The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-02-27


As d bin, with nearly the same provisions
that are contained in the Maine Liquor law Isl
now before our legislature we copy the follow
ing article upon the subject from the N ri
Post. And here we beg leave to remark that
an opposition to the law alluded to is rising in
quarters other than among dealers in spirituous
liquors. an opposition whose grounds are found
ed on principles of justice, and on govern
mental science.
In another part Of this sheet we publish a
bill reported on Saturday to the New York SEN
ate, prohibiting the sale Of alcoholic or fernen-
ted liquors within this state, and enforcing the
prohibition by penalties Of fine and imprison-
Inent Last evening, a numerous meeting, held
at Metropolitan Hall, in this city, adopted res
olutions in favor Of making this bill the law Of
the land, and listened 10 impressive addresses
from the lips of eloquent and benevolent men,
urging the Importance and necessity of the law.
As we disagree wholly with those who framed
the law, and those who supported it last even
ing at Metropolitan Hall, we take this occasion
to say, that, belonging to the class OF the con-
sttutlonally temperate, we have no community
of feeling or appetite with those who oppose the
law because 1t intefferes with the indulgences
which they are in the habit Of allowing them
selves. For aught that weshould care, person.
ally, the wine-press might never be trodden
more distilleres and brewerie., wherever they
stood, might be ruzed to the ground; the pipes
Of port in the vaults Of the London docks might
be emptied into the sea, and after them might
be pitched all the tobacco Of the southern
states and the West Indies, all the coffee pro-
duced within the tropics, all the tea of Cni-
ma, including the tea-plantations formed BY MI
James Smith in North Caroline, and all the
Iopium of the East and West. Let US take this
occasion to say, however, that of all these ap-
picatlons to the nervous system, the use Of fer
mented liquors, as il is the most ancient and the
most general, SO il is, in ou view of the mat
ter, the least injurious to the greater number OF
constitutions.
Wesuppose, therefore, nay, we are conhdent
that if the object of those wellmeaning per-
sons who are engaged in the attempt to COMBAT
excess by the weapons OF the law, could be at
tanned, and the sale OF intoxicating liquors pre-
vented, by prosecutions and penalties, woulo
simply give another direction 10 intemperance
without eradicating it. Men who could not oD-
tain intoxicating drinks would become enormous
consumers Of tobacco, OF would drug themselves
with coffee. or chew opium. This consequence
10 oCCub III HuIuUCIlCoo lLlobduCCot 1850
! of fermented liquors is discouraged.
| The use of opium has been shown by the in
creased production and sale ofthe drug, to have
greatly increased since public opinion, or law,
OF both united, have checkedthe use Of spirit
uous liquors. Men who no longer drink wine,
steep themselves daily in the intoxcation Of
strong coffee. We have known temperance
men, prosecutingly jealous, who kept segar
lperpetually in their mouths, and went about
smelling like the bowl of foul tobacco pipe
For some of these temperance men, peculiar
kind of segar has been manufactured; the To-
bacco leaves, before they are rolled into the
cylindrical form, are macerated in decoction OF
opium.
What the effect of the constant use of these
sickly narcotics is upon The human system, we
leave the physicians to say. They have given
long list OF evil equences--impaired dl-
gestion, nervous sufferings of thousand kinds,
disorders Of the respiratory system, mental NAL
aides, premature death. Ask those who are the
slaves of these habits, and they tell you that
they perceive no bad effect from their indul-
gences; ask the brandy drinker, and he assures
you that he never drinks enough to hurt him.
We object to the interference of the law in
such case-we deny lis right to step in and
say, 'fTo all other forms of excess you may sur
render yourself without any objection from me;
but this particular form, the use of any fermen-
ted beverage, though in the opinion of manyit is
not more injurious, is strictly prohibited IL
TDr. Tyng ana MI. culver can persuade people
to leave cff drinking beer, and betake them
selves to coffee as a substitute, we are for leay-
ing the field clear to their powers of rhetoric !;
but when they claim 10 WELD the penalties of
the law for this purpose, we must tell them that
they have mistaken the proper work Of legisla-
ton. f. .sSHs
But, il is next to certain that intemperance
would not be prevented by the methods which
are now proposed. Some check, they would.
undoubtedly, impose on the drinking of spiri-
tuous liquors, making those who are addicted
to that habit resort occasionally to the allowed
stimulants or narcotics, in its stead. But ii
would still exist and flourish, in spite Of penal
ties. When the appetite is so imperious as in
the case Of men accustomed to sprituous pota-
tions, it will be gratied We shall have, If
this bill passes an enormous amount of SNUG
Cling, of illicit distilation, such as brayed the
law, for century or more, in Ireland, and Of
drunkenness ir obscure corners. To the temp
taiion of appetite will be added the tempta-
ton of gain, and both together will defy the
vigilance Of the legal authorities. We hear
that something Of this effect has been observed
in Massachusetts, where the policy OF the law
IS to discourage the sale Of Spirituous liquors,
though as yet no such prohibitions have been
adopted in that state as are proposed by the bill
copied from the Maine Liquor Law, and Just in.
troduced into the New York Senate. Drink
ing bouts are held in secret, and men drink
deeper for the reason expressed in the old PROV
erb, that "stolen waters are sweet"
There tXV0 moral pvilc rnnnantad with