The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-09-09
BY MEzEouE.
The RIght o. PFohlbillon.

In my last article | quoted some
what copiously from authors. Ihave
no apology to make for this, for pre-.
fer such mems opinions as ] have been
quoting, and such as | may and shall
hereafter quote, to any thing | could
say myself, and the reader will GER
.tainly not disapproye of my choice.
1t is gratifying to know we have
such men on the side Of Truth, to
quote from - men whose opinions
give might and character to any
matter upon which they exercise their
judgment.
The following testimony Of Mr..
Choate was given in the Massachu-
setts Legislature, some years since,
during the discussion of a temper
ance bill:
"Mr. President-The remark has
often been made in relation to this sub
ject, though not, I5elieve, respecting any
other, that people would not be freed :
moral suasion will carry forward the
temperance cause, but force will not
GO it, beg leave to say one word
upon this delicate point: l know not
how many thousand times it has
been said, that every man must know
best what he ought to eat and drink :
eating being introduced merely forthe
purpose of putting drink into respec-
table company. l need not speak Of
eating here-though it this moment
occurs to me, and it illustrates my
idea with regard to drink, that cases
may occur cases OF insanity, or even
cases of i'll health, where diseased
appetite is almost the only strongly
marked symptom. Is man in this
situation to 'eat or drink at discre-
ton Sir, | desire to know if a man
may not be sometimes disqualified for
Judging in this matter May not
mans lust for rum be so mighty, that
he shall see every thing connected
with it, through sickly medium T?
But the argument is, that they live in
a free country ! your temperance
fanatics shall never set their foot upon
our necks. 1t is like going into an
Indian captivity-or like a middle
passage in Portuguese slaver' And
so, Sir, | suppose the crew of the
Kent, East Indiaman, thought, we
live in a free country, aud if we can't
carry little cask of spirit to sea with .
us, let the ship and passengers all go
to the bottom together' And so that
little cask of rum was taken; and
from that cask a fire was kindIed,
which burned that noble ship of 400
tons, and ei9htyhanaan beings were sent
dOwn into a coGnless grace, and noth-
ing Js4 tile Precedence Of God interJer-
ing 10 SAFE fve hundred others!
"Who is not satisfied that the law of
FORCE, if gentlemen please to call
it so, ought to have been applied when
moral suasion failed? ? would leave
this abstract question with a jury Of
drinking men !; | know they would de.
eide it right. Sir we apply the law
of force in every case aOhere mighty
erH is in progress. We should break
into any mans house at the cry of
murder, though it is his castIe--you
would knock any man down if you
saw him killing his wife or child. You
would not cooly stand by and see a
man cut his own throat-you would
interfere, because in all these cases you
would know certainly that there must
be something like begun or confirmed
-insanity. Sir insist that we must
have law that PROHIBITS MEN FROM
DRINKING RUM, Let me refer you to
facts. Mr.. Senator Grundy, after
thirty years. extensive practice in the
law, gives it as his opinion that the use
Of ardent spirits has occaSioned nine
tenths of all our pauperism, and three
quarters of all the crime in the coun-
try. And from the statistical tables