The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-11
For The Southern Press

NEW YORK, Dec. 9th, 1850.
resume my illustrations of the moral, social
and religious condition of the English nation,
whose destiny, if we believe them, is to carry
civilization and christianity to the uttermost ends
of the earth. My quotations are from the same
source as the preceding ones, and have the sane
ton Of one Of the highest living ornaments of
British literature
"Of this misery and degradation there are
some who say the cause is gin. II may be so,
but let us see Every one remarks the increase
Of gin shops. In all those parts of Leeds and
Manchester, and of London too, where the poor
est people live, there you find in almost every
dirty street, not only one, but several, fine hou-
scs, handsomely succeed, curiously painted, or
namcntcd with plate glass and polished brass:
in the windows placards inviting custom by
such expressions as "mountlin dew" and scream
OF the vAllev;' inside, great barrels Of spirits,
galy painted and disposed for show, carved ma
h"gauy and more polished brass, with men and
women smarty dressed, smiling welcome to all
who enter. The doors Of these splendid dcns
are carefully hung, 50 rs to fly open with touch,
and shut in an instant; whether for the conve-
niencc of dram. drinkers, who are ashamed of
their taste, or to give the concern an air of mys-
tery,which pleases the ignorant, Messrs. Thomp-
son q Feason best can tell. These gentlemen.
who being rich, are highly respectable, keep the
largest gin shop in Englund-in the world
Here Gin is served up by young women,
dressed up like the Belle Limonadiere of Paris
coffee house, and the establishment in all its
parts is nearly as fine as Ferys or the Catc de
Paris. There is another great gin shop not
much inferior to it, little further west, adoin-
ing the gate of Gray's Inn; two or three close
10y Chancery Lane: and twenty or thirty not
far oil. In half an hour YOU may visit hun
dred. What contrast between the inery of
the shops and the beggarly appearance of the
customers! Among these are few really old
people: but then plenty ofvoung people appear
old. Livid cheeks. deep wrinkles, blood.shot
eyes, brown teeth, or white gums without teeth
akin and bone, shaking hands, sore legs, creep
ing palsy, hacking cough, rags, filth, and
stencil these are marks by which you may know
the regular gin drinker. Nine out of ten who
may enter the finest gin shop in Manchester on
Sunday morning, will show one or more Of these
marks counting women, boys, and girls, IA
well rs men but not the children, who, Of
course, are only beginners. In some grea,
towns in the north they have low counters and
small glasses, on purpose for the small children
in London they stand on tip toe but London
will improve. As to gin shops-London is i'm
proving rapidly, both in number and lnery:
every week, almost every day, producing n new
gin shop, fitted up with spring doors, plate glass,
carved mahogany or rose wood, and polished
brass, all more "elegant," as the Americans say.
than the gin shops that sprung up the week be-
fore"
The writer traces the causes Of this propen-
sty to gin drinking, in the following reply of
Sptafed weaver to a friendly remonstrance:
"Sir, all that you say is true. The more gin
we drink, the more We want but tire less gin
we drink, the more We feel the want of some
thing else. Give us bread, meat, beer and fire,
then we would feel warm without gin | am
not begging We are all ready to work work
God knows, morning, noon, and nght-work,
work, work we have plenty Of that. If we did
not work we should starve But what does our
work bring Work and hunger, work and cold,
work and sorrow. ] get about fourteen shill-
ings week, out of which, there Is rent to pay
we can't lie in the s.reet-and clothes to find.
such as they are-we must be covered. What
! is LETT for fire and food among six of us, four
children, their mother aud me ! Enough TO
starve upon-that's all. In cold weather we all
SILVER for want Of fire. The children and their
mother may lie in bed to keep themselves warm :;
but |, hungry and cold, mus: work. do work
and when drink gin, it is to keep myself from
going mad. Ifyou were as poor as we sir, and
had to work as hard as have, without hope,
you would be apt to learn that gin Is bread and
meat, and fire, and hope, all in ono Without
gin, should not have the heart TO work, and
We must all go to the poor-house or die, for the
poor-house u chock full, and the rates are not
paid. We say cold in the stomach, but we mean
hunger in the belly and despair in the heart
Gin cures both for time; but it kills at last
you say. Well, we can but die, with gin or
without; and life such as our, " ithout Gin is
worse than DEATH"
One moro extract, and ! shall willingly turn
from this painful and disgusting subject 1t is
taken from Carlyles" Past and Present." work