The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-05-12
BT REopEsr.
From hs p tstlrrgA Com, Jglp.
TeTnperance Iegislafion.

l BT REQUEST.
From DE p ttsblrgA Com, JotT.
Temperance Legislation.
| have read with pleasure. and instruction,
Bishop Polters lecture On the drinking
usages Of Society" 1t is addressed 70 the
sound reason, and good sense, Of his hearers;
and is frre from that exirayagance, and ex-
aggeralion, which too often charaeterize tenn
lPerance lectures. 1t places the cause on the
force Of opiniol !, fashion, usage, and not on
the coercIve power OF legal enac,ments. The
use of alcohol, vinOus, or iennented drinks,
is not in itself an evil. but rendered so, by
abuses; and that abuse must be encountered
by usage and fashion. as well as reason
Public opinion, isthe most potent ofall laws,
Legislation must give way before il; or at
least, encounter it, with only partial success.
! The temperance cause. cannot be main
tanned successf lily, by official agents, and
officers, clothed with power to make often
sve & dangerous encroachments on the per-
sonal rights and liberties of the citizens The
paddock must be placed on the mind The
minority, has its rights, which are not to be
violated by the majority, because in the
opinion Of that majority, it is for the COM
munity. Conviction acting on the mind,
with the force of religious obligation, is the
only thing to be safely relied on to prevent
men from being vicious and immoral. Where
a man does a direct injury To his neighbour,
/ or the public, it is then indeed II proper sub
ject for the operation of the laws Where
the mind is bound by what is equivalent to
s,,n. L a H.,
supported by the powerful sanction of pub
lie opinion, it acts with force, thousand
times greater then mere Legislative enact
ments.
Persons not intimately acquainted with the
efficacy, or working of laws. very naturally
overate their effect. They perceive great
|evll, arising from something bad in itself,
but greatly augmented by followingits prob
able, and perhaps remote secondary results,
and this must be encountered By means
which disregard all other considerations, but
the extirpation of the evil. To attain this
desirable end, the opinions and habits of the
people, and the most sacred rights of minor
tiles, must be trampled on, or disregarded.
la their zeal for the good cause, all discre-
ton prudence, expediency, must be setaside!
The celebrated Jeremy Taylor, in one of
his sermons, against the infamous vice of
defamation, says, "if / were legislator, l
would make a law, that the slanderer should
have his tongue cH oat" The experienced
legislator. would ask whether there should
not be discrimination as to the kinds or de-
gree of SANDER? These theoretic legislators,
are not sufficiently acquainted with human
nature, to know the practical working of
their proposed law. The severity of such
would defeatits execution. Legislation has
its limit and proper sphere; the law that can
not be executed, at least without great anoy-
ance, and vexation to the community, is
vicious it revolts the minds of those oppo-
Sed to it; it gives rise TO corupting, and
permicious evasion; and brings both the law,
and the cause attempted to be advanced, in
to contempt. Persons discover a real, or
fancied evil in society, and Immediately cry
out, "make law, against it" But it is
not the law, but the execution and work
ing of the law, which the legislator should
Iconsider. In those Religious societies, where
laws are blicyed to eminate directly, from
the Deity, it is matter of conscience to
obey and no sanction can be too severe, be-
cause dsobedience in such case is revolving
aga nst the Almighty. But no law me; T.
! " human, canmake tia matter of conscience,
not to manufacture, and use, alcohol, beer,
cider, or wnel Such law can only be at
tempted to be executed by the use of force,
| by creating numerous agents, and giving
arbitrary despotic power against which the
mind revolts, even under despotic govern
mentS.
1t is admitted, that it is the abuse of drink
| ing, that is to be corrected, for the use of
alcohol, or drinks containing portion of it,
may or may not be, evil according to circum
stances My objection to all direct legisIa-
ton on the subject, is founded on principle.
1t infringes that liberty of the citizens, to eat,
or drink, or wear what they please, being
responsible, as in all other cases for anyevil
consequences, to others, or to society which
may follow the abuse, but the citizen
must be left free. to the guidance of his own
discretion leaving also, Others free to advise
and demonstrate. What an undertaking
would it not be if the moralist should attempt
to enforce every m raj obligation, by laws,
and appropriate punishment. 10 ferret out
a single vice would cost more than the gov
ernment of the city. There would ben end
0 the code, as we see among the Chinese,
who, for want of proper discrimination be-
tween what properly belongs to Legislation,
and what to mere morals, OF usage, descend
to enforce by laws, the observance ofcommon
politeness and etiquette. But it will be said,
that the abuse of intoxicating drinks, leads
to very bad consequences; and do not 9TH
er immoralities lead to consequences, as de-
pIorable, or revolving, as intemperance? 1t
is the business of the practical legislator to
discriminate between, what belongs to NOR
ais. and what to Legislation, just as the ex-
perienced physician distinguishes the cases
which require the exhibition of active med
icine, or where the cure is to be effected by
regimen, exercise, Or the change of air. 1t
is not enough to say that the use of the for
bilden drinks, lea4stoin injurious consequence
es, for the same may be saidof many things;
but as practical matter, large proportion
of the people, will resist this attempt to CO.
cree their actions in things Indifferent, re-
garding it as an invasion Of their liberties;
and in all probability, producing serious
hostility to the temperance cause in others
bD ,,o;rrbt horo o;nnd -