Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-06-12
For the Freeman
4 Calm Appeal.
% THE LADIES OF MONTPELIER.


Tie very nature Of your hearts, their gen
tlencss kindness. sweetness, sympathy. pity
for the fallen and unfortunate, love of purity.
virtue sobricty, good order, industry and
personal prosperity your admiration Of the
principles IF Divine truth. and - all that is
lovely, and Of good report. will induce YOU,
/ I'm sure. To consider kindly and favorably
thi- appeal which is made in the name Of hui
mainly
We have recently passed through great
national struggle Your hearts were all fill
ell with sympathy for the cause of national
right. and for the poor suffering soldiers who
threw themselves in the breach, = for YOUR
protection. and your hands were untiring in
their efforts u administer to their pressing
wants. and relieve their terrible sufferngs
Your PRAYERS went up to God for them, YOU
looked up 70 the throne Of the Eternal
through your tears and prayed, = H9,g long
d Lgrd. HAIR buq'" And when the final
victory was won. how Your = tongue was
flIcI with laughter, your eyes sparkled
ani danced for JOY, YOU flew from friend to
friend. from house to house to congratulate
all 1u the happy and glorious contamination Of
the contest And this was all right. Yes,
cursed be- that tongue that praised not the
Gad of battles, when the :. dogs Of war =
were chained, and victory turned on the side
of the Union and the right And let all the
people say Amen.
But | wish in this calm appeal to call your
attention TO- and enlist your sympathy in a
cause If as great. or greater magnitude than
thar mentioned above There is in oul
midst, our country, foe, armed foe, q
sworn enemy. which threatens the destruction
Of oar Nationality. and in which purpose
hcll-l,rn though il l.. lie viii succeed, unless
we. who are true to God. truth. home, friends
country arise in our might and .. crush til,
wretch said this foe i armed - be is
but not with sword and bayonet, cannon anc
ride lut 18th money avurice. and appetite
allude IT, the Run TRAFFIC. or the cause o
luternpcraucc in our country and you viii
probably bc surprised when | tell you, from
data the most reliable that in this blessed
glorious land Of ours there are no les thar
900 men and women that fall into
drunkards grave annually, And this work
If death and destruction has been going oil
Tor years and years in the past; and still tn,
march of the foul invader is onward stalk
in. abroad shameless and triumphant. MAKE
"a little cdculation,- zuPpo-e this work o
destruction has been in progress for twenty
wears. then W. have no less than oue HliiH0n
rro huud~ed ntopsqqd Of our fellow-citizen
who in that brief space have fallen by the
foe.
" hen We used to lose a battle. or ever
gain one. hy the Ioss of = 900 killed
wounded and missing" oh, what shuddc
passed over and shook our frame Q, womer
of America shall We sit supinely down anc
fold our arms and raise not a hand to sta,
this destroyer Your very nature answer
W
rhi, march Ut ruin il onward. onward. /
inyatc7 the family and social circles, AM
spreads dc-oiation- destruction and sorrow
everywhere. 1t cuts down youth in it, VIZ
or manhood in it, strength, and age in it
weakness 1t breaks the fathers heart, be
rclyc~ the d0ting mother, cxtiuguishcs nat
uraI affection. grasses conjuga love, blots on
filial attachment. bIights parental hope, an'
brings down mourning age in sorrow to tn
grave Ii produces weakness. not strength
sickness not health death not life. 1t make
wives. widows. children. orphans; fathers
ticnds; and all Of them paupers and beggars
II ~5licits fever. feeds rheumatism, nurse
govt. welcomes cpidcmics, invites cholera
imports pc-ticnce. and embraces consumT
tion. It covers the land with idencss, pov
crtv. disease and crime 1t fills jails
alnls-Aou=cs and asyluns 1t engcnders con
troversies. fosters quarrels. and cherishe
riots 1t condemns law. spurns order an
loves riot Ii crowds our pcnitentaries, an
furnishes victims for the scafiold. 1t is til
lile-bopd IF the gambler, the aliment of tn
counterleter. the prop of the highwayman
and the support of the midnight inccndiary
1t incitcs the father to butcher his of
spring. helps the husband TO massacre hi
wife. and aids the child to grind the parric
dial ak 1t burns up man, consumes VIC
man. curses God, and despises heaven. |
suhorns witnesses, nurses perjury, dcfiles I'll
Jury box. and stains the judicial ermine.
d grades the citizen, dcbases the legisl;
tor. dishonors the statesman, and disarn
the patriot. 1t brings shame. not honor
terror. not safety; despair. not hope: mil
cry. not happiness. And now, with ii
maIevolence Of fend. it calmly surveys il
frishtful desolation, and insatiate wit
havoc. it poisons felicity, kills peace, ruiz
morals. bIights confidence, Stays reputation
and wipes out national honor, then ours,
the world and laughs at it, ruin. And a
this in a degree, is being done in our CIV
beautiful and otherwise happy village. Oh
Ladies of Montpelier, will you not arise
the strength and beauty of your position an
say as you only can say it. These thing
ought not to be- and through grace they sha
not be.
Will you not use your influence in come
ton with the Temperance movement now
progress in our village? 1t is at presel
confined mostly to the children and youth,
be sure, but though it is,-yet it is worth
: Of the most talented, wealthy and infuenti
Of YOUR sex Then we hone soon to organ