The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-04-02
Address Delivered Before the Addison
County Temperance Society,

| COUnty temperance SOcietyy
at West Cornwall, March l4th, by Rev. r.. IL
i Archibald. Published by request Of the Soce-
ty.
Concluded
The ancient geographers used to affirm
that on the coast of Norway there was a
whirlpool, of past dimensions, and OF
mighty power. So large was the sweep
Of its circle that the mariner, who came
within its influence, was unaware of is
existence. He fancicd that his course
scarcely deviated from right line, and
was delighted with the ease Of the navi-
cation, and the rapidity Of his progress.
Warning voices were lifted, but they were
scoifed at, and ridculed Swifter and
yet swifter went the doomed vessel mar
rover and yet narrower grew the multi
plying circles; stronger and yet stronger
the power that drew him to the terrible
vortex, until at last, escape was impossible,
and hope of rescue forever fed amid re-
volving wrecks, and ghastly corpses, and
ruined argosies with the shrek Of despair
bursting from his lips, he went down to
his ocean grave, with the seaweed for his
winding sheet, and the hoarse winds of
heaven to sing his requiem song; the
victim Of confidence in his own safety, in
his own power of escape from the dangers
into which he needlessly ventured.
What is called the moderate use Of in :
toxicating drinks, is moral maelstrom.
He who ventures within the circle of Its
power, goes there confident of safety, and
sure that he can securely navigate these
dangerous seas. The sun shines in bright
ness above him, and the breezes blow in
in quiet softness around him. On, and
onward yet he glides; stronger aud yet
stronger are the currents which bear him
to his ruin. Warnings are unheeded and
apprehonsions of danger are turned to
ridicule. The whirpoo, gathers and bois
around him. Alarm rises within him.
Hope deserts him. Escape is no longer
among the possibilities of his being, and
at last with wailings Of agony bursting
from his lips, while the wrecks of human
hopes, and human hearts are all around
him, he goes to the perditon of ungodly
men, and creation bows itself in sadness
and wells itself in mourning while it cele-
brates the obsequies of a lost soul.
Let us then settle it in our minds for
ever that even the moderate use of intox
icating drinks is full Of danger. Over
the portals that furnish entrance to this
pathway, ought to be posted in legible
chacters, so plain that he who runs may
| III
who enters here does it at his peril. 1t is
a downward path, and to nothing may we
more appropriately apply the words of
the great Roman Poet. The descent to
the shades is easy, but to return this is
work, this is labor" Men vainly sup
pose that they may walk securely, where
ten thousand who have gone before them,
have fallen in unretrevable ruin, but
there is no security here, and no man
who continues TO walk this path, has
any assurance, nay, nor any reasonable
probability, that he shall not pursue it to
its end in hopeless despair, and the black
ness Of darkness forever and ever. Con-
cerning it we may adopt almost in its
literal iullness, the language of Solomon,
when speaking Of another sin, at is the
way to hell, going down to the chambers
of death" 1t "inclineth unto death and
its paths unto the dead. None that 90
unto it return again, neither take they
hold Of the paths of life" Avoid ii,
pass not by it, turn from it, and pass
away"
Upon every man we urge the duty OF
total abstinence, as a matter Of personal
safety The path of even moderate in
diligence here is beset with dangers, and
is full of pitfalls, and no man who enters
it has any assurance that he shall not in
the end know its deepest degradation, and
taste its bitterest cup of ruin. | warn
every one who hears me, against it, and
if had voice powerful enough to be
heard over the length and breadth of the
land, would take my stand, alone by
this gate to perdition, and uttering my
loudest warning, would cry, enter no
at this path. 1t leads to despair. Be
neither cajoled, or driven into this short
road to hell. AS you value your live:
escape, and for your personal safety write
upon all that can intoxicate, Touch not
taste not, handle not"
l urge this duty of total abstinence.
From the era influence upon others Of in
diligence IN Intoxicating beverages.
8 1t lays upon the surface of society, to-
! manifest to escape even the most super
3 fetal observation, that the character ant
] conduct of no man affects himself alone
! For good, or for i'll, an influence goes ou
= from him, upon all by whom he is sur
= rounded, which lives on through all tn
:. ages. 1t is more easily observed. and
b., more readily traced, in the case of somt
!, men, but it is reality everywhere, !
pebble dropped into mid ocean, sends GU
waves which, widening as they 90, res
: not till they lave the shores of all tn
i continent. You and ! and all the multi
tudes of mankind are feeling to-day tn
: influence of a solitary woman, who nearl
G sixty centuries ago, sat debating tn
I claims Of holiness and sin, amid tn
: peaceful bowers of the unforfeited Eden
J So the men by whom We are surrounded
J. and all the generations that arc to folio,
y US, are to feel necessarily, and certainly
> the influence of all our character and cor
l. duct. | need enter into no debate t.
u prove that We are responsible for thi
T. influence. 1t is clearly one of the chic
9 Ingredients Of the judgment which W
J pass upon others, and one of the most i'm
s. portant elements of that account, whic
!, each of us must, in the last day, give .
x God. The question, What influence
l. we have upon others goes far to deter
e mine our value, or our worthlessness, @
Is our perniciousness in society. 1t will g
far toward determining the destines {
W our final state 1t enters largely int
4 the estimate which mrn everywhere flrl