Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-10
nRArrLEnoRo REFORM CLUB.

w. w. Jackson, Jr., OF the Faneuil
Hail Reform Club, Boston, gave a temper
ance address, last Thursday evening, at the
Reform Club reading room in this place.
On commencing his address the speaker
said that the most potent word OF the age
the word that is most significant in its
meaning and fdr-reachiDg in its influence
the word that is the most abused-is the
word reform. But it gushes up in sinceri-
ty from a few true hearts who have the
courage 10 look the awful problem Of evil
in the face, and who have faith in that IT,
finite Providence which pencils every flow
err, numbers the hairs of every head, and
guides the grand procession of worlds in
their course. The speaker then dwelt up
on The gigantic evils OF intemperance as
seen in the wreck of mans physical and
intellectual powers, in the blighted hopes
of homes and all material prospects. In
speaking OF the rumseller as the greatest
foe 10 the human race he used the follow
ing illustration: All of you have hea rd OF,
aud some of you seen, doubtless, the eele
brated statue of the "Greek Slave" exc
| cuted by Hiram Powers, OF Vermont, in
Rome. 1t is said TO have been copied from
a living Greek girl, who was captured by
the Turks and exposed for sale in the slave
mart'of ConstantinOple. The perfection of
the features, and the symmetrical proper
ton of those limbs can hardly be pictured
by woIds. Over the civilized world it has
been carried, elciting praise and admira-
ton from all classes, aud giving its author
one of the brightest inches in the tempe Of
fame. Suppose, for illustration, that this
statue he in some public hall for exhibition,
and at midnight some miscreant bursts in
TO the hall where the statue stands, and
with mallet and chisel begins TO hack and
mar that beautiful face, destroying the per-
fiction of those features, clips ont piece af-
ter piece of that beautiful form, destroys
the symmetry of those limbs, until that
work of faultless art is destroyed forever.
What bitter and deep execration would
burst forth from every lover OF art through
ont the land upon the head of The misera-
BILE wretch who would dare do such deed
of wickednessl What shall we say of the
rumseller, who takes this living, immortal
statuary OF God aud makes 1t drunk with
the beverage of death, who paralyzes these
limbs, skaters these living functions, and
poisons its coursing blood; nay, infinitely
worse than this, who takes this living soul
sculptured by the hand of the Almighty
artist, for which Christ died, and for which
all the benelcent powers of The universe
are laboring, aud hacks, mars and destroys
it forever, and for less than thirty pieces o.
silver sacrifices them all ON the altar of his
own base, miserable selfishness? We need
all the power of private aud public opin'
ion, all the strength and influence OF relig
ious sentiment, all the rigor aud severity o.
law 10 put down this terrible evil and staml
ii as it ought TO be stamped, as one OF thu
blackest and deepest crimes against Goo
and humanity.
In conclusion he addressed himself TO th'
young men, and said If Napoleon, standing
beneath the pyramids of Egypt would say
10 his soldiers, "Lo, fifty centuries lool
down upon your heads" we can say tina
fifty generations are looking upon III
young men of America. Every young maj
+ exerts an influence upon oilers and tina
influence is elevating and ennobling, or i
is debasing and eorrupling. The lightning
as it leaps fran cloud 10 cloud and rock
The giant oak, that has stood the storms anC
; tempests of century, is weak compared
with the march Of moral power among hu
! man beings. The life, the hope of a com
munity are TO be found in its young men
The speaker also dwelt upon the inhuenc
J of mothers upon their children as illustrat
cd n-Washington, the statesman and lead
or OF our army in the Revolution; Newton
+ aud Bacon, who were distinguished 70
their knowledge of the sciences. In clos
! ing, he said it might be long before temper
: ance would gain the victory, but it will a
/ last, for the spiritual and eternal forces Q
: creation are working for 1t as the grea
5 year of Providence runs its rounds, EN-
bFacing all vents, all changes, and all goo