Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-04-04
IBr REouEsr,l'

SoSiaa - brAsS, isfs ooiiCitOi VI tuC
Northern Circuit, (uow JUDaE EvANs.)
in his communication to The Columbia
Temperance Society, 10 1880, uses the
following language:
"Fully four 6lths Of all crimes tried in
The courts Of sessions are those of personal
violence, aud have no doub, that three
fourlhs Of these originate in The hot blood
of our southern climate infamed by the
use ofspirits. In recalling to my recol.
lection he cases Of homicide 10 The morrill,
ern circuit since lS09,. / can recollect but
four, in which neither slayer, nor the slain,
were under the influence Of ntoxicalion,
and in most Of the cases. both of them. !
have been several times very much shock
ed at The close Of the sessions business Of
court 10 fnd that ! had consumed two,
three, and perhaps four days in trying
cases where lhe parties and witnesses were
all drunk, and the only question 10 be de-
cided was. who gave tho first blow. Other
crimes than those of personal violence are
ofrare occurrence in my circuit. have
more than once gone round whole circuit
and found no case o: higher magnitude
than assault and battery. OF cases Of lar
ceny, which in number rank next to assault
and battery, more than half are perpetra.
ted by The drunken wrelches (mostly fer.
eigners,) who in(est our towns and villages.
BY far thetgrealer part of The other half
are controversies about cows and hogs on
which it is very difficult to determine
whether The taking be ielnnious or with
color Of right.
/ have known only three cases, in which
the writ de lunulico :inquirendo has been
issued. Two of these were clear cases of
mania potu: have known several cases
of insanity, which had no connection wih
in,emperance. Since the receipt Of your
letter. have thought much on The innu-
ence ef intemperaDce in The cases Of insol-
vency. This among The trading people is
The result of mercantile operaliona not
easily understood. But amoug the pan-
ters, the causes are more obvious and
comprehensive. In this class ofour people,
| cannot now recollect more than TWO or
three instances Of insolvency among Hose,
" ho ever had any wealth, that are nol
ascribable to extravaganza and neglect of
business consequent upon intemperance.
In the moral world, cause and effect do
not follow each other go closely, that we
can with any certainty ascri0e every effect
10 lis legitimate cause hence ii is difficult
10 say 10 wffat extent the moral sense is
-debased by intenperance and its conse-
queai train Of poverty and degradation.
Thai it's corrupted by this cause, and to
very great extent, haye no doubt.
Upon The whole | am satisfied that l do
uor overratc. when say more than t,6o
thirds of all the crime, uiee and lDrefched-
ness o the people Of Carolina may be as,
cribed TO The Incorporate use Of inlorica-
ting liquors., Iflhis blot on our character
can be. removed, i honestly believe that.
the moral state of. society in this State
would be cqnalto il not better; tha '''1'
sa s1 a2y 1!nsI a%5e s9Ps!S sss
we are more gully in this respect IAN
others. Within my own time there has
been great Improvements: in this spaf,icular.
The gentlemen of the country were once
addicted 10 il. This is not The case now,
except in very limited degree. Indeed
percep,ible improvement is visible every
where, and crimes both in number and
lurpirudc are considerably diminished.
How much>of this is ascriEabIe to Tenn
perancc Societies, (for these have existed
among US for three or four years,) how
much, TO the gress Of learning among
ne INV much IN oIhnr morol ca,,aas and
how much 10 The self denials and increased
industry and economy arising out OF re-
cent political causes, | am unable 10 say.
In cause pregnant with consequences so
momenIous TO human happiness. all should
contribute their mite, and ! sincerely wish
you success in the effort making, in Co.
lumbia."