New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-04-05

day passed the bill 70 submit 70 the People the
question Of the Repeal Of the Free School Law
Law and Liquor-Can Temperance be pro
NOTED by Leaisiationf
EMguLLE. Feb. ~, 1850
To The Editor Of The Ty'1un<s
SIR: No one, perhaps has a more exalted ides
a, III, T,.,> OF ,s wonderful power In UNFOLDING and
Improving the Institutions Of he country than myself yer
II .omstlnss contains things which cannot approve
posuons which appear Un,ensble. one IN pATucuisf VI
ibis sort Is the idea Ofbe importance Of the agency OF esh
means in relation the Temperance cause Not hat an
al all inimieal 10 the cause.
You stae that the effects Of legal means are In Newkng
land most salusry I believe H. however to be isei
generally conceded that perimens Of this kind sgnsy
In New England in the earlier stages Of the reform
And now Sir s here In this State such an enlightened
public sentiment and feeling in relation to The use OF m
toxioatng drinks justify the adoption Of legal means
WHAT may he OF one locality, city or community N r.
ference TO the efcvy legal means may not be suseePd
be OF general applicability -,.
License second tra however, reverted the voIe-but
still majority Of the Board were opposed to granting
License aud what has been the resubF Every one sells
who pleasee and that too with perfect imPnnity Mora
suasn efforts entirely abandoned IN consequence oi
the general hostility Inspired b. resort 10 egal mesns
Most Of those who pledged to Total Abstinence have
abandoned their principles the rect teve become Indifferent
Now would II not be better 10 rely entirely upon MORA
suason where the law might he safely resor,ed TO-
than 10 call f,r Legislative inefpOslon sno mus coohe
the Influence OF Moral SunsiOu IN many places bp
sections where reform is mos needed and where Mora
Suas1n alone can do tis wOik
thoroughly the indignation OF his customers
and OF generally They regard him as pese
10 the heart u closed say uis N reference 20 con
siderable portion Of The State WI the Temperance cause
Ia sa IN lhe background Your" Ie'f;so1,GlHvlggo ou
To II. 0REELtY A. hOOEboOh
Reply.
We Go no. know that our correspondent will
admit our premise that II is ARRAYS exPeGient 10
do Right. But assuming II at the outset, we pro
coed to observe that
l. II is morally ,orong for any man TO supply
others with thar which he knows will do them
harm, and cause them to do harm 10 others.
2. 1t is morally pronS, when particular traffic
is held by large and respectable portion oil the
community to be naturally productive OF serious
and overriding mischief, to persist in that traffic
without carefully inquiring and canodly consider
ing the subject, and being satisfied that the gene.
raj effect Of his said business is salutary and bench
ceut
,. If men are not merely permitted but ex'
pressly licensed TO do TINT which the community
knows TO be demoralzing aud destructive. the fact
caunot fail TO make vivid and deleterious impress
sion on the minds Of the young, who are thereby
led to conclude that society condemns only such
vices and crimes as considerable portion OF the
community see 1T to practice or hope 10 profit by
Or, In other words,
T. Impunity and express legal protection to
wrong doing is in Itself evil, which cannot iaii to
injure and deprave the community.
And now to the practical matter
!. 1t s quite true that the legal prohibition Of
the LIQUOR Traffic was ut one time ahead of public
sentiment in some parts of New England, and Of
course was oyerpowered at the succeeding trel'
You may see the hike of this often in watching the
sea-shore in a rising tide; now wave nses far
above all that have preceded 1t, and the three or
four succeeding fail short but soon another towers
above and rises beyond it Ia Massachusetts and
Vermont especially, the first laws forbidding the
Liquor Traffic were overruled for a time bit now
the traffic is completely outlawed in Vermont and
In all but one County Of Massachusetts Rhode
Island also. # we mistake not iorbds II. In
Maine, Connecticut and New Hampshire, we he
ieve the Judgment of the several localities now
permits iorbds this traffic. but it is not gener
ally licensed, and We travelled in Maine about
week one year ago without seeing flask O
hquor exposed 6r sale. We maintain. therefore
that though the legal repression Of the traffic il
generally followed by momentary reaction, ye
that the sober second thought has almost Uni
iosmly affirmed the wisdom and justice OF such re
preston.
9. Mr.. H. doubts that there is now "a sufficient
ly enlightened pablo sentiment and feeling IN ihi
State to sustain legal Introduction of the traffic
Considering what our legislation and policy TO
some yesrspas have been. we are inclined 10 agree
with him. And We spprehend that forty years o
such Moral saasion as he iavors would not suffice
10 prepare she public mind Ns more decisive meas
ures But US have stringent interdict to carr,
or sustain. and we can resume efficiently the edu
cation and elevation OF the populsr conceptions o.
this subject We may he repeatedly vanquished
but Truth and Virtue viii gain by the inevitable
agitation and discussion. II the Electors OF GU
State were required TO vote License or No Ii
cense every year OF the ten ensuing, we csnno
guess how they would vote the first year nor III
second, but We feel very certain as TO the tenth
,. We don't understand why Moral Saasiol
efforts have been abandoned Ia Erievine be
cause OF refusal 70 license liquor selling. whel
every body who chooses is permitted 70 sell with
out resistance or annoyance. Sui less can W,
imagine a good reason for Temperance men return
ing TO gros drinking on that account, We must a
least hope that our correspondent is not of thi
class though he reasons and writes as II b
thought little brandy and lsadsnum or eve
brandy and water would be an excellent prever
tive for Cholera
Oar correspondent leaves US in doubt IS to tn
thoroughness Of his oonvictions the consistency c
his logic. II he holds sha, al vice should be lei
% Moral sussion for discipline and repression. an
nothing punished bu, outrsges on the persons an
property OF others. We shall know how TO NEE
him But if he holds thu, deus ct Gambling al,
Sensual Infsmy should be repressed by law bu
not Grog shops We viii thank him TO tell Us ~ks
We do not think any law can be bene6cens that il
not essentially Just and equal
s. We DO not consider the legal inhibition OF Ii
seIing the best formof Temperance lesislaiio'
at leas, Tor the present wha, we prefer and hsv'
oiten urged 10 careful and comprehensive prov'
sion BY law ior assessing tAe eggrssats ezpcHs
aad loss caused by the Liquor Trsifc on those wh'
puosecate IT, II it can be proved that threefoprth
aT the pauperism ia any community Is caused BY