Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-03-14
Fns HEApYERrIsER.

Ihe Temperance.Reformers. These re.
marks may not have been provoked if
these men had adhered TO their first princi.
Piles Of moral suasion. But we shall make
il appear that though they have adopted
voluntarily the rule Of ntre'abstineoce-
they now wish to force The same rules upon
others nolens roisns. They disclaim this
by a ruse of fpllacious reasoning s-,hat
they allow the right 10 others TO drink if
lhey choose, but wish-lo prescribe merely
the meaus of furnishing. it. No lyro in
logic can resist the conclusion, that The
moral right to drink at all, will establish
the righ, to fufni5E, i, TO the same degree.
And since they assume the ground that
The use Of wines is dependant upon the
supply, then it follows that 10 control.
limit, OF destroy. the supply, is TO control,
limit, or destroy The use as the case may
be, which latter they disclaim. Therefore
the proposition may be demonstrated, that
these men practically deny the right in the
abstract TO use wines and liquors; and
claim the right 10 force upon Others their
own rules Of conducr. And surely any
combination Of men who can reconcile il
10 their sense of justice 10 make such es.
actions upon their neishbors, will submit
to have their principles aud motives freely
investigated. 1t has been shown that their
society was mol originally instituted, and
is not now supported from considerations
of religion or morality. For i, has been
shown that they rejec, almost the whole
of .hc moral law Of God, and have estab-
lished new one 10 the observance Of
which they manifest more zeal than they
do for the forgiveness Of sins. This excl
sion of the moral la,o is The result of an
undue rondness for novelty. ii is a wick
ed, tri1ing and unjust distinction, against
which the sermon Of Christ was pontedly
directed in great measure. If these men
see fiji thus 10 speculate in morals, they
have The right 10 do SO, Solar as the State
is concerned, hui The opinions and interests
of their opponents are none the less deser-
wing of The protection Of The Government
aud The respect of its municipal officers
Such speculalions have ever existed.
According TO Plato virtue was made to
CONSIST sin that slate of mind in which
every faculty confines itself within its prop
er sphere Sc" 1t is said that Aristotle
placed it "in kind Of medium between
two opposite. vices" Every school,boy
knows how we'll this view is expressed by
Horace in his first satire
Est modus in rebus; sunt cerli den.
ique fines,
Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere
5. reclum.
(There is a.mean in things; finally there
are certain boundaries on either side oil
which moral recli,ude can NOT exist.")
The Temperance party assert that tenn
perance consists ia entire abstinence; and
their opponents place it in the moderate
use ofswioes and liquors. or of any other
luxury prerequisite Of man. In as much
as G Goyernmenlsa and civil regulations can
ms fas ay hfa fa6sf q6ftieffH had d
these motives are developed BY action, ii
would be undignfed id The State as;weI
as impolitic 10 pamper to theR;poculiar
ethics of either party, unless it can be
shown that the act itsel f of. drinking .simp,
ly, SYNONYMOUS with drunkenness and
rioing, and therefore such an act as 10
come within The cognizance Of the civil
power. But the moderate use of wines
and liquors involves no breach Of The
peace, no diminishing Of The mos, exalted
patriotism. no disregard Of social and civil
dulles, and 10 violation of the law Of God.
Excess is the evil politically and morally
The interference Of Government in behalf
OF theoretical ethics, whose rules of action
are grossly inconsistent, might fortiori
be directed 10 the controlling, and modify.
Ing OF the fundamental principle of relig.
ous.liberty since The latter embraces he
former and reaches even TO the salvation
of the soul. But the government of man
is contradislinsuished from The government
of God iu this particular. The one can
only look TO the actions of men, white i, is
the prerogalive Of the other 10 take cogui-
zance Of the motives. Wherever munich.
pal officers have brought The arm oc-lbs
law 10 bear, upan-Ihoro-r6uo'rc1y iudulsiug
,;nriDrns anl drunkenness The good order Of
society is preserved. The policy of pla-
cling Ihe commodity Of wines aud liquors
in the shops Of apcthecaries, presumes up
OIL these men possessing More integrity
than any one else. Does the study of
physic desIroythat roo, Of all evil " The
"lOve Of money" Look around and see.
The only case in which ii has been tried
in This State, resulted in a certan Doc:
tor's-a temperance lecturor-filling vials
of an ounce up 10 botles of a quart, with
wines and liquors. and his selling them
ostensibly for medicine at such rapid rate,
'thaviug the monopoly that the com:nuui.
ty became indignant, and under lne threat
to indicl the offender, broke down The
monopoly Of fanatical party: One of the
greatest practical evils of legislation on
rIiis subject is The iuslorious uncertainty
which attends its operations. To-day 40
enterprise or an investment may be sus.
toined, and protected according to law,
which Tomorrow may come under the
condemnation Of The officers of The law,
and be annihIalcd and this too according
to law. This is that doubtful and capri.
cious protection which amounts 10 oppres
sion, and which is execrated by patriots
and statesmen as most ilnpolitic and odi.
Gus feature in Government. An acl of the
Legislature. confering such discretionary