Smyrna times., 1858-04-29
MISCELANL l. E 0 U S
Written for The Smyrna Times.
A Few Thoughts on Passing Events
BY MELLON CLARKE

A Few Thoughts on Passing EVenLs'
By MELLON CLARKE.
Oh, Virtue! how bright are thy bowers tread,
How brilliant thy roses that bloom Ger my head,
How peaceful thy pathway thro which I've past;
| am free-T am frec--rve conquer'd at last!
Milford Bard.
He who has conquered an evil habit is hero.
Only once habituate the appetite to the use of
tobacco and ardent spirits, and the DOMINION OF
habit is then worse than British tyranny itself.
OF the thousands who have run into the vice of
drinking, how very few, comparative speak
ing, are able to redeem themselves from the
slavery of the monster, King Alcohol Even
he who composed the above beautiful lines, be-
ing the closing ve-se of an elegant poem on
lnat subject, was not able to stay the appetite
against that ever-burning thirst for ardent spir-
its, notwithstanding he knew the consequences
which must inevitably follow from its use
His talents, his requirements aud thorough
education, told him TO demonstration that he
whs could sing so beautifully to others of its
destructive nature, must himself fall sacrl-
fee 10 its baneful influence.
very singular fact is connected with the
appetite for intoxicating liquors. 1t is evident
that no situation in life escapes It's destructive
Influence. The most talented, the best educa-
ted. and the most useful members Of society are
are alike the vuaries of Bacchus, as we'll as
the ilterate, the ignorant and unthlnklng null
litude Orators and statesmen, dIvInes and
warriors, have all felt its sway and suffered un-
der its potent influence. We are taug ut TO be-
eye that the wisdom of Solomon was not proof
against it, and Notwithstanding Lot had fled
from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
on account of his righteousness, yet his piety
and zeal for the holy cause of religion was not
sufficient to support his resolution for sobrlety'
and when the sparkling wine cup was rendered
him he drank to intoxication. In our day, the
wisest of our own people have drank deep OF
the maddening bowl, and many have had their
days shortened by its maddeuing influence on
the brain. One of the best and most useful
physicians ever became acquainted with, fell
prey to the use of this vile thing known by
the appcllation of Alcohol he was skilled in
his profession to an unprecedented degree, and
understood the science of The healing art better
than any one of his day or generation; ne was
benevolent and kind-hearted, and did more for
the poor without pay than all the other physi-
clans in the place and notwithstanding he was
what might be emphatically termed a hard
drinker, yet he was seldom SO disabled by its
use as to be past doing business; but, with all
his skill in the curative art for others, he was
not able to cure HIMSELF and like hundreds be-
fore him, fell victim to fatal appetite which
hid fixed its fangs upon him after long practice
in creating it. And if the use OF this bever-
age is to destroy the best men and women in
the land, why continue the use and keep up the
habit of drinking, either by law or practice
When certain destruction is the result OF In
ebriation, is it not wisdom in community to
rid themselves of the article as they would any
other nuisance? No man can wish to retain
the Asiatic cholera or malignant fever in town
or city.s Why retain the rum trafhca There
is no law, civil or divine, that can compel peo-
pie 10 tolerate a custom in society after they
have discovered its pestilential influence, any
more than they should be to encourage the
plague or yellow after they have discovered iti
malignant effect among the people. .r..-. ~.
People have moral rights as well as ciyi
privileges, and when there is likelihood o
morals being corrupted by the baseborn profit
gacy of the liquor-vender, whereby he under
mines the welfare of a whole community TO
his own especial gain. they have legal an'
civil right to restrain him in the Judicial limit
of the statute law of the city or State wherein
the offence is committed. No man can persis
in carrying on business which has been de
clared by two-thirds of the community com
mon nuisance. And that rumselling and drink
ing will come under this provision OF law, o
thar il will be found fully written in the mora
code, no sensible man will, presume, preten
to deny. Now, If the rumsellercan be mad