Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-11-24

The Grand Division OF the Sons Of Teni-
perance OF the State of North Carolina, exer
cising the right accorded by law to every free
man and to every class Of freemen, as BODY
speaking through our official channel, mos
respectfully ask to be heard by you upon the
great truths for the yindication of which wc
have been organized, and in which the com
munities, in whose behalf you have come to
gether, are most deeply interested.
| We assume as a fact = hieh every enEcht
! ened mind knows to be true and which needs
no attestation but that conscious sense which
God has put in every mans bosom, that many
/ great evils afiict your constituents which fov
either directly or incidentally from the use o
ardent spirits.
We beg leave in this connection to remind
4 you Of the heavy sums paid IN money by the
4 orderly and discreet classes, for the punish
ment of crimes and misdeneanors committed
under the influence of spirituous liquor
We are persuaded that these amounts far
exceed an the taxes paid 10y the people of our
State for other purposes, and are far beyond
the amount that was ever levied by any Gov
: ernment, free or despotic, in the way of taxes
for any purpose.
We also call your attention. to the fact that
34great numbers Of able-boi { d citizens Of our
commonwealth are rendered lazy, idle, inn
provident, and incapable Of labor by the ener-
waiting effects of alcohol, while large numbers
/ are hastened into pre- mature graves by which
consequences q large portion of the produe-
{ tive labor of the country is withdrawn or
held back, and they who should render it are
converted into improbable consumers, and
thus increased exactions are made upon the
hard earnings of the industrial classes.
We beg YOU also to consider in what de-
2 gree these examples tend to affect the mors
gies Of those that are to come hter us and
who are to take our places when we have
ceased to exist upon earth.
We conjure you also to reflect what amount
of pain and sorrow is thus introduced into
the domestic circles Of those whom you rep
y resent, and especially how often the female
! portion ofour population are, ON this account,
II insulted and oppressed, and how often re-
:, duced to poverty and shame.
We submit to YOU also how much less Sc
> cure the enjoyment Of every species of prop
2 erty, even the houses above our heads are
= rendered, by the unbridled excesses of drunk
is enness.
2 How often peaceful assemblages of our cit
J. izens are disturbed by shocking imprecations
y and disgusting spectacles.
: How often the Sabbath day is contemned
; and profaned. How all religious and moral
y sympathies, and all pure affection, and all
Is refined sentiments and tastes are made to
d wither under the influences of strong drink.
l. How the good fellowship of neighborhoods
IS and the kindly relations Of social life, are
a thus outraged and broken up.
= How peace on earth and good will towards
: man have, from this cause, taken fight and
5 forsaken many parts Of cur country.
This brief and imperfect recapitulation is
r deemed by Us appropriate, because all the
le evils and grievances (which we have spoken
" are clearly in the range Of your Legislative
i functions, and within your power to alleviate
- if not entirely to redress.
= The legislation Of North Carolina upon tht
ID subject Of the vending Of spirituous liquor
rs which imposes tax Of ten dollars upon al
y sucn IS arc Tlcense1 &c sell and which make
:. it penal in all others to deal it in qualities les
We than quart, is an acknowledgment to som
nr extent, of the force Of the truths we hav
endeaYored TO bring to your considerations
:. But we humbly conceive that this Legislation
- IS based upon wrong principles. We regart
ut Intomperance as sin, and all the facilities
Sc, and encouragement given to it, as mora
lis wrongs. The vending Of ardent spirits by
the permission Of our law, we look upon as
n among the first and foremost OF these fIeiltie
~ and encouragements. Nopr0visions bv which
- 1t is to be regulated can be right as vel
10 the treasury, grant license for the commits
IN sion OF adultery or profanity or sacrilege-
ch " cannot contemplate this traffic as a legit
Ell innate source Of revenue. Nor does the a
10 mount derived from this impure source bea
II any proportion to the evils which under th
- permission, are brought upon society. It j
!o partial and temporizing and only serves t
or film over the ulearous place. and does not a
ey all meet the exigency. The usual enquiry 0
US the Court, on an application for q license. i
cor whether there IS Q demand for another retai
- of ardent spirits are put 10 any
eu in procuring their daily rations Of pestleT
ne tial liquid2 We cannot find that the price
by at all increased or any other impediments t
NO d free use of spirits at all produced by thi
nd enactment On the other hand, 1t serves {
air establish places Of rendezvous for inebTIate
!; where the force Of example and power of q,
:, = sociation are brought powerfully to co-operat
ny with the continually increasing fury OF thei
no animal cravings. There Is no provision
ar this law that the purchasers Of this fatal pri
les iege are made in any way liable for the col
nly sequences which naturally proceed from the
on, business. The victim Of these ministratioE
may fall into the gutter and be strangled, ,
against the curb-stone and his brains may
80 spattered on the pavement, or he may fall il
ad to the fire and be burned he may be 70
m S bed or even murdered In the state Of bel
gho lessness to which the retailer has reduc,
led him, and he that furnished the cause al
Who took profit for It, is not held liable in th
ont act. or by any other, civil or criminal.
IL such be the character of this law, viii n
> ~ your wisdom provide some consistent and {
ooa fectiYe remedy for this evil2
and We, therefore, as the friends Of humani
be- and well wishers to our race, respectfully a
eyes proach your Honorable body, and ask tn
the you use the ample powers with which you a
invested to extinguish at once this most t
J.. rible evil. We are satisfied that there is
~ one way to do SO, and that is to prohibit
as traffic altogether This has been tried
e IT other States and has worked great good
the ready, and promises much more. We, the
-ien- fore, humbly ask you to prohibit entirely
mos vending Of ardent spirits as beverage
orb any quantities within the borders Of Nol
III, Carolina. We are aware that this appli
'icH' ton is going forward good ways in