Show for the deseret new now wa I 1 moral zoral habit and temperance BY ALEXANDER OTT an inclination cherished contrary to the healthy health y condition of the purity of heart gradually acquires greater ascendancy over the moral feelings at each succeeding contest of the inner man it more and more occupies the mind the attention is less and less directed to the moral truths and motives which are opposed to it the inclination at length acquires the predominance and is followed by volition thus a man is being carried away by passion in 0 opposition to his moral conviction for passion consists in a desire or an affection which has been allowed to enross en engross ross the mind until it gradually overpowers the moral causes which are calculated to counteract its influence now in the whole of this course each single movement of the mind is felt to be entirely voluntary from that step which constitutes the first departure from moral purity the pro cess consists in a desire being cherished which the moral feelings condemn while at each succeeding step the influence of these feelings is gradually weakened and finally destroyed such is the economy of the human heart and such the chain of sequences to be traced in the moral history of every man who with a conviction upon his mind of what is right has followed the downward course which gradually led him astray from virtue on tracing such a process backwards in a philosophical point of view the question suggests itself what was the first step or that by which the mind was led into the course which thus terminated in favor of vice in the wonderful chain of sequences which has hag been established in the mental constitution it would appear that a very slight movement is required for deranging the delicate harmony which ought to exist among the moral feelings but this each individual feels to be entirely voluntary it may consist in a desire being cherished which the fhe moral feelings disapprove and though the effect at first rii iii may ay be small a morbid influence has arisen which gains strength by continuance and at last acquires the power of a moral habit the more the desire is cherished the less is the attention directed to the considerations or moral causes by which it might be counteracted in this manner according to the mental economy these causes gradually lose their power over the volitions or determinations of the mind and at a certain period of this process the judgment itself comes to be changed respecting the moral aspect of the deed from this state of mind there gradually results a moral habit or a mental condition in which a desire or an affection repeatedly acted upon is after each repetition acted upon with less and less feffe ct one of the legitimate offspring of sound moral habits is temperance a virtue which gives relish to all our enjoy enjoyment ments by keeping keepin 9 us within the bounds of moderation it is th the e government overn ment of 0 rea reason son over passion the government Jovern rute beasts enjoy in common with us those appetites and inclinations peculiar to this sublunary existence but the resemblance will hold no further it I 1 is all ill b by reason alone that our superiority exists and whatever we possess that makes our present condition more desirable than theirs centers entirely in this noble gift of heaven intemperance it is commonly said de degrades Frades our natures and sinks us to a level with the brute beasts but this I 1 consider as a very imperfect come comp comparison arison arlson for when are they intemperate with respect to animal enjoyment enjoyments enjoy men ments ts they certainly are our equals if I 1 take a ion lon long iong 0 days journey till my horse and I 1 are both of us tired I 1 think it no degradation to suppose that he will relish his hay in the stable as exquisitely as I 1 shall my supper in the parlor his water will be as refreshing and gratifying to him as my tea or coffee to me and his rest will be as sweet on a good bed of clean straw as mine on a soft bed of feathers so that we are on a level in this respect without any intemperance from my part by indulging then in in excess I 1 should say we sink ourselves aan far below the brute creation they always act in conformity to the instinct of nature and we preserve our superiority only when we act according to our superior intelligence ence but when we renounce this and plunge into excesses which our reason and consal conscience digap disapprove rove and with which we can never approach the lower animals how much do we buffer suffer by the comparison there is a saying one man can take a horse to water but twenty cannot make him drink when he has had enough 0 take a man inan who is addicted to drinking and make the experiment with him at his favorite liquor and you will soon see him dead drunk at your our feet suppose him after a while to be a ittie lttie little ittle revived lie he sets out to go home a mile or two in the country he goes staggering on till he becomes so drowsy that at tast last last ohe he falls lato luto a ditch and there if by good luck he escapes drowning he falls fast asleep his faithful dag dog squats himself down on the bank and watches for his masters returning reason be he will suffer no one to molest him and the length of time be what it may never lets his 1 impatience patience interfere with his fidelity reader react reflect and ask yourself here which of the two is la the most rational being ahe the one has interests which he never violates the other has reason which he seldom employs which is the lowest animal in moral estimation thi intemperance antem perance in in drinking arinkin is a vice which I 1 is s more detrimental to the ruman human system than many may suppose from the best medical philosophical and authors such as hull hah demann demaun dema cema nn hufeland laurie lauzie humboldt ani and others we learn that the frequent use of liquors either elther fermented or spirituous proves eventually fatal to the body and mind it predisposes to nervous gastric and yellow fever asiatic cholera apoplexy and in many cases it brings on the horrible delirium tremens cremens po ta torum before the latter malady sets in a gradual but entire change of the mental and physical system takes place the temper becomes extremely irritable the memory gets weak great anxiety and restlessness seizes the mind which is constantly eng engaged aged in following out fixed ideas such astvat somebody is about to kill the patient etc when the disease is com completely bigl ebely developed delirium accompanied with frightful dreams imaginary visions and sounds assail the patient up to his dissolution to those who are not exactly drunkards but merely taking a little from the sadly mistaken idea of bracing up their system for their daily avocation I 1 would say let the indulgence be ever so small you injure yourself avoid taking liquors and other intoxicating stimulants no matter what beautiful tempting names they may have and where they may come from the they are a sweet slow slows but sure dolson golson poison hence yd do not try to justify your morbid id hankering after that fatal beverage by saying or thinking it i is good for a cold or something else A cup of water milk or cream at every meal will do you more good than all the intoxicating intoxication stimulants in the world your ilfe life life ilfe your happiness yes es even your salvation is depending up upon a lop drop of whisky because the oftener you take of it the more the power of your conscience gets diminished yes even your judgment becomes perverted with respect to the true trin irin principle principle ciple of so dangerous an in indulgence ua gence till t the e very act of taking liquor which chic at first caused a violent conflict with your better self is perpetrated without remorse or almost without perception of its moral aspect why then hanker banker after that which constitutes the chief misery and regret of the many miserable victims of drunkenness drun keness As remarkable instances of great moderation I 1 mention here dr franklin and baron alexander von humboldt who were distinguished both for their abilities and elevated stations in life when the former was a journeyman printer and lived in london his sole beverage was water while all the other men in the printing office drank very plentifully of por porter te r and liquor from the erroneous ideas of strengthening tre t it ning themselves for their work yet with th this 1 great due df ference rence in their diet he tells us himself that he was as strong as any two of them and could undergo a proportionate degree of fatigue As for humboldt it is well swell known that the great philosopher notwithstanding the many temptations which presented d themselves to him at the royal court of berlin where he was a daily and welcome guest drank nothing but hut water and milk owin owing to this great moderation the intellect of this grea great man remained right bright and in full activity u up to the day of his eath death which took place in the gist year of his I 1 s age aim alm im then at moderation in all your pleasures and affairs of life and you will never be disappointed it promotes health it invites respect it sweetens enjoyment it creates independence pen dence it supplies the means of benevolence it cements friendship it inai invigorates orates the mind it expands the affections it alleviates care contributes to our happiness |