Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-12-15
TEMPERANCE Convention.

lection to the people from the eV1is Vi Tue III ;,
quor traffic. Our paper having to go to ~
press the day previous, we are unable to =
give any account of its proceedings to-day,
but will give them in Elll in our next. We
shall append to this article tho number of q
Counties from which Memorials are received h
up to the latest hour of keeping our columns d
open, and the number Of signatures obtained. b
We do not anticipate a Mass Convention, \
asAwas first spoken of, from the fact that O
our friends have. been apprised of the difiicui- t
ty ofprocuring accommodations in the City, 9
owingko our Hotels and Public houses being t
now filled to overlooking. But from the adj t
vices we hjdge received, we presume Delegates I
will be p%reient from a large proportion of the
Counties inthe State. From the Memorials
received upto the time Of writing this article,
we learn that the friends Of the measure have
been greatly hurried in their operations, by
the fear that the Legislature would adjourn
on the 18th, in accordance with the r%esoiu-
t ton passed by the two Houses and, per
consequence, not half as many names have
: been obtained as ample time would have pro
7 cured. However, a sufficient array will be
: presented, to assure our lawmakers that the
people are in earnest about this matter, and
!, do not intend to stop its AGITATION until some
! Legislative protection IS Afforded them from
the Ubiquitous traffic.
|, We cannot, of course, pretend to premise
! what the action of the Convention will be,
but we doubt not its course viii be moder-
ate, dignifed and firm. Our cause is right
land Just, and we shall lose nothing by taking
full time in perfecting our plans. We desire
= to be neither dilatory or precipitate; but to
have the people in a body, if we can, or as
! many as possible, at all events, convinced OF
the necessity and propriety Of legislative en-
:, actment. We can convince them-we are
= convincing them. We fully subscribe to the
= doctrine, that-"I 1t is useless to enact laws
% which have not the sanction of public opin-
ion, because they will not be enforced.
~ Reason and experience, las a c~otemporary
: has observed) coincide in saying, law is val
- liable only as it embodies public sentiment
80 This is the argument of liquor sellers and
= drinkers and while we admit the truth i
!, bears on its face, yet it should not be allowed
to-haye force enough to defer any action, IN
til this popular will is expressed. Here lie
US the fatal delusion. We never viii succeed, i
we wait for public opinion to change itself.
-" How is public sentiment created, and hoy
changed ? Is it a s%entient something, whicl
~ gains truth by intuition or is it the crea
ture Of rightly directed effort? Has it eve
been known that a people demanded a la
: until its necessity had been shown, and the
=" attention directed to the specific enactmer
@.u called for by the circumstances? And ho
~ can this be done unless by asking for tt
ses' specific law which is wanted, and continuir
to urge it upon the people until they demar
'Seu it of their lawmakers
No Temperance man need fear that Il
law viii be enacted beforethe people are reat
'PFf for it. On this subject, at least, p%o!itieia1
So e Of ns1t6sE party hEtsy are aTo T TRR9fHas IS Sc TOO h5f fearful i
- their popularity to err on our side, and lieu
WIZ is too potential in controlling the polls. L
" law will not and cannot come too soon, n
will it come at all if men continue to be {
: luded as they have been.
llarr Look at Maine. Did we not hear the SAL
ror story concerning the legislation had in th
State Was it not said that the law wou
be repealed at the very first election after
4Lo enactment? What is the fact? Every d
it has become more and more popular, a
king : = i"'oi nus
-ork; : "oiio opinlon 4
been created by the law. 1t has been a teac
er Of morals and sound political economy.
,ra 1t has shed volumes of light upon the iniq
ties of the liquor traffic now the people {
- hor it, as they once cherished it. The |;
has sustained itself. because it was found
la~ in truth, and conduced to the public welfa
and SO will similar laws. The people
- not fools, they are not blind to the trr
: ~ when it shines about them. They see ii. a
they love it too. Then give it to them,
Hold your torch high above your head. a
let it fash over the land until it becomes
diant, and iniquity stands revealed in all
hideousness.
That is our work. The traffic is a ours
ond we know it well. It curses all, it curses
,oIo erywhere, and every honest man will adj
roo- the fact. It is no necessity, growing out
our constitution, or demanded by the int
> ests Of the people but, on the contrary, il
itb > an ezcresence, which disfgurcs and plag,
and society. 1t is a cancer, eating into the Wit
soo Of the social system. Show the patient h
int it can be removed, and even if the operati
not cause momentary pain, he viii undergo it
But we have wandered from our purp
NJ in this article. We believe it to be the d,
!. Tho of the Legislature, and we hope it '
boldly perform if, to conform to the wishes
G, the People, by submitting for their decisi
.o;oo a bill embracing one or the other of the t
lures contained in the Memorial. If, HI
. +bo ever, it is deemed impossible to perfect a
sion, - 'n'9 . '" o"'1 Poiiou Vi u SeSSi
let the Committee to whom the matter n
be referred, report upon it as a matter wort