Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-03-14
TIgs TEmrni.AHcr MovExnNT.
Address OF Senator Yates BEFORE ere Cen-
gressionsi Temperance Association, OF
wsshington City.

Address OF Senator Yates BEFORE the Ccn- !
gressionsi Temperance Association, OF |
Washington city.
We give below the powerful and elo-
quent address Of Senator Yates, delivered
at the great temperance meeting held on
Sunday evening, March Sd, i'm the Hall
of Representatives, which we copy from
the Washington Chronicle. In introdu-
cling the speaker, Hon. Henry Wilson,
President Of the association, said:
We have passed through q great war,
in which we fought six hundred battles
for the Republic. In that great contest
Illinois played a glorious part. The Cow
ernor of that State linked his name for
ever with that grand struggle for unity
and liberty. / have the honor and pleas
ure to present Governor Yates to this
assemblage. (Applause.) God grant that
in the great strugglein which we are now
engaged against the enemy of human
nature he may associate his name as gIo-
riously as he did in the war against the
enemy of his country, (Applause.)
ADDRESS OF SENATOR YATES. u b..
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 1t was not
my intention to address you at all until
this afternoon, and l feel the need of
nOTe W 50
large an audience as this. The reason
why did not propose to address this
assembly was because having SO recently
associated myself with the Congressional
Temperance Association, did not like
to make a parade Of myself before the
public. Men sometimes sign pledges, and
they break them; but, Mr.. President, 1
have signed for good, (applause,) and 1
have made my covenant with God that
| L ~. o l<<zN 49,
to prove first that l wars well established
in my new position before / attempted
to express sentiments on this question in
that earnest and enthusiastic manner,
in which l always address my fellow
citizens in behalf of any cause which has
the conviction of my judgment and the
approval of my heart, 'iI'' q, ".J.
Some two months ago your distinguish
ed chairman, the able and eloquent Sena-
tor from Massachusetts,, in his Kindness,
in the goodness of his great big heart,
came to me with q petition numerously
signed by members of Congress and
said: Governor, want you to sign q
call for temperance meeting" With
all my heart, " said /. signed 1t. But
the temperance meeting did not come off.
L became impatient. / went to the hon
orable Senator and told him was tired
of waiting; could he not furnish me q
pledge? He said he could Tomorrow
The next day he furnished me with q
printed pledge of the Congressional
Temperance Society. put it i'll my
pocket, took it home, took 1T to my room,
read it carefully, and, after one look to
! God and one to my home, l signed the
pledge. raised myself to my full height
and was FREE. Great applause.) Ii l
refer to myself in the remarks L have
made, and which intend to make, as
sure you it is not from egotism, for take
no peculiar pride myself in having been
addicted to the use of ardent spirits. But
! there Is another reason why 1 feel per-
mitted to refer to myself, and that Is, be-
cause while L have considered that was
only moderate drinker it has been pub
lished all over the land that was
drunkard.
Fellow-citizens, there was some truth
in this, and there was vast deal of error
in it too. / was addicted to drinking
occasionally as stimulus, rs supposed
to strengthen my nerves (laughter) and
as heightener of social Joys. But, Mr..
Chairman, differently from other men, 1
had IL most unfortunate difficulty with
myself, and that was, ! had II wonderful
faculty, whenever / drunk, of letting
everybody know 1t. (Laughter.) My
sprees We're not frequent, but they Were
long and they were loud. daughter. -
The grand prairies of Illinois did not
furnish area enough for one of my for
ward movements. iLaughter.) That was
, not only the case, but whatever | have
done for The last seventeen years
whether had to make speech to po-
litical meeting; whether spoke against
the Nebraska bill upon the Hoor of this
House; whether, as GoSernOr wrote a
. message, or published Il proclamation, oil
prOrogued Il secession legislature, great
, applause,) the universal charge OF the
opposite party was, that all these acts
were done under the influence of whisky
(Laughter.) Now, fellow citizens, have
concluded to put stop to this NATTER
The editors and reporters of Newspapers
are an honorable class of gentlemen
whom l respect but want those libel
r Gus Sc ibblers who have made SO many
Misrepresentation as to my course o.
conduct, to understand that from this
, time henceforward their vocation In thai
, respect is gone, daughter and applause,
, and they may now publish their libel,
) until the hand that writes them shall
r fall withered and palsied; but neve
1 intend that they shall have any licens,
or authority to publish me as drunkarC
again, even Ii have to abstain, as will
: abstain, from the nildest glass of clare
3 that ever the fair hand OF the fairest lady
! in this land should present to me. CAP
t plause.)
: There Is the evil of the thing; this mis-
= representation, this liability to misropre
G sentation. Why, sir, after had mad
a these speeches some sharp article o
e abuse would be published Ia the paper
e and some Friendly Indian " of mine
r Qaughter)--would mark around 1t will
t black lines and send 1t TO me for m,
n Christian contemplation and suprem
$ delight. (Laughter.) will stop 1t.
: have promised God 1 have promised IN,
country; l have promised that prou
}, Commonwealth which for twenty-tiv
a conservative years has honored me wit
8 all her public positions, in the Legislu
o ture, as Governor, rs member OF bot
II Houses of Congress l have promise
i all who love me, and have promise
% Katie and the children--(loud applause
n that 1 will never touch, taste, or han
q die the unclean thing-(applaiise)- IAN
It by the blessing of God and my own uI
10 faltering purpose, 1 intend to light 1t ou
ON this line TO tile last day in the ever
ing Of my life. (Applause.) II all yo,
gentlemen, would do the same thing, yo
- would lose nothing in mind, body, {
a estate. (l.aughter.l irf
)" Fellow citizens: 1t may seem strang
~ but would, as feel now, as soon drin