The Republican journal., 1875-03-25
Written for the Journal.
Sermons from Various Texts.

IIor Is ii a custom?
Ham. Az, marry, list
But to my mind,-though am native here,
A nd to the manner born,-it is a custom
More honored in the BREACH than the observance.
This heavy headed revel, east and west,
Makes traduc'd, and tax'd of other nations;
They ciepe us drunkards; and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. Hamlet, act l, scene 4.
From which we learn that there was heavy
drinking at Elsinore and no Maine law in Den
mark.
When we consider that the drinking-bout re-
ferred to in the first portion Of the above quota
ton was held by the king, who had murdered
his brother, the former king. and married his
widow, the queen, it may be supposed that he
was drowning his remorse for this helnous Of
fence against heaven by getting drunk on Rhine
wine: hut it is made manifest, in the second
portion of the text, that it was simply the Gus
tom of the country, and the king was merely
testifying his approval of the custom, and Civ
inc an example to his loyal subjects. Our Won
der is awakened that, with the king "as drunk
as a lord" there should have been found two
men in Elsinore. Hamlet and Horatio. each ''as
sober As Judge" to give dissenting opinion
of the custom. As the king could do no wrong,
and kingly example was most powerful in
that age, it is safe to conclude that Hamlet and
Horatio were the only gentlemen at the seat OF
government who Went to bed sober on the
night referred to in the text.
There was. undoubtedly, deplorablc state
Of things at Elsinore on the night in question
It is gratifying to those interested in the tenn
perance movement Of this day, to observe the
contast between those days and our own.
Never, Since our republic was founded on the
elves fortunes, and sacred honor of its build
er-, has the republican capital listened to such
ga sound of reyery by night even Oh the
most festive occasions. There have been some
"heayy vets" at Washington in days gone by,
when there has been a scattering attendance i'll
the Senate and House on the succeeding morn
ing, but nothing that could for a moment COM
pare with this heavy-headed reyel," which we
may presume to have been of frequent recur-
renee.
The Danes, however, Were not the only
people Of that time To whom the accusation of
Hamlet would have been applicable. This in
clination to much drinking was common to all
inhabitants of lands lying in northern ATTITUDES,
| and The higher the latitude and more rigorous
the climate the stronger was the disposition to
resort TO the stimulating and warming proper
ties Of strong liquors. The Britons, the Ger
mans, and the Russians, As well as the ScandI-
nayi ans, all had the TOPPING propensity in liberal
measure. The EsquimauX, up to consider
ably later period. had been of necessity obliged
to live abstemiously so far as drink was con-
I;,, ~
of their inability, by any process whatever, to
distil ANYTHING ont of seal or walrus fat that
was in any degree intoxicating, SO they took
their train oil plain, and it proved ii harmless
ripple. Blu. SO soon as the Britons found them
ont, and addressed themselves to the task of
relieving their destitute condition bv the estaD-
liShmem of tradingposts on their southern
frontier, the appreciative EsqlimauX took
naturally to the cheering beverages thus intro
duced to them, and admitted with formal ac-
acknowledgements, that this was the stuff OF
which they had long felt the need and had
vainly endeavored to produce.
The Britons, before they were invaded by the
Danes, were hard drinkers, and to-day, l think
statistics will show a larger proportion of topers
TN iiii' III T-ilSldIlu lHtH Ill ANY OlUtI
country in the world. To us the descendants
OF this hard-rIding, hard-swearing and hard
drinking race, such 4 statistical exhibit may
seem dscouraging. but when we consider the
progress made in this country by the temper
ance reformers during the last half century.
there IS every reason to hope for a continued
decrease in the number of those who make
habitual use OF into XCantS
Sixty wears ago, III our own little town, then
Il mere hamlet, no social gathering of the in
habitante could take place without a liberal
distribution and use of the liquors then most
approved. louse-raiSngs, elections, weddings
hunchngS, general musters and all ceremonials
would have been considered incomplete and
unsatisfactory without the usual indulgence
At funerals, after the body had been borne TO
the grave, the bearers returned to the house Of
bereavement 10 be treated to a jorum Of some
thing strong. Al general lnusters the bottle
circulated among the yeoman sol,licry,
"And one by the musketeers those rnrl who
fought and prayed,
All drank as 'tuere their mothers milk and not a
man afraid"
HE worthy parSon of that day, in his round of
parochal visits, found at each house a choice of
liquors set out for his delectation, and the fami-
iy that should haye failed to furnish forth at
least two kinds for the minister, would have
suffered modification and loss of caste. Within
short time have been Informed by an old
resident now living in our midst, ana seen in
the streets every day, that he has, when a boy
been many Il time despatched at top speed from
his fathers house to 1.-THE village" to procure
the lacking kind or ''kinds" 10 make M the
canonical assortment of liquors for the parson
just seen to be approaching.
The difference between that lime and the
present, in regard TO public opinion, may be
partially realized by imagining for a moment.
the effect which would be produced upon the
mlnd and facial expression of any one of the
worthy clergy who fill the pulpits of our city.
by an invitation from parishoner, during
parochlal call, TO 'step up' to a sde-board fully
affayed with decanters, and ''help himself" the
hosphable parshloner at the same time uncoy-
eflnS the sugarbowl and producing a toddy-
stick.
Public opinion is the lever to be used with
greatest ellect III the endeavor to lift the crush
ing burden OF lntemperance under which 50
hiIiy Oh our people throughout the land are
Staggering. This influence is more powerful
than legislative enactments, and the latter, al
though well enough so far as they go, cannot
fonsttutlonally reach the vital point. The good
already wrought has been effected, chiefly, by
the expression of public opinion against the use
OF mtoXlcants, and let us remember that pub
llc opinion Is the concretion of the individual
opinions OF each and every one of MS. b.
Desperate Encounter with Robbers,
David 4: Price, the porter of the St.
Nicholas National Bank, New York. was
at O'Clock awakened suddenly by noise
near his bed, which is made on a she]fb be-
hind the counter of the banking office, and
saw but few feet away from him man
wearing mask, who was accompanied
fyuC II