National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-24
KING ALCOHOL.

Intemperance and It's Antidote-A Discourse
by Rev. Richard Norris to the Sens Of
Jonadab.
waugh II. E. chapel was crowded last Sunday
evening with ian audience who desired to hear
what the pastor had to say upon the use Of aleo-
holie stimulants as beverage. Some points Of
his argument were novel and were forcibly ap-
Piled while the whole effort disclosed much ana
lytical research
Mr.. Norris founded his sermon upon Proverbs
xx:l,xxiii:2e-S2 and Jeremiah xxKT:6-5. He spoke
Of intempersnce as the monster enemy of civiliIs-
ton and religion, producing the physical, intel
lectusI, moral, domestic, social and national
vtckedness OF mankind, and made an appeal par
ticularly to Christians to put forth the necessary
efforts to successfully check and forever stop It's
i. In his argument upon the sinfulness and per-
nicous results Of drinking ardent spirits he cited
anS from' eyery day Observations. He smoke FIRST
Of the character Of alcohol.
!. 1t is not found in nature, but in the product
OF fermentation alone. The juice Of the apple or
the grape will not intOxicate until fermented.
Cornmeal and other substances out OF which alco-
hol is made must nrst De rotted; lie must be
icatiDg property is developed. Alcohol, there
fore, is the product OF fermentation. Fermenta-
how it is the result Of decay. Alcohol, therefore,
is produced by fermentation, and fermentation
takes to pieces the vital principles which God
He then went on to explain the process Of distil-
lation, showing that alcohol, in both fermented
and distilled liquors, is produced by fermentation
2. No law of nature preserves alcohol for
mans use. But she will destroy what she has been
conclude, therefore, that alcohol is not creature
Of God.
effects upon the human system have attracted the
attention OF psychologists and chemists Of high
standing in this and other countries, whose YER
has proved Ca) that small dose acts as ar excit-
ant, and large dose as stupefant; (6) 1t is not
assimilated; (cfit accumulates In the brain and
liver, and poisons the blood; (d) every healthy
frame eDdesvors to throw it off. 1t is demon
strated, therefore, that alcohol IS poisonous and
injurious. The very name proves this 1ntoxi-
cate Is derived from fortcuH, La which signifies
poison. The science Of poison is called toxI-
eology.
INTERESTING ETYNoLoGY.
The original name Of alcohol expresses the idea
that the devil was its inventor. The Arabisn
chemist who in the thirteenth century discovered
the art of distillatiOn knew that It was poison,
and even thought it something more: After ex-
Ar Goul, (G,l or the evil spirit; in English the
devil, (6) Had Shakespeare known its original
name name he would o never err have ,S , SAID had no
We conclude that II alcohol is not produced by
nature in any living substance If no law Of nature
perpetuates It for mans use, and It is poison to
The human system, then it is clear that the Gre
atOr Of the human organization never made alco-
hol; but that It is the masterpiece Of the devil,
who taught men to brew i from the golden grain,
and that 1t will, by its subtle power, deceive and
enslRye the man who swallows 1t, and, by its hor-
lid soreery, Il will poison the very soul.
The drinking Of ardent spirits Is evil because It
destroys man physically, intellectually, socially
and morally.
alton: he is the browning glory Of divine crea-
tive power. 1t is established that the use OF ar
dent spirits will destroy the beauty and order Of
this organism lay the foundation for painful dis
and DremaIuro death.
2 Alcohol destroys every faculty Of the mind,
the understanding, the memory, the Imagination.
g. lntemPeranee destroys the very foundation
l. The voice Of conscience being so etfectually
lulled to sleep by this deadly Opiste, and every
true sensibillty Of honor destroyed, the will 70
gone and the incorporate man becomes q des-
Perado. Few crimes exist that had not their
origin in the use Of ardent spirits.
THE ANTIDoTB, JER. xxv:5o.
IL The only remedy for this evil is total alb
stinence and earnest effort in the temperance
cause.
j. The command Of Jonadab was: aye shall
drink no wine; neither ye nor your sons forever"
DrunkaTds are, in most instances, manufactured
from temperate or moderate drinkers. Beware,
then, how you sport about the brink Of such q
fearful destruction.
called to effort in the suppression Of this evil To-
day 500 000, 900 are spent annually in this eoun-
try for liquors There are 175 900 places for their
sale, or one to every $50 inhabitants. Taxes to
the extent Of S276, 200, 900 have been imposed in
the several States to pay for the pauperism,
crime, &c, resulting from drunkenness. 1t is
estimated that 100 900 persons die yesvIy from IN
temperance. Then let every temperance organ
Zation unfurl the banner of total abstinence wave
It before the churches until every pulpit shall
thunder against the damnRble traffic. Wave It
before your legislative assemblies until drunken
ness shall cease to impair its dignity and cripple
its Influence. Wave II before the thousands Of
RroggeTies until every decent man will be
ashamed to patroniZe them. Wave It before the
little children (who are, by and by, to take your
places) until their songs and prayers shall Join
yours, and success is certain.