Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-09-14
Temperanceor Abstinence.


The writer starts by expressing allpossible sym
pathy with the Temperance movement. Soon
sieretI asa moral movement he says, s.itis diff
6cnltto speak ofitln terms too Mandatory. Aud
fit has, amid the rich harvest of its wheat.
large admixtnTe Of tates-ifit has propagatel sci
entiGc errors along with the exaggeratton OF rhet
ORC and the follies Of fanaticIsm-we must not IN
these errors forget, its good. Let no Advocate of
Temperance misconstrue the present article. We
rescue scientific question; we do not oppose
the moral. principle Of the movement. That Drunk
enness is one oft the most terrible sources ofde-
mobilization, and that Temperance, both physi-
ically and morally, is oneof the Cardinal virtues
most needing inculcation, no reasonable being
doubts. Equally indisputable is itthat any move
ment;whicIi eau effect reform in the tendency to
Drunkenness deserves the heaItiest support. Nor
are we surprised at the exaggeratiohs aud errors
which sucb..a movement employs as instruments
to effect It's purpose. It is difficult otherwise to
impress the mas3 reason and moderation have
but a poor chance with a race peryersey inditfer-
enttoihe reasons which do not assist their pas
sions, aud more Impossible through their terrors
thanthtough any other avenue. That Fathsr Ma
counting adherents by thousands, aud those thou
sands partsans, is matter of history; but that he
would have achieved one thousandth part of HE
success had he confined himself, aud had his disct-
pies confined themselves, TO pure eloquence of
Truth, unaided by the momentumof striking error,
aud appalling but alacious figures, isas certain as
any conclusion OH cases 50 hypothetical can hope
TO be-sad but inevitable. Our purpose, then, be
it understood, iS not to cast stone of obstruction
in the path ofthe Temperance Movement, but TO
argue scientific question which has practical
bearing on the conduct of individuols''
''Life isonly possible under incessant stimulus.
Organic processes depend incssSant change,
and this change is dependent on stimuli. Tie
stimulus of food, the stimulus Of fresh air, the
stimulus Of exercise, called natural, beneficial;
The stimulus of tea and coffee IS called agreeable,
refreshing, and so forth the stimulus OF alcohol
seems selected Tor special TeprO6ation without
cause being shown, except that people choose 10
sayit is not natural. How not naturall The
phrase eau have two Specifications, aud it can
have but two: first, that alcohol IS not stimulus
which man employs III state of nature; second,
it's not conSonant with the panre of his organism
The second is pure begging OF the question; and
the first is IN fiat contradiction with experience,
whlchs shows the savage only too Gag CT for alco-
ho, when he can get it, although he has not al
ways the wit TO discover it. No nation known 10
us has ever passed. into the inventive condition of
even rudimentary civilization without discovering
and having dlscoveretl, without largely lnduIging
10, the stimulus OF alcohol. Man discovers Ter
mentaIion US he discovers the tea-plant and the
eollee.plant- (Ltebig has good passage on the
subject: Letters on Chemistry ?. 1851
sOftwO things, one: either we must condemn
oil stimulus, and alcohol because it is SLlmuluS
Or we mus Prove that there is something pecuMar
in the alcoholic Stimulus which denarcates it
tiomall OILERS. Here, again, the leader sees the
question narrowed and brought within an arena
Of precise debate. Only two positions are poss1-
hlei indeed, we may say only Que; for who IS mad
enough 10 condemn all StimnluSl The ground
thus cleared, the fight narrowed TO this one point
let US do Justice 10 the strength OF ourantagOniSt;
let US confess at once that there is regularity
alcohol which iuStiieS, in some Degree IFS bad
reputation; peculiarly upon which oil the mis-
chief OF intoxIcation depends one which causes
all tile mlSeIeS SO teellngy laid 10 IFS door. and
what is this peculiality2 Nothing less than tue
fascination OF lis virtue, the potency its effect
Weteit less allurng, 1t would not lure. TO excess
were 1t less potent. II would not leap into such
flames OF fiery exaltation. In It's virtue lies lis
eruIe. SmIrch the lovely lace Of Helen, and
neither Greeks nor Troians will Eight ten minutes
fot her in whose Cause ten years seemed nothing
Not IN dispuTagement OF fiery alcohol, whom we
ate fighting 10 defend, do confess the fatal Vi
of fascinationwhic makes dalliance with her dan.
gefons5 not IN dIsparageinent, but in candor and
III the hope that our candur will be reciprocattt.
POr we admit the danger, do we not imply the
charna Razors are dangerous instruments, and
we carefully place them out Of Master Tommy's
reach: but it Is the excellence of theTuZors which
induces the precautions were they not sharp, lEey
would not cuuse US moments anxiety In a
SIMILAR spirit, we applaud the means taken by
temperance advocates TO remove this no:ent aIco.
hol outof the reach Of men who are but as Chi.
dren III self-command. But while we frghten
Tommy with rehearsal of the terrible couse-
quences which may enSue If he venture TO touch
the razor, and tighten the mob of larger TomInies
by depicting the limbo OF horrors where dwells the
teEEl0le Splnt, we cease the precaution when our
juvenile friend, emerging from jackets to the dig
ntyot shaving, begins to feel the necessity for a
more efficient instrument than the tongue of TINT
mythical tfom.c1p facehousy offered tol the
boards of youngsters; the razor is then placed IN
his hands with reliance thar he will not cut him
selt-otten.
s'rhe point at issue is not habituaI oyer-excite-
ments but occasional excitement; we are not con-
sldering the case OF mar who ytates his organ
izanon by taking stimulus twenty times day, but
Of man who takes 1t once or twice day: cases
inwhch there is all the iifference between eating
q chop twenty times day, and chop twice a
day. Restricted within such limits, tthe general
law OF the action of stimulantS' most assuredly
does not suggest that the dose must be increased
to produce the effect, and that what was sat first
Sufficient to whet the appetite and increase thedi-
gestive power IS now Inadequate. Experiences
VeIY emp hatic on this point. Men lake their mint
Of beer, or pint of wine, daily, fur series of
years. this dose daily produces its effect; and fiat
any time it be incIeaSeI-if Thirst or society make
them tIink quart IN lieu of pint-they are at
once made aware OF the success. Men drink one
or two cups of tea OF coffee at breakfast with UNI
varying regularity, for a8whole lifetime; but who
ever felt the necessity of gradually increasing the
amount to three, four, i've, cups? Yet we know
what stimulus tea Is; we know that treble the
amount OF our daily consumption would produce
paralysis; why ore we not irresstibIy led to this
fatal excess3 Every time fresh I'll is poured on
fresh coal, the same phenomenon presents itself;
every time an eel Is skinned, he wrigges with an
ceslIsl Sigot nd will not become fused to it, aud
mike manner, every time fresh stimulus is np-
piled TO flesh nerve-tiSSue, thee old effect ensues.
Forw must not forget this: the tissue burnt to-
day is net the tissue burnt yesterday; the nerve
particles simulated into activity to-day will not
6etliying tomorrow when fresh stimulus is ap-
piled. Change, incessant change, Is the law of
EIeShl Enod tyanau,i,oer