Box 3, Folder 7: Typewritten Letters, 1852-1856

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 757; handwritten inscription in black ink, u.c: Chapter I // 1852]

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Lecture delivered at the Oregon Engine house No. 3, 2nd Ward, Milwaukee Sunday evening Jan. 11, 1852, by I A. Lapham.

Ladies and Gentlemen--

A desire to comply with the reasonable request of the president of this "Oregon Temperance League," to do my duty as a neighbor, as a friend, to you and to the important cause in which you have engaged; and a desire, at least, to attempt [underlined] all the good I can rather than any consciousness of ability to instruct, interest or even to amuse you, are the motives that have decided me to appear before you on this occasion. Should any of you receive additional courage or inducement to persevere in the true path of virtue and honor, the true way to peace and happiness, both here and hereafter, by anything I can say or do on this, or any other occasion, it shall certainly be cheerfully and promptly said and done.

[note: there is a typed letter, verso, showing through the following two paragraphs] Unaccustomed as I am, however to public speaking, you must not expect that what I have to say shall be in the most graceful style of creatory; or even with a pleasing and agreeable manner of delivery. I shall only claim credit for honesty [honesty] of purpose and sincerity in all my statements.

After what has been presented to you from this desk on former occasions, I need not attempt to show the deleterious effects of alcoholic drinks upon the physical organization and constitution of the human body; the dreadful effects upon the moral and religious nature of the soul; [nor] the disastrous effects upon business affairs, the property or estate of individuals. These

-900- / 1851. of the Mississippi is based upon calcareous rocks. They consist of yellow, blue and grey varieties of limestone, and are classed by geologists as "Silurian rocks" being of an age long anterior to the rocks of the coal formation.

Although to the casual observer they appear to lie in Hori

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 758]

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are evils you are all familiar with, from daily observation; but which can not be too often, nor too forcibly presented so long as they continue to exist in our midst.

It would be an equally needless waste of time to attempt any arguments to show that you are engaged in a great, a noble and a glorious [underlined] cause, second, in importance to our present welfare, only to that of religion itself. Indeed, how can religion exist without temperance? How can a person whose mind is constantly clouded with the fumes of alcohol, know, and understand the sublime truths of the Christian religion? It is impossible! And if a drunkard cannot understand [underlined] these truths, how is he to have that deep-seated and realizing sense of their importance, that will cause him to embrace them and thus become a true and consistent Christian.

No! unless the principles you now adopt and advocate shall first be carried into practice, true religion and piety cannot [inscription in black ink] exist. A temperance reform, I repeat, must first be made and the work thoroughly done, before men are fitted to embrace or even fully to understand the doctrines of Him, who taught [taught] as never man yet taught. We must certainly pick men up from the gutter, wash and cleanse them and restore them to their right mind, reason and understanding before they are at all fitted to be sent to church. These truths are so obvious that it is strange they should have bee been so long overlooked.

If those who are engaged in promoting the great and holy cause of religion in the world would take this view of the subject,

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would begin at the beginning in their work; they would doubtless meet with far greater success. It is very gratifying, however, to learn that clergymen, everywhere are becoming sensible of their error of omission in this respect and are beginning again to include temperance among the cardinal virtues as did the apostles of old. They begin to see that if they neglect any important part of their duty, God will raise up separate and independent organizations to secure His great purposes in regard to man's present and future happiness. Had the church done her Whole duty there would be, at this day, no necessity for temperance societies.

A strict adherence to temperance principles may be regarded as one of the chief reasons of the great success, the flourishing condition and the high standing of the religious sect called Friends or Quakers. We all know that they attained a great degree of eminence among the different religious organizations. They commanded the respect of the world for their truly pious conduct, as well as its ridicule for some of their singular habits and customs.

This sect was so strict in regard to the use of intoxicating drinks, that they constituted, long ago, a great "Total abstinence Temperance Society." They would no more tolerate drunkenness in their ranks than they would any other sin or crime. To them belongs the honor of first adopting and carrying out the principles of modern temperance societies.

Long before the present movement on this subject was commenced or thought of, were the honest Quakers, using their silent but firm and decided influence in this direction. They exhib

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-ited to the world the numerous benefits resulting from their strict observance of temperance principles, in their great worldly prosperity, good and kind neighborly feelings towards each other, freedom from contagious diseases, from quarrels, riots and violence of all kinds; from poorhouses and Insane hospitals; and this may have been and probably was the [course] cause of the first movements on this important subject.

It was from this source, imparted through the gentle influence of one of the best of mothers that I derived my temperance principles and practice too: For whatever merit there may be in it, in my case, to them belongs the praise. Under such guidance I have never conquered that original dislike that everyone feels when he first tastes alcoholic drinks. They have no charm for me. I would take them only as a medicine and with as much reluctance as is usually exhibited in swallowing the nauseating potions with which your physicians attempt to restore health. I have therefore no gutter experiences to relate for your amusement.

We have, in this natural aversion to unaccustomed drinks, an important weapon, which might be wielded, with great success, against this powerful ally of the great enemy of mankind, this King Alcohol.

If our youth could be preserved from these drinks until their tastes were fully formed and developed, they would be as backward about taking rum as calomel. They would have no more inclination for mint julep than for senna tea.

If mothers could be induced to omit the useless seasoning of the pap with which infancy is often fed; if parents would cease to supply their children with stimulating drinks either dir