Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-03-20

.ause OF it; the gray heads thatit has
made gray; the sad hearts that it has
crushed with sadness; the ruined
families that it has ruined; the bril-
liant minds which it has quenched;
.he unfolding promises which it has
caLkered and the miserable and
which it has hurried along
INTO dishonorable and nameless
graves.
The only sure and certain cure that I
can meet the necessities Of the case
is, to be found in total abstinence
from all Intoxicating drink so far as
each individual is concerned, togeth-
er with the prohibiticn-by the State
of its importation, manufacture and
sale.
This is a work of proportional mag
nitude to the evil itself. 1t is to hew
down and uproot great dark forest
which has existed for thousands of
years. Its roots have struck down
deep into the very heart of civilized
life it is nourislied by the rich blood
of thousands of annual victims; it is
watered with copious tears Of number
less wives and children, mothers and
sisters, widows and orphans; 1t is
waving its death-bearing branches
far and wide over the families of earth
it is gathering under its pestilential
shade multitudes ofpoor deluded VIC
tins of all degrees, and there lurk
serpents more deadly than these of
LAGOON, which are crushing in their
coils the very spirit of all that is love-
iy, pure and good. Oh, what glgan-
tic work to clear away this darkened
forest and let the pure sunlight Of
Gods holy truth beam down to cheer
the doomed and damned!
The work is going gradually on /;
everywhere we are hearing the crash
and downfall. Gods blessing is with
the lsl,orcrs, and permit me to say in
this connection that / rejoice from my
heart of hearts that here in Mexico
which am proud to call the city OF
my birth-you have the brawny arm
of firm resolve, with the untiring per-
severance of genuine benevolence,
with the dauntless courage of duty,
with the keene axe of truth, made this
whole region to ring with such oft
repested strokes until this deadly
upas tree has well-nigh fallen to the
ground and the gloom OF its shade
given place to glad rejoicing beneath
the smiles of heaven.
Thank God this force has been SC
fully utilized, and is achieving sucl
grand results--the old, the middle
aged and the young, the high and th'
low, the rich and the poor, the learn
ed and the unlearned are enlisted il
the cause.
| This National Temperance Uniol
is but one division of that grand arm,
Of reformers which Is spread through
out the earth. They are battling
under the leadership of no earthl.
king nor potentate-their conQues
is not for the paltry wealth Of citie'
nor of States, but for the widespread
ing of these truths which are to fre,
mankind from the bondage of sin an,
error. Upon their banners is in
scribed that glorious motto-"Free
; dom and Reform " They are catching
!, the watch-words all along the line
Heart is throbbing against heart, ant
hand linking in with hand-whil
with tears for the past and prayers t.
God for the future they are marchin,
on, conquering and to conquer. w
can catch from fsr and near the gla'
hallclujahs of triumph. They ar
marching under the guidance Of lead
ers whose courage and fidelity is un
changing.
The benign spirit of our Master
, in their hearts--they have caugh
upon their srmor the CLEAN of eter
nity's sun and the foul fsnds OF dark
ness are fleeing before the adyancin.
. footsteps of Gods holy emissaries
) The good of victory will yet be reach
. edit is only further on in the devel
opment Of truth-the principles fo
which they are contending are neithe
. TO be checked nor extinguished. Whe
compressed they but react the more
They crush where they cannot ez
pand and burn where they are nc
allowed to shine. They may be smoth
l cred for ages by the dark clouds {
1 vice and crime, but at last they wi
burst forth rs the light Of the gu
from his fiie-throne and food tt
j earth with their corruscating ray,
8 The issue Of this stupendous warfal
. is higher up on the plains OF eternity
: 1t is q struggle Of vice against virtu
3 and sin and wickedness against purit
.ft and holiness-it may still 60 on Il
3 centuries above the din and strif
3 above the gloom, the sadness and ii
4 death there CLEANS the golden sui
Hight Of the cross-the eyes Of ii
Christian warrior are fixed upon 1T
in it he sees the harbinger OF victor,
and from it he catches that holy il
spiration which has enkindled hums
hearts for SO many ages with zeal an
courage.
1 Out Of the fiery furnance he Sc.
six virtues Of temperance; mere,
humility, charity patience and mode
ty have come forth unscatcaed an
ever looking with the steadfsst eye /,
faith to their native heaven.
i All along the calendar Of time thes
sweet divinities, beautiful as Il
J Honries and wise as Zobeide," ha,
: been leading our poor and imperfe'
race--they have ever woed the youn
;, from the paths Of vice-have wei
bitter, burning tears over the patti
way Of the PREDICATE and the Grin
ina. --at the beside and the grave /
y the debauche ;have stayed the uplifte
= arm Of vengeance when the accuse
ell would have been smitten to the earl
al-have sat meekly at the feet Of wi
e dom and taught man his errors-ha,
e relieved the cry of the orphan K
. bread-have unbarred the priso
i doors and bade the wretched and su
o fering to hope--have bestowed urc
ol woman brighter gems than ever spari
" led ia CastiliA's fountain, the soI
nl Of song'' have found inspiratio
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