Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-07-10

beat her brains out with the remaining stick
of wood. He did not mean to kill her.
Her dying struggles brought him to his sem
ses, and he stood horror struck. He would
give almost any thing that the deed were
not done. If that could restore her to life,
he would be almost ready to give pledge
never to taste ardent spirit again. Now look
at the wretchedness of this family. For years
he has made very little provision for them; !;
for they have lived asthey could, half naked
and half starved, and not educated at all
with most wretched example before their
eyes. What encouragement had the wife
or the children to attempt any thing-to
make any exertion The children are abus-
ed and trampled on at home, and they grow
up without sclf.respect, without shame and
without principle. Can any thing respccta-
BILE be expected of them? And if they do
rise, it must be through world of difficulty
How many thousand families have been
ruined in some such way as this? The
father was drunkard, and the mother
what could she do? She endured, hoping
against hope-and for the children's sake
bore up against the current, and many time
disguised a sad despairing heart under
joyful countenance, till at length she died
of broken heart; Or died at the hands Of
him who had sworn to protect her!
These, and things like these, are the ef-
fects of ardent spirit-not casual, accidental,
but common, natural effects, seen every
where, in every town, in every ncighborhood
and in every connection. Look which way
we will, we sec some of these effects. The
greatest wretchedness which human nature
in this world is called to endure, is connect
ed with the use of ardent spirit. There is
nothing else that degrades and debases man
like it-nothing so mean that a drunkard
will not stoop to toit-nothing too base for him
to obtain his favorite drink. Nothing else
so sinks the whole man-so completely de-
stroys, not only all moral principle, but all
self-respect, all regard to character, all shame,
all human feeling The drunkard can break
out from every kind of endcaring connexion,
and break over every kind Of restraint; so
completely extinct is human feeling, that he
can be drunk at the funeral of his dearest
relative, and call for drink in the last .ac-
cents ofexpiring nature.
Now look at human being, whom God
has made for noble purposes, and endowed
with noble faculties, degraded, disgraced,
polluted, unfit for heaven, and nuisance on
earth. He is the centre of a circle-count
up his influence in his family and his neigh
borhood-the wretchedness he endures, .and
the wretchedness he causes-count up the
tears of a wretched wife, who curses the day
of her espousal, and of wretched children
who curse the day of their birth. To all
this positive evil which ardent spirit has
caused, add the happiness which but for it,
this family might have enjoyed and COM
municated Go through nelghborhood or
a town in this way, count up all the misery
which follows in the train of ardent spirit,
and you will be ready to ask, can the regions
of eternal death send forth anything more
deadly? Wherever it goes, the same cry
may be heard-lamentatio and mourning
and woe; and whatever things are pure, or
lovely, or venerable, or Of good report, fall
before it. These are the effects and | need
not say more upon this point. Can any man
deny that sthe OK is wont to push with the
hornsH
I'd. Hath this been testified to the owner?
or are the makers and retailers aware Of its
effects The effects are manifest, and they
have eyes, ears and understandings as we'll
as others. They know whatever profit they
make is at the expense of human life or COM
fort; and that the tide which is swelled by
their unhallowcd merchandise sweeps ten
thousand yearly to temporal and eternal ruin.
But this is not ALL The attention of the
public has of late been strongly turned to
this subject The minds of men have been
enlightened, and their responsibility pressed
home upon them. The subject has been
presented to them in new light, and men
cannot but see the absurdity of reprobating
the tempted while the temptcris honored-
of blaming drunkards and holding in repu-
tation those whose business it is to make
drunkards. But are the makers of ardent
spirits aware Of its effects ? Look at the
neighborhood of distillery-an influence
goes forth from that spot which reaches miles
around-a kind of constraining influence,
that brings in the poor and wretched, and
thirsty, and vicious Those who have money
bring it-those who have none bring corn
those who have neither bring household fur
niture-those who have nothing bring them
selves and pay in labor. Now, the maker
knows all these men, and knows their tenn
perament, and probably knows their families.
He can calculate effects and he sends them
off, one to die by the way, another to abuse
his family, and others justready for any deed
of wickedness. Will he say that he is not
responsible, and, like Cain, ask, cam my
brothers keeper" He knew what might
be the result, and for a mere pittance of gain,
was willing to risk it. Whether this man
should abuse his family, or that man die by
the way, so his purpose was answered, he
did not care. The OK was wont to push with
his horn, and he knew it; and for little
paltry gain he let him loose and God will
support his law in all its extent, by holding
him responsible for all the consequences
But common excuse is, that every little of
our manufacture is used in the neighborhood;
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