Daily national Democrat., 1860-04-26
Temnornnoe and SobristY.


sobriety has existed in every age of the world,
which we have any record Of Stimulating
drinks have been manufactured aud used, as
we'll in the barbaric as the more civilized
periods Of the worlds history, From the
time that old Lot and Noah made beasts OF
themselves, and committed unpatrlarchal in
discretions. down to the present. men have
endeavored to unduly excite their natural
powers Of body and of mind 10y stimulating
compounds and eoncoctionA
The wise men of the world have declaimed
against the injurious practice. Socrates and
Seneca dscoursej eloquently Of its evils. and
nightly went to bed drunk. for long series
years. Learned physicians have written
treAtises on the subject Of its injurious effects.
and. while they pocketei the proceeds of
their works, duly comforted the inner man
with copious and reviyifying potations. The
wonderful Colerdge greatly deprecated the
use Of intoxicating liquors. bat he chewed
opium to excess, and under its influence is
said to have written his Ancient Mariner
and his Cristabel. His son, who inherited
his fathers genius, rejected opium, but made
himself old at thirty.ive by the Incorporate
use of spirituous liquors oil the time preach
ing vehemently az inst the vice to which he
was addicted So with Charles Lamb. "lhe
Gentle Elia"-he shortened his days by the
inebriating cup, and raised his dying voice
against its soul destroying alluremeuts The
great Maeauley. far ranging. rich and go-
rious as were his powers of intellect could
not resist the temptation to stimulate. and
actually hastened his death. 10y the chewing
Of opium. In our own land. the mighty
Webster afforded the example of a gigantic
/ i.tellect STOPPING to the weakness Of excessive
and habitual indulgence in intoxicating
drinks The equally great Choate though
great in a different sphere, was foolish enough
to deem it a necessary part of his daily life
to take into his system the stimulus Of OPT
um.
Thus. not only have the masses OF men
generally but the greatest and the loftiest, in
every age and country. violated the laws Of
health and made war upon their own lives.
in the face of all light and knowledge. all
science and all morality. Some 60 to excess,
but ALL so to speak, (for the exceptions are
comparatively few indulge far more than is
consistent with health, Happiness and longev
ity. The wild Indian upon the Plains, who
never heard of such thing till it was intro
duced 10y the white man, took to" the fire
water" as naturally as duck to the stream,
while the savage Inhabitants of the eastern
continent and the natives of the islands in
both oceans. were found. upon discovery. to
have manufactured Intoxicating draughts
from time immemoral and had their drunk
en- orgies to as extrayagant an extent AS ever
did the Romans and the Greeks their Bae-
chanalian revels or the Anglo-SaXons their
swine like swilling or the French their gay
and rollicking banquetings.
In the presence of so ancient, so universal
an evil, what is to be done Men, as indi-
viduals should regulate their appettes aud
abstain from indulgences ruinous both to
! hIiuu huu OOuy. Golue WILL uuI tnOusHHuo
more will not. These thousands will drink
You cannot prevent them. Many more will
use opium or hasheesh or other stimulants
They will do it from .he very pcrverseness Of
nature which seeks for excitement and
must have it at all hazards No course re-
mains but to legisate against the evil You
cannot legisate to prevent men from drink
ing or stimulating, although you may make
it difficult to get access to the Stimulating
articles, and thus curtail the actull amount
Of beastly drunkenness on tho street. But YOU
can never wholly prevent the vice. Yet,
there is one thing which legislation can do
and which it should do-tliat Ia, prevent the
aduteration of stimulating articles. law
should be enacted by every civilized State or
country, inficting heavy penalties upon the
vendors Of the spurious article. Itis idle TO
say that such a law cannot be enforced, for it
is enforced in the cider countries. 1t can be
enforced anywhere If its enactment and exc
cution fall into the proper hands.