The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-02-15
Drunkenness in Wine-D Drinking Countries

Drunkenness in Wine-Drinlking Countries
" The best Temperance Movement extan,
is that now agiated in England, to reduce
the duties on wines An agent Of the gov
eminent has lately returned from n visit TO
the wine producing districts on the continent
and reports favorably. lie found the inab.
iiants of those districts using wine freely and
yet tcmpcrately as n beverage He saw no
traces of intcmpcrancc, such as is general in
England. The truth is, the creation Of the
vine was no biunder, as many very sage pco-
pie seem to suppose, but one Of the hest gifts
OF God to man. The inhabitants Of wine
producing countries are always temperate
All history afrms that. Spain, which fur
nishes so much wine for export, has a popu-
lation provcrbially temperate SO has France.
which makes annually nine hundred millions
of gallons of wine; and so has that whole
belt OF country devoted to the culture of the
vine, beginning in upper Italy and extending
through Austria to Hungary. Indeed, the
Use of wines seldom leads to intcinperance
anywhere. 1t does not in this country nor in
England Not one in many hundreds of the
incbriates in either country ever became so
by indulgence in wines. Nor does the use of
wines naturally foster an appetite, as many
suppose, for distilled liquors The proper
ties Of the former are so different from the
latter, that persons who have relish for the
one seldom care much for the other,
:" look upon Mr.. Longv orth, OF Cincin-
nati-thc pioneer in this country i'm the c,ll-
tiyation of the vinc-as at the head of the
temperance movement. The success of the
vine growers in the West is the most encour.
aging of all that is now doing for the promo.
tion of temperance. What is wanted in this
country more than anything else now, is pure
wines and cheap. strong petition should
go into Congress this very winter. for an act
repeating all duties on wines If Congress
would do that, and go one step farther ana
declare all who adultcratrd wines no better
than poisoncrs and nlurdcrers, and order
them hanged, the whole thing would be com
pletc"
So says " Canty Carl the original
and entertaining correspondent Of the
BoSion Transcript. We have Of late
heard great deal Of the temperate
habits Of the people of France and other
countries in Europe whore light wines are
abundant and cheap. Those who object
to the doctrine Of total abstinence, have
from time immcmorial pointed to this
supposed fact, with AN air that seemed
to say, Get over that if you can. !"
Some sound temperance men, probably.
have regarded with favor the attempt to
manufacture native wines which is now
being made in Ohio, solely on the ground
that intemperance would be lcssened
were light and pure wines brought with.
iii the reach of the people
But is it an established fact that 'the
inhabitants of wine. producing countries
are always temperate ~ Is it true that
the use of wines seldom leads to in
Temperance anywhere ~ If such be the
case, We have no wish to disprove it. On
the contrary. we should be uclined to
petition Congress. not only to remove
the duty from the foreign article. but to
offer liberal bounty on the production
of native wines, that the wine.growing
interest Of the West might be cherished
and fostered, until it shall be strong C.
nough to take of itself
But we fear that the exemplary TEN.
perancc of the wine drinkers of Europe
has been slightly exaggerated. Some
travellers, at least, have not been able
to discover the virtue which is so appa-
rent to Canty CARL Here. for exam
pie, IS the testimony Of our townsman,
MIR. l!illard, in his six Months in
Italy" No one will suspect him of be-
ing an unfair, careless or prcjudiced wit
ness. lie says -
In regard to temperance, am inclined
to think that the inhabitants Of Southern
Italy, and Of the wine growing countries gen
orally, ENJOY reputation somewhat beyond
Their deserts. 1t i true, that it is very rare
TO see man absolutely drunk but it is not
uncommon to see those who have drank more
than is good for them. But even where ex-
cess IS avoided, the constant use of wine in
considerable quantities is unfavorahlc both
TO health and good morals to health from
the tcbrile and nilammatory state of the svs-
TEN to which it leads and to good morals.
from the irritability Of temper and quarrel
some spirit which it induces. If the pronor-
tion of the eases of stabbing brought to the
Roman Hospitals which occur in or near
wine-Shops could be known, | have no qucs-
ton that !; would furnish strong fact where
with TO point the celebrations Of temper
ance lecturer. There is an added telnnta-
nature OF the usual food Of the common peo-
pie. This, being principally vegetable does
not especially in cold weather, supplv the
waste of nervous energy, hut leaves, even
when the appetite is satisfied, certain duh
and indefnabic craving, like being filled but
not fed. Wine relieves this sense of flatness
and incrtncss by the momcntarN glow and
flip it gives TO the languid blood but the
relief thus derived is like the heat of "A fire
of thorns, and there is thus constant induce
mont to repeat and increase the remedy. If
the common people Of Rome and its neigh
borhood could cat more meat and would drink
less wine, there is little question that their
health and morals would be better for the
change"
The late j. Fcnnimore Cooper bore
still more decided testimony to tie pre-.
valence of intemperance in France, sew.
eral years ago. lie said -
came to Europe under the impression
that there was more drunkenness among lis
than in any other country, England perhaps
excepted. residence of six months in
Paris changed my views entirely. You will
Judge Of my surprise when first saw a ula-
toon Of the royal guard, literally, whole pla-
toon, staggering drunk, within plain view of
lhcr master. From this time, became more
obseryant, and not day passed that | did
not see men, and even women, in the same
situation in the open streets Usually, when
the fact was mentioned to Americans, they
expressed surprise THcB 1rerc foo wprh
amused rih other sights to rcg0rd this and
then they had come abroad with different no.
Iions, and it is easier to float in the current Of
popular opinion, than to stem it. In two or
three instances, | have taken the unbelievers
with me into the streets, where have never
failed to convince them of their mistake, in
the course of an hour. On one occasion a
party Of -four of us went out with this object,
and we passed thirteen drunken men, during
a walk Of an hour. Many OF them were so
far gone as to be totally unable to walk. |
once saw three men literally walowing in the