The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-21

The Temperance Movement.
CARRYING TIKI WAR INTO ArRICA-HARD DRINKING
In WASHINGTON.
MsMoHAL
To the Honorable the Senate and the House of Rep
resenfattes of the United States -
The subscribers have the honor to transmit to your
honorable bodies the following resolutions of the New
York City Temperance Alliance
Whereas We have learned that the citzsns of Wash
ington city have, in legal manner At the ballot box
ther desire that the sale Of atng drinks should
come to an end in that city, and by this have
queated Congress to pass such law - would enable the
city authorities 10 suppress that SALE and the evils il
always eDgenders throughout the city,
Resolved. That this Alliance sympathzes With the PEG
pie OF Washington in this matter and would encourage
this Just and awful effort to Danish from hat city the
evils OF inemperance which have proved in every part oil
our land the greatest burden and under which any
free people groaned.
Resolved, Tkst the fri nds of temperance throughout
the country are Invited to express in some public man
nr their gratitude to the voters Of Washington for this
noble example of free people striving, in lawful and
peaceabe exercise of their rights to throw of the shack
les by which they unrig hteously bound; and to
them that all proper efforts shall be made to induce
the members OF Congress from their respective States nd
districts to aceede to their wishes.
Resolved, That his Excsllency the President of the
United States be requested to calf the attention of Con-
gress the above ected on of the voters OF
ton, ard to recommend To Congress the enactment of
law TO email lie the people OF thai city, and their local
therites 10 from them the evils of nemperance,
by suprresng the sale of intoxicating drinks and that
both Houses of Congre be earnestly requested to enact
such law at an early period Of the next session
We trust that your honorable bodies will not feel
tbat in calling your attention to this important sub
ect, stepping out of our appropriate sphere.
In the promotion of morality and public virtue at
the seat Of national government, we have deep
and permanent interest. In respect to local legs-
laton The people of Washington are not selfgovern
ed. Their laws enacted by Congress, and Ia the
election of any member Of that body they have no
voice. They must submit to laws enacted for them
by men whom the States and districts OF the whole
Union elect for that purpose.
So long ss the laws Of Congress authorize the
granting OF licenses fer the sale OF intoxicating
drioks, not only will the people of Washington con-
tnue TO suffer the evils OF lntemperance, but the
people Of the whole nation will be responsible for all
these evils, and for all others that may result from
the Injurious workings of these laws. And the peo
pie OF this State and of this city, cannot be free
from the guilt of all the evils Of iatemperance as
experienced ia Washington city, unless they strive
to have the laws which protect and justify
the liquor traffic in that city repealed, and
wise and righteous prohibitory laws enasted.
1t is not strange that the Pre- ident and members of
Congress, absorbed as they must be by the momen-
tous affairs Of the nation should have their attention
but briefly turned to the local matters Of the District
of Columbia and the city OF Washington. Yet we
intemDerance that prevail everywhere else are to o
lamentable extent experienced in the capital Of
nation. We will not ask you to examine infinitely
the picture that might be drawn of these evils they
with horror from the contemplation of the per-
sonal degradation, loss of character, seerespect,
and public esteem, the domestic wretcheasess,
the profanity and Righteousness, the suicides aud
murders, and the awful deaths by delirium tremens,
caused by this one prolific parent Of vices and crimes.
From an abundant share in all such evils of intem
perance, no city, 10 State no district in land has
been free.
The people of Washington city have seen all the Sc
terrific evils rioting in their midst and they have
traced them all to their one only source-the retail
traffic in Intoxicating drinks. And freemen they
have by direction of their constituted authorities at
The ballot box, solemnly declared their desire that
Cor gress should pass law by which the dram shops
those open fountains of pollution, vice and crime
may be at and for closed, and the vendors
Of intoxicating drinks npelled to renquish their
and runous trade.
1t is not, no gever, only for the people Of Wash
ngton that we plead. We feel for the honor Of our
nation, that has been already furnished by intern
perance at the seat of our national government.
We plead for the safety of the visitsrs to Washing
ton, during the sessions of Congress, from every
part of the Union, and OF strangers from every
country in tire world. What q just pride would
swell the bosom of every American citizen and
patriot who uld point the world to the city where
our national Congress meets, and say, Beheid
city, beautiful for situation the joy of the whole
earth, free-enirey fIeefrom the evils of drunken
ness, and all its attendant train Of vices and
crimes ~
We plead also for own honored fellow citizens,
deputed to Washington, from this and other States
W LII VaIlous stdt!OHS III the pupc service, many OF
whom-alss how many ! are utterly unable to stem
the torrents of intenperarce that flow around the
Capitol. Many such are hurrying down the slippery
path already trodden by fro noDg the bright
est OF our SONS Of eloqueace to loss Of character
and loss of influence, if not to the deepest degrade
tion and an ungiI0ely death.
The prevalence Of intemperance among great men,
and especially among those distra ted by the
and ensnared by the temptations of high political
life, is prOverbial. Even in our own county, men
OF brightest promises and of brightest hope, aud
ors nally oil greatest wtrta- orators COUNSEL )rs,
Judges, statesmen, governors-have, through inte,-
peIance, given occasion for the nations saddest
wall, How have the mighty falleh!p
The immediate and absolute prohibition Of the sale
of intoxicating beverages throughout our whole
Union and the confscaton and utter destruction of
all such liquors row in exist ,nce, wolld be offer
ing far less than might most worthy be made if it
could save but one man, one such as some, who by
this monster vice, intern perance, and before they
had reached even the meridian of their days, their
Us efulness, or their honors, have been su denly
stricken from their country's dialem.
In view then, of all these to weigbty considera-
tons, we do, in behalf Of a majority Of the voters,
and vast majority Of the virtuous citizens of this
the wishes of by far the largest al best portion OF
the people of this great republic most earnestly call
upon the Congress of the United States to listen to
the prayer of the people of Washington city, and at
early period of the session to enact the law their
wishes have indicated, and which their urgent neces
sites demand
In the name and by direction of the New York
City Temperance Alliance
CHARLES G. LEIGH, President.
G. J. WARREN, Cor. Secretary.
New York, November 81, 1853.
The Spanish Press on American Annexation
Mr.. Souie's Presentation Speech.
Vt