[ 258 J 
that fatal fecret, like the opening of Pandora’s box, 
would inftantly let loofe upon mankind, fuch a 
formidable crowd of evils—evils for which not 
all their fplendid difcoveries—not all their boafted 
remedies would ever be able to atone! For had 
they fat down to ftudy the fureft means of deftroy- 
ing health and life, without making an open direct 
attack upon either, they certainly could not have 
devifed a more effectual method, than by intro- 
ducing to the ignorant multitude this fafcinating 
poifon, which at firft, like a friendly cordial, cheers 
‘the heart and raifes the fpirits, while it fecretly 
faps the conftitution, and at length unhinges the 
whole machine! 
War, that dreadful fcourge of nations, while it 
continues to rage, commits indeed terrible ravages 
among a certain order of men; but population, 
continually going on, imperceptibly fills up the 
chafm, and repairs the wafte. 
But this Evil Spirit, like the deftroying Angel of 
old, ftalks through the land witha fteady, though 
filent ftep; every where fpreading its baleful in- 
their induftry rewarded. Should no means fhort of even a total 
prohibition of fpirits be found effe€iual, what ought to be the alter- 
native? Ought the mere acquifition of revenue arifing from fpirits, 
even for a moment, be fuffered to ftand in competition with the 
HEALTH and virTvE of the community? Or is there no method 
of fupporting revenue, but at the expence of the more important 
interefts of the nation—POPULATION, PROPERTY, and COM- 
MERCE, the GREAT sOURCES from whence revenue itfelfis derived, 
and to which it ought ever to be fubfervient ? 
