We have now considered the fact, that real felicity consists in mental pleasures and gratifications, and that these alone exalt our nature and capacity for happiness above the brute creation, and have directed your attention to virtue and peace as the only condition in which that happiness can be found.  We have brought to view the propriety of being of one heart and mind towards each other in our families, in our religious societies, in the community and in our national concerns.  We have set before you the evils resulting from intemperance, and from private and political slander.

We will now, in the second place, take into consideration the negative and affirmative consequence resulting from them on the morals of the community so far as the causes leading to intemperance and crime are concerned.

Many discourses have been delivered, during the three past years, on intemperance pointing out its ruinous effects on the morals of society, while but few discourses have been put into the hands of the public pointing out the causes leading to this destructful vice, and those few have not in my humble opinion traced it to its true source.  Much has also been said about intemperance leading to crime, which in many respects is true.  But all this is not coming to the fountainhead from whence these turbid streams flow.  We will take the liberty to differ on this subject with all that has as yet fallen upon our ear, and independently give our opinion, as to what we conceive to be the original cause from whence these baneful effects spring.  We will endeavor to show that the poorer class of society are driven to intemperance and crime by the conduct of the rich (those whom the fashion of the world calls respectable and great) yes, by the conduct of too many, who are even attempting to reform them.

First, then we would remark; that man is a creature of want, which is the first cause of all action.  Had he no wants, he would never seek to supply them, either by honorable or dishonorable means.  To this self-evident proposition, all will without hesitation assent.  We will now attend to our general character as a nation, for it will be admitted, on all hands, that actions speak louder than words.  As a nation, we enjoy much liberty; but public opinion, either of a political or religious character, may become so popular as to erect itself into an engine of oppression, and so formidable, that many an honest man dare not dissent, nor independently raise his voice in defence of what he believes to be truth, but will tamely submit himself a slave to the opinions and doctrines of others.  This is probably the case with the greater proportion of the American people.