Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-14
Mortestrr Daily Spy.
Hospital for Inebriotes.


Remarhs Of Mr.. John McCon,5e at the Monthly
Temperance McetiRg, held IN Worcester,
Wednesday, Ercning, FEB. II.
Intemperance stands prominent among the
manifold evils which atllict society, battling at
once the wisdom of the legislator and the best
efforts of the philanthropist.
This great and insidious foe to human hap
piness demands for its suppression, our best
thoughts our most earnest efforts, taking as
it does possession Of its victim, subduing his
will, making him the slave OF Il diseased APP
petite, his case is worthy OF all the attention
which human wisdom can give to rescue him
from his perlouS condition.
Indeed, statesmen have exhausted the vast
treasury Of legal Jurisprudence in endeavors
to coerce the devotee at the shrine Of intem-
perance to give up the poisoned cup, and de-
vote his attention to those important duties
which deyolve upon him as member of Il
social, civil, and christian community. And
now otter they have been disappointcd-let
the criminal record of tile country answer.
Our lawmakers proudly hoped by the rigor
OF the statute against intemperance to coerce
the inebriate to habits Of sobriety, but hitherto
they have most signally failed as IN the very
nature of the case all legislation must fail
winch aims at the punishment and not the
cure OF the ineDriate. When YOU can restore
by criminal prosecution those languid eyes to
their former DISTRIBUTING back the rosy hue
OF health to that pale, placid, clammv face.
give equanmity to his nervous system and
assuage his Unsuitable appetite for intoxicating
liquors, then, and not till then, can the present
system Of dealing with the inebriate be effect
i've.
Entertaining these views we hail the recon-
mendaIlon OF his eXcellcncy the governor of
Massachusetts, in reference to this subject as
the commencement of a new and more en-
hShtened policy, in the treatment of the inc
b:ate. He says in his late address to the leg
islature, II most respectfully, but urgently
advise that the legislature initiate measures to
establish an asylum for the treatment of inc
PIRATES. Drunkenness is Il disease as well as
a sln We have long since legislated for its
punishment; let us no longer delay to legis-
late Tor Its cure. By every motive of human.
ity and reason, by every law of duty. it cha-
lenges our considerations"
The great truths embodied in this recon-
mendation must eventually be embodied in
the legislation Of this commonwealth. We
assert that the whole system of legislation
which aims at the punishment and not the
cure OF the inebriate is radically defective.
because, drunkenness vitiates the mind, cor
rupts the appetite, subdues the will. He is
'''SINi'lN IlC ilItSpNIlSlDlt SuDlcCI OF q ulS-
eased appetite over which he has no con-
troll. Nor will it detract from the force
OF this proposition, to prove that he is
responsible for placing himself in this
terrible position In the face Of this pro-
position l care not how the appetite was
formed, nor Will l now stop to inquire who is
responsible. The great fact of its existenceis
what we propose to deal with. Undoubtedly
the man who has now become the slave of in
temperance once possessed a sound mind and
vigorous constitution. He had no idea of
ever reaching that state of mental and physi-
cal debility which constitutes the distinguish:
ed individual known upon the statute books
OF this commonwealth as a common drunk |
ard. But there he is, and how to deal with
nm Is tllc great question under fo,,-i-i--e+icr
Is he criminal? WcanSwer no, because vo-
lition is necessary to clothe an act with the
nature Of crime, and proof of the deficiency of
a person arraigned before our courts in this
particular quasheS the indictment, and the
court very wisely sends the victim to the hos
pital and not to the prison.
Now we assert that the drunkard is the ire
sponsbie subject of a diseased appetite, over
which he has no control; that his mind and
will has beCo subject to it, and therefore
his acts lack all the necessary qualifications
of criminality. Behold him as he reels under
ITS iilftNNSIlIlS lunhNHCN Oul ClliGS; VI
regales himself in the public gutter. Look at
him! The fine susceptibilities of his nature
blasted his reason beclouded; his eye heavy;
his will the slave of diseased appetite; con-
science deprived of her supremacy. The i'm
age of God detaced and every feeling of the
human heart petrified, presenting to angels
and men the most complete physical and
moral wreck. If this is soft the drunkard
as all experience and observation demon
strates-is the irresponsible subject of a dis
caSed appetite, over which he has no control;
then his acts are not criminal, and ought not
to be treated as snch by any intelligent trIbu-
ua. What he needS-what his heart broken
wife, neglected children, and outraged society
demands that he shall be cured; that an
inebriate hospital shall be established, where
the poor victim of intemperance can be sent.
Such an institution will signalze this age as
true to the very letter and genius of the
christian religion. VIII buoy up by its gem
tie influences his broken spirit-will restore
by proper regimen and medical care his shat
tered constitutiOn-wil return him to society,
not with the brand of crime upon his brow,
but as a good citizen, who has been cured, by
pre- per course of medical treatment, of a
dis ease, the effect of which was fast dragging
him down to drunkard's grave; in & word
will return him to the bosom of his family
his generous heart beating with affection, his
swollen and distorted usage natural; his
tremulous and agitated form calm, his I'M
steady step firm and elastic. l have thus
briefly presented mere outline of this great
subject, and dannot conclude without again
calling your attention to the immortal lam
guage of Gov Andrew :-''Drunkenness is a
disease as well as sin. We have long since
legislated for its punishment; let us no longer
delay to legslate for its cure. BY every mo.
tive of reason and humanity, by every law of
duty, it challenges our consideration"
Henry Ward Iseecher on ThurIow Weed
From The n Y. Independent.
THURLow WEED.
''Instead of being content with the suppress
sion Of disloyal newspaper at Harrisburg,
Pa, the government should have suppressed
the vastly more dangerous and incendiary In
dependent Of New York. Thuglow Weed
Albany Erening Journal, Jan. Z, 1868.
'My point has been, distinctly, that our
danger arises from the blind and frantic
course OF the New York Tribune and indie
pendent, the extreme views of Messrs. Sum-
ner, Phillips, Gerrit Smith, and their follow
ers, by whom the administration is beleaguer-
ed, importuned, and prosecuted. Ibid, jan.
IS, 1868.
We have long known that the independent
was not a favorite of Mr.. Weed. But neither
were his politics to us, and SO we were even.