The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-23
Published by rcquest.l
AN ADDRESS.

1 ~ hLhN Ehtb IN Ahh Ohi Il VI Il
IN JANUARY 1875, by G. w. PAR
MELEE.
Mr.. Chairman Ladies and Gentlemen
1t is with degree of diflidepce that |
appear before you this evening, and at
tempt to address you, for al my time ofl life
l ought not to be very susceptible to q
sentiment Of flattery, neither should be.
tray mawkish sentimentalism; yet con.
fess to a manly pride, if not an undeserv.
ed honor, in having an invitation extend.
ed to me, to address your comparatively
ancient, and truly honorable body, bear.
ing the proud title of Philadelphia Divis.
ion No. l. S. of 4. Your name and
number not only indicates. but your his.
toric record antedates, that of any other
similar organization, in this great city, OF
the Key Stone state. Your association
has emphatically been, and may not in.
aptly be termed cloud of light by 6ay,
and pillar of fire by night. Through
the ever changing vicissitudes Of political
and social life, this division has remained
intact while others have succrmbed to
unfavorable and infortuitous circumstan.
ces. If at any time its light has
seemed temporarily to flicker in the sock.
ct, yet it has never been put under q
bushel but at times has been famed by
the zephyrs of truth and the right, and
sustained by the inspiration of its holy
calling and | trust her beacon light will
yet more fully flame forth, over this rum
stricken municipality, and help light up
a pathway, in which the votaries Of TEN.
perance may proudly walk with victory
inscribed on their unfurled ban
ners. Your association has nailed to its
masthead the significant words total alb.
stinence, and has not only persuaded
many from the ranks Of destruction, but
has been instrumental in taking their feet
from slippery places and placing them in
the pathway of sobriety and virtue, and
pointing them toward home of tenn
poral, if not an eternal rest. Long may
this division live and gather new laurcls,
and at last receive the welcome plaudit,
"Well done good and faithful servant"
Sir, | feel incompetent to say anything
that can impart interest to the great and
important subject that we are here to con.
slider tonight. Although it has been dis.
cussed and re.discussed over and over
again until it would seem that no stone
had been left unturned, neither had any
point been untouched that involves leg
itimate bearing on the momentous topic +;
yet more ought, and must be said, and
still be done, if it be but rehash of the
whole past, and a reiteration of the warn
ing and advice, that has been sounded
down through this generation
As long as the deadly breath of the
demon intemperance continues to sweep
over this fair heritage of man, surcharged
with the virus of death, as poisonous aud
Obstructive as the withering gales of the
sirocco of the Lybian desert; just SO long
should the patriot, the philanthropist, yea
the Christian, raise his voice trumpet.
tongucd, and with no uncertain sound
against this velvet footed and insidious
foe, whose touch is contamination, whose
breath is pollution, and whose tread is
death.
We are told that in the Norway seas
a great maelstrom exists into whose cir.
cling current through the ipcompetency
or indifference Of commanders, ships and
barks are sometimes slowly and uncon.
sciously, but surely drawn. The progress
at first, and for awhile is slow, and the
danger nearly imperceptible; but steadi
ly the momentum is increasing and at
length escape is impossible, and the fatal
plunge is at last taken into the uuiathom-
able abyss. The analogy may not be
strictly applicable, but nearly SO in the
case of thousands, especially that of the
young men; they traverse the outer
skirmsh line and are not aware it is but
the boundary Of woe. by indulgipg in the
custom Of moderate drinking, with "hail
fellows well met" Of course apprehend-
ing no danger, listen to no counsel, reject
advice, turn deaf ear to warning, heed
no prayers in their behalf, regard no
tears, either of sister, wife or mother, but
seem led on as by the wand Of an enchant-
er, and allured by the syren song of "no
danger" until a retreat is scarcely at.
tempted, and if SO, as scarcely effected,
and in nine cases out of ten they fnaly
engulfed in the whirlpool of destruction
and entombed in an inebriate's grave.
Sir, it is theory in physics as well as
in philosophy and the sciences, that to
remedy an evil, or correct an irreguarly,
the cause must be removed. If it would
not be infringing on supposed state rights
or usurping powers already delegated by
the constitution, wish, and presume
all true friends Of temperance would also
wish that our national Congress would
pass an act, strictly prohibiting the i'm.
portation from any foreign country, u.
well the manufacturing of all species o.
sprituous liquors, throughout the length
and breadth of the land and then if oul
United States marshals would be as vig
liant in ferreting out violators of the Law
as many of them were in bounding ou
the poor fleeing fugitive slave, in obedi
ence to that undemocratic and unscrp
tural law,-the fugitive slave law,-thel
indeed might we look, for "little heay
en- below" But all this cannot be reason
ably expected at present, at least bu
is lesser or a secondary manner in whicl
the cause Of this stupendous evil may a
least be partially removed if there is vir
; tue enough in the people, that is, by stat
prohibitory laws and their enforcement
| regret to say that Pennsylvania is be
hind many other states, especially he
down east neighbors in that respect. Ev
cry New England state has prohibitor
law on her statute books, and in my ma
tive commonwealth, the land of Allen an
, Stark, not an open bar can be found ye
candor compels me to admit, that in th
Green Mountain State, that focal point c
! intelligence, virtue and orthodoxy, eve
there the "critter is not killed but onl
scotched." But tell it not in Gath ne
ther publish it in the streets of Askelon