The Delaware herald., 1854-05-31
wEDNEsDAT, MAY 81, 1854.

A Coon MAN FAIIsa--Joserh smithers
ESQ, departed this life, az his residence in
Dover, on Thursday last, after long and pain.
fai lllness, aged about sixty-five years. He
was native of Kent county, and resided, in the
neighborhooi Of Dover the greater, part of his
lie. Since the introduction of the temperance
movement, more than twenty years ago, it re-
ceiyed his warnest and most earnest support
None doubted his sincerity and nddisinterestcdness
OF purpose, and consequently no one was more
successful in obtaining signers to the temper
ance pledge. Whenever he thought there was
chance of beneftting his fellaw-creatures,
there he was to be found-it mattercd not whe-
ther In the pulpit, the stage, or in the social
circle, His was emphatically labor of love:
he cared not, for himself, how much exposure
he had to pass through. if, by so doing, he could
be instrumental in redeeming one soul from the
curse OF Rum, or moral deprayity. lie was
celebrated as temperance lecturer-his field
was the State Of Delaware-and the man is
scarcely to be found who has not felt the
power of his appeals. His style was open,
plain and practical-his speaking always to the
point If Delaware is indebted to any one
man more than another, for the progress of the
temperance cause. that man is Joseph Smithcrs
In fact be may have been called the APOSTLE of
temperance in Delaware. Not one within her
limits preached more, lcctured more, talked
more, and IN fact threw their whole soul more
into the reformation than did the deceased. We
have frequently heard him in his most earnest
appeals and deep-toned pathos, in convincing
the drenkards of the error of their COURSE
we have seen the tear-moistened eve, while
Their countenances beamed with resolution. as
they signedthei names, with bold hands, to the
pledge, and years after heard them bless the
man who saved them from drunkards' graves.
noble heart espoused noble cause. He
labored not for personal emolument-he spoke
not Tor the praise and commentator of the
people; his soul yearned for the redemption OF
runs victims from its withering curse. This
was what inspired him with such pure and
philanthropic principles.
Ills labor was not confined altogether to the
church and the principles CT temperance. lie
held the Office of Prothonotary, and also that OF
Clerk Of the Peace, for number of years, and
was afterwards elected member of the Senate
on three or four different occasions, and was
worthy of the support of the people for the
highest gift in their power. Seeing the uncer-
tainty of abolishing the rum traffic by moral
suasion, because moral suasian will not reach
men without principle, he was, for the last
eight or ten years, a strong advocate for law
restricting the sale of intoxicating drinks as q
beverage. Bat he had scarcely entered the
arena of Prohibition before disease fixed upon
him, and yielded its grasp only in death. We
4 could have wished that he might have been
spared longer to push forward the great cause
which he so ably advocated, but Providence
saw iit to take him to brighter realms above
A good man has fallen-we deplore the loss VIC
have sustained, but our loss is his infinite gain
Requiescat in pace.