Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-04-06
A Powerful Temperance Appeal.

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granters of license to sell rum. How
preposterous that an enlightened COM
munity, processing the highesC regard
for morality and religion, should at
the same time. create and foster those
very means that carry idleness, lgpo-
rance, vice, starvation, discord, and
death into all ranks Of society. You
create paupers and lodge them In your
almshouses. You seduce men to crime,
and then arraigD them at the bar of
justice. With one hand you thrust
the dagger to the heart, and with the
other, attempt to assuage The pain it
causes. We all remember of hearing
from our fathers the narration that in
the early history of our country, the
tomahawk and scalping knife were
put into the hands of our savage neigh
bors by our enemies at war, and that
a bounty was awarded for the depre-
dations they committed on the lives
of our defenseless fellow citizens
Our feelings were shocked at the re-
cital. Yet, as merciless, and as saw
age as this practice may appear to US,
it was Christian, it was humane, COM
pared with ours. Theirs only sought
the life blood, and that of their sup
posed enemies; ours seeks the life
blood Of souls, and that of our own
citizens, our friends and neighborS.
Their avarice was satisfied with a few
inches of the scalp, and the death in
ficted was often a sudden and easy
one; ours produces a death that lin
gers. And who is the author OF all
this ? And where lies the RESPONSE
bility? Are not those who sign their
names to the paper for man to OBJ
tain license to sell rum in our midst ?
Are not such the authors Does not
the responsibility to great extent
rest upon them ? Do not all those
who sign an application for man to
sell rum, virtually say, go on, cast
frebrands, arrows and death, and let
the blood of those that perish be on
us and our children =? Do not such
put the tomahawk and Scalping knife
into the hands Of the rum-Seller? And
are they not to a great extent respO4-
sible for what he does? A few years
ago a virtuous young man was bitten
by mad dog, and afterwards died of
hydrophobia. In the arms of that
terrible disease, the victim lived few
hours in eXcruciating torment, plead
ing with his friends to give him some
drug which would destroy life. The
fearful news spread rapidly from one
to another; for a long time this awful
disease was the subject of converse.
ton in all circles the press uttered
its warning voice, and the pulpit made
use of the solemn providence all were
excited and alarmed; cities made laws
against keeping so many dogs; muz
zles and chains were treel Y used, and
hundreds of dogs were killed. We
find no fault with this, but acknowl
edge it to be just and right; we only
ask that the madness of intemperanct
may receive a like attention. Is moi
the madness Of intemperance dis
ease infinitely more to be dreaded
than hydrophobia? For this mainly
affects the body, but intemperanct
the soul. The former has mostly tC
do with time, the latter with eternity
0, how many men of genius have fall
en- before it How many lofty intel
lects have been shattered and laid il
ruins by its power! How many /,
warm and philanthrophic heart ha
been chilled by its icy touch No
content with rioting in the haunts of
ignorance and vice, it has passed GU
consecrated groves, has entered GU
most sacred enclosures. 1t has lef
no place unvisited; it has Invaded GU
public and private assemblies our pc
litical and social circles, our court
of justice, and halls of legislation. |
has found its way within the yer,
walls of our capitol, and there left it
polluting stain on our national glory
1t has even entered within the pail 0
the Christian church, and reached ~
its sacrilegious hand to the pulpit,an'
dragged down some of its richest OF
naments. 1t has entered our own lit
tie quiet village, and has been tn
means OF taking away one of our youni
men to an untimely grave it has shu
another up in Jail, who is there wait
ing his trial.
We have heard and read abou
crimes and murders committed by ir
; temperance, but never before did
come quite as close at home as this
To see our acquaintance, neighbol
and friend, dying by the inch for 81
weeks, and another charged with aoi
} fuL murder, all by the effects OF rum,
? more than We can bear. We hav
= heard of wars which have laid Who'll
cities in ashes, and kingdoms in ruins
We have heard of tornadoes, whic
have carried the ploughshare of des
l truction over the fairest portions o
s our earth. We have not only hear
] but seen, on Mount Vesuvius, the e
q fects of volcanic irruptions, which hav
rolled tide of burning lava far an
wide. We have heard of might
earthquakes, which in one disastrou
r hour have swallowed up thousand
e and tens Of thousands in one wild
r yawning terrific grave But beliey
there is one more ruinous to man an
, his best interests than all such pu
u together. For, whereas, other evil
chiefly affect the body, this affects til
soul; and, whereas, other evils are
y a great extent confined to times an
IS places, this sweeps over the who
), world. Like death upon the pa
n horse, it sends thrill of horrC
h wherever it goes. 1t curses men, an
y curses women. 1t withers everythin
s. that Is beautiful, and blasts everythin
e that is good. Poverty and diseas
y and strife, and violence, and murde
g are in it's train.