The Union and journal., 1860-01-20
Henry Ward Reecher on Temperance,
We take the following extracts ffom dis
course delivered by this eminent man on the


course delivered by this eminent man on the
Goth Of November, at Brooklin, N. Y:
think that temporarily thero Is o rcac-
tionary state in the public mind with refer
ence to temperance, think that to o GER
tain extent there isa going back in this
cause. I do not think the great cause itself,
with the last thirty years Of discussion, has
lost ground, but 1 think that, as in filling
any great tank, the waters rush In In such o
way that, as they rise up on parts Of the sur
face there are oscillations, 30 in the progress
of any great cause there are reactionary in
fluences which produce oscillations, asitwcre
| in the department of that cause. And 1t
seems to me that we arc at time in which
the young are drinking again, If not Us much
as before the temperance movement was
started yet great deal more than they
were ten or fifteen years ago. This Is, ut
least the result of my own observation. And
on this whole subject I have this to say
that of aIkthe evils among us, drinking is
the most dangerous; and If any man thinks
it is not, it is probably more dangerous in
his case than that of any other persons. The
men that are timid, and cautious, and stin-
gy, and cold withal, are usually the men who
do not like to drink, and who are least in
danger of becoming drunkards; but the
men that arc genial, and generous,
and confident. and hopeful, and that love to
see things glitter by the head of the wine
Gun, are the men who like to drink, and
who arc in danger of fbecoming drunEards.
And this is pre-eminently u sin for 1t is
sin which seems, in its beginnings, to be fair
enough, and one which pleads long prece-
dent. pleads secret example and permission,
pleads custom in the highest and most re-
spectacle circles-pleads everything except
fact and expediency. The beginnings OF It
are festal, conviyal, beautiful. even (; but, If
there bo one thing of which it may be said,
"The ends thereof are the ways DEATH" this
is it.
speak rs pastor-I speak as citizen
speak simply as a man. have seen 50
much of this evil, I do sec so much Of 1t, ]
sec that II is 80 easy to let 1t alone before
meddling with it, and 80 hard afterward,
that feel bound to warn you against it,
again and again. And am speaking what
do thoroughly believe, when say that un-
less man has occasion to use various alco-
holic s.imuants for real bona .jfde medical
purposes, he had better let them entirely
alone because the beginnings Of this habit
seem right, and the ends thereof are
death.
One thing is certain-you do not need to
drink. 1t does not do you any good. 1t is
expensive and dangerous. The more you do
| il the more you want to do it, and therefore
the more dangerous it becomes in your
case.
am not wholly faithlcss with regard to
the reformation of men who arc addicted to
drinking but think that except by means
of institutions, il is almost impossible to re-
form them. Instituted help, long coniine-
mcnt, and regimen, may eradicate the taint
from them.
One word more under this head. There is
habit of recommending the substitutions Of
mlder beverages in the place of the stronger
ones. Now, men may talk as much as they
please about larger beer, and native Ameri-
can wine, and about those who drink being
satisfied with these, but what is it that
m likes men drink in this country? Do they
krink because they love the taste of Of liquor!
Do they do it us a general rule for any other
reason than this-tlmt they have two weeks
work to do in one, and they want double
strength2 You drink because you have got
To do ten hours work in day, and you have
strength to do only eight; you drink bc-
cause YOU have got to do fifteen hours work
in day, and you have strength TO do only
twelve; you drink because you have got to
do eighteen hours work in day, and you
have strength to do only sixteen? You want
steam, and therefore you drink that which
will make steam! The Frenchman and the
Italian may drink for the tongue, you but
drink for the nerve!
Talk about people in foreign countries
where the habit Of drinking is universal be-
ing peaceful They are thousand times more
auarrelsomc than we arc. The people in
those countries where there is beer-drinking
in families, are the most quarrelsomc people
in tho world. They may not get drunk, but
YOU will find them in the preliminary
tendencies to drunkness. They drink enough
to make them irritable, perpctually. We
drink, not to crafty the palate, but for q
business purpose. That being the case, we
may begin with the mildcr beverage, just Us
We begin our fires with pine shayings, not
only because we can light them so easily, but
also because wo want them to sct on fire
something soldier. And wine Is ftcpstone to
brandy. Beer is stepstone the other way.
1t docs not lead up to brandy, but 1t leads
down TO drunk and beastly drunk.
would speak with discrimination. !
would not make what say void Of influence
by any seeming cxtrayagance. would
leave a margin of tolcration, where, under
appropriate directions Of physicians who are
themselves temperate, men may, for occa.
sional states Of ALTERATION in the physical
system, use ardent spirits. But in regard to
using milder beverages for tho sake Of doing
two mems work, say, you can begin Win
these, but you will not stop with them
When they have lost their power to stimu'
late you, you will want something stronger
and you will 60 to brandy-lrom brandy
IL such thing remains except In legends
YOU will 90 TO druggcd brandy and spices.
You will be drunkard then, and there Is
no use of trncing you further. A man that
drinks for the sake of tho drunk, is drunk
ord whether no rocls or not. Thus the
hsc;nninos of tho ways of intempcrnncc may
seem right, but the ends thereon arc the ways
of death.
/ will here repeat what believe l have
said 20 YOU aioretimc. There is an asylum
being built in Binghamton under the auspic-
es of DIR. Turner, for inebriates. There
ought to lave been ono long ago. / thank
God for tho springing up Of this one. II
will bc tho pioneer Of Others. We need
many such institutions lam informed that
although the building is not yet completed,
and although It Is gagged to accommodate
only three hundred patients, moro than
twcnty-cight hundred applications for nd