Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-03-14


statesman beneath whose eloquence lis
tening Senatess II enraptured; lt does not |
belong alone to the warrior who bears |
his proud, unconquered banner over
every field; but 1t does consist In force of
character, in force of soul, feeling, |
thought, and purpose. Caesar was u
weak man when lie sacrificed the liber- !
ties of Rome by suffering Mark Antony
to put the crown upon his head. WASH |
ington would not have been great Ii he
had yielded to the temptations of his
willing army and accept u crown at the
expense of the liberties of his country.
The reformed drunkard accomplishes
more heroic achievement than did the
Spartan band ut Thermopyl,e, because he
cOnquers himself That man is only
great who seeks right and truth, and jus
tice; and adheres to them with strong,
vigorous and perpetual purpose.
As for the effect upon the nation, Mr..
Jefferson said, many years ago, that
1.-The habit of using alcoholic liquors
by men I'm office has created more injury
to the public service and given more
trouble to me than any other circum-
stance which has occurred i'm the inter-
nal concerns oil the country during my
administration. If 1 had to commence
my administration again with the knowl-
edge L have from experience derived,
Il
from candidate for public favor would
be, is he addicted to the use of ardent
spirits" -.... -5,. q.
The man who is to legislate for great
country, to help make laws and constitu-
tiOns involving the destinies of millions
of human beings, ought to be man of
reflection, moral principle, integrity,
and, above all, a sober man. (Appiause.j
Go into your Legislative halls, State and
~ nd hnh hAlA a 10 .,.I
gering to his seat or sleeping at his post,
and ask yourself the question whether
he is not more tit to be called monu-
ment of his country's shame than the
representative of freemen. Would 1t not
be most fearful to contemplate that ill
tated epoch In the history of our country
when the demon of intemperance shall
come into our legislative halls without
shame, remorse, or rebuke; when he
shall sit upon juries, upon the bench, and
DRUNKENNESS run riot among the people.
Who then will protect the ship of State
upon this maddening tide; who will
steer her on her onward course amid the
dashing of biilows; who spread her starry
flag to the free, fresh, wild winds Of
heaven? H.nH -
Watchman, what of the night? We
have been engaged in a mighty revolu-
ton. Your army and navy have carried
your arms under Grant and Banks
against the Gibraltars OF the Mississippi
and opened that stream from its source
to its mouth. Under the gallant Joe
Hooker your troops scaled the heights,
and above the clouds unfurled to the sun
the glorious tiag OF the stars. Applause. J
Sherman marches from Cairo to the sea,
while Grant marches through the wilder
ness to the Confederate capitol. The re-
bellion is crushed. Behold! whole
race set free--the shacklcs of the ages
are broken, and We see full-high advanc-
ed the standard of the nations redemp-
tion. Hark! dinna we hear the pibroch
of the Highlanders, and borne upon the
wings of the wind the slogan shout of
universal emancipation? (Applause.)
And now shall this puissant nation
Columbia, queen of the world and child
OF the Skies pause i'll her efforts when
there is an enemy in our land more de-
structive than war, pestilence and famine
combined, which sends annually one
hundred thousand men to untimely
graves, makes fifty thousand widows ant!
three hundred thousand wives worse
than widows-filling our prisons, our
poor houses, our lunatic asylums, and
swelling to an untold extent the great
ocean of human misery, wretchedness
and woe? lt4,.., :. ..-...... .l....
Somebody told me he saw in Chicago
paper the other day that since Governor
Yates had joined the temperance society
(Laughter.) Well, that's good, indeed.
(Laughter.) AT all events, it's good
aeOs, ior all that ever kept my slander.
ers from drinking themselves to death
pro bono publicO was the high price OF
whisky. Uaughter.) We will bring II
within their reach, for it will have to fall
much lower than the present price be-
fore 1t reaches its real intrinsic value-a
specie bissis. iLaughter.) Mr.. President
II old King Alcohol We're dead and bur.
led, rs he ought TO be, beyond the power
: of resurrection. this nation could beaI
our national debt like young Hercules.
(Applause,) Then, sir, two blades o
grass would grow where one now grows
!, and unbounded wealth, imperial power
and proud position would be the heritage
! of the nation forever. (Applause.) =
But some say this temperance business
Is fanaticism-it 's gloomy sort of life
There never was greater mistake
Temperance is one of the sweetest anC
most delightful things upon earth; it i,
|, the very spring-head of cheerfulness
! happiness and joy--the very chivalry o
! manhood itself. L have been q temper
' ance man for fifteen days, and [ am
gayer boy tonight than 1 have been TO
: seventeen years. tLaughter.) l think
am the gayest man in the Senate, excep
: the compeer of Clay and Crittenden-
: the able, indomitable and gallant oil,
Z cavalier of Kentucky, Garrett Davis.
y l except you also, Mr. Chairman.-
:, uaughter.) Temperance gloomy? No
bit of II, Mr.. President. MY pledg
= shall be u perpetual CHARM" q thing q
y beauty which is joy forever "--not a clou,
= of gloom, but an ever-present rainbow O
i promise, hope and beauty. I am US prou,
y of 1t as of my wife and children, an
that IL the strongest way / have t
= express my pride. (Applause.) an
n as proud of 1t as am OF the commission
y which entities me to hold the position @
u an American Senator. Blythe bye, MI
q Chairman, l will submit to you the ques
q tion; rather think the commission an
y the temperance pledge ought to go te
!, gether. (Applause.) What do you thin
q about having "the tetotaller" put int
J. the iron-elad oath? Iaughter.J
IL You say, of what use Is the pledge
l. 1 will tell you: Twenty days ago ther
!, came along u friend of mlne-a Senate
u and said, " Let us take drink - L sale
'r Certainly, all right. Another frien
from Illinois In about three minutes an
=, half came along and said, "Let US TAX
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