Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-03-16
ESSAY. on INTEaIPERANIo;Ei.
ny one of tho fourth class In the Western yrri
CoMterenee-published bY Ileauest.l


ESSAY ON INTEaIPERANCE.
my one Of tho fourth rlass In the Western virginia
CoAtereqee- Published by Request.
lntemperHnce is one ofthe fuulest stains
cntailed upon Adnm's poEterity. II blots
every DiriHc lineament from the soul and
endows n man with the attributes of a
GeRd. Dcvil-like. in promising everything,
it robs mar of everything that ennoGles
him aud elcvates him above the brute Gre
alton. 1t makes mantle easyZ7orey to, and
the willing tool in the hands Of, Satan, for
the commission of evil. Under the infIu-
cncc OF this tsLIelLish poscErr he will commit
every crime that fallen nature is capable
of-crimcs that will borrify lin when he
is sober. OaCe II man comes under its se-
ductive Influence, he is no more himself:
infatuated, spell, bound, ho rnshes eagerly
into ruin. Disnrmed of the means of
selt-dcteuse, he turns against himself and
becomes his own murderer. In the mad
deieTfo0snsSs of intoxicution, he recognizes
not the distinctions of right and wrong,
good and evil. 1t turns the brain of Innn
I-thnt sublime dome of thOnght-into IL
whispering gallery of shouting mnnincs-
1t strikes, with Il mnrderOus intent, the
| fair image of God from the Soul, and i'm
presses in its stead, the black profile of
| Satan. 1t turns the heart that sacred nal :
ace, that should lie the temple of the Holy
! One, Rdnrued with drNperies from the skies,
into thentre Of BdcckaMGlidH orgies and
| debauchery. It is '.thc pestilence that
walketh at niilnight,' and Nthe dcstrnc-
tion that wasteth Mt monday But who
eau comprehend the desolVtiOuN and ruin
this Omniprcsent depI of society makes
THIS serpent OF all ages winds itself into
NIL grGdntions Ofzsociety, aud leaves its
fEs4i
victims. 1t is the same serpent that be-
trayed the innocence of our first parents
that now sparkles in the intoxicating
glass. There is no one evil that combines
so many attractive and Seductive elements
-As thlsnPeFeneei ! and that srnipR thna chill
| dten of men with sneh maliGhdut und In
Fernal cruelty. IL comes drlped with all
the beauties of poetic gcntus, making fair
speeches, while its tbnguc is brnddiscd
with the fires of pOrdition. II claims a
scat with those who sit in high places. 1t
moves in the circles fgaiety and wit. us
necessary element OF good hnmOr, brilliant
conversation and warm friendship. You
can find it in tile palace of the king, and
in the dingy hovel of tho pcasnnt-in the
| Congress Halls, and in the Court uouse-
in the public hotel, ..and in the domestic
sanctuary of the private citizen-in the
scene of rlotous dc6nuchcry, and with the
| refined and polite. II offers health to the
sick, and pleasure to the well-strangth to
the weak, and Joy to the strong-warmth
| to the cold, and refreshment to the heated
and weary-cyes to the blind, and ears TO
tue denf-consOlAtion to the sorrowfuI,
aud balm to the wounded. Like its
quick succCssor-Dcath-it clnims all ms
its prey. tits mightter than the mighty;
| 1t yields to no force; II consents to no ncace.
ls1I,.
! efforts of phlianihrOpists to save man.
1t hips the flame of political stritc-is.loud
| lu its professions of patriotism but ex-
poses itssworshippers in the real hour of
danger. II engenders social Nnimosities,
breaks up happy Gommunitics and the
| VOWS of plighted friends. II waters the
earth witiI3the widows tears, and fills the
I air with the orphans walls; while tile
winds of heaven sing the doleful requeim
of expiring thousands, that lie bleeding
under its crushing, dnmning weight
/ Death and destruction follow in the train
4 OF this HIMg of crime, while he blows from
between his crimson lips, disease and pes
4 thence. A long train of brutuIized, trans
formed hollow-eycd, hoggeTd and bNGbliUg
/ fends are his attendants. He'll and de-
ttructiOn are their certain destiny. aiEo
The deaentertainedby by some, that spiritous
liquors are conducive TO health, Is contra
1 dicted by science, history and experience.
| Science teaches MS that sptrttuous liquor
1 Is slow poison When taken into the
I system, it produces tie same effects as mr.
senic or belledopnA does. II does not
lcontnini one particle of nutriment. There
is not an organ that can be benefited by
| its stimulus-not gland that can extract
nutriment from it, It is passed from
gland to gland, all regarding it as q, COM
mon foe. II would be treason for one to
| entertain It, and suicide for them to Itse
| 1t. Its history is dark with crime, writ
ten in the blood and tears of millions,
History does not furnish the record of.
human foe, whose footprints are mark
ed with equal desohltion, ruin and woe.
| Yes, history only furnishes US dim fore
shadow Of the terrible aggregate of woe,
this enemy ofmHnkind causes. eye hath
not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath
1t entered into the heart of man to con.
ceive, the infinite amount of woe and
misery this cause will bring upon its VIC
TINS ln the world 10 come! The experi-
ences, too, of all ages md nations bear
theIr solemn testimony against this sViE.-
Ah, Y We c9pld tr9ee,iR the sorgowfyl ex-
periences of wiIiowhood and orphana6e-
caused by this bloody MoRster-exI xIierienccs,
too, that have entered into the ieathT bed
scenes Of drunkards, and into their bitter
cup of wailing in hell. AS the eye OF
omniseienCe trgces them, then only could
we form RroPer estimate of The evil
This msmeut q half million Of mortals,
stamped Will tile fair imhge of God, and
redeemed by the precious blood of57the
fedeeIne hrutAliZed and debadrfietI. are
staggering dowa TO he'll land their nature.
capable of endless. elevation and happi-
ness, become an eternal wreck. Is II not
heart siGkening to know that In oue Chris.
tisn land, under The high noon Of Gospel