Nebraska advertiser., 1857-11-19
For the Nebraska ADVERTISE
temperance No. 2.

temperance -NOS e
Amid corruption of sentiments and de-
pravity Of morals and Of manners, a vir-
tuous man is an exile, though be remain
at home. Surely it is not only one of the
highest social duties, but it must be n OF
the strongest impulses gof an intelligent
parental affection, to provide a state Of
society for children, in which, if they
prove to be honorable men, they may be
hOnOred; and if they provesto be abene-
factors Of their race, they may be reyered
while living and mourned when dead
The condition of society which men be-
queath to their children gives value or
takes it away from all their other beqpuestps.
Look at the qrelationin which men of emil
nent talents and genius stand 70 the pre-
sent and the coming generations, and see
how deep is their interests in the general
enlightenment and rectitude of the people.
who are lobe their Judges and %rewaFders'
In i community where all things are de-
cided by the popular voice, is it most desir-
able for such men to live amongst people
who measure merit by a scale of truth,
who candiscern and will reverence moral
~intrepidity and ~self-sacrifee, who honor
mental rather than animal endoWments,
and who canand will make their best men
their frft men. Is it nothing for the ora
tor at the capitol, or the author in his Go
set, to know that he needs MOTTO circums-
cribe his powersin orderto be inteEigible
to his hearers, but that he addresses a
nation for an audience, whose millions Of
hearts are 50 many censers standing al
ways ready to be lighted by the hallowed
flame Of e~Ioquence? Is it nothing fol
1.-THE poet or the artist TO know that the
more exquisite and perfect is his work, the
more, and not the less, myriads ofvoice:
will be added to his fame
| . agLH .L q t}g~NeH .t.sl' es.i - 4-..t. "t..
Now all these natural and laudable de.
sires are defeated, to an immense extent
by the wide spread viceo of intemperance
With the rapid decay Of all talents, ant
the extinction Of virtuous emotions il
themselves, incorporate men lose thu
power of appreciating intellectual anc
moral greatness in others. Their spiritua
nature becomes sensualized their appe
titea scourges away every exalted senti
ment. Whoever will provide means t.
slake their thirst; whoever will perver
reason to yindicate their indulgence
whoever will beat down their .sinceres
well-w1shers with the most trucufenI rage
viii be their chosen leaders. Let intela.
perate men witness q discussion in thu
forum or the senate, and you will always
see them captivatedb by the drop of though
ratqer than by those golden treasures b
wisdom which meditation coins from ex
perience and knowledge. In books the,
viii generally prefer the obscene bias
phemies of Paine, to the serene and piou
philosophy Of Watson. Is it such a til
bunal as this, which men of talent AM
genius wish to install or. perpetuate, il
all the great questions pertaining to socia
) reformf2 DO not intemperate men almos
invariably espouse the side of demorali
@zation, in all efforts for the adornment q
society; for the advancement Of. art, lite
nature, or science {? They are antagonis
forces; theycgravitate toward barbarism
Should they ever obtain a numerical as
tendency in any part Of our country, the,
would -demolish the temples of science, and
religion, and Danish the priest that admi
mister, at the altar. Even now, every
intelligent man knows that if the wealth
squandered upon this enormous. vice were e E
appropriated to the purchase of social lib.
raries; to the founding of mechanics ms.
titute, and supplying them with philosophi.
cal apparatus, and to establishing cabinets
of the arts and Of natural history. And
if the time, that element Of priceless va
lue, now athousand times worse than lost
in the haunts of dissipation could be de-
voted to reading well selected books; to
improving conversation % lyceoml exer-
cises; to music and other refining arts, ii
wonld.in ten years give to the republic a
social aud political sensorium. Men of
mechanical science and skill are delighted
with.al new inventions or discoveries on
PhiEos9phicalprinciPl the slightest impro-
vementss greater simplicity in the cons
trucdon of a machine, or diminished fric-
ton in the revolution Of a wheel, are
sought after with avidity,, printed in jour
nails, circulated through the civilized
world, and everywhere there is an imme-
diate desire totreduce the improvements
practice? "a We honor those men whose IN
ventive talents have given as it were new
4 dreams 40 rNor-aT. of lacOuootioD