The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-10-23
EDWARD EVERETT IRON THE INEBRI
AEES.

At the laying of the corner stone of the
New York State Asylum for Inebriates, at
Binghamton on Friday, Mr.. Everett made a
brief speech, of which the following is an
interesting portion
1t is a good day, sir, be the weather what
pay, for it is consecrated to good work.
ii are taking the first step in grea, en-
terprise of mercy and humanity. Sir, the
duty which society owes to the interesting
class for whose relief, this institution is f"un
ded, is one of the most important and the
most delicate which it has to rerform.--
What society ought to d., what it can at
tempt hopefully, is question not yet per-
haps satisfactorily solved. at least SO far as
concerns the great authoritative expression
Of the will and power of the community in
the form of law. How far, in what way,
the law Of the land can DO applied to RENE
dy and mitigate the tremendous evils Of in
| temperance, is not yet perhaps satisfactorily
solved.
| But here we come, sir, brought together
| hv no law that creates amy division of opin-
| ion-the law of love-where we are all mag
! istrates and all subjects. In obedience to
the dictates of the law, sir, we have come
! together, friends, and fellow citizens, to take
the first step in founding an institution
which is to furnish home for the homeless
q refuge from the world that visits its own
faults with such severity upon the frail and
suffering of our racc-a kindly refuge where
thcy will be received in the hour of their
extremity, and welcomed with all the COM
forts which their condition demands; and
especially, sir, where they will be removed
! from temptation.
Removed from temptation. Sir, during
these interesting ceremonies that we have
witnessed at the laying of the corner stone,
when the most sublime Of petitions from the
| Wisest and Best of Masters, was repeated by
:, those hundreds and thousands that stood
with uncovered heads witnessing the perfor-
! nance. was struck with a force which
own | have never felt before with the Sc
, uurnce of the ideas. "Lead us not into
, trmptation'- that comes before dellveranct
, from evil. s'Lead US not into temptatIon.'
, TApplause.1 Sir, a great moral poet has
said
! .yice is a monster Of such hideo;;s mien'
y That to be hated needs but 10 be seem
, That is the evil from which we pray to be
delivered. 1t is a hideous monster.
}, THAT to be hated needs but to be SEEM
} But it is not so with temptation. Sir,
temptation is not a hdeous monster. 1t toe
often comes in lovely form, clothed with
grace and beauty, decked with garlands
spenking in II silvery voice and calling to Us
when we are off our guard. That is what We
first need to be protected from. Evil, this
hideous monster few persons who have en-
loved the ordinary advantages OF an educa-
ton in this part of the world, few person:
that have any thing that can be called avlr'
,uous home, are in great danger OF being
led astrav by this hideous monster, when II
, stands before them in all its native deforml'
tv. But who is safe from the cIrcean voice
, of temptation?
/, Mr.. President, the reverend and eloquent
, gpntl man who proceeded me, said with great
Justice that YOU were not only laying the
founGs ion Of an asylum for the State, hut
if it succeeds, you have laid this day cor
ner stone for Il similar asylum in every State
Of the Union, in every kingdom of Europe
fAnplause.l Hasn't it been so with every
great Improvement that may be classed
with this? Wasn't it so with prison discl.
Mine? There is not in all the civilized
world, except Naples (if you include Naples
in the civilized worldly place where the Ole
abuses in prison discipline exist. The hu'
mane treatment is every where initiated anc
odopted. So it is sir, with asylums for the
insane. The old cruelty is done away with
mt in New Pork, in Philadelphia and in
Boston alone, but throughout the civilized
world.
So il will be, sir, with the asylum for the
inebriate. Let these first steps result sue
c.ssfullv. Let these wallis go up; let the
moor victims Of inebricty he gathered there;
il, the kind treatment. medical counsel, and
emplnvmeut for the mind and for the time
let THIN produce effects, which haven
rhe slightest douht they will produce: ana
have said before, as fast as they can be
erected, YOU will have similar institution
in everv civilized country in the world
Yes. SIR; bring thrse unhappy 'nebr'"te'
here, protect them from temptation, occupy
their time. amuSr their thoughts, surround
them with rational pleasures; above all, SIR
Ia, ,he delightful influences Of the beautiful
n,tu-e that surrounds Us have due ELECT up
IN them: let them learn to worship tn" com
mon Father in this glorious temple, "f wh,cf
these surrounding hills are pillars, ana TINS
glorious cnncave the vaulted arch--and be-
live me, sir, many years will not pass ava,
before it will appear that what you nave
done for your own community, you nave
done for the civilized word. Loud ap
plnuse.] ..-.----.
III xxEr~.r hn,~ that a man iR in deb