The Columbian fountain., 1846-01-01
For the Columbian Fountain.

MEssRs. EDIToRs The correspondent OF
the National lntelligenccr, which appears in
that paper of the 30th ult, has taken occa-
sion to express his views on the subject of
restraining the sale of Alcoholic poisons in
the city of New Y ork; if he had confined
his observations to that city should not have
troubled you with this communication but,
as he has called on every man in his owu
vicinity to notice these brawlers on this sub
ject," deem it my duty to take some notice
OF this article ] wish to treat this correspon-
dent with respect, as believe he is an aged
man, at the same time will try to correct
his errors. He commences bv expressing
his friendship for the Temperance cause, af-
ter calling the real friends Of the cause fana-
tics, men who are trying to have law, which
has already been extended to the whole State,
except the city of New York, extended to it
also. The law is not to correct the morals
Of the people, but is TO give majority OF the
people in any ward or election district, the
privilege to say by their vote at the polls,
whether these hot-beds Of vice, grog-shops,
Of which there are more than 5000 in The
city Of New York, shall be licensed in their
respective wards or districts, by majority
vote. Is not this republican doctrine, that
the majority ought to rule = we think so.
Why then does this gentleman call on every
man to notice these brawlers, who advocate
measure that can injure none and will
benefit thousands by closing many Of those
places where tens of thousands are stripped
of character, life, money, and every thing
which men hold dear. | ask, again, why
does he oppose this measure? know not,
unless he is one Of those reasonable mod
crate drinkers who use Intoxicating liquors
in their families, and who never have made
beasts of themselves, or Of any of their
sons, relations or friends; who consider
themselves assailed and traduced when the
advocates Of the cause, be they reformed,
drunkards or reformed moderate drinkers
advert TO the habits Of these said moderate
and reasonable men who use intoxicating
liquors as they ought to be used.
1t would take up too much time and
space in your paper to enter into all the
arguments suggested by this gentleman. Let
it suffice to say that the doctrine of the
Teeotaler is, that no reasonable man ought
to drink alcoholic poisons at all, and that
believe there is not regular moderate
drinker in the land who has not made a
beast of himself, or of some of his family,
by trying to make a reasonable use of the
poison on some occasion. But to return to
his warning: s Let men notice these brawl-
ers, let them examine their general charac-
ter and probable motives, and let them ex-
anime what it is they are opposing, and
who it is that oppose them, and they will
be truly surprised to find SO few of our
good citizens embarked or embarking in
this truly phlanthropic cause" That there
are hypocrites in the temperance cause there
is no doubt; but there is no cause in which
they are SO soon found out. Let our law
makers then do all they can to suppress
vice of every kind; and while they legis-
late against lotteries and gambling houses
and brothels, let them not leave out that
which supports the whole system of crime,
the rum traffic. OBSERVER.