Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-04-13
STRONG TEMPERANCE srErcH.

We una in an LasteEu paper rue soA0WiHg
Arguments ID favor Of Temperance by Mr..
Edward Bain.. Of England. who Is the mem
Der CT Parliament. we believe, for Leeds -
The following is an extract frdln bis speech !;
.The peculiar danger Of intoxicating driaks
is in their extreme seductireness. and IN the
all bus unconuuerable strength Of the drink
ing habit when snee formed; and their pc
culiar malgnity is 10 their being the parent
or nurse Of every kind Of crime, wiekcdncss
and suffering
..Tsay boldly that no man living who uses
intaxha.ing drinks is free from the danger Of
al least occasional. and II Of occasional. ul,i-
mssely Of babitusl excess / have myself
ksown such frightful instances Of prisons
bfougl. into captivity tc the habit. that there
Eecms 10 be no character. position or circum-
stancessshas free men from the danger. !
have known many young men Of the finest
promise led BY the drinking habit into vice.
ruin, and ca.ly death. ! have known surh
become virtual PARTICLES. ! haze known
many tradcsmcn whom it las made bankrupt
! have known Sunday scholars whom it las
led to prison. have known teachers. aud
even superintendent, whom it has dragged
down to profigacy. have known minister's
Of religion. 10 and out Of the establishment.
Of hg', aud academic houors. Of splendid elo-
quence nay, Of vast usefulness. whom it has
fascinated and hurried over the precip;ce q
public inlamy. With their eyes open. and ga
ring with horror on their fate. have known
men Of tie strongest aud clesrest intellect.
and vigorous resolution. whom it has made
weaker than children and fools. have
known gentlemen Of refinement and taste
whom il has debased into brutos have
known poets Of high genius whom il has
bound 10 bondage worse than the galleys.
and ultimately cut short their days. have
known statesmen. lawyers, and judges whom
it has killed. have known kind husbands
and fathers whom it has turned Into monsters
| have known honest men whom it has mace
williams | have known elegant aud Chris.
tan ladies whom It has converted into bloat-
et, so's
lis it not notorious that under the rsva'
ces Of drunkenness the land mcurl.s? Thai
it is this which, may almost ssy exclusive
" Ellis our prisons. our warehouses, our ID
matte asylums, our dens Of pollution. and oul
hospits!s; which causes most o. the ship
wrecks. fires. fatal accidents. crimes outra.
ces, and suicides that load the columns Of oul
newspapers; which robs numberless wives Q
husbands affection, and nun,berless chlllrc,
of parents for,dness which strips thou
sands Of homes of every comfort drprire
scores of thousands Of children Of education
and almost Of bread, and turns them on til,
streets; which leaves so many places Of wor
ship almos. empty. and SO many Mechanics
Institutes languisting. whilst the pot housel
are crowded; Which bring down Git IS esti
mated) sixty thousand Of our population ev
cry year to a drunkard's grave?
And Of all the victims Of intcmperarce
lie il remembered, there is net one WHO dix
not begin BY moderate drinking, or who hat
the remotest IDEA when he began that ht
should be led into excess