cold water fana-
tics in their crusade against the feast
of reason and the flow of soul. Tenn
perate drinking is the thing for us. If
we drink temperately { being men " of
mark and likelihood") and many
others trying to initiate us, will insen-
sibly glide into excess to the great
increase of our harvests. We shall
also conciliate the liquor venders by
haunting bar-rooms too, and other
merry-making places, we shall capti-
vate the jolly lads that use there. They
will call Us fine fellows and give us
many a case, which the cold water
prigs might else have gotten.
If some of us chance to be caught
in our own snare, and get occasionally
mellow, twill only be following a good
usage of the olden time. Many a
great lawyer has drawn his inspiration
from the bottle: and why not we ?
The doctors (if they did but know
it) are jointly interested with us, in
maintaining the dominion of Strong
Drink. Itputs money into their purse.
| once heard right eminent physician
say (and firm opposer of total absti-
nence too), that if alcoholic drinks
were done away, IL soould greatly cur
tail the profits Of the DOCTORS" These
were his very words. Yet, somehow
through ignorance or weakness, |
suppose-many more Of them, than
of the lawyers join in the movement
against alcohol. But lawyers always
were, and always will be, a more en-
Iightened class than Doctors. Some
Lawyers, who abet what they call
The Great Reformation" weakly
argue that the solid and permanent
welfare of our profession is inseparable
from that Of the community: and that,
as the community would undoubtedly
be bcttored by the total disuse of in
toxicating drinks, SO would we. But
this is mere abstraction. In fact, it |
is little better than metaphysical as |
could prove, if had time.
Your loving Brother,
A LAWYER.