The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-22
Woman's Temperance Column.
"7He Lord of Hosts IS scith as, The God
ofJocob is or refuge"
Francis Murphy.
BY COLONEL LUTHER CALDWELL.

III the Jlllteu states and Canada, and II
has been difficult to transplant it across
the water among our English cousins
of the British Empire.
With this thought dominant, it is
most singular fact that the two men
who have accomplished the most good
for the cause of temperance in America
were both Irishmcn,-Father Matthew,
and the great reformcr whose name is
at the head of this article, c,-Francis
Murphy.
Father Matthew first preached gospel
temperance, ard administered the total
abstinence pledge, as religious duty.
with the solemnity of saint, and gave
to the ceremony the priestly sanction of
the church, the oldest Christian church
of the world.
lie went through Ireland with the
pledge, and gave il as benediction to
thousands and tens of thousands of peo-
pie. Not satisfied with this, he crossed
the Atlantic, and reared monument
10 his goodness and labor of love here.
that will last while ages roll by.
The hundreds of "Father Matthew
Total Abstinence Societies" all over
our land attest that "though dead he
YET spcakcth."
Francis Murphy was born April %.
1886, in the county of Wexford, Ire
land. AT the age of sixteen, he came
to America, and at the early age of
eighteen, he married Miss CHM,
lovely Christian woman of st. Law
renee county, n. Y. By this union Mr..
Murphy became the father of four sons
and two daughters, all now living and
dependent upon him for an education.
In 1868, Mr.. Murphy enlisted as
soldier in the Union army, and served
faithfully till the close of the war.
In 1867, he became the proprietor OF
the Bradley House, in Portland, Me.
In 1869, such misfortune came upon
him as few men are called to pass
through, and he stood in his home
broken-hcarted man, having lost every
thing that made life desirable.
In 1870, he signed the pledge, and
afterwards commenced lecturing OH
temperance, beginning at Portland, his
own city, where he was known at that
time rs "the eloquent young Irish
man."
Since that time he has labored in
parts Of New England states, and is
known throughout the West. Thous-
ands and tens of thousand have been
rescued from intemperance by his
efforts, and the magic of his eloquent
and impassioned pleadings has, by the
help of God. created such a temperance
tidal wave as was never before known
in America. 1t has risen highest in
Pennsylvania and New York. Wes-
tern Massachusetts is aroused. In the
West and at Washington the movement
spreads. 1t is strong enough to stir
Boston as 10 recent moral movement
has done.
Francis Murphy, like the famous
Irish priest, comes with the pledge in
the one hand and the cross of Christ in
the other, and breaches temperance
"with malice towards none, with char
ity for all
lie believes and breaches the doc
trincs of Christ's sermon on the Mount,
and the parable of the good Samaritan.
As an advocate of gospel temperance.
he feels that he is commissioned by
heaven to undertake and carry out this
good work. lie does not labor to
advance or inure the interest of any
political party, nor does he come under
the influence or auspices of any relig-
ious sect or denmoination, but to preach
Christ as one who saves to the utter
most all who come unto him.
lie does not stand away off and
dcnounce the liquor trafficers as MUIR
derers and scoundrcls, and the drinkers
as wretches, but he draws nigh and
takes them by the hand, and impresses
them with personal interest in their
welfare, his love for them, and his
earnest prayer Tor their salvation.
In one of his addresses he uses the
following language
1--WE don't want to Kill the rumsel-
Ter, but we do want to bring him into
the kingdom of God. 1t is the man
VINO needs mercy VINO should receive II.
The greatest difficulty often has been
that the man who most needed mercy
did not receive it,
The movement, III the philosophy OF
its methods, is closely modelled after the
gospel system OF human evangelization.
Moral agencies are employed; personal
influence and sympathy of man to man
are brought to bear, and boundless
love, wide-reachlng and intense,-these
are tine means relied on.
Mr.. Murpho calls 1t gospel temper
ance,' and his faith is strong in its per-
suasive power. That is, instead OF
seeking specific laws with reference to
temperance, 1t is better to establish
temperance among the people, and
when this is done its spirit will enter
naturally into our laws, and all that is
needed will be accomplished without
friction i'll the way of legislation. Such
laws as are needed will grow out of the
new spirit which is to animate the peo-
pie.
Murphy says. i'll one of his
addresses:
at shall not come through the force
OF guns and bayonets, but the bicsse'
light of this gospel OF temperance shall
come to us as peacefully, gently and
sweetly, as indescribably beautiful as
the morning, light dawns upon u.s."
"Biessed be his name that the ball