The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-03-19
F'On ne AH'Ii'sa Tsng'r.ns. NassaIns, q, De.
John B. Cough.

BY REvs T. L. oUYLER.
Passing down Broadway, on a rainy dav
IN May, 1874, our attention was arrested bv
flaming handbill, announcing that "Mf.
John B. Cough. of Boston, !" would deliver
an address on temperance, on the next even.
ing. III he Bf3adway Tabernacle. The
bill announced bin as a voun0 man. and
our first feeling was one Of pity aud sur.
prise. That youthful stranger. whose
name had scarcely been heard in our Ameri
can London, should presume to arrest anv
attention by 50 thread bare a subject az
temperance, appeared well nigh as absurd
as Tor the ambitious orator Of a village
Lyceum 10 startle New York by course Of
lectures s0n political economy Meeting a
quiet old fashioned friend few days after,
he said, I" Did you hear young Cough, the
other nightf = No" said we, with some
surprite, that he should have taken the
trouble to 70. well, he replied, che is
prodigious fellow, although somewhat
theatrical"
An opportuug was soon afforded me
of hearing the oatofical debutant, and /
eagerly en1bracedit As / entered the house
it was already ialpmed by an audience COM
posed Of the mos intellectual citizens Of the
town Of p Public expectation had
been raised TO the highest pitch by the
hattering paragraphs with which the news
hpapers, fnr seya weeks, had been teem-
| ing. Presently there was a stir in the
crowded aisle, and a pale STRIPPING, appa-
rently, Just out Of his "teens," made his
way to the rostrum. He was slender, and
boyish in his figure, with long dark hair,
partially hiding thin and somewhat mel
ancholy face He cast his full fine eye over
the crowded auditory for a moment, and
then bent his face timidly towards the floor.
When introduced 10 the assemblage by a
celebrated and venerable divine, who sat
by his side, he arose aud pronounced a
modest exordium, which gave us the impress
sion that he was well meaning youth, who
looaEd like to say something for our profit if
he could. Presently he exclaimed, My
friends when the temperance reform first
originated, it was among the middle classes,
and, like mine exploded in the sand, it
soon did its work without any violent con-
cussion. Then came the Washingtonian
movement, when the match was kindled
in the solid granite of the lower orders, and
the mighty explosion shook the nation
And now, tonight, want to thrust fusee
into the uppefetrata? !? This happy geolo.
gical simile was received by his refined
audience with pleasant surprise-their sur
prise increased as one fash followed another
surprise gave way to wondering delight
the house grew still as the grave-and
before twenty minutes had elapsed he had
gained the complete sway of his audience.
At one moment we were all convulsed with
| laughter at the ludicrous picture Of young
inebriate in his first revels, for Mr. Coughs
mimicry is irresistible. In the next mo-
ment we were sobered into the most intense
/ pity for the man who was thus brutalizing
! the image of God-and then we were goaded
into indignation towards the pitiless cor
morant who would put the bottle to his
neighbor's lips for patty gain, and then
make a mock at tie broken. hearted victim
of his cupidity. In the midst of all this
intense mental excitement, sustained for
nearly two hours, he did not give utterance
1 to single violent or fanatical expression,
and with all his unlimited play of language
4 and gesture, he seldom for moment o,er
u stepped the InOdesty Of nature"
The eapN1tiss of his voice we soon per
ceived to be remarkable. It sunk at one
time to a thrilling whisper, and then re.
sounded through the hall like a trumpet
\ His fund of wit, too, toas rich, and his dra.
4 matte style of telling a ludicreus anecdote,
4 convulsed his audience. But we were soon
| impressed with the fact that his chief power
Law in his graphic delineations of thrilling
and pathetic scenes His arguments were
to the eve and to the feelings. In this re-
spect he resembles Mr. Dickens. His de-
scriptiOn Of the boy rescued from the burn
ing house--Of the sister supporting the head
Of her degraded brother and weeping over
| him-of the lean, pale wife, who shows the
bruise on her SCARED neck, and yet excuses
| the monster husband because he was drunk
these and many other touches were worthy
of the hand that described the murder Of
'Nancy," and portrayed little "Nell." The
masterpiece of his whole address was the
terrific presentation of the deLiTiUm tremeRS,
in all its multiplied horrors; here his power
of bringing before the mental eye the in
tense agonies of this frightful disorder,
became 50 painful that the whole assembly
seemed TO suffer in sympathy with the poor
victim, and ready to cry out with anguish.
A distinguished professor, who sat near us,
pronounced this scene superior to anything
in the "0pium Eater" of the celebrated De
Quincy.
With thelife of this extraordinary young
orator and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. style of
speaking we have been attempting to de-
scribe--the American public is already made
familiar. through the published 6 AutobiO-
graphy," volume which for straight for
ward simplicity always reminds us of Benny
Franklin's account OF his early adventures.
He is native Of the county of Kent in Eng
land. His early advantages of education
were very limited. What he has learned
has been BY varied observation and
sharp experience, so that he has acquired
from the oben volume of human nature, a
store of knowledge that is never to be got
| from books. God has led i'm, too, through
wonderful scenes; and there was happy
point in the remark of an eminent College
President that the almighty had educated
Mr.. Cough. -. 49,.
We need not review his familiar history
how he came to this country with but half
a dollar in his pocket-hOw he struggled
| on in want and poverty-how he ran behind
the pauper's herse that bore the remains of
his Door, pious mother, to the Potter's Field
how he fell into the most degrading drunk
enness-how he sunk into tie DuffOon of
the tap-room--hOw he was rescued, and
signed the pledge with trembling hand
how he relapsed, and signed again, until at
last, through Gods grace, he was enabled
TO stand up an emancipated man. His tai
ent for addressing popular assemblies was
soon discovered, and he was impressed into
the service His first speech was made in
the Town Hall of Worcester, and he made
his debut "clad in an old brown surtout,
closely buttoned to his chin, so that his
raoged under -Kabiliments might not be Wis
ibie'" Mr.. Goodrich, Of Worcester, then took
him by the hand, and his first speech was
followed BY seseral others in the neighbOr-
| ing villages.