Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-03-14
THE TEMPERANCE mOyEMENT
Ha
speech Of Hon. IlenEy Wilson, Fresi-
deaf Of the COngressiOnal Temper.
ahce Society,

with much interest by many who
were unable to gain admission TO
the crowded hall, as well as by 9TH
ers who did not attend, and Of those
who heard 1t, many have expressed
a desire to see it in print, which we
take pleasure in gratifying q Wash
lngtoa Ckroatcle.
LADIEs AND GENFLEMeN Sever
al members OF the Senate and
House Of Representatives. mindful
Of the lneasureless evils aad sor-
rows Of intemperance, have formed
society in which we have pledged
each to the other, and all to country
and to God, to put from us forever
the fatal cup of intoxication. Ap-
plause On this holy Sabbath eve
ming the society has summoned
members Of Congress, temperance
organizations, and the people Of the
national capital to meet IN this
chamber Of the representatives Of
the people publicly TO commit our
selves, to the full extent Of all we
are and we hope TO be, to tue hal.
loved cause of temperance. In the
name Of the society | bid welcome
here tonight to these members OF
Congress, these societies, and these
people that crowd this chamber and
throng these galleries. | bidfou
one and all, welcome on this occaA
sion, which we humbly trust, in the
providence of Almighty God, will
contribute something toward arrest
ing the multitudinous evils Of
drunkenness that in this age are
sweeping over the land Ap.
plause.
The great work upon which this
society has entered is a personal re.
form--a social warfare. It's bat
ties will be bloodless, its victories
will be fearless; but the contest is =
fearful one, for it is a struggle with
the vitiated appetites of our fallen
nature-appetites that have left
scars deeply furrowed ON the face
of humanity In all the ages,
among all the nations, drunkenness
has conquered the mightiest intel
lects, the bragest heart, and the no.
blest natures. Soldiers who have
led their conquering legions over
fields Of victory, statesmen who
have swayed the destinies Of ma
tions, philosophers who have
stamped the impress Of their genius
upon the ages, orators who have
held listening Senates in rapt adm-
ration, scholars who have laid TN.
der contribution the vast domains
of matter and mind, have been the
victims of intemperance. Ap-
plause,
1t is estimated that in our ga
in this age of light and Of
knowledge, in this land with 5O,0OS
churches and $4,000 nlffls
the living God, we have an array of
100000 drunkards; that $4,000 Of
this army annually sink into drunk
ards graves that its ranks are kept
filed by drafts upon fhe vast re-
serves of moderate drinkers. An
army of half million drunkards in
Christian America! Every annual
circuit of the sun $4,000 new-made
drunkards' graves The perishing
ranks of drunkenness recruited and
crowded by merciless drafts upon
the manhood of the nation How
fearful is the thought. How ap-
palling the speetaelei Look at
that army as it staggers ON to an
nihilation. You see no mighty col
umns of heroes marching on with
radiant banners, glad music, and
gl;ttering steel to victory and to
glory; but a multitudinous throng,
broken, disordered. spiritless,
tramping on to their doom, with
the cries Of fathers, mothers,
brothers, sisters, wives, and chill
dren ringing in their ears. All ages
and conditions are there-youth
prematurely blighted manhood
broken, hopeless, age bending be-
meath the burdens Of nameless sor-
rows; the generous, the noble, men 4
Of heart, Of mind, and of soul,
in the grasp of drunk
enness like giants in chains but
heir feet ever glide onward and
downward God pity that throng
Of scared, perishing, vanishing hu-
nanity [Appiause.
1t is our purpose, ladies and gen
slemer, to hold ourselves back from
his great army of drunkards-from
his vast throng of moderate drink
srs, upon whom drunkenness mazes A,
It's annual drafts. 1t is our pur-
pose, too, with the smile ofGod, to
rescue the perishing drunkard and
save the moderate drinker. We III
1ulge the hope that this Congress
sional Society, by the blessing Of
Almighty God, will contribute some
hing to this holy purpose, to res
cue the fallen and save the falling.
Let us, gentleman of this society,
which we trust will long continue 70
enroll among its members the rep
'esentatiNes of the people as they
shall come hither in the years Is
,ome, be true to our plighted faish
o each other, and to our vows Ia
,ur God. Applause, Let Is ev-
II remember that strength camer
rom striving; that, in strivind
escue our fallen brother, an
ave our falling brothers from
'ending ruin, we may keep our !. .na
tens fTOm crE1s,sp. la,.-. ,,.ss. y a