New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-19

nearly three years ago. nv hrss entesyor vss ;.
msks tie acquaintance OF a. many OF the poor "A
possioie-to learn their his'ory-ths causes Of tAsr
poverty and suffering" 10 the enc that II poss,A
The uus Temecy ishI be discovered and apohsd Z
soon came 20 the conclusion. from the most e.rs.i
observations that 4u arsn-nghths Of ali the x,,,,
porufy, sqsaicr and snfsrlsg. OF the roor Of IN,
place. were tie results OF incompetence. M suass.
quent daily experience has thoroughly con6rmsa
this opinion. The records Of a three years diar,
rade, ihnh, with u ter In partialIiy. confirm a.
OF the nfsi 80 families Win which became AZ
quainted more than 30 had for their hsais eith.,
drupksrds or widows whose husbancs bad a,sj
ofunkerds OF the 2c0 families particularly under nv
care curing my first here $50 reasrsa
charitable aid-noEe ofthsse we're cisy pau osrs-snS
mofe than thres-'ourth ofths number were sufferrg
nom the effects OF intoxicating crinhs From Asr,i
], 49 to July ii, 81 period oisso years and four
months was oaily, with the exception of 10 o
days sbser CO from the city. In contact With we aad
misery almost Incescffbable inhaiug the unssrtkIv
odors OF New England run, emitted from tas fosl
lungs and stomachs Of drunksrcs, wne a scenes
both heart reading and disgusting. | am slckensa
at the mere recollection, though l have not OF.
Periencec anything Of the kind for many monas
lmace more thoro Ugh CATION of the ohara.
ter and habits OF the nfst leo fkmlies (which hsd
taken up almost jndiscriminAtely, having been a.,
iracied to them chiefly BY the insignia OF poverty.
vice and sufsring,) that have subsequently, been
able to make in essrd 10 most OF the nsw ones az
ded nom time to time to my list; the increased Il.
bors OF my calling not allo wing 50 careful examine
tions In many afterward. In fall three forrtAs
of the hundred families in question, intemosrapcs
prevailed TO greater or less degree, and part or
the whole 9th means OF substance in tasrfy Of
the inteuPeTa'e ones, was the wages OF isfsmy.
Whether this latter vice 10 in any easure rsssit
Of intempsrats drinking. do not nov pretend to
cay. But have no. found persons addicted ~
hcentious practices among the totally sos.ineat
The above mentioned fact, however. may Ma
mere coincidence Since my residence here and pre-
vious 10 the passage OF the Temperance Law, i've
persons in ore small neighborhood have died Of de-
hrium IemeSs one man was found dead IN tn1
grave yard with his jug OF num- Its contents half
consumed, by his sice one murder and one high
wy robbery, as The Immediate consequence OF eK.
element by strong drink, have been perpetrsted
within and Just without the precincts Of the city.
Three cases Of divorce have occurred among TIE
people OF my special charge, In each OF which, one
or both the parties came TO me for advice-inte mpe
rance being the sole cause In each case Aisost all
the uuarts and juvenile cciinquents Of every de-
scription. who have come uIcer my notice. and
they are numerous enough. were children OF nton-
perate parents Tho same may be said Of young
street beegars which ners abundant, but have nos
almost all cisappeaYed-ahc OF more than half O
OF young girls OF my acquaintance, IN this city
who have gone 20 MANY and ruin Considering
tie terrible ravages OF intempersnce In otner and
larger cities these statistics may seem too trhng 70
mention but let 1t be recollecsed that am giving
not the statistics OF niemperance In the city, bat
only few facts within my own sphere OF soser
vation.
During the winter of ls3O-5l scarcely day passed
on which was not called upon, IN humorous In
stances, to render relief to families on the very
ttIko Vi esoIVdsOu VI ffeeftbe, Wuoso eoesOusou
and suffering were Me immediate consequences OF
inteBperance.
Not q single case Of the kind or one in any wise
analogous to IT, has occurred within my kno wisdss
for six months past The calls for relief made upon
me- In cases OF real distress, during the winter in
question, were usually from ave TO twenty daly-to
cay nothing Of the ordinary calls to obtain employ
ment etc, etc. But for the last four months, pc.
Rod embracing all the severity OF our long winters,
have not had five urgent calls fer immediate relief
a single day, and according to my exact record
~ "A haUA x~AA ss.s.
this period which have not had single spplica-
hon for relief. have not witnessed case OF SUIT
feTirg as the immediate consequence OF intemper-
snce during the same period and, indeed, have
scarcely Witnessed any suffering during this time
except from sickness and pain to which all classes
are alike subject. or the severity OF the I
need not speak. Rents were never higher IN Port
land than AZ present. particularly Of such tenements
as the poor occupy. Productive employment In
such calings poorer classes are usually adapted
to- has been peculiarly difficult to obtain during the
winter, and for want Of II many Of them are jssslv
complaining. And there has been moro than twice
much Sickness among this class OF persons for the
last two msnths as during any previous 20 months
OF my residence here.
haze not seen person intoxicated for three months
anc only or two who appeared TO DO IN the small
est degree under the inhut Of intoxicating drinks
Several men OF nv acquaintance "ho were ha,itu-
ally, almost daily, drunk, year age. and whose
families sustained and kept nom perishing by
the hand Of charity, are now sober and have been
sarning-some ei-s0me 81 25-some 81 50 per day,
NuIO0Bn Tue WutcI, olu SuoiI IdlnliloS are urlnk
comfortably and independently. Some OF these
identical families were often entirely destitute Of
food and fuel, sometimes for one day sometimes for
Two a once. oui'ns the winter year ago. and were
relieved through my agency.
l have made special point OF conversfng with
very many poor, Incorporate men In regard to their
opinion OF the Temperate Law Some OF those
were among the most unfortunate victims Of intem-
perance and have not found among them all. Q
single opponent OF The Law or one who would have
It repealed They express a UNANIMOUS vish, as far
as have been able to ascertain. that the temptation
may be entirely. removed. Mr.. G.. Of - street, .
noble. generous hearted Anne lean seaman, but much
of the time on shore was always more than " half
seas over" - long ~ the rrog shops were In fall
blast, except occasionally, las had full opportunity
OF knowins)-when he was accustomed to shut hin.
self up 10 his house for day at oncs 10 avoid
temptation which he assured mo he had not the
moral power to resist when IL was in his way. Most
bitterly did he lament his enslavsnent to the cruel
tyrant and now he exults in the overlhrow Of sis
mortal enemy. Ihave several instances OF the kiad
believe that not tenth Of the victims OF de-
paved appetite among the poor, in this city. who
suneR most from intemperance. are opposed to the
Law but rather, they would gladly sec It risidly en-
forced according to its true intent.
During the two winters OF my residence hero, pro-
vous TO that just closing the chief Of my benefAc-
tons were applied 70 alleviate the sharpest distress
Of cold and hunger have along Catalogue OF cases
before me, the circumstances Of which were noted
Gown at the time, Just a. they occurred, and many
OF which are Of the most painful interest. should
be occupying too much space, and perhaps not inter-
esting you, BY going into details Of individual cases.
all OF which would require large volume TO con-
tin them. Bur NOT parallel, ysssmblasss Of the
fequsHs occurrences Of d,srsss and misery, az the rsf
Of mtsmproncs, Which the record Of ths Winfsr Of 80
81, csHtatns, can BE- found on that Of '3lI52 The
evils iLconvsniences OF the law are In some eases
considerabie-very much like those sometimes ex-
peTieneed By owners under sriteTs when q small
pant Of the cargo must be thrown overheard to save
the remainder with the ship and crow, when, with
cut such sacrifice, al must DO lost.
The blessings already experienced arising from
the passage Of the law seem TO me 10 be very great
Icesd-prospectvsly, II 1t continues In force, they
must be beyond all competition.
The urgent demands for relief made upon my
"p0ofs purse" from the let of October to the 30tn
December, 81, compared with those OF tho CORES
ponding period of So wsrs only one-siIth, and the
sm cunt Of aid granted during the periods was
o. in ST. to IS ~ In -. But this does oy no means
present sufficiently clear view OF the beneficial
"a. L. b tinnated 1 man q thu