to 22 gallons, and a pint to the enormous quantity of 45 gallons! But let every one go over with the process for himself. It is very simple and very short. Half a gill of spirits a day seems to be hardly worth reckoning; and yet 365 half gills, amount to between 5 and 6 gallons. How many who think themselves extremely temperate, drink a gill, or more, upon an average, every day of their lives. Further, how many people in our country drink more than twice or thrice that quantity, and yet maintain a respectable standing in society.

Surely then, it can be no very difficult thing to conjecture what becomes of the 33,000,000 gallons so often mentioned. Subtract from our whole population, all the slaves and all the children under ten years of age; then let the remainder drink but about two thirds of a gill, upon an average, daily, and the whole will be consumed, before the end of the year.

From the quantity, let us now turn our attention to the annual cost of ardent spirits to the people of this country. When we take into consideration the high price of all imported liquors; when we consider what quanti ties of domestic spirits are disguised and sold for French brandy, Holland gin, &c.; when we • We question whether many persons, who drink more than three gils of ardent spirits a day upon an average, maintain a respectable standing in society. That there are some per sons who consume this quantity, and yet mingle with society, transact business, and avoid the reputation of downright sots, admits no of a doubt. A few persons have been known to drink a quart of rum a day without ever being completely intoxicated.

ED.

recollect that every retailer mus make a profit on what he sells; that thousands of hogsheads are sold in taverns and tippling shops at from two to five or six dollars a gallon, and that the original quantity is greatly increased by the many liberal dilutions which it undergoes, before it reaches the consumer; when all these things are considered, the average expense cannot be less than one dollar a gallon, or 33,365,529 dollars annually! But not to insist on a few hundred thousand dollars, we will let the sum stand in round numbers at 35,000,000. Thirty-three millions of dollars paid out in one year for strong drink! The weight of this sum in silver dollars, would exceed 970 tons. Supposing each of two men to count 60 dollars a minute, during twelve hours of every day, they would not supply the drain. One fourth part of the sum, if levied upon the inhabitants of the United States by direct taxation, would revolutionize the government. How much good might be done with this money, the greatest part of which is now so many thousand times worse than wasted. How surprisingly would it change the face of our country; how largely might it contribute to the convenience and prosperity of the nation; if it were expended in making roads, building colleges, hospitals, alms-houses, bridges, and churches; encouraging useful manufactures, forming canals, fortifying our sea ports, augmenting our navy, instructing the poor, distributing the Bible and other religious books, in our new settlements, establishing li braries, and sending out missionaries.

To illustrate and enforce these considerations, let us descend to particulars: 33,000,000 of dollars, would establish 110 public seminaries, giving to each, a fund of 300,000 dollars; which fund would be amply sufficient to erect the necessary buildings, purchase libraries, and support instructors. Or if expended in the education of young men, it would handsomely support more than 100,000, in such seminaries. Less than the fifth part of 33,000,000 of dollars, would support 7230 ministers of the Gospel, with an average salary of 700 dollars; and this would furnish one clergyman to every thousand inhabitants, (including slaves,) in the United States. Much less than half of what is now expended for strong drink, would support 43,360 schools, allowing each instructor a yearly salary of 300 dollars; which would be 6 schools for every thousand inhabitants. The simple interest of 33,000,000 of dollars, is more than half sufficient to pay the interest of the national debt, as it stood in 1810; and the principal would totally extinguish that debt, in less than two years. According to an estimate submitted to Congress, by the Secretary of the Navy, last winter, 33,000,000 of dollars would build no less, than NINETY-NINE ships of the line, so that by appropriating to this grand national object what is expended for ardent spirits, we might, in five years, have a navy superior to that of Great Britain!

Half the sum which is made the basis of these calculations, would maintain more than 25,000 Missionaries among the heathen; and the other half would print,

for gratuitous distribution, more than 20,000,000 Bibles. Estimating superfine flour at 12 dolars a barrel, the whole sum would purchase2,750,000 barrels, which, allowing 5 barrels to a family, would supply 550,000 families with bread, through the year. With coarser bread the same sum would supply 1,000,000 families. It would also, if appropriated to that object, make 55,000 miles of turnpike road, at 600 dollars a mile; a distance more than twice the circumference of the globe: or it would complete 20 canals, each 100 miles in length, at an expense of 16,500 dollars a mile. Or, if employed in founding a city, it would build 5000 houses, at an average cost of 6600 dollars, The one five hundreth part of it, (viz.) 66,000 dollars, would make up the late loss sustained by the Missionaries at Serampore. Or, to present the subject in a little different light, two millions of the thirty-three, would build 200 churches, at an average cost of ten thousand dollars; 5,000,000, would pay nearly one fifth part of the national debt, as it stood in 1810; 10,000,000 would feed and clothe 100,000 poor children, at 100 dollars each per annum; 8,000,000 would establish 8000 of our industrious young men on farms, each worth 1000 dollars, in our new settlements; and after all, we should have no less than 8,000,000 left, for other public and charitable contributions.

These calculations, might, with great ease, be varied to almost any assignable extent; but enough and more than enough has been said, to demonstrate, that incalculable good might be done with the property, which,

being laid out for ardent spirits, actually prepares victims, by thousands, for a never ceasing pestilence.

Before I conclude this number, however, I would invite your readers to return with me, from the wide excursion which we have taken, and apply some of the preceding calculations to their own towns, societies, and families. Take for example, a town containing 2,000 inhabitants. If they consume their share of the whole quantity of ardent spirits, which is drunk in the United States, annually, it cannot cost them less than 9,000 dollars! What an immense sum for one small town to pay for strong drink in one year! More than enough to support five ministers, ten schools, and pay every town, state, and country tax. Suppose a tax of 9,000 or 5,000 dollars were laid, for the public benefit, upon such a town: What would the people say? Why every man would cry out against it as intolerable. And yet how cheerfully is the burden sustained for the sake of gratifying an inordinate thirst for strong drink. While it would be impossible in many places to collect 500 dollars for charitable purposes, voluntary contributions, of more than twenty times the amount, are made in the same places, every year, to purchase fevers, consumption, and a host of other diseases, together with poverty, wretchedness, infamy,and death.†

It will be remarked, that in the foregoing calculations, I have made no account of the loss of time, which is inseparable from such an amazing consumption of ardent spirits. This, it is presumed, must amount to niany millions of dollars annually. With such facts in view, it is easy to account for much of the poverty that exists, in this land. Thousands and thousands of families are literally reduced to beggary by intemperance. Business neglected, shops deserted, buildings going to decay, sheriffs fees, long court dockets, crowded prisons, houses stripped of their furniture, and at length sold to pay tavern bills, children crying for bread and shivering with the cold, these, these are some of the vouchers, for the truth of what has been advanced. Facts of this distressing character show, from whence a very large part of this impoverishing revenue is drawn. It is made up of money which should feed the hungry, and clothe the naked; which should cherish the fatherless, and cause the widow's heart to sing for joy.

It is money which should educate the poor, support the Gospel at home, and assist in extending the light of Divine truth among the heathen, in every part of the world. Z. X. Y.

For the Panoplist.

NEW THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION, A plan has for some time been held in contemplation, by a number of benevolent and pious persons in the district of Maine, of which the principal feature is to give young men a more compendious educa tion for the ministry, than has here

judges as being qualified for the profession of the law, or of medicine. Why should it be thought less difficult or less important, for those to become well qualified for their office, who are to instruct men in the things which belong to their everlasting peace? Happily for the interests of religion, the Theological Seminary at Andover affords young men a favorable opportunity to pursue theological studies, after they have enjoyed the advantages of a College education. But the proposed institution will set aside all these advantages. In stead of two years of preparation for College, four years of study there, and three years of application at the Theological Seminary, young men in the contemplated seminary will probably spend one or two years in the acquisition of literature; and perhaps as long a period in the study of theology. Now, let me ask those ministers whose opportunities of acquiring knowledge have been the most favorable, whether they have not learned by their own experience, that these opportunities should be increased, rather than diminished; and whether they would willingly adopt a plan, the prominent feature of which is, that men may be introduced into the sacred office, with fewer advantages and fewer qualifications?

In the second place, the proposed academy is in its very design, a rival institution to all our Colleges, and particularly to the Theological Seminary at Andover. The grand design of this latter institution is, to furnish theological students with better advantages, than they before possessed, for qualifying them

selves to perform the duties of the sacred office. It is very obvious, one would think, that this design is counteracted by estab lishing an academy, by which men may be introduced into the ministry with far less preparation. So far as the design of the one succeeds, that of the other must fail. The plan of the one supposes, that it is not desirable for young men to become ministers, till after three years from the time of their having been graduated at some College; the plan of the other supposes, that it is not best for them to go to College at all. The one encourages, and in ordinary cases requires, those, who are intended for the ministry, to avail themselves of the advantages of a college education. The other invites them to enter the sacred profession without repairing to those public seminaries. The proposed Academy, therefore, instead of promoting the same object, which our higher institutions have in view, will in fact tend to defeat their object, by encouraging young men to forego the advantages of these institutions.

This plan will injure our Colleges, also, by depriving them of those pious and exemplary young men, whose influence is so desirable in these seminaries, and might be so beneficial to the thoughtless and dissipated students. Nothing, perhaps, would have a stronger tendency to make the impression, that literature and religion are inconsist ent with each other. This consideration deserves the attention of all, who wish our Colleges to wear a religious aspect.

In the third place, the propo