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NAPOLEON OF TEMPERANCE.

Sketches

OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER

OF THE

HON. NEAL DOW,

MAYOR OF PORTLAND, AND AUTHOR OF THE MAINE LIQUOR LAW.

With a Portrait.

PREPARED FOR THE AMERICAN TEMPERANCE MAGAZINE,
BY REV. JOHN MARSH,

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY AM. TEMP. UNION.

WITH AN APPENDIX

CONTAINING THE LAW, MR. DOW'S REPORT, &c., &c.

NEW YORK:

PUBLISHED AND FOR SALE AT THE OFFICE OF THE AMERICAN TEMPERANCE UNION, 149 NASSAU-STREET,

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852,

By P. T SHERLOCK,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court, of the United States, for the Southern District of New York.

Stereotyped by VINCENT L. DILL, 128 Fulton-street, N. Y.

Тарраи

Presb. Assoc.

2-16-1933

HON. NEAL DOW.

(With a Portrait.)

WHEN the youthful Napoleon, in 1796, took command of the army of Italy, the scarred and war-worn chiefs looked upon him with contempt, and were amazed at the folly of the Directory in sending such an one to command an army, then in desperate circumstances. At the first council of war, Rampon undertook to give him advice; but Napoleon impatiently brushed him away, exclaiming, "Gentlemen! the art of war is in its infancy. The time has passed in which enemies are mutually to appoint a place of combat, advance hat in hand, and say, 'Gentlemen, will you have the goodness to fire.' We must cut the enemy in pieces; precipitate ourselves upon their battalions like a torrent and grind them to powder. Disconcerted by our tactics and not daring to put their own in execution, they will fly before us as the shades of night before the rising sun." The tone of Napoleon confounded the generals. They felt that they had a master. "Well," said Augereau, as he left the council, nodding significantly to Massena, "we have a man here who will cut out some work for government, I think."

A year ago, the temperance hosts were in a condition not unlike that of the army of Italy. They had fought many a battle and gained illustrious victories, but still they were dejected, without union, or plan. The rum-power, strong in

political and legislative fortifications, bade defiance to every attack. The oldest generals knew not what to advise. Some said, "It's of no use," and would sound a retreat; when one, as yet unknown to fame, exclaimed, "Gentlemen! we are all wrong; the time to approach the liquor-sellers, hat in hand, saying, 'Gentlemen, will you please to stop this murderous business,' has gone by. We must to the ballot-box-get the power of the State-hurl ourselves like a thunderbolt on the traffic, and annihilate it for ever. Dirigo. Follow me; and the first onset of the army of Maine, will give a new era to temperance and humanity." With a master spirit he did cut out, in a day, work enough for government ;-he brought into the battle-field every officer of State; he turned its whole artillery against the rum-fortifications, and in less than six months, he has swept every distillery and brew-house, hotel-bar, splendid saloon and vile groggery, clean from the State. Who is this Napoleon of temperance? Whence has he risen? What is his history, is now the enquiry, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

When Napoleon dashed like a torrent upon the forces of Austria, many supposed it the first decisive act of his life; but there had been a long training for this, and deeds at Toulon and Paris had already prepared him for the boldest undertakings. If the incumbent of the mayoralty of Portland is now, for the first time, known to millions for his tactics in war, it is not because this is the first year of service in the temperance battle-field. Years ago, NEAL Dow was known as an able and uncompromising foe to the rum-power in the city of Portland and State of Maine.

In that city, which gave him birth on the 20th of March, 1804, and which has ever been sound in morals as it has been beautiful in situation and thrifty in trade, Intemperance, the

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