The Cecil Whig., 1886-07-17
DR.. Lyman Beecher on Temperance.

MIR. EDITOR:-When l was a boy, men |
who professed to be pious, and were dea-
cons in our churches owned and run dis |
tiIleries; and did it without loss of repu-
tation. 1t was then the general belief
that ardent spirits, if not absolutely ne
cessary, were at least of great use and
Importance as support to those who
labored; aud that moderately used, they
We're an innocent stimulus. So deceived
were all classes of our people in those
days that the trade in Intoxicating IL
quors was thought to be as proper as any
other business. 1t was licensed by the
Government aud sanctioned by the Chris
tian Churches. The crimes and misery
attributed to the abuse of what was con-
sidered in those days innocent in itself,
if moderately used, and beneficial to
man. These were the times in which
pure liquors were easily procured, and
long before the practices of adulteration
now so common were introduced. But
the great discovery at length came like
the light of new day that the the tenn
perate members of society were the chief
agents in promoting and perpetuating
intenperance, and it became evident that
unless some reform could be inaugurated
and new movement be started, aud one
which should be equal in tine and place
with the evil, and which would cxtermi-
nate it, that drunkenness would as a pre-
vailing vice always continue. At length
associated effort was decided upon to
stem the torrent OF evil; and the early
| first geneaal movement taking place, |
believe in 1911, when Dir. Rush, of Phil
| adelphia, presented printed copies of his
| 'Inquny' to the members of the Gen
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian
| Church in session there. \ committee
was appointed by the Assembly, and
some initiators steps taken to stay the
| Hood of intemperance, but it was not
until the year 1928 that the reform took
definite shape. Among its early and
powerful advocates were Theodore Ere.
linghuysen, DR.. Lyman Beeeher, DR.. Ed
wards, Mr.. Delavau, DIR. Claiming, and
numerous others, who spread their views
far and wide throughout the country.
1t has been said of Dr. Lyman Beecher
that he was the father of more brains
than any mai in America, and it was
for the purpose of asking you to publish
the following extract from one of his
sermons delivered in those days long
since gone, that have addressed you.
| His eloquent sentences delivered sixty
one years ago are even more timely now
than when he uttered them: Can we
lawfully" he said, ''amaSs property by a
course of trade which fills the land with
beggars and widows and orphans? ? which
peoples the grave yards with premature
mortality, and the world of woe with the
victims of despair? Could all the forms
of evil produced in the land by lntem.
perance come upon us i'll one horrid ar
ray, it would appal the Nation, and put
an end to the traffic in ardent spirits. II
in every dwelling built by blood the
stone from the wall should utter all the
the cries which the bloody traffic EFFORTS,
and the beam out of the timber should
echo them back, who would build such q
house? Who would dwell in it? Wha,
if in every part of the dwelling. from the
cellar upward, through all the halls aut
chambers, habblIngs and contentious anc
voices, and groan>, ard Shlieks. aud wall
in2s were heard day and night What j
| walls. and by preter-natural art, all Tin,
CHASTITY skulls and bones of the victims