the stumblingblock of weak ones, and hardening associates. Briefly, he that drinks for lust, or pride, or covetousness, or fear, or good-fellowship, or to drive away time, or to still conscience, is a DRUNKARD. The powerful influence which intoxicating liquors exercise on the human system, their strong tendency to lead to excess, their effects in inflaming the passions and enervating the mind, are sufficient indications, that even their moderate and habitual use is incompatible with a temperate and healthful condition of either mind or body. The vice of intemperance during every stage of its progress, has been characterized by some prominent and peculiar features. 1. In the first place, it may be remarked, that the use of intoxicating liquors is an acquired habit. The influence which inebriating compounds exercise over the mental and physical constitution of man, is altogether the result of rtificial feelings and impressions, superinduced on those with which the system is naturally endowed. Providence, in wisdom and bounty, has supplied the wants of man in rich profusion. Animal and vegetable creation well stored with aliment, surround him on every side. Each substance, moreover, bears characteristic evidence of the design of its munificent Creator. The vast variety of vegetables and their fruits, which enter so largely into the diet of the human race, present evident relation between the nature of their composition, and the purposes to which they are designed to be appropriated. This observation applies with equal force to water, one of the most useful substances in nature. Alcohol, on the contrary, in all its combinations, is devoid of these nutritious characteristics, and is found to be inimical to the healthy functions of the animal economy, and productive only of that injurious excitement, which subsides into morbid debility. It is a humiliating reflection, that man is the only animal in creation accustomed to the use of intoxicating liquors. No analogous substances are found in the whole range of animate creation. Alcoholic stimulants are purely the results of human ingenuity and invention, called into operation by the desire to gratify a sensual and sinful propensity. Mankind have thus themselves originated an evil, which has proved the severest moral and physical scourge that ever afflicted the human race. Several prominent and striking facts are adduced in the present place, to prove that the habit of vinous indulgence is altogether acquired. Entire nations are known to have existed for ages in a state of comparatively superior health, comfort, and hap piness, without the aid of intoxicating liquors.* When first offered to the inhabitants of those countries, they have, in general, evinced considerable aversion to their use; and have been reconciled to the practice only, by a conformity to the habits and persuasions of those civilized nations who have seduced them into the destructive vice of intoxication. A corresponding illustration of this statement, may be found in the fact, that young persons, and in particular children, almost universally exhibit signs of repugnance, when first induced to taste of any kind of intoxicating liquor; which indications of disgust are not manifested, when they partake of the almost unlimited varieties of nutritious food. The unnatural excitement which these liquors induce when first made use of, produces unpleasant sensations on the unvitiated palates of the young. The benevolent Creator has, in his wisdom, so arranged the constitution of man, that every article of a nutritious character is calculated to afford agreeable sensations of pleasure and refreshment to the temperate consumer. -The excitement produced by alcoholic stimulus, however, becomes agreeable only when the system has for some time been habituated to its use; and, in fact, not until a series of artificial feelings have been created, which require for their continuance the repeated application of the stimulating agency by which they were first produced. The varied sensations which inebriating compounds impart to the taste, furnish an additional proof that the habit of indulgence in their use is altogether acquired. The taste and flavour of these compounds have varied in almost every age of the world. The nausea and disagreeable sensations which most of them impart, have, in the first instance, to be conquered or rendered familiar by continued use, before a vitiated appetite can relish their reception. The Jews, for example, frequently mixed frankincense and *Mr. Buckingham states it to be his conviction, "judging from what he himself has seen and heard on the testimony of creditable writers, that onefifth of the entire population of the globe are abstainers from all intoxicating liquors." "A number," he remarks, "sufficiently large to show that they are not necessary to human existence, health, or enjoyment. various spices with their wines, in order to increase their potency. The Romans and Greeks very plentifully made use of pitch, turpentine, resin, and other potent ingredients for the same purpose. Malt liquors were formerly prepared without the bitter addition of hops; in the present day, however, habit has rendered that celebrated bitter so familiar to the taste, that it is on all occasions employed in the preparation of beer and ale. The various kinds of malt liquors now in common use in England are forcible illustrations of the same fact; almost each district having its ale or beer more or less celebrated for some peculiar flavour or reputed strength. Long continued use renders these various compounds highly agreeable; physical disorder, indeed, is not unfrequently induced, even by occasional indulgence in another variety of the same liquor. The system habituated to one peculiar kind of inebriating liquor, rejects with natural repugnance stimulants possessing different properties, both in regard to their strength and flavour. This diversity of character, more or less, applies to inebriating liquors in every part of the globe in which they are used; each nation possessing its favourite liquor to which its inhabitants have become attached, and the use of which, they cannot abandon without feelings of painful deprivation. All of these, however nauseous at first, become not only agreeable, but are eventually considered as necessary to healthful existence. Such is the influence of habit. Most persons," remarks Dr. Garnett, "have so indulged themselves in this pernicious habit of drinking wine, that they imagine they cannot live without a little every day; they think that their very existence depends upon it, and that their stomachs require it to enable them to perform the necessary functions of digestion. Similar arguments may be brought in favour of every other bad habit, though, at first, the violence we do to nature makes her revolt; in a little time she submits, and is not only reconciled, but grows fond of the habit; and we think it necessary to our existence. Neither the flavour of wine, of opium, of snuff, nor that of tobacco, is naturally agreeable to us: on the contrary, these articles are highly unpleasant at first; but by the force of habit they become pleasant. It is, however, the business of rational beings to distinguish carefully, between the real wants of nature, and the artificial calls of habit; and when we find that the last begin to injure us, we ought to use the most perse vering efforts to break the enchantment of bad customs; and though it may cost us some uneasy sensations at first, we must learn to bear them patiently; a little time will reward us for our forbearance by a re-establishment of health and spirit." 2. Habitual and long continued indulgence in the use of inebriating drinks, obtains an almost irresistible influence over both the mental and physical constitution of man. This change appears to be peculiar in its character, impairing the moral perception, enervating the mind, and deranging all the operations of the physical powers, substituting an artificial and tyrannical condition, in the place of the harmonious and agreeable operations of nature. This condition is so enslaving in its character, that individuals have been known to make the most severe sacrifices, rather than submit to be deprived of the means of sensual gratification. Indeed, many of the victims of strong drink have declared their utter inability to resist its influenceso strong and so painful are the cravings of the intemperate appetite. It is important to observe, that this peculiar fascination is found to exist, even when the mind is perfectly conscious of the guilt and awful consequences, temporal and spiritual, which inevitably result from perseverance in intemperate habits. The entreaties of friends and relations, the loss of character, the privation of all temporal prosperity, and the positive knowledge of eternal punishmentall such inducements, however powerful in themselves, are often found insufficient to arrest the drunkard in his selfdestroying career. Dr. Cheyne, of Dublin, relates a remarkable example of the inveteracy of this evil habit. A gentleman, very amiable in his disposition, and justly popular among the circle of his acquaintance, contracted habits of intemperance; his friends argued, implored, and remonstrated, but in vain. At last, he thus put an end to all importunity. A friend addressed him in the following strain : "Dear Sir George, your family are in the utmost distress on account of this unfortunate habit; they perceive that business is neglected, your moral influence is gone, your health is ruined, and, depend upon it, the coats of your stomach will soon give way, and then a change will come too late." The poor victim, deeply convinced of the hopelessness of his case, replied thus: "My good friend, your remarks are indeed too true, but I can no longer re sist temptation. If a bottle of brandy stood at one hand, and the pit of hell yawned on the other, and if I were convinced that I were to be pushed in, as surely as I took one more glass, I could not refrain; you are all very kind; 1 ought to be very grateful for so many kind good friends, but you may spare yourselves the trouble of trying to reform me the thing is now impossible.' The pages of history record numerous examples of similar infatuation. Dionysius the younger, according to Aristotle, would sometimes continue in a state of intoxication for ninety days at a time, a habit, the frequent recurrence of which reduced him at last to total blindness. The Emperor Zeno daily drank himself into a state of insensibility. In one of these fits of inebriety, his consort, Ariadne, had him committed to the horrors of the tomb. Returning consciousness revealed the dreadful situation in which he had been placed by his folly and imprudence. His lamentable cries and entreaties, however, were suffered to pass unheeded, and the sensual tyrant, detested alike by his wife and his subjects, was thus left to die a miserable death. The conduct of Winceslaus, king of Bohemia, exhibits another instance of the infatuating influence of strong drink. This monarch visited Charles VI. at Rheims, A. D. 1397, in order to treat with him on some important national affairs. The wine of that country afforded him such unexpected pleasure, that rather than be diverted from the excess in which he daily indulged, he consented to make certain important and disadvantageous concessions.t One of the monarchs of Bamba in Africa, resigned his right to the throne, rather than submit to be removed from the Portuguese settlements, where he had ample opportunities of indulging his fondness for intoxicating liquors.‡ Shawe O'Neil the famous opponent of Queen Elizabeth, usually kept in his cellar at Dundrum, two hundred tons of wine, of which as well as of Usquebaugh, he drank to such excess that his attendants were accustomed to bury him in the earth chin-deep, until the inflaming effects of inebriation had become dissipated.§ A volume might be filled with similar examples. Innumerable instances in point are of ordinary occurrence at A Statement of Certain Effects of Temperance Sccieties, 1829, p. 8. Adamson's Voyage to Senegal. |