The Coming Man Will Drink Wine, etc. 



291 



only these few rules, and the}' will 

 see as I did the almost invincible diffi- 

 culties of the undertaking, and the 

 amount of daring that would have 

 been indispensable to profess my doc- 

 trine, aware as I was that this daring, 

 like all honest darings, would be ex- 

 posed to receive a good many hard 

 names, should it fail to meet with 

 success. 



To set up the standard of common 

 sense would have been to declare one's 

 self a public enemy, and, to express 

 it mildly, almost a dangerous animal. 



Long and frequent meditations in 

 the great solitude of coffee-rooms, 

 while quietly smoking my cigar and 

 drinking a glass of wine, have brought 

 me to put up with things as they are, 

 while teaching me at the same time 

 possible remedies or palliatives to the 

 existing evils; on the question of in- 

 temperance it is the judicious remedy 

 which I have endeavored and will 

 still attempt to whisper, if my readers 

 are not alreadj^ afraid and tired with 

 the length of my demonstration. 



Those who think for themselves (a 

 very limited portion of the human 

 race, I grant), are aware that amongst 

 the civilized communities of the world 

 national prosperity is founded u]3on 

 agriculture. Whatever may be the 

 triumphs of science, of art, of com- 

 merce or invention, they know that 

 agriculture with its several branches 

 must take precedence; some richly 

 endowed minds deeply imbued of this 

 fact, and with a well of sympath}- for 

 their fellow man, have made it a life 

 duty to find the best means to aug- 

 ment or vary the products of the 

 fields, in order to increase the resoui'ces 

 a,nd the wealth of the countrv. 



In a domain of such extent as that 

 of the United States, with an abun- 

 dant variety of soilSjpossessing almost, 

 we might sa}', all the difl:erences of 

 climate pertaining to our globe, the 

 great desire of a mind who takes 

 pride in the welfare and progress of 

 his country should be to see that soil 

 used to its utmost advantage; upon 

 it should be naturalized, so far as 

 practicable, the productions of other 

 countries, thus furnishing an endless 

 variety of food and occupations for 

 the people, whilst at the same time 

 reducing that much their dependence 

 upon foreign productions. No sane 

 mind doubts but that the culture of 

 fruits and the manufacture of a por- 

 tion into a mild drink like cider or 

 wine, whenever it can be carried on 

 with profit, is of great benefit, not 

 only in a hygienic jDoint of view, but 

 also commercially speaking. There 

 are hills and valleys enough in this 

 uutrammeled part of our sjjhere to 

 plant thousands of orchards and many 

 a sound vineyard, the fruits and the 

 juices of which could be produced at 

 a price within the reach of all classes. 

 No article of diet, properly used and 

 taken in moderate quantities, is more 

 conducive to health, every thing said 

 to the contrar}' notwithstanding. We 

 have our authorities, besides my own 

 experience, which is of no value here 

 for assertion, and they shall be pro- 

 duced in time, if I am allowed the 

 favor. 



And if I am permitted to glance for 

 a minute at the question in its bear- 

 ings upon trade and commerce, I 

 know that the majoritj' of my readers 

 will agree that no one, except a mind 

 non compos mentis, a fit subject for the 



