CHAPTER VII.

[THE FIRST TEMPERANCE ADDRESS, verbatim from the original manuscript, delivered August 25, 1808, by the author of these reminiscences, before the first known Temperance Society of our land or world, and repeated, by special request, before the same Society, at their annual meeting, 1843, in the Church, near the place of the first organization, at which time the Parent Society re-organized on the unanimous adoption of the Total Abstinence American pledge.]

THE first Temperance Address, verbatim from the original manuscript, delivered August 25, 1808, by the author of these historical reminiscences, before the first known temperance society of our land or world, and repeated, by request, before the same society, at their annual meeting, 1843, in the nearest house of public worship to the place of the first organization, in connection with an address of more recent date on the "WOES OF INTEMPERANCE," at which time and place the Parent Society re-organized, on the unanimous adoption of the Total Abstinence American pledge, witnessed by a numerous assembly.

ADDRESS.

MR. PRESIDENT: Every institution which tends to encourage virtue, promote morality, and suppress vice, is of importance to mankind, and ought to command due respect and esteem. Many institutions of this description are now extant. Some of them have proved successful in reforming the vicious, and others have been more unsuc cessful.

FIRST TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

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In this enlightened age, and in this free country, where every man is at full liberty to adopt that system for the regulation of his own conduct which he deems most congenial with his feeling and interest, it is hardly supposable, that any one will rashly and precipitately agree in the adoption of any system until he has first surveyed its boundaries, developed its interior principles, and weighed the sum total of the consequences which will be likely to result from its operation. To think and act for himself, both in matters civil and religious, are privileges which every man claims as peculiar to his nature.

Whenever a new institution is ushered into the world, the first thing to be attended to is, to examine the basis upon which the superstructure is reared, to investigate its pretended object, and trace its leading features from the original source to the effect which it has on society. If the basis on which it is founded is not inconsistent with reason and divine revelation; if its apparent object is to reclaim what is wrong in man, and stimulate to a line of conduct congenial with the true happiness, the interest, and prosperity of society; and, if there is ground of probability that these will be the effects which it will produce in the operation, the conclusion must terminate in its favor, and its adoption will be the voice of philanthropy and of wisdom.

The formation of this Union Temperate Society in its present state, is without a precedent and without a rival! It is the only institution of the kind now extant, within the limits of our knowledge. The institution is now upon the stage, for the investigation of all who wish to become ac

quainted with it; and its virtual language to the community is, examine for yourselves, and see whether it is worthy of your attention and patronage, or whether it merits your disapprobation and deserved odium. Espousing its professed principles, and confidently believing that its object is to promote the good of society, I appear before you, this day, in vindication of the institution now under consideration.

The formation of this society has excited the attention of curious inquirers, the result of which has already been a diversity of opinions relative to its effects upon the conduct of its adherents. Some view it as a deprivation of the liberties peculiar to the appetite, and as an infringement on the natural rights of man; while others turn the whole subject into ridicule, and make sport of the institution which inculcates reasonable restraint. To bring all men to think alike on every subject can never be expected, while the human heart is governed and biased by such a variety of motives and propensities. In common with others of my fellow-men, I claim the privilege of adopting sentiments for myself, and am willing that others should enjoy the same privilege.

In my view of things, the basis on which the institution under consideration is founded, is a conviction of the unhappy consequences resulting to society from the prevalent and, in many instances, the intemperate use of spirituous liquors. To remedy this long-established and deep-rooted evil; to eradicate it from society; render it odious and detestable; and to substitute temperance, sobriety, and virtue in its room, are the professed objects of this institution.

THEIR PROFESSED OBJECT IS GOOD.

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To what degree these objects will be attainable, or what will be their utility and effect upon the respective members of the society, or the community at large, time alone can determine.

That the professed object of the institution is good, will appear, First, from a consideration of the unhappy corsequences resulting to individuals and to society at large from the intemperate use of spirituous liquors; and, Secondly, from the happy consequences resulting from a life of temperance and sobriety.

When we look around us, and take a view of society at large, we discover a numerous train of evils existing, which, to all human probability, are drowning many of the human race in ruin, or leading them onward in the road to perdition. Tracing the sources of these evils up to their fountain, we find the greatest part of them originating from an intemperate use of spirituous liquors. It does not fall within my province to point out the effects of spirituous liquors upon the human body, in the production of an universal debilitation of the nervous and muscular system, until life falls a prey to disease and death. This is a truth which can be investigated to better advantage by those who are versed in the theory of physic.

The unhappy consequences resulting to individuals, and to the community at large, from the frequent and intemperate use of spirituous liquors, are evincible from outward circumstances, which those of but ordinary abilities are capable of discerning. In recognizing past occurrences of life which have fallen within the compass of our knowl edge, there are few, perhaps, but who can advert to mel

ancholy instances of the ruinous and destructive effects of spirituous liquors, in the loss of character, of property, of happiness, and, finally, the loss of life itself.

How many of the human race, who were once temperate and industrious; whose fair estates have been earned by the sweat of their brow, have fallen victims to poverty, shame, disgrace, and to death, by abandoning the principles of temperance, and by giving themselves over to the bru tal force of ungovernable appetite! Though in the first formation of this appetite, there was but little apparent danger of such awful degeneracy and ruin, yet the seeds of destruction began to spring and grow the moment they had contracted an appetite for regular morning drams. This is generally the first beginning of intemperance. The habit of taking morning drams soon creates an appetite, which, being fostered and fed, grows like the noxious plant, into a state of downright intemperance. From this small beginning, many have generally proceeded from step to step, till at length their appetite for spirituous liquor, overpowered every other faculty, and they gave themselves over to the force of intoxication.

View a person of this description, and what is his situation? What is his character? What is his prospect of happiness, either in this life, or in the life to come? However industrious, frugal, and thriving he might have been, yet now he soon discovers the ruinous effects of intemperance. The first loss he sustains is character. This is gone almost at one stroke. The next loss is property. Neglecting the proper and necessary attention to the business of life, if a farmer, every thing around him soon wears the