Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-05-02
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Prom the Boston Telegraph.
WENDELL PHILLIPS ON TEMPERANCE

Mercantile Hall YVES dcnsely crowded on Sunday
svening on the occasion of IN address on temper
apoe by Wendell Phillips.
The meeting was opened with a lew remarks
from Joseph Story. Esq.
In commencing, Mr.. Phillips said he was glad
10 he able to be there. to throw the least weight
into the scale of this great movement, Twenty
wears ago he became n teetutaler, and 1t had be-
come so much of an element in his nature that he
had almost forgotten the arguments with when 1t
was sustained. lie had not been able to give
much TO the cause other than an example, and
that every one owed. lie did not think with a
man of forty n temperance speech could open al
new light, for he could look hack over his whole
life, and see in his own experience the whole argu-
ment for temperance. Much had been gained in
twenty years in this cause; n drinking life had
come to be louked upon with disgust; this was n
great step.-Formerly, you could not enter a
public house but what in the very yestibule all
the apparatus of incompetence stared you In the
face. Twenty years ago. If you went to the Astor
House, you had only to enter its doors to see the
character of an American gentleman now you
had to 60 down stairs in order to find it out In
this country public opinion was the controlling
power-get the ideas right, and the customs wili
soon follow. He was in favor OF pruhihitoIy law
90 stop the vice of intemperauCe. Few young men
we're able to say no. 1t was an angel wandered
down from heaven who could say no under all
temptations it was the highest o! human attain
ments. Bnt as 50 few were gifted with ;he power
it was the duty Of society to say 40, and thereby
protect its members.
Ifa man lived through means Of the liquor traffic
brand him with the rame. Nay, if he died 10y 1t,
and it was necessary to write an obituary, pns 1t
ut the end.
1t had been said that public opinion was not up
TO the law, but the difficulty was that those men
who went for the law left it to stand alone. Inc
gentlemen who had spuken before him said he re-
ioiced in the success Of the movement. but the re-
form could never be dispensed with when we
had saved that young man, we had not saved the
one that comes directly behind him. lie was IN,
clined to believe that the temperance CAUSE had
been narrowed down too much.
IL has been said by thuse who had visited Italy
and Spain, and other European countries, that
there was not so much drinking there as in tins
country; there was a good reason for it-tEey
could not afford it; money was not 50 easily
game | as it was in this country, and brandy wac
very dear. The great secret of so much intem
perance in our country was that wealth was SC
easily gained by the masses. Temperance wa
not abstinence alone, it was cultivation and
education. If you drive the devil out. you mus
supply the place with something nObler-temp'
the higher faculties to expand.
If you cannot give a man the highest intellectual
basis, give him the next position beIow--do not
seek to narrow down and contract the workings OF
the mind. If we took away the amusement which
was furnished by the custom Of drinking. we must
supply its place with something else. The Will,
great as It's, cannot stand alone but he did not
wish to doubt the power OF the VIII. n niue WoTd
accomplished great things at times. lie once
knew a man who, when n hoy OF nineteen, was
about to start for the sea. When Mt the garden
gate his mother came to him, and said, My boy, ]
never saw the sea, but those who have tell me that
you are going where the temptation to drink is
great; promise me that you will never touch thu
cup lie said, Mother, | do And he told M
that this promise haunted him all round the worl'
and whenever he was tempted, that mother at tn
garden gate, with tears in her eyes, rose up be
fore him, and lie was saved. Years after. wire
he had settled down in life,a man came to him, an
thanked him for repeating that scene to him
had saved him from q drunkards grave. 1t too
long ages to develop great ideas. lie suppose
that it would take a hundred years to develop tn
sentiment of this country which would acknow
e6gs that a man had the right TO speak as h
thought. and a hundred years longer to acknow
edge that q negro has a right to his personal sci
He never saw a young man at the threshold
manhood, without trembling at the gauntlet whic
was to be run. 1t was u glorious thing for a ma
to be able 10 say in the autumn OF life, that IL !
had never spoken brave words for humanity, b
had not committed IL single act which had tende
70 lower his brother in the scale. If we knew ii
value Of temperance to its opposite, we shouI
welcome it, and support it with the powers wit
which we were gifted.
His closing appeal to the young men preseI
was q most bea utiful production.