The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-04
VICTIMS OF INTEMPERANCE.
The Powerful Influence or Liquor
Over Some Men OF Note.
Heroes Who Were Unable to Conquer
Their Appetite for Drink.
cleveland Leader. !


itself, is the most melancholy of all histories,
and also one Of the most important, involv-
ing as it does. not only individual successes
and failures bat the successes aud failures
of nations Is well. Every page is charged
with warning; every chapter reveals the
folly Of the world, and the worlds great men
and rulers, and proves 1t true that the ''wine
and wassail have taken more strong places
than gun or steel.n IntempeIanee is habit
and nothing but habit, and habit, too,
against which nature seriously revolts at
irst, but to which she in the course of time
nd opposition submits, and of which abe
inally becomes fond. 1t is only by this
force Of habit that the taste of wine, of
opium, of snuff, and of tobacco becomes
pleasant, for those are not among the real
wants OF nature, but are purely artificial.
Habitual and long-continued use of intox-
icating drinks gains an Irresistible influence
over both the mental and physical powers,
the moral qualities become weak or blunted,
the mind languid, and all the physical con-
ssiiutiOn changed and impaired, and instead
of the harmony that nature intended to
have with man there is continual strife with
the tyrannical fend, appetite, for, says he
who knew man passing well:
Boundless intemperance
In nature is 4 tyranny; II hath been
The untimely ending Of the happy throne
And fall OF many kings.
Notwithstanding the well-known evil ef-
fects Of indulgence in the use of inebriating
drinks, fine habit is one of the most enslsv-
ing, exercising peculiar fascination over
the mind against which the keenest consci.
business Of the wrong and of the temporal
and spiritual consequences have not the
slightest influence. Most of Us believe that
hob "A hut
Instances which overthrow any such theory;
stances where loss OF character, friends,
4 wealth, and the great physical and men,
al anguish count as nothing if only wine
usy be bad. DR.. Cheyne, a celebrated phys
ician of Dublin, tells a story OF man of his
acquaintance, guilty q ed, popular and
wealthy, who had contracted the habit ofin-
temperance. Every effort was made to re.
claim him in vain. His friends implored
him to abandon the vice, and regain his
moral influence and health. In answer 10
them he finally said: i am convinced that
al you say IS only too true, bat can not re-
sist. If a bottle Of brandy stood at one hand,
and the pit Of hell yavned on the other, and
knew that if took but a swallow of the
brandy IshoUld be pushed in l should drink
it. You are ali very kind 1 should be
grateful for so many kind, good friends. but
You mag snare yourselves the trouble OF try.
ing to reform me-the thing is impossi ble."
Dionysius the younger is another instance
OF this infstuatl0n, Aristotle says he would
be for ninety oays at a time in a state of in
tOxioation, and the frequent recurrence of
tnat habit deprived him IN time of his eye
sight. The Emperor Zano was In the habt
OF drln king himself into a 1nssnsi0le con-
did0n, and Wh-n in that condition one day,
his queen, Arisdne, had him taken to a
tomb, the horrors of which be fully realized
when after some hours his senses retained
10 him. But bis pleadings and cries were not
needed he lied agODizing death, hated
by lis wife and people. He vas indeed a
victim Ct luJempeTance. Wincesaus king
order 10 treat with Charles VI on some i'm
pOrisnt rational questions, was so
under the infatuating influence of the
wines of that country that he made
concessions alike disastrous to him
self and his kingdom. A certain monarch of
Africa resigned all right to the throne rather
than leave the Portuguese colonies where the
wine was so pleasant 10 him and his oppor-
tunities to drink so favorable. Queen Eliza
beth's celebrated opponent, Thane 0'Neil-
always kept at least tive hundred tuns of
wine in his cellar at Dundrum and he drank
OF it it so immediately that his servants
were obliged to bury him chin-deep in the
ground in order to sllay the strange infam-
matory effect his excess had upon him.
Babylon was the mightiest nation on earth
until she became a slave to luxury and dissi-
patton. Her active and warIike habits were
laid aside for those of sensual indulgence,
and soon her name had become repreacn.
Said jeremiah: The mighty men of Baby
ION have forborne to fight; they remained in
their holds; their might hath failed they
became ss women"
Cyrus was the avenging NemeJis for out
ragged nature. While Belsbszzer was en-.
gagged in one of his luxurious feasts, Cyrus
whose plans were made in the knowledge of
Belshazzer's habits, entered the city, sur
prised the people and slew the king and his
companions and the great empire OF Baby
Ion passed mo his possession. Cyrus was
the founder of the Medo Persian empire At
hrst be possessed a country containing only
1000 iDhsbitants, bit by his temperate
and warlize habits he soon made IL almost
OouE dless IN extent and unrivaled in power.
But his victories in their turn introduced 10
ais people the same habits OF luxury and
sensualitY that had made other nations fall
so easy prey to his courage and military
tactics- Luxurious habits are necessarily
the bsne to national prosperity, and after
the union OF the Medes and Persians and
sion by Cyrus corruption sliced upon
the PeTs' pa They became intern
perste and eheminste, aud when the Mace
doDieD king marched against them they fell,
g did Baby lon.
The Mscsdonisns were warliks, and under
Philip and Alexander successful in all their
enterprises. Alexander is esteemed q greater
man and general than Philip, but Philip
was what would be called in this age
shrevd politician, and with his superior ex-
ecutive ability, superior discipline, and won
derful command over men he might have
sxcelled his son in greatness but for the habit
Of int importance. Philip fcally fell by the
hand of tn assassin, the victim, although i1-
directly, OF intempsrance. Alexander, justly
called "tbe great" early fell victim to his
love for drink In the beginning of his re-
maFkable career he was temperate in all his
habits. OOcs when the Gaeen of Caria sent
him some chOice and samptuous dishes of
fOod, tOgei Der with some of her best cooks
and bakers be said: II do not need them;
lam supplied with better cooks By Leoni-
das-a march before day to dress my dinner
and light dinner to prepare nay supper"
PluiaJch defends him against the charge of
excessive drinking. he savs he was not so
much given TO il as was said; that, although
be sat long at the table, il was more to talk
than to drink. Every cup contained some
long DISCOURSE" and be cites as an instance
OF MS contempt for luxury and luxurious
habits his surprise when, after he had con-
'4suered Darius he examined the tent Darius
occupied, and said: II am surprised that
such efieminscy should occupy the atten-
ton Of q king" Had Persian luxury
never corrupted Alexander, he would
hov Led IN N 10