Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-01-12
Professor porchcster,s Address.
BEFORE riIE SUNDAY EVENING TEMPERANCE
MTEIINa. LANuAnY 2n. 1870

BEFoRE riIE SUNDAY EVENING TEMPERANCE
MEETING, JASUArY 2D, 1876
If tho old maxim, There is nothing new
under the SUM-" have any truth in it, it is
certainly true when applied to the subject Of
temperance The claims Of that cause have
been so repeatedly, so persistently, and so
ably urged, that it seems almost impossible
TO find any new facts, or invent any new
reasons to adduce in its favor. But if we
were to confne our conversations to those
topics which are new, and only open our
mouths by way OF speech, when we had
something new to say, most Of us would be
compelled TO preserve a dignified silence
most Of our ministers would never preach
any more sermons most Of our teachers
would never teach any more lessons most Of
our physicians would never prescribe for any
more patients, and the community generally
wodld be struck dumb
As long as sin and intemp exist, 50
long will moral considerations have weight,
however old and hackneyed they may be.
And it is no cause for shame on our part if
we take up the same weapons which have been
used so successfully in the past, and again
WELD them against the foe.
lntemperance is still the greatest evil that
afilcts mankind he still comes forth from
his dark auldama Of blood like an insatiate
demon, and, enthroning himself upon the
pedestal Of broken hearts and blighted hopes,
fills the air with moral pestilence, stands
squarely across the pathway Of every good
cause, is responsible for two-thirds Of the
inmates Of our alms-houses and lunatic
asylums, commits six-sevenths of the crimes,
blinds the intellects, sears the consciences,
pollutes the affections and hardens the hearts
Of mankind, and huiries millions to an uu-
timely death and to an awful eternity
Fnghtful as this monster is in his aspects,
deyilish as arc his aims, fearful as are his
deeds, and execrated as he is by the unver-
sal conscience Of mankind, there are those
among rs who have given themselves. body
and soul 10 his service. Their Goigiyen
faculties are prostiuted to advance his king
dom instead Of becoming fishers Of men for
Christ aud morality, they are fishers of men
for the devil and immortality; every hook
they use is full of barbs, and their poor vic
TINS are pierced whl'e greed,'y s""low'ns
the baiti muit'tudes swarm ln'o 'neI oa'-
rooms IKE mes after sweets ana arc c"usl'
by their poisons. Father Taylor, the eccen-
trlc sailor preacher aehhed ruh'-Seier as
man up TO ms ears W Pc'u'''''n' a"u pump
ing heii ana aAmia'loh at 'h''e CENTS " gas.
believe they do not 40 II as chsapiy no" II Is Is
costly business III Whatever way you we" IT,
Less than TWO hu"uIeu years ago, 'n 7"'
len' Massaehnset'', unere was "nI' ""s
been termed a M''ehcrai' ueiuS''n' IL was
The common peHel ol tnose ''''e' .na' men
SOFA themselves 70 'ne ue'll' ana Una. nc III
return gave 'ne" power o'o' '"''' ''',o"
men Inc persons 'i''s'c''.s sue" D'''
gam were oalieu "''o''e'' anu ''''Se
''''''' u''''' 1
Oh PAIN anu su"e''ns' "e Va '''"'
remarkable deiusion are known TO AM no"
the magistrates tried these so-called witches,
found them guilty. executed nineteen of
,bep throw oue hundred and fifty into
prison what terrible awakening there
was how remorse and humiliation filed the
| hearts of the people and magistrates how
tbev cave themselves no to fasting and
rr,,,or. ho,,, Jndre Sevall. In particular. rose
itit. g.
'' "'e p""''e '7
'he munster most n"u''''''"s
| Of his part in the matter, requested MN 10
read it while he remained standing, custom
he observed upon the anniversary of those
| ,r, ..,;, a.. la. 81 b;s deotb
;..,.,.,r..r.,
NAV l'"e''"' 81,
is exercising over It's victims ITO" V'''"'S
deluded must rum-sellers be, II they sup
pose they are carrying on clean aud moral
hrsinessi How unnatural are the phc
..I..i,t u,, Go,or ,rolBc
"u''''''" ;n
Mo'e u''A'"'", '''''''
the Salem witchcrait even
g. mans wife, in New York, was seized with
cholera. and died The poor husband, to assuag'
his grief drank alcohol While under It's influence
he seized his dead wife By the hair OF her head
dragged her across the room in high glee' ans
tumblsd her into eoihn
Is there anything in the case oil Deorg
Burroughs that equals this
"a woman, once in aaiuence, was reduced b
the dissipation OF her husband and two sons to
condition OF extreme poverty AZ ,e's.a' QUE y
the sons uiea ,"os' ei''Dle 70 seu no
h""Saai n,v'"r, and ,ema,nlng son any more lauol
Rat that brute deliberately folded tile petition il
to papers to light cigars with, and handed them
the father and son as they came IN Tor their drini
and then ooasIed tnA' ne n"u maue ''e" U"'
'"e p'ous Ies',o" n.Sr, N1assachn.e,,s hs
soa nomed Frederick who absentsd himse
from home for long time, all the while plum
ing deeper and deeper into dissipation Alengtl
like the prodgal, he repented, signed the pledg
and returned to his native town. pa' ne ', ",
there me, py ,''sSns, "no f,rS TSa nov, ,' ,nnr
s'No ys.sa., u,'e aa fannd dead IN the rum.seller
ha,n Tine rum.seller helped carry him home
his mother while the mother cursed him as IL
murderer Of her son"
Were the executioners oil Giles Corne