Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-05-08
Temperance Lecture.

MIR. j. W. Hannaman, of Knoxville, ILL.,,
lectured on Saturday evening, at the Pres
byterian Church, 20 an attentive and deeply
interested audience, on the subject Of tenn
pcrance. Mr.. II. treats this question rather
differently from most lecturers. Having
been himself for so long time slave to
the appetite for strong drink, he knows the
feelings and impulses Of the drunkard, and
strongly sympathizeS with him in his condi-
ton. He relies more upon the power of
moral suasion to eradicate this evil than
upon any other influence. In his lectures he
refrains from telling anecdotes or by any
ludicrous representations exciting the atten-
ton of his hearers in the subject. Hespeaks
earnestly and almost enthusiastically, but
not more SO, we think, than the subject re-
quires. The following extract from his
lecture, alluding briefly to his own history,
may be regarded as a specimen Of his STYLE
We should remark that Mr.. II. was known
to many of our citizens when a youth, and
has relatives here who have been long and
deeply interested in his disenthrallment.
His history, therefore, will possess addi-
tional interest to our readers. The period
when the reformation to which he alludes
took place was something less than a year
ago, in a town of northern Illinois. 1t was
brought about by the remark Of little boy
"a rumseller's child, at that who, seeing
his wretchedness and degradation, begged
him to quit drinking. The words thus ftly
spoken led to reflection with a result that
had been long prayed for. But we give the
extract referred to:
81 have seen bright hopes perish and lofty
aims shattered--I have seen a loved family
scattered and home made desolate-I have
caused tears to flow from eyes that gazed on
me with glances of affection-I have been
the object Of many prayers have seen
myself degraded and lost Rum has tri-
umphed oyer me, weakening and paralyzing
my physical nature, and benumbing my
moral faculties l have yielded to the
powers Of the monster, and wasted the best
years of my life. And now stand here
saved, as hope and believe, at last to battle
against my enemy-to warn others OF the
rock on which my life barque foundered and
went down. | started upon the voyage Of
life with as fair hopes as any Of you-a
calm sea was before me, and l launched my
barque in it's pellucid waters. And oh ! little
did then think that few heeting years hence
| should stand here to tell the story Of my
shipwreck and loss to look back with bitter
ness and regret over the past, but, thank
heaven, with chastened and subdued hope
toward the future. Is it any wonder. then,
that treat this subject with solemnity and
earnestness? Is it any wonder that should
speak strongly and warmly? Is it any
wonder that should appeal to you as one
who felt personal interest in the matter ~
On the importance of sympathizng with
the drunkard, and endeavoring by such
means to secure his reformation, he thus
discoursed
sympathy, rightly exercised, will work,
had almost said, miracles for the drqGn;. ~ in
When a man becomes So md 1nILk know w that he
temperate habits bitssssf e. in the ewes of his fellow
mas iun, eefhee he shuns their gaze-he- avoids their
presence-he fancies (and it is not always
mere fancy that men look on him coldly-
that they avoid him as though they feared
contamination. At such time, kind look
"a genial smile of recognition, will make
him feel that the divine image is not entirely
effaced from his countenance, and often, il
rightly approached, he may be induced to
forsake his cups and permanently reform y
We were sorry that, on account of the bad
walking, there was not a larger audience
present on the occasion of the delivery Of
this lecture Our citizens need waking uI
on temperance matters, and just such al
awakening as Mr.. Hannaman's lecture wa'
calculated to produce. We hope he will b
invited to lecture again under more favora
bic circumstances before he leaves the city