of kindly feeling from our nature, and to transform a man, a husband, a father, into the veriest monster in the universe.

"Holt was the keeper of a tippling shop, and himself a tippler. Ah! this tells the story! let those, then, who are so far following in his steps be warned, and beware lest they overtake him in his end!"

"Paul B. Torrey, of Naples, N. Y. in a fit of intoxication on Sunday, the 17th inst. after cruelly beating his own son, took him by the legs and dashed his head against the side of the house with such violence, as to break the wall, and then with a boot-jack beat the poor child's head literally to a jelly. The dead body was discovered on Monday afternoon. The murderer is in jail at Canandaigua. Torrey was addicted to intemperance. His wife was driven from his house some time since. He was a merchant, as we learn from a house in this city, with whom he dealt, in good standing. All this unutterable anguish comes from the destestable habit of drinking."-Albany paper.

A gentleman from Portsea, England, writes, "I was called yesterday to a house in the neighborhood, where a man had just murdered his wife; the purple gore was yet flowing, and life was not extinct, when I arrived. The husband was in a state of intoxication, and his wife speedily expired, from a wound inflicted by him, with a shoe-maker's knife. They were both drunkards. tended the inquest: the verdict returned, was, 'wilful murder.' The day before, a child was burnt to death by its clothes taking fire. The father and mother, at the time it took place, were both so drunk that they could not assist the little sufferer."

In view of such facts, which might be recounted for hours, the community will apply the principle maintained by the distinguished legislator referred to, that "the man who holds out the temptation, is the chief transgressor." For cents and sixpences, he will thus knowingly sport with the lives and souls of his fellow

men.

On a certain day, during the past year, one of these men sold his neighbor, who, with his wife and son about 22 years old, had been intemperate, some New England rum. The next day an altercation took place betwen the son and his mother. He told her if she would furnish him with a rope he would hang himself. The rope was procured, and a few rods from the house, he suspended himself from a tree. In that situation a neighbor discovered him, and informed his mother that her son was dead. She said she was glad of it, and hoped he was in hell. While the man was gone to call others, she made her way to the spot, where her son hung, a lifeless corpse, took a bottle from his coat pocket, and drank herself to intoxication. Not many months after, her husband was found on the floor of his house, in which state it is supposed he had

been 24 hours, dead. And what did that man get probably for the rum which he sold them? Perhaps thirty cents. And for that paltry sum, he is to be held eternally responsible for its effects. "Such painful effects," says a writer on the spot, who conversed with this woman on the death of her son, "speak loudly and impressively; and I hope will excite all the friends of temperance to increased devotedness in a cause, which so directly involves the present and eternal welfare of mankind."

In another case, a man sold to a man and woman a pint of ardent spirit. They drank a part of it, and made their way toward a pond, in which they were both shortly after found dead, with their clothes and their bottle lying together on the shore. And how much did that man get for thus being accessory to the death of two of his fellow men? perhaps six cents. So true is it, that men who call themselves sober, humane, and who sometimes even profess religion, for cents and sixpences will destroy the bodies and souls of their fellow men.

To one individual was committed at one time on board a steam-boat the care of a hundred and twenty persons. Some one, for a mere pittance, sold him some ardent spirit; under its influence he was called to encounter a storm. Night approached, danger became imminent, and being near the port the passengers besought him to return. "No, said he, if we go back we shall have no profit." And for three hours he held those passengers in danger of death; and when entreated to make signals of distress, he utterly refused; and would not even hang out a light; although by doing it, the prospect was that all might be saved; and by not doing it, that all would be lost. The vessel struck upon a rock, and fifty persons were plunged into the sea. And, as if in judgment, the first among them, was the captain himself. And there, amidst the foaming billows, more than a hundred persons found a watery grave, all apparently occasioned by ardent spirit. Says a passenger who was saved, "the captain was intoxicated all the way." And what did the person who sold him the liquor get for thus being accessory to the loss of more than a hundred lives? And what will it avail him in the day when he must answer for the influence of his business upon the world? Will it screen him from the accusation of the slain, the stings of an accusing conscience, and the burning indignation of an incensed God, to say, If he had not done it, somebody else would?

From a similar cause, thousands of lives are wantonly sacrificed, and property to an almost incredible amount, buried in the ocean, every year. And shall the men who are knowingly accessory, think to escape the execrations of earth, or heaven?

A merchant from one of our principal sea-ports remarks, "I sent out a vessel under an express agreement that no ardent spirit

should be taken on board. I had suffered so many losses from it, that I resolved never to permit it to be taken on board again. The captain, in violation of his agreement, when about to return took on board four gallons of brandy, which lasted him about four weeks; and that four gallons of brandy cost me $4000. A great proportion of all the shipwrecks on the ocean are occasioned by it. I hardly ever suffered a loss at sea, or had vessels meet with disasters, where this was not the cause; and I am resolved never to send out another vessel under the command of a man, who will either use, or furnish it."

So strongly marked are the facts, that such are now becoming the sentiments of respectable merchants throughout the country. More than five hundred vessels are afloat, which do not carry ardent spirit; and they will outride storms which will shipwreck a great portion of the vessels that do. Insurance offices, have, in some cases on such vessels, diminished the rate of insurance five per cent. And the time, it is hoped, is not distant when the use of ardent spirit by officers or crews, in case of the loss of vessels, shall be a forfeiture of the insurance.

Nor is the change more striking or beneficial, in the merchant service than in the Navy. An order was issued by the Secretary of the Navy, directing that each man on board the United States vessels, who should relinquish his grog ration, should receive as an equivalent six cents a day. An officer on board the sloop of war John Adams, in a letter dated Syracuse, Jan. 1st, 1832, writes, "Since the Secretary's letter respecting grog rations has been read to the men, we have not had more than forty on board who drew their grog, and to-day they all stopped it, except two."

Commodore Biddle, who commands the Mediterranean squadron, in a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, states that the whole number of persons in the squadron, exclusive of commissioned and warrant officers, is 1107; and that 819 have stopped their allowance of spirits; and that on board the sloop of war John Adams, not a man draws his grog. And a gentleman from Syracuse writes that not an officer on board draws his rations of spirits; and that there is much zeal among them, in the temperance cause. Similar changes have taken place on board other ships. One

now fitting out at Washington, and every man, before he goes aboard of her, voluntarily pledges himself to abstain from the use of ardent spirit, and receives in lieu of his rations of grog, an equivalent in cash. No man not disposed thus to pledge himself, is received. And there can be no doubt that the practice of furnishing ardent spirit by the government, and thus without benefit, and at a great expense exciting the men to violate the commands of their officers, tempting them to form intemperate habits, and ren

dering them unfit for the public service; corrupting therr morals, increasing their diseases, shortening their lives, and ruining their souls, will ere long in the Navy, as well as the Army, be done away. Millions now unite with that member of Congress, who, in addressing the head of the War Department on the subject of Temperance, said, "It may be quickened by what I trust will be its next great step, the relinquishment, through enlightened and patriotic feelings, of ardent spirit by our gallant army and navy.

"Those who have had experience in both, have officially declared that the greatest difficulties they had to encounter, have arisen from the daily rations of spirit to the soldier or sailor. The physician says that it is not promotive of health, but that it weakens the energies, engenders diseases, and destroys life. Why then should it be given at all to the gallant men who bear our banner upon the land and the wave, and who have the glories of their fathers past achievements in keeping? The small quantity of ardent spirit allowed creates an appetite for more, and it often happens, in both army and navy, that a month's pay of the men is spent for the means of intoxication. In our little army of 5642 men, there have been, it is stated, 5832 courts martial, within five years; of which five sixths are chargeable to intemperance; and also 4049 desertions of which almost all are chargeable to intemperance. Desertion alone has cost the United States $336,616 in five years. Add to this the declension of moral feeling, the disease and premature deaths produced, and what a hideous aggregate does it give of the ravages of intemperance.-What has been done, it was right and best to do gradually. But now strike boldly in unison with the public tone; fulfil its expectation; recommend the entire disuse of spirits, and receive from your countrymen the praise of not being statesmen alone, but statesmen and benefactors. Give us your aid to bring upon men almost the brightness of the world's first morning."

A distinguished officer of the army, in a letter to our Secretary, says, "I am under great obligations to you for the Fourth Report of the American Temperance Society; and I feel myself highly honored in having been made a member of that truly benevolent institution. When I arrived here, I question whether there were three men who abstained wholly from the use of ardent spirits― now, more than three fourths of our whole number are members of a Temperance Society, on the principle of entire abstinence. They hold regular meetings once a fortnight, at which, one of their number reads an essay or tract on intemperance. The effect has been just what I anticipated a manifest improvement in the appearance, spirits, and conduct of the soldiers. Instead of the stu

* Hon. James M. Wayne.

pid and bloated visage, is now seen the cheerful and healthy countenance-where was wrangling and strife is good humor and playfulness and insubordination and negligence have given place to cheerful obedience and prompt attention to duty. Not a member of the society, which is of six weeks' standing, has been confined in the guard-house, and such has been its influence even upon others, that but two men of the whole command have been confined since the society was established. I hardly need to add that the offence, in both cases, was intoxication-while, before the society was formed, the average number of men confined was three in twenty-four hours; so that there were as many men confined before in one day, as are now confined in six weeks. Since the formation of the society no desertion has occurred; while during the month preceding its formation, five men deserted-I must believe that the difference is mainly to be attributed to the temperance reformation.-I am more than ever convinced that were a judicious friend of temperance to visit the various military posts, and exert himself in this truly benevolent cause, his efforts would save the government thousands, and the members of the army from incalculable evils."

And who can doubt, after reading the above statement, that this would be the case; when as many men were confined in the guard-house in one day before the temperance society was formed, as were afterwards in six weeks; and when the number of desertions was diminished in a still greater proportion? Thus indicating that the officers have more than forty times as much trouble with men who use ardent spirit, as with men who do not. On what principle, then, of prudence or economy, patriotism, or even humanity, can the government continue to furnish it, or license men to sell it to the soldier or the seaman? Just views on this subject, the committee are sure, must cause a practice productive of no benefit, and fraught with such numerous and alarming evils, to be abolished; and they rejoice to find that a change has taken place in other countries on this subject similar to what has been effected in our own. The British government has ceased to furnish ardent spirit for their armies throughout their provinces; and to a great extent it is relinquished on board many vessels in the British navy. And if the friends of God and man do their duty, the practice of furnishing it in any case will ere long cease throughout the earth.

Manufactories of every description are now carried on, canals and rail-roads are constructed, and lawful business of every sort, and by constantly increasing numbers, is conducted, and with greatly increased advantage, without the use of ardent spirit. In the erection of the Massachusetts Lunatic Asylum, the state commissioners say, that more than eleven hundred thousand brick have been