Nebraska advertiser., 1856-07-26
SfEisstelIalleots.
A SPEECH By A DRUNKARD.

We learn from the LONDON (Ganada)
Empire, that hapless slave of intem-
perance lately found his way into a
temperance meeting, while one of the
speakers was expatiating upon the
effects of moral satdssOa on drunkards.
The-Beor inebriate broke ia upon the
speaker, and delivered himself of the
following outburst Of feeling. OF
course we do not cite his words oprove
the absolute inutility of moral suasion,
for that agency has called even pro-
hibition into existence; but to show
that mere moral suasion is Of itself
inadequate. The inebriate spoke out
abruptly, as follows:
Moral suasion to drunkards? its no
use, and it's worse than no use. /
know it. I tell you I'm one of 'em,
I am, I am, and I know"
The whole room Was startled into
perfect silence. In the pause, the very
fire seemed to hold its breath.
| Eve been drunkard these ten years.
You know it. You've seen me loafng
aboutyour streets tenyears, andyou'Ve
had chance to try your moral suasion,
And l ant the only chance, God
knows. Yes, and you've tried it, too.
You know I used to want to knock you
Loft. You haven't failed to say kind
words, and try your suasion. You all
try it. The very man that sells me
rum, says, when he pours out glass,
"Come, come, Jerry, you'd better not
drink any more"
i His profanity was terrible; but the
equally terrible earnestness of his
speech suffered not even the chairman
to reprove him.
You think drunkord moods per-
suading. There's not drunkard- in
the country that's worth saving, who
doesn't wish, two hours out of three.
every day his life, that he could knock
off. They've got moral suasion. What
they want is help, help, God, God, help,
force, force to back it up.
"You've seen me-you see me every
day sitting around-loafng. You've
thought I've been asleep, thinking Of
nothing. Outside I've been dead as a
heap of ashes-inside I've been a-fre
When a mans a. going to sell himself
to the devil, cool and easy-money
down-and wants to drive sharp
bargain, like your rum-sellers, it may
do to talk Of moral suasion to him.
But when the DEVILS caught a careless
fellow-and's got him tight in his
clutches-as he holds US, and we
writhing and squirming, then when you
come along and think we need moral
suasion to get us away, you're fools.
And with some of you it's worse than
F that. Some of you know better, and
when you say so, and quote Scripture
to it, you're fools. l can see you're
making DEVILS speeches, and 1 believe
the Lords sharper sighted than I am
If he pays attention to what goes on
in a temperance meeting, he'll settle
your arguments one of these days. Il
God ever lets any thing into hell, il
will be rum selling. There'll be nc
law again that business there, I tel
you. The devil knows what'n pay fol
licensing as well as you. But you GO
on selling liquor, and talking about
moral suasion. Good God, if any
body needs it, it is you ministers, who
darent preach rum down, and your
deacons, who quote Scripture like q
devils concordance.
Can it be possible that professed
: friends of temperance, but opponents
Of prohibition, can read this powerful
appeal from the drunkard himself, and
not deduce the moral?