Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. It has often been rumored, both in Ireland and in faraway countries, that some of the Irish are prone to consume too much alcohol. Indeed, some say that God invented whiskey so that the Irish couldn’t rule the earth. From time to time there have been voices which have called upon the Irish to moderate, and even abstain, from their consumption of alcohol. In the 1790s, the increased consumption of whiskey, particularly illicit whiskey or poteen, was causing concern. At this time, temperance societies were seen as a way of reducing alcohol consumption.
Initially, temperance societies were concerned about alcohol use by the upper classes. Such movements were supported by clergy, particularly the Belfast Presbyterians and the Quakers. However, the most successful abstinence movement came in 1838 when Father Theobold Mathew, a Capuchin from Cork, joined the cause. By 1842, it has been estimated that 5 million of Ireland’s 8 million people had taken Father Mathew’s pledge of abstinence.
Theobold Mathew
Theobold Mathew was born in 1790 to a landowning Catholic family in County Tipperary. At the age of 12, he went to St. Canice’s Academy in Kilkenny. In 1807, he attended Maynooth College for a very short period of time: he left to avoid expulsion for a breach of discipline. From 1808 to 1814 he studied in Dublin and was ordained to the priesthood. He entered the Capuchin Order and joined the mission in Cork.
Prior to his great crusade for temperance, Father Mathew organized schools and benefit societies. In 1830, he took a long lease of the Botanic Gardens so that a cemetery could be created for the poor. Thousands of people who died in the cholera epidemic of 1832 were buried in this cemetery.
According to some unconfirmed stories, Father Mathew had been a heavy drinker until he had a vision of a strange bird-man who told him that he had to change his ways.
One of his biographers describes Father Mathew this way:
“He was of a sweet and engaging disposition, incapable of anger or resentment, free from selfishness, always anxious to share with others whatever he possessed, and jealous of the affections of those to whom he was particularly attached.”
He is also described this way:
"Father Mathew was not a man of shining abilities, nor was he a profound or severely-trained scholar. Neither had he fashioned his style upon the best models, or improved his taste by a thorough acquaintance with those authors whose works are the classics of English literature.”
The Abstinence Movement
In 1838, Father Theobold Mathew, concerned about what he saw as a growing problem of alcohol abuse in Ireland, founded a temperance movement: the Cork Total Abstinence Society. His approach to the alcohol problem in Irish society was simple: people took the Total Abstinence Pledge which was a permanent commitment.
Father Mathew presided over the first meeting of the Cork Total Abstinence Society, delivered an address, and took the Total Abstinence Pledge. He then entered his signature in a large book lying on the table with the words: “Here goes in the Name of God.” It is estimated that about 60 people followed his example and signed the book. Initially, meetings of the new society were held twice a week in the schoolhouse, but soon the crowds grew too large and the meeting moved to the Horse Bazaar which could hold 4,000 people. Night after night he preached the message of abstinence to the crowds and after three months he had enrolled 25,000 people in Cork alone.
In less than nine months, it is estimated that 150,000 people had taken the Total Abstinence Pledge. In December, 1839, Father Mathew decided to go forth and preach the message of abstinence throughout Ireland. As the movement spread, 100,000 people took the Pledge in Galway in just two days; 70,000 in Dublin took the Pledge over five days. In 1843, he would write to a friend:
“I have now, with the Divine Assistance, hoisted the banner of Temperance in almost every parish in Ireland.”
Father Mathew not only preached abstinence, but he also denounced crime and secret societies.
The impact of his temperance movement on Irish society was remarkable:
Alcohol Consumption: from 1839 to 1842, the annual consumption fell from 12,296,000 to 6,485,443 gallons.
Homicides: in 1838 there had been 247 homicides and in 1841 there were only 105.
Assaults on Police: in 1837 there were 91 assaults on police and in 1841 there were only 58
Robberies: in 1837 there were 459 robberies and in 1841 there were 390.
Overall, the number of people committed to jail fell from 12,049 in 1839 to 7,101 in 1845. Similarly, death sentences fell from 66 in 1839 to only 14 in 1846.
There were, however, some other consequences of the Pledge. As alcohol consumption declined, a number of breweries and distilleries had to close due to lack of sales and this caused some unemployment. In addition, a number of people sought to become intoxicated without breaking the letter of their pledge by consuming diethyl ether, a chemical which is more dangerous and unstable than alcohol.
In 1842, Father Mathew extended his abstinence campaign into Britain, going first to Glasgow where thousands signed the Pledge. In 1843, he went to England where he started his campaign in Liverpool. During three months in England, 600,000 people came forth to take the Pledge.
In the United States
In 1849, Father Mathew went to the United States where he would spend more than two years spreading the gospel of abstinence. He visited 25 states and administered the Pledge in more than 300 cities. In the United States, more than 600,000 people took the Pledge.
Father Mathew was entertained by President Zachary Taylor at the White House and was granted a seat within the bar of the Senate and on the floor of the House.
The End
Father Mathew died in Queenstown (now called Cobh) in 1856 at the age of 66 and was buried in Cork. It is estimated that more than 7 million people took his Total Abstinence Pledge. According to John Maguire, writing Father Mathew’s biography in 1863:
"Formerly, drunkenness was regarded rather as a fault for which there were numerous excuses and palliations; now, drunkenness is looked upon as a degrading vice, and the drunkard finds no universal absolution from the judgment of society. Whatever opinion may be held as to the necessity of total abstinence, or the wisdom of moderation, there is but one opinion as to excess — that is one of just and general condemnation. Formerly, there was not a circumstance in one's life, or an event in one's family, or in the family of one's friend or acquaintance, that was not a legitimate excuse for a poor fellow 'having forgotten himself', or 'being overtaken by liquor;' but a sterner verdict, which evidences a higher tone of public wisdom and morality, is another of the results of Father Mathew's teaching."
Open Thread
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