Spirit of the Times Batavia, Genesee co., New York January 3-1843 Intemperance. We extract the following eloquent passage from a letter written by the Hon. Wm. WIRT in 1831:-- Intemperance paralyzes the arm, the brain, the heart. All the best affections, all the energies of the mind, wither under its influence. The man becomes a maniac and is locked up in the hospital, or imbrues his hand in the blood of his wife and children, and is sent to the gallows or doomed to the penitentiary, or, if he escapes these consequences, he becomes a walking pestilence on the earth, miserable to himself and loathsome to those who behold him. How often do we see, too, whole families contaminated by the vicious example of the parents--husbands, wives, daughters, and sons, all drunkards and furies; sometimes wives murdering husbands, at others, husbands their wives, and worse than all, if worse can be in such a group of horrors, children murdering parents. But below this grade of crime, how much is there of unseen and untold misery throughout our otherwise happy land, proceeding from this fatal cause alone. I am persuaded that if we could have a statistical survey and report of the affairs of unhappy families and individuals, with the causes of their misery annexed, we should find in nine cases out of ten, if not a still greater proportion, resulting from the use of ardent spirits alone. With this conviction, which seems to have become universal among reflecting men, the apathy shown to the continuance of the evil can only be ascribed to the circumstances that the mischief though verbally admitted, is not seen and felt in all its enormity. If some fatal plague, of a contagious character, were imported into our country and had commenced its ravages in our cities, we should see the most prompt and vigorous measures at once adopted to extinguish it; but, what are the most fearful plagues that ever carried death and havoc in their train through the eastern countries, compared with this? They are only occasional, this is perennial. They are confined by climate or place, this malady is of all climates and all times and places. They kill the body at once; this consumes both body and soul by a lingering and dreadful death, involving the dearest connexions in the vortex of ruin. What parent, however exemplary himself, can ever feel that his son is safe while this living fountain of poison is within his reach. God grant that it may soon become a fountain sealed, in our country at least. What a relief, how delightful would it be to turn from the awful and horrid past, to the pure, peaceful and happy future! to see the springs of life and feeling and intelligence renewed on every hand; health, industry and prosperity glowing around us; the altars of domestic peace and love rekindled in every family; and the religion of the Saviour presented with a fair field for its celestial action. + + Assured.--To expect all men to think alike on the subject of Temperance. There are some men in the world who will oppose its progress, from mere hatred of its benign principles, and because it is so foreign to their own. These however, will stand as warnings to those who desire to avoid the rocks and quicksands of Intemperance. + + submitted by Linda Schmidt