THE annexed Schedule will show the amount of ARDENT SPIRIT imported into the United States in each year during the period mentioned. In each gallon there are 231 cubic inches. In 214,434,342 gallons there are 49,534,233,002 cubie inches; equal to 28,565,702 cubic feet. Divide this by 80, the number of square feet in a foot of a Canal 20 feet wide and 4 feet deep, and we have $58,321 feet of Canal. Divide this by 5230, the number of feet in a mile of Canal, and we have about 68 miles; the length of a Canal 20 feet wide and 4 feet deep, which the above amount would fill. Suppose that there were 20 times as much domestic spirit used as there was of spirit imported into the United States, the whole would fill a Canal 20 feet wide, 4 feet deep and about 1860 miles long. The amount of WINE, imported and exported from 1790 to 1832. BRANDE'S Table, showing the proportion of ALCOHOL in distilled and fermented Liquors. 1. Brandy -53.391 Proportion of Spirit per cent. by measure. 4. Scotch Whis- 14. Colares-19.75 key-54.32 15. Lachryma Ditto-16.32145. Vin de Grave-13-34 Average-15.10 46. Frontignac Average 13.37 (Rivesalte-12.79 47. Cote Rotie 12.32 16.40 48. Gooseberry 32. Zante-17.05 5. Irish ditto.~~~~~53.90 Christi-19.70 33. Malinsey Ma6. Lissa26.47 16. Coustantia, deira Ditto. 24.35 white19.75 34. Lunel-15.52 Average25.41 17. Ditto, red~~~~~~19.92 35. Sheraaz-~~~~15.52 49. 7. Raisin wine-26.40 18. Lisbon-18.94 36. Syracuse-~~15.28| Ditto.25.77 19. Malaga 18.94 37. Sauterne--~~~-~~-14.22 Ditto.23.20 20. Bucellas~~~~~~18.49 38. Burgundy- -16.60 Average 25.12 21. Red Madeira-22.30 26.03 Ditto. 18.40 Average 20.35 8. Marsala Ditto. 25.05 Average-25.09 22. Cape Maschat 18.25 Ditto -15.22 wine-11,84 Orange wineaverage of six samples made by a London manufacturer-11.2 Ditto-11.95 50. Tokay 9.88 9. Port-25.83 23. Cape Madeira 22.94 39. Hock-14.37 52. Cider, highest Ditto, 24.29 Ditto-20.50 Ditto.22.30 24. Grape wine-13.11 Ditto.19.00 Ditto.21.40 25. Calcavella19.20 40. Nice~14.63 54. Mead Average 22.96 (still) 15.30 Ditto (spark 10. Madeira 24.42 26. Vidonia-19.25 43. Champaign 11. Currant wine 20.55 30. Rousillon-19.00 Ditto.9.83 7.32 8.88 Do. (Edinburg) 6.20 ter, Eng.) 5.56 ling) 12.80 56. Average-18.18 44. Red HermiDitta 18.79 31. Claret-17.11] tage-12.52 (average) 4.20 1.28 Reasons why men continue to drink it Reasons why they continue to increase the quantity The way in which Alcohol causes death Its effects on infant children The testimony of God, with regard to it Violation of principle, and its results Effects of Alcohol on the soul Its production of pauperism and crime Its effects in counteracting the efficacy of the Gospel Its polluting and hardening influence upon the heart State of the Temperance Reformation in the U. S. Effects of abstinence from all intoxicating drinks Address to the Drunkards of Great Britain Progress of Temperance in Sweden Substitutes for ardent spirit, as a medicine 60 THE Eighth Annual Meeting, of the American Temperance Society, was held at Park Street Church, Boston, May 26, at 9 o'clock A. M. The Presi dent Hon. Samuel Hubbard being absent, the Chair was taken by John Tappan Esq. Chairman of the Executive Committee. The meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Brown Emerson of Salem, Mass. Extracts from the Report were read by the Corresponding Secretary of the Society. On motion of Edward C. Delevan, Chairman of the Executive of the New York State Temperance Society, seconded by the Rev. Ralph Emerson D. D. Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the Theological Seminary, Andover, Mass. Resolved, that the Report, extracts from which have been read, be accepted and printed under the direction of the Executive Committee. On motion of Rev. Nehemiah Adams of Boston, seconded by the Rev. Rodney G. Dennis of Somers, Conn. Resolved, that in our view, the Temperance pledge, the most rapid progress of the Temperance Reformation, and the good of society, all require, that the use of ardent spirit, as a drink, and the traffic in it as such, in every form, should be universally abandoned. On motion of Lucius M. Sargent Esq. of Boston seconded by the Rev. Edward N. Kirk of Albany, N. Y. the following preamble and resolution were then adopted: viz. As it has been proved, by the experience of thousands in this and other countries, of all ages, and conditions, and in all kinds of lawful business, that absti nence from intoxicating drink is not only safe but salutary; and as this is the only course in which it can be rationally expected that intemperate persons will ever be permanently reformed; and as the example and kind moral influence of the temperate is the grand means of leading the intemperate to adopt and pursue a course so essential to their present and future good, therefore Resolved, that the more extensively and universally this course is adopted by all friends of temperance, the more rapid, in our view will be the progress, and the more complete the triumphs of the Temperance Reformation; and the greater will be the prospect that drunkenness and its evils will cease. The Society was then adjourned, to meet at the Lower Vestry of Park Street Church, at half past three o'clock P. M. The society met according to adjournment. The Chairman being absent, the Hon. George Odiorne was appointed Chairman, pro. tem. The Reports of the Treasurer and Auditor were then read and accepted; and the following officers appointed for the ensuing year: viz. It was then voted, that the third article of the Constitution, which was added several years after the formation of the Society, and also the letter s, in the word liquors, throughout the Constitution, be omitted. It was also voted, that in Article second, between the words "additional members," and, "as they shall judge expedient," the following words be added, "of such persons as abstain from the use of intoxicating liquor;" and that in Article fourth, between the words "Any person," and "who has," the following words be added, "who abstains from the use of intoxicating liquor." The meeting was then adjourned, sine die. OF THE AMERICAN TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. EVER since man turned away from God, as the source of enjoyment, and from his service as the means of obtaining it, he has been prone to seek it in some improper bodily or mental gratification. And no kind has perhaps been more deadly in its influence upon him, especially as a rational, accountable, and immortal being, than that which results from the drinking of intoxicating liquor. That intoxicating principle, which has, in this country, been the chief cause of drunkenness, is not the product of creation; nor is it the result of any living process in nature. The animal kingdom, in all its vast variety of existence, and modes of operation, saith, "It is not in me;" and the vegetable kingdom responds, "It is not in me." It cannot be found, and it does not exist, among all the living works of God. Those substances, however, which contain, or which will produce sugar, after they are dead, and have become subject to those laws which, then, operate on inanimate matter, in the incipient stages of decomposition, undergo a process, which chemists call, vinous fermentation. By this process a new substance is formed, called Alcohol. This is the means of intoxication. It is composed of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen in the proportion of 13,04; 52,17; and 34,79 parts to a hundred; and is in its nature, as manifested by its effects, an exceedingly subtle and diffusive poison. The elements, by the combination of which this is formed, existed before; but the substance, which this combination forms, did not before exist. It is an entirely new substance, and is altogether different in its nature and effects, from what existed before. It was formed, not by the process which operates in the formation of living matter, but by that which operates on a certain kind of matter, only after it is dead. And the substance which is thus formed is as really different, in its nature and effects, from every thing which existed before, as the poisonous miasma is different from the fruits, or the vegetables, from the decomposition and decay of which it springs. It is as really different, as sickness is different from health; or drunkenness is different from sobriety. Hence it no more fol lows, because fruits and grains are proper for man, that therefore Alcohol, which the fermentation of these substances produces, is proper, than it follows, because those substances are proper, that therefore poisonous miasma is proper. One is formed by a living process; the other by a process which operates, only after death. And they are as really different, as life is different from death. Because one is good, it does not follow that the other is good; and to conclude that it is, is as really unphilosophical, as it would be to conclude, that because potatoes are good as an article of diet, that therefore the manure out of which they grew, is good for the same purpose. But one does not follow from the other. There is no such connection between them as to lay the foundation for any such conclusion. We are the more particular on this point, because there is much error in the public mind, with regard to it. Many suppose that there is some portion of Alcohol in all vegetable substances; at least in all, whose fermentation, after death, will produce it. But this is an entire mistake. Not a living vegetable under heaven, so far as has yet been discovered, contains a particle of it. It does not exist in any living substance. It is formed only by vinous fermentation. After it is formed, it can be extracted from fermented liquors, in three ways. One is, to place the liquor under a receiver, and exhaust the air; when the Alcohol, being lighter and more volatile than the other parts, at a temperature of about 70 degrees, will rise; and may thus be obtained. Another way, is, to precipitate the mucilaginous parts, the acid and the coloring matter, by means of the subacetate, or sugar cf lead; and then to take off the water that remains, by means of the sub-carbonate of potassa, or pearlashes; when the Alcohol will remain. Another way is by the application of heat, as in common distillation. The art of distillation has been said, by some, to have been known in China, at a period much earlier than we have any authentic evidence of its having been known in other parts of the world. But there is no proof that Alcohol was ever extracted from fermented liquor, till about eight or nine hundred years ago. When this was first done in Arabia, no person knew what this product of distillation was ; nor was there any language that had for it even a name. They however made a name. They called it Alcohol; and that is the chemical name, in every country, to this day. Alcohol in the language of that country, was a fine impalpable powder, with which the women used to paint their faces, for the purpose of increasing their beauty; and in order to appear to be, what they really were not. And if any, under the influence * See Morehead on inebriating liquors, p. 107, &c. |