The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-11-09

~ MS eOtVmu ueseTNallOns, lalelueu his
word and perjured his trust, and instead
of recognizing the now crumbling altar Of
affection, and the shrine of love, is q de.
voteo of rum aud a worshipper ot the
shrine of Bacchus neglecting to provide
for his household, which, according to
"Holy Writ" stamps him as worse than
an inGdel, and with coarse and profane
ribadry, and usually with false accusa.
tons, traduces and abuses the wife Of his
choice
Young ladies of this division, can [
venture to suggest word Of advice or
caution to you, without being chargeable
with transccnding the law or rules Of
comfy or an invasion of those immupi.
ties which are peculiarly your own? If
so, permit me to advise you to beware of
the pretentions or addresses, or tho prof.
fercd hand or heart of any young man.
who with that right hand is accustomed
to convey the poisonous chalice to his
lips; heed not a promise of abstinence or
reform, but distrust that heart and reject
the hand that would on the strength OF
such an overture, propose to lead you to
that sacred altar, which under such cir
cumstances, experience has almost in.
yarlably proved to be soon desecratcd by
broken VOWS, violated pledges, and
pllghted faith. / will stake my reputa
ton as man of observation, that nine
tenths Of such pledges and such promises,
and supposed resolutions, have heretofore,
and will hereafter, prove a failure.
To those who have attained the merid.
ian Of life. need not offer advice expe-
rience has already taught them that the
path of sobriety is the path Of peace and
to look forward into the opening vista
OF the future with high purpose and
firm resolve. | see before me few vet.
Grams of the cause, whose heads have
been touched by the frosts of many win.
ters, who have long stood and yet stand
as oaks in the forest, unmoved by the
wiles Of the tempter, and undaunted by
the minions Of rum; they need no tocsin
of alarm sounded, neither pathway
marked out for them, nor fulsome adula.
tions, neither a well.earned and deserved
panegyric to herald their doings
for their works will follow them !;
and as they one by one lay down their
armor and fade from our vision, let
others advance and fill the breach, and
with unfurled coors stand shoulder to
shoulder with the cohorts OF cold water
men, and march at the sound of the bu.
gles blast, ard if possible, carry by as.
sault the almost seemingly impregnable
fortress of rum.
Sir, with sorrow we have lately wit.
messed the fall by inexorable death, of
another eminent champion in the cause
one who has long heroically and faithful.
ly battled against the common foe, bu:
has now gone to his reward. need
scarcely say to this audience that | refer
to the late lamented and venerated Rev.
DR.. John Chambers, whose praise is in
ais long runhg out, not only from that
now shrouded pulpit in Broad street, but
from the platform and other public
places, as well az at the distressed and
humble ireside, in denouncing in fitting
terms this moloch of evil. Although his
material and majestic form lies entombed
within the shades of "Laurel Hill," yet
he still speaks and will, until this gener-
alton has passed away-not from that
covered grave, but from out the portals
of the upper skies. Any of us who may
have had the fortune to listen to his
pungent and eloquent teachings will rec.
ollect that whenever he referred to this
overshadowing evil, with what commiser.
alton and patbos he would often speak Of
the wives and little ones, and their suffer.
iugs and sorrows, caused by imbruted
and drunken husbands. Alas that home
should ever be the place where sorrow
should rankle deepest, instead of where
joy and hope should always and ever be
the most uplifted and inspiring. Home
is the hororr nto- 'h"t A.-I- AZ - u
moral status Of man. Home is where his
disposition, his temper of mind, and his
proclivities crop out, | had nearly said,
whether drunk or sober; and home is
the only place where mans character is
fully and clearly developed, and where he
can be correctly and truly appreciated or
deprecated
During the past summer | spent some
time in New England, in my native COM
monwealth, the Green Mountain State,
aud with pride say it, there is not on
any day Of the week, an open or public
bar TO be seen in Vermont | think |
am correct in saying that every New
England State has prohibitory law on
her statute book, and to her praise be it
spoken, she can claim priority in the TEN.
perance movement, aud is entitled to the
position of vanguard aud can without os-
tentation, claim to possets a large share
of general intelligence, and has the pres.
tige OF puritanic ancestry but With all
this on her credit side, she cannot success
fully assert claim of total abstinence;
the enemy will invade the fold aud evade
law to some extent; the devoices of Bac.
chus are fertile in expedients and saga.
cious and ingenious in devising and exc.
cutting plans and purposes to evade law,
which is designed for their own and their
neighbOrs' good.
Sir, we often hear tho apologist for gin
aud bourbon advance the conceded point
that this is a land OF liberty, and they
argue from their standpoint that their
rights and immunities are invaded and
circumscri5ed where laws are enacted
for the curtailment or suppression of the
vile traffic, and assert their social and
constitutional right to use the article
that point perhaps may be partially or
conditionally conceded. But, on the
other hand, no man has a right to com.
nit on excess, and who ever knew per.
son that INDUCED in the use of liquors to
much of an extent that did not commit
eycesses, from Il breach of private and
p bic proprieiy, on to the different
gr ies Of crimi i offences, until with
many the acme of crime has been reach.
el-that of imbrung their hands 10 the
DlOOI Of THAR fallams And uo,, ara all