o his countenance a look of all predominating
sensuality. True manliness had bowed itself in debasing submission to
the bestial. He talked loudly, and with a pompous dogmatism--mainly on
political subjects--but talked only from memory; for any one could see,
that thought came into but feeble activity. And yet, derationalized, so
to speak, as he was, through drink, he had been chosen a representative
in Congress, at the previous election, on the anti-temperance ticket,
and by a very handsome majority. He was the rum candidate; and the rum
interest, aided by the easily swayed "indifferents," swept aside the
claims of law, order, temperance, and good morals; and the district
from which he was chosen as a National Legislator sent him up to the
National Councils, and said in the act--"Look upon him we have chosen
as our representative, and see in him a type of our principles, our
quality, and our condition, as a community."

Judge Lyman, around whom a little circle soon gathered, was very severe
on the temperance party, which, for two years, had opposed his
election, and which, at the last struggle, showed itself to be a
rapidly growing organization. During the canvass, a paper was published
by this party, in which his personal habits, character, and moral
principles were discussed in the freest manner, and certainly not in a
way to elevate him in the estimation of men whose opinion was of any
value.

It was not much to be wondered at, that he assumed to think temperance
issues at the polls were false issues; and that when temperance men
sought to tamper with elections, the liberties of the people were in
danger; nor that he pronounced the whole body of temperance men as
selfish schemers and canting hypocrites.

"The next thing we will have," he exclaimed, warming with his theme,
and speaking so loud that his voice sounded throughout the room, and
arrested every one's attention, "will be laws to fine any man who takes
a chew of tobacco, or lights a cigar. Touch the liberties of the people
in the smallest particular, and all guarantees are gone. The Stamp Act,
against which our noble forefathers rebelled, was a light measure of
oppression to that contemplated by these worse than fanatics."

"You are right there, judge; right for once in your life, if you (hic)
were never right before!" exclaimed a battered-looking specimen of
humanity, who stood near the speaker, slapping Judge Lyman on the
shoulder familiarly as he spoke