Extraordinary Temperance Movements In New-york

Overflowing meetings have been held during the past week, in a number of churches, and on the afternoon of Saturday, a mass meeting took place in the Park, where the speakers addressed a mixed multitude of rum-sellers, rum-drinkers, and temperate drinkers, from a platform erected on empty rum casks. The result of these meetings, up to Monday evening, March 29th, is an accession to the ranks of temperance, of over 1700 individuals. A society has been formed of reform drunkards, called the "Washington Temperance Society of New York." of which Mr. William Wisdom is President. This Society, like the Parent Society of Baltimore, is to hold frequent experience meetings. The delegates are to continue their labors in this city, until near the close of the present week, when they will visit Philadelphia, on their return to Baltimore and deliver several addresses in that city. In the Herald we find short reports of the addresses made at the meeting held in the Methodist church in Duane street, which we transfer to our columns. The following is the speech of Mr. Shaw. Mr. Shaw then rose. - Fellow countrymen, I'm a mechanic. I'm no stump orator; I'm a rum orator. (Roars of laughter in which the ladies joined.) I'm a reformed drunkard, and I don't care who knows it; I didn't use to get drunk in the day time, and roll about the streets; but I got drunk at night, and that's just as bad. For thirty years I followed this drinking rum. (Cheers and Laughter.) Oh! I've been a rale old sucker, and no mistake. - (Roars of laughter.) Well as I said, this drinking rum leads to all sorts of bad things; it leads to playing dominoes; that's a rale old sucking game. Well I've played, and got so drunk that I couldn't see the dominoes; they'd all turn black. - (Loud laughter.) I'd get half drunk, and go home and threaten to whip every body there, and tumble down and forget to flow any body. (Cheers.) Well I quit this thing all of a sudden; and now i never means to drink another drop, whilst the sun shines or water runs. (Loud cheers.) Since then I've saved money, but I couldn't do it afore. For a drunkard's always in debt, and always a slave. If you drink cold water you'd never get the head ache or any other fever. You talk of going to war; well, in the last war we had generals and majors enough among us - but if it hadn't been for one Captain Whiskey, at North Point in 1814, we shouldn't have had so much blood spilt there. One Officer who was in liquor, made a false move, gave a wrong order, and lost hundreds of his men. The whiskey came to North Point in hogsheads, dray loads, and waggon loads, and that's why so much blood was spilt. If war was declared tomorrow, old Shaw, by the grace of God, would be among 'em, but he'd have a cold water man for a captain. (Loud cheers and Laughter.) I could explain all this, much better if I had not been a rum sucker; but its used up my throat and split my voice. I used to get drunk, go home to my supper in the basement, and swear to my wife that she had laid the supper table in the garret. [Laughter from the ladies.] I used to kick my men's work down when it was done as well as work could be done. I used to find fault about trifles, especially after dinner, when I had a horn or two in me, and I was in an awful temper for storming out and blowing up some body in the morning, whether they deserved it or not, if I'd had a good drunk over night. Then in the morning, when I went to take a cup of coffee, my hand would go just so, [here he shook his hand like a drunkard.] Then I'd go to the tavern, get a cold cut, drink a brandy toddy, and then I'd have two or three before I could get one to stick. [Laughter.] Well, when I was a drunkard, I didn't go to church for ten years. The second Sunday after I reformed, I said to my wife on the Saturday night, "Mother, let's have breakfast early tomorrow, for I mean to go to church." "My God," says she, "we'll have breakfast before day." - [Great Laughter] I'm telling you facts. Not what I got out o' almanacks. Well, we had breakfast, and had eggs, and I love eggs. I took my daughter Kate and streaked it for church. I didn't know what church to go to 'cause I consider 'em all alike. Well, as I was going along I met several men I know'd; they said "old man are you going to the country?" I said no I am agoing to church. With that they all roared; because it was just after sunrise, and church goes in at 11 o'clock in Baltimore. You see I hadb't been to church so long, I forgot all about the time. (Roars of laughter.) I had a friend who I liked to see much. He and I have been drunk together a hundred times. Now I am a sober man I hate to see him a drunken one. And I'd go from Georgia to Maine, to get five men to sign the pledge. A man never thinks of dying when he's drunk; and I'll tell you more, a man never says his prayers when he's drunk. Who'll help a drunkard. I wouldn't lend him sixpence. Voice in the crowd. - Wait 'till you're asked. Speaker. - Who'll have a drunkard in his house? - Nobody. He says Oh, he is drunk - turn him out. There's no pleasure in being drunk. If you go to a theatre you can't see the play; and you loaf about up stairs, and drink, and make a fool of yourself. If you go to a circus, you can't see a thing. Why, I've gone to a circus before now, when I've been so drunk that I couldn't see the horses go round. - (Roars of laughter.) I went once to see a baloon go up by a man called Durant. - Well, I went on to drink, and I got inflated before the balloon did. And the boys said "there goes the balloon," an I went to look up for it, and I was so drunk, I fell over a bank 30 feet, and never saw the balloon, but tore my breeches most off my back - (Screams of laughter) - and got 'em all dirted all over, and had to go to a little house, and get a fisherman's young wife to sew up my pantaloons, before I appeared decent to go home. I once went to Virginia to set up a steam boiler, I had no liquor for five or six weeks. Coming home, I got a board the steamboat and poured the brandy toddy into me no ways slow. At last I got into my berth, and a nervous gentleman lay underneath me. The boat lurched, and I fell out on the cabin floor. The gentlemen, jumped up in fright, and cried out "what's the matter? Is the boiler burst?" Said I - "No, my friend, it's my boiler that's busted!" (Shouts of applause.) He hauled on one boot and picked up his pantaloons and in that condition ran right in the ladies' cabin crying out "where is my wife?" - Now if any thing serious had happened to him or any body else, or if he'd picked up some strange lady, and jumped overboard I should have been guilty of murder or manslaughter at least. (Screams of laughter.) Come then and sign the pledge. Some tell you you'll die if you do; I tell you, you won't. There is no fear of your dying from drinking cold water: you'll die if you drink rum. Look at me, my flesh was as soft as a boiled turkey's, now it is as hard as a brickbat. Come up then and sign, and have your whole system renewed and hardened like mine is. - (Cheers.)