Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-10-11
MR.. COUGHS LECTURE.

Inc lecture Monday evening was IN se'ei"'
respects the greatest lecture delivered IN
Burlington within our recollection. we
have lever seen al audience go completely IN
the power of a speaker, now hanging on nH
words with an intentness and silence when
would have made pln-drop audible : now
moved lrresistibly by emotions which toucheo
the fountain of tears in every soul present
that had one then at an instant's trans
ition, conyulsed with laughter at some IN
describably comic touch of description OF
illustration then swayed by burst OF dlo-
qucnce, and breaking at its close into lond
and long applause. So it wen' throughout
the lecture, and nobody probably dreamed
at its close that the speaker had been talk
ing two hours. 1t was wonderful.
We are not going to undertake 10 report
the lecture Ii we gave it word for WORD 1t
would still be unreportaole. NJ one but
Mr.. Cough could reproduce the tones and
gestures, the life and action, which made
every incident he related stand before his
hearers like scenes of actual life then present
to thcir eyes. We may collect another day
+ some ct these incidents To-day we can
give but bare sketch.
The Town Hall was exactly filed, floor
and galleries, the darkness and dampness Of
/ the weather and the condition OF the roads
preventing the overwhelming rush which
would otherwise nave crowded It to sulfoca-
lion. As is customary with Mr.. Coughs
public efforts. the lecture was introduced by
a short prayer, Prof Clark Offering it. The
! lecturer was then introduced by Hon
Daniel Roberts. Mr.. Cough sail be
came provided with lectures on various
topics. but having been allowed his
own choice, he should take that Of Temper
ance-a cause to which he bad dedicated his
life. He proceeded 10 assert that Drunken
ness is universally acknowledged to be a
/ crying evil-that total abstinence is 4 cure
for drunkenness; that a man may be tee
total thief, teetotal liar or a tcetotal nfidel
! but he cannot be a teetotaler and a drunk
ard-that many men cannot drink to mod, r
ation-that on the plan Of general moderate
indulgence, certain proportion will inertia
Big become druqkards-that for most men,
any amount @! liquor, as beverage, is au
excess-that the resculng OF men, and ospe,
cidiIy young men, from slavery which binds
5otA soul and body, Is worth an eaJrt-4nd
10 that tfJrt il becomes christian men and
women, now ard ever, to address themselves.
| This was the substance Of lis doctrine-no-
thing very new in matter, but presented and
urged with a power and earnesness, which,
we doubt not, broughta new resolve to many
a heart Just such q lecture was needed in
Burlington, aud it cannot fail TO Do great
good.
We should be glad if We could, to repre-
sent the strain Of mingled humor and athos
/ with which he described woman's influence
and the Crimean soldiers talk Of Florence
/ Nightenglle. his narration OF the death bed Of
joel Strdtton, the man " no drew HIN from the
gutter the passage on Slavery; the mag
nifcent description Of the march OF Progress,
and the beautiful aPosrophe to water, which
cl sed the lecture; but it is Of no use. to try -
and there is the less need, as our community
wi. have one more opportunity to hear Mr..
Cough.
o. 'hi- (F,7day) cvan.n-, OF his return
Montreal l"oeTe he has gone to deliver
frol- res) Nh cough has consented
two lect~ ''e another lecture in Bur
to stop ana : which We shall have
.ingt "a, concerning
none to say, hereafter.