Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-07-29
Temperance Discussion.


man is what it processes to be- a free paper, UNI
trammeled by party or sect 50 as to exclude any
thing calculated for the Advancement of re
forms, and consequent good of community,
make thr following suggestions; necessarily
do it hastily at this time, as it is not probable
that shall have another leisure hour for many
weeks to come; yet the subject is one not drum
med up for the occasion, or thought of only
hastily, as | have been considering upon it, and
conyersing with many in regard to it, for more
than year, hoping all the while that some
one, having more time at command, and more
influence to control than has fallen to my lot,
being only poor mechanic,- breach
the subject, and % set the ball in notion
! am fully aware that any proposed progress
sive step, in any philanthropic enterprise which
has been for years before the community, is
looked upon with jealousy and degree of sus-
picion, especially if that enterprise has been an
important one, and has had marked eras in its
existence directly affecting large proportion of
the community; and to neutralze or obviate
the effects of such suspicion requires much wis
dom, charity, patience, perseverance,, and ga
whole soul " on the part of those originating
the proposed progressive step, as often those
most jealous or suspicious at the first, if not
prejudiced by witnessing in some way improp-
er principles or measures, eventually become
the most reliable supporters
These observations are especially true in re-
gard to the Temperance movement. This has
been an important enterprise, very directly af
fcctng almost the whole community, and from
the first has had several marked eras in its his
tory, each claiming at least to be progressive
steps, numbering among its projectors men and
women of influence, and among its opposers
also, people of the same class many of whom
eventually were won over to the right after
coming to a knowledge of the truth in the pre-
misses; while we sorrow for some who were on
the right side, but have become lukewarm, in
different, or opposers, on account of the ultra
isms of some of their colleagues.
7 Some of the steps in the Temperance enter
prise, after the first pledge which prohibited the
drinking as q beverage of spirituous liquors,
were long, some short, some up, some down,
some ahead and some backward, some right,
some wrong, some promoted by men, some by
women, some by ministers, some by laymen,
some by rich, some by poor, some by old, some
by young, some by black, some by white, some
by manufacturers and dealers some by consum-
ers, some by God, and some by the Devil; but
| have not time to say more of them. The last
step, the :" Maine Law" was the longest NOR
ally, physically, and longitudinally, extending
from depravity to holiness, from putrefaction to
sound health, from the East to the West, and
were all men honest, and willing, and DESTROYS
that that Prohibitory Law should have its le-
gitimate effect, there would be no need of an
other step; but men are not honest they will
) adulterate and poison liquors to that extent
: that it is absolutely dangerous to use them for
medicines, for beverage, or for sacramental
purposes; and for chemical and mechanical
purposes, there is no dependence to be placed in
them, and it is difficult to detect the imposi-
ton for ordinary purposes, us to render it
wholly impracticable, except in the case of Al
: cohol; which, for aught know. or believe to
> the contrary, possesses certain characteristics
easily discovered by any ordinary person with
such apparatus as is always at hand, and
j which are not found in any other liquid.
: From investigation and conversation with
u many educated physicians and scientific men
y during year and half past, learn that pure
g Alcohol may be diluted, prepared, or used so as
to answer all the necessary uses of all other
!" spirituous liquors in the preparation of medi-
u cines, and for chemical and mechanical pur-
Il poses For the communion service, no intelli-
gent Christian, who has had his mind sufficient
ly directed to the subject can believe that the
miserable decoctions of logwood, fustic, &C.,
IL inspirited with various poisonous drugs, and
v sold for cine, at exorbitant profits, are any Of
n them more acceptable to the Holy God, than
" such pure ,cine as any Church may easily and
IF cheaply supply itself with, made from currants
cherries elder berries, and various kinds of Der
II ries and fruits growing plentiuly all over the
/ land, even if grapes cannot be had for the pur
y pose, which is not the case in many parts o.
lie New England
II Several of the physicians say they have moi
u used any liquors, for some years, but Alcohol
/ and do not dare to They say if their patients
III need arsenic, strychnine, &C., they rather dea
m it out in quantities according to their owl
IS judgment.
1t is notorious fact that the liquors of thu
IL present day cannot be used as beverage witt
y that impunity that characterized the use of sucl
+ as were in vogue forty, Or even thirty year.
l. ago; for some reason they have much NOR,
Il perceptible effect upon the consumer in pro
III ducing delirium hemens, insanity, or imbeeility
l. paraly sis, iniamtory and chronic diseases, &c.
l, and also in neutralizng, destroying, or retard
4 ing the effect of medicines given to remove dis
'e ease, so that If men do not love their stnulat
e ing effect more than reason, health, and even
e life, they cannot use them as beverage if the,
u are informed of their poisonous composition
y But here lies the difficulty many of the liuuo
drinkers are ignorant in this matter, while tn,
} remainder are under the control of impulse and
! passion to that extent that they ,cM drink evel
r to death if they can get it 50 that both classc
are in danger of being lost to themselves, thei
families, the community, the world and heaven
, so long as the liquors are in their reach
" Among them are those of as fine endowments a
y among any pcople-can they be lostat so cheal
y :, rate without public fault?
,f A great proportion of them are often ailing