The New York herald., 1867-07-15
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
M1EmpsaANcE: ITS CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES.

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IHTEMpERANcE ITS CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES
Lecture by the Rev. Father Mcdonald.
In compliance with q written request, signed by .
number Of prominent Protestant gentlemen, the Rev.
Father Mcdonald delivered lecture yesterday evening
in St Mary's church, williamsburgh, on "Intemper-
ance It's Causes ana Consequence" Af.er few pre-.
fatory remarks in which be impressed upon the audi
the duty Of distinguishing between the sin and
the sinner. the reverend lecturer spoke follows:
rempeance. in its primary acceptation, signifies moder
aton the moderate Of things iptemperauce means
excess or abuse. Temperance applies TO everything
to an the virtues for excessive hospitality,
sive ambition, excessive zeal and the like are not COM
mendabe But In their strcter acceptaton the terms
temperance and intemperance generally understood
applying TO the appetite OF thir in connection with
sprtuous liquors. The first great cause OF intemper.
Is common 10 all OF II is that inclination TO
indulge vicious propenses, which the result Of
Adams FILL Bu is developed and confirmed by variety
Of other causes which may be found sngly all co6p
Grating together 70 plant within as restless insat able
craving for strong drink. These causes are generally
defective education bad example, the force OF habit,
CONSTITUTE tendencies disease, mania, and others
almost numerous TO mention. Let Us consider some
OF these causes for moment that We may better know
where and how 10 apply the remedy. In this country
the custom Of drinking has become one Of our most
extensive national vices. II has almost become bye
word In Europe that you tell an American by bis
chewing the weed drinking bourbon In Iac In every
shneTo
the humbiesi, the custom Of drinking s common.
muants to be found in nearly every house In the
land At social gathering, at every party at everv
reception at every supper the guests are expected to
indulge and the stmulants prepared for such ndu-
gence. You have q piece OF business to transact ~ith
Of You viii have "smile together before you part
You make cali upon . friend, and-especaiy II that
freud s Irish and characterized by the hospital ~ whrch
everywhere marks bis race--you must have drop OF
mountsn dew before you leave You are going to
celebrate the Fourth Of July; but your patriotism
su w - than %. S s. Of 'Ts 10" TSs festival Of as the
patron saint OF Ireland 10 ono that sets throbbing
the deepest pulsations Of the Irish heart; for
the exile Of that beantiful down-trodd-u land,
tho memories that cluster round tho 17h 1 March ought
be enough Of themselves 70 warm his blood and nre
day : few-whst shall cai tbsm-madmsn, thinking
they could not honor St Patrick without drinking copous
supplies Of whisksy made riot and boodshed 10 the
streets Of neiRhb0rug city, and 30 cast unmered
ishonor ou the whole Irish namsi The nrs day Of the
new year has bssn devoted, and not Altogether nappro
greetings for the renewal Of old friendships that have
been interrupted and for binding together more firmly
the social lies that have bsen loosed or broken But
seems you cannot fulfil all the requirements Of tho
without sene compelled even BY the ladies Of
the several HOUSEHOLDS where you VISIT 10 drain the
on New Years nish. our streets srs nsd With Iscns
and the midnight echoes resound
again with most unsssmly rsvslryi What won
our land the fatal seeds Of confirmed inebrie,ys
Our bad example 70 the young and inexperienced 10
20OtO0T
father and saggers bomswArd TO carry fear
and trembling 10 the hearts Of his wife and children,
does he ever reflect that he e educating bis offspring
sotsf Do the mothers OF our families when they give
to thcr youngest and tcnderest children the Gus
tomary sup-only sup, mere mouthtui OF beer or
wne-do ihev pause consider that they training
minds and habits OF thought Of those children into
most dangerous familiarity with the use OF smuiants
that thev sowing the wind, but may live day to
reap the whiriwind when their grown up sons will be
ruined, worthless young men. and their grown up
daughters will trial than they had be on
buried in the graveyard. All, n those sons and daugh
had died In their siplsss infancy they would indeed
have grief and p.,.S but masy asy
an hour Of agonizipg shame and tisgrace
Why d you not leave them untempted-why did you
set Them bad examples-you fathers aud mothens Why
were you such haste TO place them the path that
led their bodies TO grave and their sons'her
immortal souls-to everlasting perditionf Al the DAY
OF judgment these souls win rise up in judgment against
are the cause Of my being II hell II |, had moi been
II /. had not been for that saturday nigh, when ,oa
came home drunk; IL had not been for those cease
less brois and quarrels for the discomfort aud dssola-
ton Of our quiet and beautiful home, which your
drunken hsbits occasonsd, and which first weaned me
from that homo and finally drove forth to the saloon
vice--onIy for these things would not now be
rounded these flames and demons to torture me for
all stsrn w o. Christian parents how easy for you
curb your spppe,ites how easy 70 give an
example Of conusa peace and unity instead Of conjusal
0iScOru.
rsround your hearth stones and to make your homes
and yor households enjoyed BY yourselves, loved BY
your children and respected by your friends Take care
then OF giving your little examples OF unneces
sary and criminal indulgence Remember that Just as
The twlg bent the trees inclined " third cause Of
ntoxca arises from constitutional tendencies. You
see every day aud women Of large proportions, Of
full habit who must In the nature OF things be
hearty eaters and drnken They VII tell you they can,
not do without their ale caret ct dinner they will
tell you they must have their brandy at The table 10
wash down their roast beef; that promotes d9estion
that they wouldn't feel well without H. that cold
water E altogether too strong for ther constiiu.
tons unless 10 properly diluted; that anything
but helrx iavorte beverage woulan agree with tnem'
the great danger that the ndu gence keeps constantly
growing You more prevent It's growth than you
can prevent stone, once started from rolling down
hill The one glass after dinner In Of time ex
tends TO occasional three, and the downward
course Of that man Or woman T. already ae,smned: %
second nature and " you live long enough 10 see you
will nnd such persons end their days ss confirmed
drunkards True, I have seen exceptions; but they
are 90 rare thai they only confirm the general rule
fourth cause OF inoxication habit Ia TO be found
in disease. have known cases where men long pros
trae SICKNESS and where only nourishment was de-
rived from stmuants, rise from their sick beds con-
nrmed druukards In cases Of real, genuine sickness,
stimuanis q necessity but the necessity not 20
frequent or extensive most people TO imagine
But that necessity rea ~ exists II would be
cruel nay u might prove crime against human le 70
deny the invalid the strength which liquors Temporarily
supply. OF these cases do not much speak ~ OF
the imaginary fanccd diseases for which most people
tnnk the only rencuy lDere are pcoP't
and they seem they really enjoyed only very poor
health They are always ailine-aleing In every sense
Of the word. Il is perfectly inma erisl whehey they
troubled with FIRST class typhus fever, or merely
pain the head, the only thing In the world TO a..
ford them instant relief Is pretty tolersbls dose Of
something 70 drink n you notice, the attack y al
ways periodical and seizcs the patient say two,
three, four times . Day; and " you notice, TOO
u is always the very same remedy that alone can an
effect . curs IL is wonderful too, how you would be
deceived n their appcarAnce they look well they give
every ndlcasios Of being sound. hale and hearty men
aud women; you wosd say that they had never known
days sickness In their lives Asd yet, according TO
their story, they have been the most miserable in
that nesh II heir o." they have sonetimes suffered
from mplcation Of dsorders and been AFFLICTED with
many I've q time They will tell you that
only way they managed 10 escape death at all
by steering clear Of the DOCTORS and keeping constantly
on hand bottle OF genuine rye or brandy There is
another Of diseases the attacks Of which do
cur 90 often. They are known BY various names