Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-10-14

;, Iat it becomes uA no doubt, to vote
thiI very great ages The March of I'm
] prpvement is performed ia double quick
{ tine. Improvement,in fact, seems tol
have borrowed the marvellous seven
leagues boots of the rtnowned SLAYER of
Giants. But then, as night naturally be
expected, t occasionally strides over a
seven leagues interva without once
touching it
This, to some extent, btleast, has been
the fate Of tie laws Regulating the liquor
traffic. OuHlegislators evidently thought
the sale of ardent spirits dangerous TO the
community and considered themselves
IN duty bound to watch it narrowly.
/ They sAw.the ravages of alcohol. Like
| tfle Hire OF retreat OF DOnapaTre.s Grand
Army from the inhospitabIe land of
SHOWS, iti path could be marked by the
olackenlng corPses strewn along. They
saw manhoods strong frame bow beneath
its touch. They beheId the fond hopes
of parents peish, and the gray hairs OF
age go down with sorrow to the grave.
They saw wiv ves made widows, and lit
tie innocent children, made orphans, by
alcohol. They knew that hearts were
bleeding and tears were falling ever
more and that, by it, from many once
happy hearth every hope, and every Joy
had fed. The record was like the scroll
which the prdphet saw in his sad vision;
1t was writer within and without. and
full of lamenhtion, and mourning, and
woe. The dispenser of village charities
found that most Of the wretchedness
which he ught to alleviate originated
IN the love Of strong drink. The states
, man saw this terrible curse eating like
!, an ulcer, intd the very heart Of the ma
Etlon. The managers of the abodes of
pauperism saw most of their wards crow
ded with drunkard's families. The mag
> lstrate in most of the criminals dragged
before him, recognized the victims of al
, cohol. The sheriff seldom adjusted his
fatal rope, except around throats long ia
miliar with its use. The coroner held
most of his lnquests over these disfgured
bodies, found in the highways or drawn
ashore IN the nets of fishermen No age
no station, was safe. The great states.
man, and the great soldier, as we'll as
, men OF lower degree, were conquered BY
! their appetites, and died as the fool dieth.
The judge from the bench, and the di.
! vine from the pulpit, fell into the dishon
4 ored grave of the drunkard and in this
deep abyss, some of the brightest lights
. of the age were quenched.
: The evil, too threatened to increase
: rather than diminish. The laborer tool
alcohol with him to his field of toll
:, When the crisis Of the suit came, the
lawyer resorted to brandy to spur up bis
jaded powers. With it, the poet plum.
ed his wings for loftier flights And even
the doctor of divinity fancied that lit.
tie wine impaired additional pathos anc
JUNCTION to his eloquence. When chile
was born the friends Of the family gath
cred to the christening and drank. Ifhe
lived toIlegal majority they assembled
and drank again. IF he called to see the
ladies', an invitation to the side board wa.
as indispensable as the small talk. If he
4 married, his wedding was scene ofrev
) elry, in which intoxicating liquors flowed
4 IN copious streams. tt he died, his rel
\ atives and friends congregated at hi:
: funeral and sought, with alcohol, to re-
! lmburse themselves for the tears which
they shed upon his coffin.
l. In searching for the headquarters o
a the evil, our Legislators, very naturall,
d fixed their eyes upon the places wher,
d intoxicating liquors were retailed. Hith
e er the small politician came to learn til,
e news, and display his wisdom and elo
s quence. Hither the lounger took hi
llstless way, in hope of finding somethin.
S, to enable him TO forget the slow movin.
o hours. Here reckless young men con
d gregated to hold their reveIs, and th
s village tavern became the rendezvous O
a ldleness, dissipation and riot.
# The convictions fthe law makers i'm
e PEELED them to attempt something t
r remedy these evils and then arose th
= question, What shall we do Shut u
i, the places of sale ? Impossible Wha
S would the poor traveller do, especially
n his journey happened to be either lon
n or short or if the weather should chanc
m TO be cold, or hot, or wet, or dry? Be
lie sides great as the evil confessedly is,
IS cannot be done away all at once. w
ID must be content to regulate Regulatio
OF therefore, became the motto of the Law
And our economists had before them.
IS most notable and worthy example. Th
Ill sages who governed the city of Londor
r some centuries since saw the evils re
ID sulting from the gross licentiousness {
n the times and felt constrained TO do som,
thing TO abate the wickedness. Th
OF magnitude Of the evil was such howex
II er, that to attempt its entire destructio
It, seemed worthy only of the ehivalrou
at knight of La Mancha. Would the rule,
d. be SO unwise as TO attempt impossible
OF ties : Certainly not what could the
e. then do' Regulate and therefore the
ar SET about regulating the overt sins of
ks great city. All things were reduced
he system by the sage lawgivers ordinal
"a ces were devised for the haunts Of wicl
Id edness, and their fallen inmates. AT
nd that It might be under the supervise