Year: 1874




the glorious flag of the stars. Applause.
Sherman marches from Cairo to the sea,
while Grant marches through the wilder
ness to the Confederate capital The re-
bellion is crushed Behold a whole
race set free-the shackles of the ages
are broken, and we see full high advanc-
ed the standard of the nations redemp-
ton. "Hark dinna ye hear the pibroch
of the Highlanders p and borne upon
the wings Of the wind the slogan shout
of universal emancipation Applause.


And now shall this puissant nation,
Columbia, queen of the world and child
of the skies" pause when there is an
enemy in our land more destructive than
war, pestilence, and famine combined,
which sends annually one hundred
| thousand men to untimely graves, makes
fifty thousand widows, and three hun
dred thousand wives worse than widows
filling our prisons, our poor-houses, our
lunatic asylums. and swelling to an un-
told extent the great ocean of human
misery, wretchedness, and woe?


Somebody told me he saw in a Chica-
go paper the other day, that since Gov
ernor Yates had joined the temperance
society, whisky had fallen ten cents a
gallon. Laughter. Well, that's good,
indeed, Laughter At all events, it's
good news, for all that kept my SANDER
ers from drinking themselves to death,
was the high price of whisky. Laugh
ter We will bring it within their
reach, for it will have to fall much lower
than the present price before it caches
its real intrinsic value-a specie basis.


Laughter.


But some say this temperance business
is fanaticism-its gloomy sort of life.
There never was greater mistake. Tenn
perance is one of the most delightful
things upon earth. l have been a tenn
perance man for fifteen days, and l am a
gayer boy tonight than l have been for
seventeen years. Laughter. l think
l am the gayest man in the Senate, ex-
cept the compeer of Clay and Critten den
the able, indomitable, and gallant old
except you, also, Mr.. President. My
pledge shall be a perpetual charm-"a
thing of beauty which is Joy forever
not cloud of gloom, but an ever
present rainbow of promise, hope, and
beauty l am as proud of it as of my
wife and children, and that is the strong
est way have to express my pride. APP
plause. l am as proud of it as l am of
the commission which entities me to
hold the position of an American Sena-
tor.


You say, of what use is the pledge? I
will tell you. Twenty days ago there
came along a friend of mine-a Senator
and said, Let us take drink"
said, "Certainly-all right" Another
friend from Illinois in about three min
utes and half came along, and said,
LET US take drink Said 1, "All
right" 1t is this way: One drink of
liquor is enough for me; two amt but
half enough; three is only one third
enough, and four is chaos. Laughter.


After l signed this temperance pledge,
l wrote to little lady out in Illinois,
who weighs about hundred pounds, has
black hair and flashing black eyes, and a
form fairer than Grecian chisel ever
woke from Parian marble" and l receiv-
ed the following answer:


MY Dear Richard-How beautiful is
this morning how sweetly our birds
sing how joyous the children how
happy is my heart l see the smile of
God. He has answered the prayer. AL
ways proud OF your success, you have
now achieved that success which God
and angels will bless. 1t is the shining
have conquered yourself All who love
you will aid you to keep the pledge. l
love you, my dear boy


Glove, the sun, soul and center of the moral


universe;


Love, which links angel to angel and God to


man;


Love, which binds in one two loving hearts,


HO10 beautiful is lore


As look over this audience, composed
of Senators and Representatives of this
great nation, and these galleries blazing
with beauty and the worth of the city,
and soiourners from all the States and
7 Il Il IL
here. Proud England, upon whose do
minions the sun never sets, has but one
queen, but, thank God, we have millions
of queens, who


Shine in beauty like the night


OF sunny climes and starry skies ~
whose chains we feel, and yet we bless
the silken scepter. You are here to give
by your presence encouragement to the
Congressional Society, and 1 propose, sir,
that this Society shall be the beginning
of societies throughout the land, and
that we will push forward the temperance
column, move upon the enemies works,
and give him canister and Greek fire.
Applause. Why do l refer to the la
dies Because their example is mightier
than the eloquence of thousand Sena-
tors or the banners of a thousand le-
gions.


You are here tonight to see th e snowy
white flag of temperance as it is unfurled
over the Capitol of your country, as it
rises and rises, and unfolds to God and
spreads until it shall cover the whole
land and until there shall not be
drunkard nor moderate drinker to take
away the bloom from the cheek of fe
male beauty, and until all the hearth
stones of this land shall blaze with com
fort and joy, and happiness and gladness
shall dwell in green freshness there.
Tremendous applause.


And yet, would it be believed after all
this, that he soon after yielded to the
tempter? Whether or not he twas born
sc" whether or not he was conceived and
sucked in drunkenness, certain it is, he
became victim to the curse which holds
thousands, nay millions, by the throat,
perance Association, l did not like to
make parade of myself before the
public.


Men sometimes sign pledges, and they
break them; but, Mr.. President, 1 have
signed for good, and l have made my
covenant with God that will keep mine.
But l felt it were better to prove first
that l was well established in my new
position, before L. attempted to express
sentiments on this question in that ear
nest and enthusiastic manner in which
always address my fellow citizens in be-
half of any cause which has the convic-
ton of my judgement and the approval
of my heart.


Some two months ago your distin-
guished chairman, the able and eloquent
Senator from Massachusetts-new Vice
President Hon, Henry Wilson-in his
kindness, in the goodness of his great
big heart, came to me with petition
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