The Washingtonian, or, Total abstinence advocate. (Augusta, Ga.) 1842-1843, March 18, 1843, Image 1

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. ,-' - ’ . ■ ■ . . - ..... , ■ . VOL. I.] THE WASHINGTONIAN. PUBLISHED BY JAMES McCAFFERTY, TWICE EVEHY MONTH. Office on Macintosh street—opposite the Post Office. TERMS. For a single Cony, for one year. One Dollar; for six copies, to one address, Five Dollars ; for ten copies, to one address, Eight Dollars—and so in proportion. Cl?- Payment in all cases to lie made in advance. ISt? * All communications by mail, must be post paid, to receive attention. Richmond Couuty Washington Total Ab stinence Society. OFFICERS. Dr. Joseph A. Eve, President. Col. John Milledge, ' Hawkins Hupp, Dr. F. M. Robertson, Vice Presidents. Dr. 1. P. Garvin, J. W. Meredith, 1 Wm. Haines, Jr. Secretary if* Treasurer. MANAGERS. James Harper, Wm. F. Pemberton, John G. Dunlap, Wm. O. Eve, Jesse Walton, A. Phillips, E. E. Scofield, Dr. Benjamin Douglass, i James Godbv, J. L. Mimms. , phrenology versus intemperance. A LECTURE ON TEMPERANCE, Considered Physiologically and Phrenologically, or the Laws of Life and the principles of Ike human constitution, as developed by the sciences of Phrenology aild Phy siology, if-c. if ‘c. BY O. S. FOWLER, A. 8., PRACTICAL phrenologist. [Continued.] Dr. Vanoerburgri, of New l'ork, relates the following fact. 'A patient of his by mistake took, a preparation of potash, which gradually and in about eighteen mouths, terminated his life. It first neutralized his love of wife and child, before very strong; next his anger, before ungovernable, fell a pray to its ravages, and his ambition next, whilst his still sound intellect, saw this gradual destruction of his animal nature. He retained his reason to the last. Volumes of analagous facts might be adduced incontrovertibly establish - ing, as a law of our nature, the proposition under discussion, namely, that whatever stimulates the body, thereby proportionally excites the merely animal nature of man, and that in a vicious di rection, whilst whatever weakens the body, there by weakens the memory in general, ami also the animal feelings. Beyond all dispute and contro versy, this is a law of our nature, and a law, too, from which there isrno appeal, and in the action of which, no variation. Whoever violates it, ! must abide the consequences. The inference then becomes obvious and pow-1 erful and inevitable, that alcoholic admixtures of every kind and degree, by stimulating the body, thereby powerfully excite merely the animal na ture of man, and weaken his moral and intellcc-; tual powers, the very conditions which constitute 1 a brute. And tbc fact that his animal organs are several times larger and more active than those of the brute creation, renders him when stimulated, so much the more of a brute than they are. No more can any human being take alco holic liquors in any form or degree, without pro portionally inducing this result, without thereby brutalizing his nature, without degrading his i manhood below his bcasthood, and subjugating the former to the latter, thus reversing the order! of his nature, than he can “ carry coals of fire in his bosom and not be burned. 1 ’ As soon will any other law of our nature fail to do ample justice as this. As soon will the deadly poisons become harmless, or the water slide up the inclined plane <ff itself, as alcoholic stimu'ants fail to produce ani mality, and to weaken the moral feelings. Nor is there any middle, any moderate ground. Every identical drop of alcohol has its legitimate, its stim ulating effect upon the nerves, and thro’them upon the organs of tne amimal propensities. As far as it goes at all, just so far it goes towards making a man a brute, aye, and even worse than a brute; for as it requires a fallen angel to become a demon —a tall, arch- angel to become the prince of devils . —so the higher man ranges in the scale of being, the lower alcohol sinks him. As the greater any gift or blessing is, the worse it become when per verted ; as connubial love and faithfulness are among the highest of virtues, and productive of the purest enjoyment, and as licentiousness is the vice of vices, and attended with consequences the most painful; as reason, God’s crowning gift to man, when perverted, becomes a proportional in- i strument of evil and misery, so man, brutalized, becomes vastly lower, vastly worse than a brute, and proportion ably more miserable. TOTAL ABSTINENCE ADVOCATE. AUGUSTA, GA. SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1843. Let it here lie distinctly understood and remem bered, that whatever contains alcohol, be it the al coholic drinks as such, namely, rum, gin. brandy, cider brandy, whiskey, &c., &c., or be it any of the wines, foreign or domestic, he it malt liquors, strong beer, porter, ale, hard cider, vinegar, one and all, everything containing alcohof in any form or degree, is productive of this result in just that proportion in which it contains this powerful stimulant, this deadly poison. It is the stimula ting property that does the mischief. By ta king pure alcohol as our basis, and apply ing the rule of three to the amount contained in the several kinds ofstrong drinks, we can decy pher the amoumt of bestiality produced by each. A single glass will stimulate a little, two glasses will double this result, and so on to beastly drun kenness. Iften glasses of rum or brandy per day will make a man a brute, then will one glass a day make him one-tenth of a brute. And if wine, or beer, or malt liquor, or hard cider contain one fourth, or one-sixth, orone-tenth, as much alco hol, in that proportion will ihey severally induce this same result, and four, or six, or ten times as much of these liquors produce this result in the same degree, because, mark well the ground of this inference, every glass, every identical drop, stimulates, and every minute degree of stimu lant proportionably kindles the animal passions. W HOEVER, THEREFORE, TAKES ALCOHOLIC STIMU- I LANTS IN AN/ OF THESE FORMS, OR IN ANY OTHER FORM OR DEGREE, THEREBY AROUSES HIS ANIMAL , PASSIONS, AND WEAKENS HIS MORAL ANDINTELLEC- | tual powers, just in pmopoht.on to the amount j | TAKEN. This principle harmonizes with and fully ex ! plains the phenomena of drunkenness. Beyond all question, and in all instances, drunkenness certainly destroys the moral feelings, and weak ens the intellect, whilst moderate drinking low ers them in proportion to the stimulus taken, as | surely as cold sinks the thermometer. That alcoholic drinks powerfully excite Ama tiveness, which is located in the very base of the brain, is a universal fact. The vulgarity, and obscenity, and licentiousness occasioned by them, are proverbial. Who ever saw a drinking party that were not indecent in their allusions, given to the relation of obscene anecdotes, and to the singing of lewd songs, if not to the company of harlots 1 Hence, in England, when the wine is introduced after dinner, modest women always retires, because she knows that by remaining, her j delicacy will be shocked. Wine or ardent spirits of some kind is ‘indispensable to any and every j debauch. Why are harlots universally drunk- \ ardsf Let this principle answer. These drinks drown the voice of conscience, blunt modesty, ! stifle the claims of morality, of intellect, and of! virtue, whilst they whirl its guilty victim on in her sensual career ot merely animal indulgence. ! A man or woman, be they ever so moral or virtu- j cus, when under the influence of intoxicating drinks, is of easy virtue. Before the first advan- j tage can be taken of a virtuous woman, she must be partly intoxicated, and the advantage can be j taken of almost any woman when thus stimulated. And if this is the fact of virtuous, modest woman, what is the fact of less virtuous man ? The drinker’s (not drunkard’s) combative or contending propensity, is also .unduly excited. So combustible is his anger, that he takes fire at every little thing, and more hard feelings, broils, fights and duels are engendered by ardent spirit, than by all other causes united. Who ever saw men fight unless they were excited by liquor 1 or who ever saw men in liquor, who were not easily angered, and “ all fit for a fight 1” Byron says that stimulants always rendered him “ savage ! and suspicious.” Alcoholic drinks also stimulate Destructive ness, or the bitter, hating, revengeful feeling; and hence drinkers will caress their wives and children one minute, and beat them the next. More murders are caused by the stimulating in fluences of ardent spirit, than by all other causes combined. Let the calenders of crime testify on this point. Hence, also, intoxicated men not only rail, curse, break, destroy, vociferate, and threaten vengeance more than when they are not intoxicated, but it is then that any old grudge, otherwise long since buried, is raked up, and dire I vengeance sought and obtained; and generally a human being can screw up his Destructiveness to the sticking point of murder, and screw down his Benevolence and Conscientiousness below the remonstrating point, only, or at least most ef fectually, by ardent spirit. It is the excessive exercise of the animal pro pensities which subjects criminals to the penal ties of violated civil law. It is mainly by drink ers that our courts are supported. Let our intel ligent lawyers, let our judges, sheriffs, justices, &c. &c. answer the question, “ Does not most, if not nearly all of your criminal business have its origin in drinking'?” But in case alcoholic drinks did not excite the merely animal passions, or in case they equally stimulated the inoral faculties, OR, or especially if they stimulated the moral senti ments only, this slate of things would be revers ed, and drinking would render mankind more virtuous instead of most vicious. This principle explains the fact that alcohol often renders a good man areal demon incarnate. So long as the moral and intellectual organs pre dominate, no matter if the animal propensities are vigorous. If duly governed, the more the better, for they impart force. When the two are about equal, with the moral in ascendancy, and the animal not stimulated, all goes right; but a little stimulant will turn the scales, and thus render a really good man a vcry bad one, But mark well the converse: it never renders a bad man a good citizen, nor an immoral man virtuous, because it never stimulates the moral and intel lectual faculties more than the animal feelings. This general principle explains the reason of the custom of drinking grog with a friend, in stead of drinking, or doing, any thing else. As Adhesiveness, or the organ of friendship, is loca ted in the base of the brain, ardent spirit warms it up to vigorous action, thus augmenting the flow and intensity of friendly feeling, and hence you will often see those who are halt-slued, hug ging and caressing each other. In case it exci ted friendship alone, it would do little injury, per haps good, but as it inflames the other animal passions also, drinkers will be the warmest of friends one minute and the bitterest of enemies the next, producing that irregularity which we have already shown to constitute vice. Philoprogenitiveness, or parental attachment, is also located in the lower portion of the hind head, and hence the half-intoxicated father, will foolishly fondle his hoy, talking to him all sorts of nonsense, to be followed up by a cruel beating, thus destroying even-handed government, and spoiling the lad. Liquor excites conversation, because Language is in the lowest part of the forehead; but as the reasoning organs, which manufacture ideas, are in the upper portion of the forehead, and therefore not only not stimulated but actually weakened by it, the drinker talks, talks, talks, all the time, but says nothing. He talks words only, not ideas. How foolish, how destitute of sense and reason, of thought and re finement, is the conversation not only of drunk ards, but of those who stimulate only moderately! Witness bar-room conversation. A Byron, half intoxicated, may indeed write his Don Juan, and like productions, may compose poetry mostly ad dressed to the passions of men; but no one in this stale ever wrote a Paradise Lost, a Thom son’s Seasons, a Locke on the Human Under standing, Brown’s Mental Philosophy, or Ed wards on the Will. A Pitt, a Fox, a Sheridan, not to name cases in our own country, may be eloquent when partially intoxicated, yet their eloquence will be characterized by sarcasm, se vere invective, denunciation, declamation, hyper bole, narration, and a remarkable flow of words, &c. ; rather than by argument, or profundity, or clear deductions, from first principles, nor will it be freighted with rich ideas. But before alcohol can produce eloquence, a quality far inferior to j reasoning power, the individual requires a pecu liarity oftemperainent and phrenological develope ments not found in one man in millions; while it will destroy that ofall the balance. Again: over-excitement produces that confu sion which prevents the advantageous exercise of one’s powers; and alcoholic drinks by surcharg ing both the muscles and- hfain with excitement, prevent the even, equable;'harmonious and ad vantageous expenditure of that strength, both mental and physical, which is t.hu3 unnaturally called forth. In passing, we will add that the fall of our first parents was caused by their eating what they should not. This indulgence of Alimentiveness led the way for the ingress of every other vice. Virtue, vice and intellect depend more upon what we eat and drink, than upon almost any other | cause. A depraved appetite inflames and diseases j the stomach; this corrupts and inflames the blood, which, by fevering and exciting the body,' thereby stimulates the animal propensities and weakens the moral and reasoning powers. This is particularly true of alcoholic drinks. These drinks are sometimes taken to drown trouble, but we see that they are particularly cal- j culated to augment it, except that of a guilty con- j science, which they do indeed drown. Having clearly shown that alcoholic drinks produce vice by stimulating our merely animal, and weakening our higher, nobler powers, we reverse the principle, and observe that they cause vice and misery, secondly, by paralizing these organs. These drinks produce vice, first, by in flaming Amativeness and producing licentious ness, and secondly, bj* deadening connubial and parental love, thus unfitting him for discharging his obligations to his family, and leaving them a I prey to the ungoverned fury of his Combativeness j and Destructiveness, besides destroying all the j enjoyments growing out of the healthful exercise ; of the domestic feelings. Accordingly, tho mod erate drinker forsakes the virtuous and delightful fire-side for the bar-room, while the drunkard in humanly beats or murders his wife and children. The moderate drinker's Combativeness and Destructiveness are stimulated to fighting and revenge, while those ofthe drunkard are so dead ened that he will not af)4 cannot lake the part of his family, nor even of himself, so that a little boy may impose on him with impunity. He has no moral courage, and is so irresolute that he can overcome no obstacle, and effect no difficult ob ject. The moderate drinker’s Acquisitiveness is over-stimulated, and he is for driving a bargain, yet his intellectual organs being weakened, he gets cheated, or else a few glasses make him as rich as Croesus, whilst the drunkard’s love of property is gone. Hence he has no industry, no economy, no forethought to lay up for to-morrow’s wants, and thus squanders his all for liquor, even to the bread out of his children’s mouths, and the clothes from his wife’s back. This principle ex plains how it is thai alcoholic drinks always scat er their devotees’ property to the winds. Whilst they inflame the moderate drinker’s self-esteem and love of approbation, producing boasting, bragging, haughtiness, swaggering, a self-conceited egotism, &e., they eventually an nual all sense ofcharacter, all self-respect, and all regard for his repetition, which constitute the strongest incentives to virtuous and praiseworthy actions, as well as restraints upon vice and self degradation. At first, he is mortified beyond description if seen intoxicated, afterwards he cares not a farthing for his credit nor his word, for his honor nor anything said for or against him or his family, is dead to shame, destitute of digni ty and manly feeling, and associates with those to whom he would before have scorned even to speak. these organs of ambition always com bine with the other organs that are most active. Combined with Conscientiousness, they give the highest regard for -'oral character, and tor cor rect motives; with intellect, a desire for reputa tion, for learning and talents; with Ideality, for good taste, good manners, &c.;. but combined with Combativeness, for being the best wrestler, the best fighter, &c.; with the other animal pro pensities, for being first in their indulgence. Hence, as already seen, since alcohol weakens the higher organs but stimulates the animal pro pensities, and also the ambition, the two combin ing render him emulous of being the most licen tious, the greatest fighter, or wrestler, or drinker, or swearer, the most vulgar, &c.; but never of bcinggoodor great. In Easton, Md., in Jan. 1840, the author saw two young men vie with each other, as to who could drink the most grog, no very uncommon thing among drinkers. The next day one of them was a lifeless corpse. Now why does the ambition of the drinker (not of the drunkard, for he has none,) descend to the animal passions, in stead of ascending to the moral and intellectual! This principle contains the answer. Thus alco hol first over-excites the moderate drinker’s am bition, only to direct it to animal objects, and then deadens it, rendering him doubly wicked both ways, and of course proportionably miserable, as seen in proposition 111. . It equally destroys his firmness and powers of will. He/Smotcs the right, intellect being less deadened, and yet pursues the wrong, having lost all self-government. Conscientiousness may re monstrate, but to no effect, because located too far from the body to be proportionably stimulated. Religious feeling may lift up her warning and persuasive voice, and firmness say no, but with out effect, because they are in the same predica ment. Alcoholic drinks destroy the balance of power, first by stimulating them to excess, and then by deadening them, thus being a two edged sword, cutting the cords of virtue and happiness both ways. It may be objected thatif alcohol stimulates the animal propensities when they are weak, it is good. I answer, better have them too weak than , too strong. When too weak, it is because the body is feeble and must be strengthened, not by merely stimulating the body, but by invigorating the health. It may also be added, it is the character of the stimulant that does the main mischief! Thus fresh air and exercise are stimulants, and al though they brace the body, and thereby give tone and vigor to the animal organs, they excite them in a healthy manner, and not in a morbid direc tion; whereas there is something in the kind of stimulus which impels these faculties onward in a morbid, illegitimate, unnatural and vicious direc tion. In regard to the different kinds of stimu lants, one broad line of demarkation should be drawn between natural and artificial excitement. The reader has now before him one of the main thoughts of this lecture. Would to heaven I had the combined eloquence of a Clay, a Web ter. and a Brougham, together with a thousand No. 20.