souls: but the object of this Society was to banish it; to stay the pestilence; and to arrest and extinguish the conflagration; and could any Christian man oppose it, or connive at the existence of this cause of misery? Was it not the bounden duty of every man who professed to be the friend of humanity, morals, and religion, to concur in this object and assist in this design? He felt this subject to be great and important, and did not hesitate to describe it as one of the greatest discoveries and blessings ever revealed to men; and the historians of after times would do that justice to its progress which it would deserve.”

The attention of a great portion of the world has been aroused to this subject, and multitudes have inquired with regard to ardent spirit, "Is it right for me to use it?" And, says a philanthropic European, "The moment a man of conscience seriously asks the question, Does the use of ardent spirit on the whole do good, and is it right for me to drink it? the work is half done." The reasons, the substantial reasons are all on one side. And the great object is, to present those reasons, and lead all men, in view of endless being, to ask the question, each one for himself, to be decided as God and an enlightened conscience shall direct, Is it right for me to drink ardent spirit? Two millions in our country, and multi-' tudes in other countries, who have examined this subject, have answered, No. A million have united in Temperance Societies, and pledged themselves not to use it, or furnish it, and in all suitable ways to discountenance the use of it, throughout the community. The number of these societies in the United States exceeds five thousand, and more than twenty of them are State societies, at the head of which, in many cases are the first men in the community. More than two thousand men have ceased to make it, and more than six thousand have ceased to sell it. They do not believe it to be right, however common, or however much money they might make by it, to prosecute an employment so manifestly cursed of God, and so notoriously destructive to the best interests of men. Seven hundred vessels now float on the ocean, in which it is not used; and though they visit every clime and at all seasons of the year, make the longest and most difficult voyages, and not unfrequently circumnavigate the globe, the men are uniformly better, and in all respects, than when they used it. Seventy-five out of ninety-seven vessels from New Bedford sail without ardent spirit. It has become common; and so great is the increase of safety to the property in such cases, that Insurance Companies find it for their interest to insure those vessels that carry no spirituous liquors at a less premium than others.

And says the English Temperance Magazine and Review, "We did hope that our country might be the foremost to set an example to the world in this respect. But we have been disappointed,

America, that country which has just sprung into existence, and which those who have so industriously flattered our self-love, have done all in their power to teach us to despise, has stepped before us. Not only are ships, which are sailed on Temperance principles, in demand by merchants, but the rate of insurance has been so much lowered on them that a merchant in Liverpool sailing a vessel to New York, would save a considerable sum by effecting the insurance in New York rather than in Liverpool; so that the road of virtue is the way to wealth as well as to happiness; and however grating it may be to our feelings, we must follow in the wake of America."

So with regard to manufacturing establishments, and other kinds of property. Many officers of Insurance Companies and guardians of public interests in various departments, when men make application, now ask the question which Jefferson said he would ask with regard to candidates for public office. "Do they drink ardent spirit?" If they do, however moderately, they find it needful to beware. A master of a vessel, or the owner of that, or other property, is not able perhaps to effect an insurance according to his mind. There seems to be an unaccountable indifference, or an egregious excess of caution on the part of the officers and agents of Insurance Companies. He wonders what is the reason. But were his olfactory nerves unscathed, or a mirror placed before him, he would be at no loss for the reason. It is with vessels often, as with stages, and steam boats. When the fire and the tempest rage within, they are wrecked, overturned or exploded. The drinking driver, engineer, captain, sailor, and workman cause more waste of property, and more loss of life, than all the elements of providence. It is a tornado within that does the mischief; and it needs no eagle eye to see the character, or the guilt of those who are instrumental in raising it; and no spirit of prophecy to foretell that the time is at hand when no provident man will have the cause of it, on board his vessel. More than five thousand drunkards have also ceased to use intoxicating drinks; and are, as every drunkard who adopts and pursues this course will be-sober

men.

There is no tendency in the government of God to make drunkards; and it is not possible for any person who lives under it to become one, except through his own guilty instrumentality, or that of others. And even if a man has become a drunkard, and sunk to the lowest depths of degradation, let that man cease, by his own wickedness, to perpetuate that degradation, and the providence of God will make him sober, and will infallibly keep him sober, to the day of his death, on the simple condition, which we must think is most reasonable, that he shall just refrain from making himself, by his own voluntary wickedness, a drunkard. And were there

no man to exert an influence for making drunkards in opposition to that of God, there never would be one. Let all men make it their object to imitate him, and drunkenness will cease from under heaven. Wherever they do this, it does cease. And the grand instrumentality of leading drunkards to become sober men, is example; united, consistent, and persevering example. This is indeed the grand engine for the moral renovation of the world; and never has its deep and all-pervading power been more conspicuously manifested than in the entire reformation of more than five thousand drunkards, within five years. From one hundred and thirty-seven towns in Maine, returns are made of four hundred and fifty drunkards, who are now sober men. An equal number in proportion to the population throughout the State, would make more than a thousand; and throughout the United States, more than thirty thousand. Drunkards were lately thought by all, and are by many thought now, to be beyond the reach of any moral influence. But let all sober men set an example, united, public and persevering, which drunkards may safely follow, and the world will be convinced of its mistake and even drunkards by thousands and tens of thousands not only become sober, but be led to glorify God.

Among the multitude of cases, known to the Committee, they will mention only three. One was a man of respectable employment, character and property, with an amiable and intelligent wife, and a number of lovely children. He became a drunkard, lost his property, and sunk to the lowest depths of inebriety and debasement. The family experienced all the heart breaking evils common in such cases; and some that were very peculiar. For more than ten years, they struggled hard amidst an almost unheard of complication of trials, till the case appeared to be hopeless; when after many fruitless removes from place to place, and changes of many kinds, they removed about thirty miles into a neighbourhood, in which no individual sold ardent spirit, and no one drank it. And when this solitary drunkard looked around and saw not an individual, who would touch the drunkard's poison, except himself, and all were far happier than he, he said, what thousands of drunkards under similar circumstances would say, "If other people can do without, I can." He had no idea of being singular and sustaining all the odium of drunkard making, and drunkenness alone. He resolved to be like other people. And when our Secretary saw him, he had taken nothing that intoxicates for three years; was a respectable man, and his family were in comfortable circumstances. "That" said a gentleman of his acquaintance, "is one of the trophies of the Temperance Reformation. For ten years not a woman in the United States perhaps suffered more than that woman; but for three years, her house has been the abode of

peace and joy." But, says one, "I don't believe a drunkard was ever reformed. I have seen such cases, where they have broken off for a time, but they have all gone back, and have generally become worse than before." That many who for a time break off, go back, there is no doubt. But why do they go back? Because some sober men set them the example of using that which carries them back; and some perhaps urge them to use it, or for a mere pittance of worldly gain, will sell it to them, and thus entice them to do, what no drunkard can do and reform, drink the drunkard's poison. Such men are their destroyers. Every drunkard will live and die a sober man, if he drinks nothing that intoxicates; but, if he uses distilled, or fermented liquors, he must expect to die a drunkard. And those who by example or business are accessory to his use of it, are sharers in his guilt; and will unless they repent be partakers in his plagues. But the idea that drunkards in great numbers will not be radically and permanently reformed, if sober men will set them an example, which they may safely follow, is entirely without foundation, and contrary to conclusive evidence.

men.

A gentleman in one of our cities accosted our Secretary, as he was walking in the streets, and said, "There is one thing, which, as you go about the country, and speak on the subject of Temperance, I wish you to impress particularly on the minds of sober They must set an example, which drunkards may safely follow; and if they will do that, and not avoid the drunkard, or pass him by and neglect him, but go to him, and treat him kindly, and say, Come now, though you are wretched, and your family are wretched, and while you continue your present course you never can be any better, yet you are not lost. Break off the use of spirit, and you will find many that are ready to help you. They often think they are lost, and that if they should reform nobody would ever care for them, and they never could be any thing. I know how they feel, I have had full experience. And it will affect them exceedingly, to find that they have friends, and that people feel kind toward them, and wish to help them. There is another thing. I want to have it impressed on their minds, that they may break off entirely, and at once, and it will not kill them. They often think that should they break off suddenly it will kill them and the devil tries to have them think so, and it is the doctrine of some people. But without the least danger they may break off at once. And there is no other way. If sober men will all set them the example, treat them kindly, and as they break off help them into business, it will be the salvation of thousands. I hope sir, you will bear this in mind. The Lord bless you, in your great and good work. Good bye." To be thus accosted by a stranger awakened a desire to know who and what he was. Meeting a

merchant, the Secretary made the inquiry. "Oh," (said the merchant,) "his name is He used to be picked up in the street here, and carried home a number of times in the week, drunk. He is now the Cashier of Bank, a very respectable and most excellent man." His employment is of course sufficient evidence of his entire reformation. And of the correctness of his views on this subject we have a most striking exhibition in the following facts.

As our Secretary was passing in the public stage from Baltimore to Washington, a genteel looking stranger accosted him, saying, "How does the Temperance cause prosper now?" "It goes well,' said the Secretary, "where they do the needful work; but it will not go in any place without labor." "It is making great progress,' said the stranger, "in our part of the country. It is most surprizing what it is doing. It is saving many, even of the drunkards. There was a case of a man in my employment that has interested me very much. He is a mechanic, of the first order; was married into a respectable family, and was once a man of property. But he lost it, and became a drunkard. He had a large family of sons and daughters. His wife struggled long and hard to support them, and sustain the family. But it was too much; she sunk under it. For more than a year she had been confined to her room, the greater part of the time to her bed; and was evidently sinking to the grave. Not unfrequently they were entirely destitute of provision; and what was earned by the father and sons was expended for liquor; till they sunk so low that nobody would trust them. His boys seemed to be stupid, and to have in a measure lost their minds by dissipation. They would undertake a job of work as quick for a shilling, as they would for a dollar. They seemed hardly to know the difference, and when they got it, they would spend a dollar for spirit, as quick as a shilling. They sometimes worked in the factory; but they were so stupid, that the overseer would not trust them to mend a band or oil a gudgeon, or do any such thing. You could put no confidence in them. And the mother being sick and no one to take care of any thing, they were most wretched-and seemed to have no resolution, or desire to do any thing, except just to get the means of intoxication. I met the doctor one day, as he came from the house, and I asked him, 'What is the matter of that woman?' and he said, 'Nothing. She has no disease upon her. It is trouble, nothing but trouble, and their destitute wretched condition. And that will sink her to the grave, if she cannot be relieved.' So I thought of it, and resolved that I would make one more effort to save them. I knew that in my business there was hardly a man in the country that would do better than he, if he would only keep sober. One day I went to him, when he was sober; and I told