Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-09-15
{ IN s.
NUMBER xI.

- ~ WlIUI IIFU Deem UoVoIoDaT oi4G - - - I 7
natural and usual operation, or have been discov-
sfed by the researches of man, demonstrates cloarIv
~ Aicohol Is not, and cannOtbe a product Of those
avs; u must therefore follow, that its production
can only take place by the eontravention of their
natural and usual mode Of operation. If therefore
alcohoi has never yet been found to exist as q nat
product of the laws Of Providence-if it never
sah De produced until the vitality Of the substances
rom which it is extracted, has been extin guisbed-
~ "heh produced it is in its nature an entirely diff
'eIehC substance from any of the substances from
when It is obtained-and if, in this new form. it is
~ US natural, usual and regular action upon the hui
man being. deleterious to his physical, mental and
aofai interests it necessarily follows, that as II is
opposed to every law of Divine Providence. and
of all the high interests OF man consid-
'rea IN ms physical, mental and moral condition.
~ aiso IN ms social, civil and religious relations
'hat, therefore, 1t Is an evil of a very high moral
grade, and must be viewed as morally wrong. This
BENG The case, it necessarily follows that the Leo
lslature that by law authorizes its manufacture. and
protects the manufacture, is in such case highly
criminal, Inasmuch as by its Legislative action. It
by law, the violation Of the laws Of di-
vine Providence and by consequence his revealed
law also.
Since writing the above, I have met with the fol-
lowing observations Of an intelligent author. His
views | here transcribe as they corroborate the same
sentiments above expressed.
That intoxicating principle which has, in this
country, been the chief cause Of drunkenness, is not
the product Of creation, nor is it the result of any
living process in nature. The animal kingdom in
all its vast variety Of existence and modes of OPP
GRAFTON, saith, 1t is not III Ira;" and the yegeta-
bic kingdom responds, "it is not in me-" It cannot
be found, and it does not exist among all the living
works Of God. Those substances, however, which
contain, or which viii produce sugar after they are
dead, and have become subject to those laws which
then operate on inanimate matter in the incipient
stages Of decomposition, undergo a process which
chemists call cino0s fermentation. BY this process
a new substance is formed, called Alcohol. This is
the means Of intoxicatian. 1t is composed of hy-
dro9en, carbon and oxygen in the proportion of
1904; 52,l7 and 34,79 parts to a hundred and is
in its nature, as manifested by its effects, an exceed
ccedingly subtle and didusive poison. The ele-
ments by the combination Of which this is formed
existed before but the substance which this com
bInation forms, did not before exist. 1t is an en-
trely new substance, and is altogether different in
its nature and effects. from what existed before. Tt
was formed, not by the process which operates in
formation OF living matter, but by that which oper-
ates on a certain kind Of matter only after it is dead.
Ana the substance which is thus formed is as really
different IN its nature and effects, from every thing
which existed before, as tie poisonous miasma is
different from the fruits, or the vegetables from the
decomposition and decay of which it springs. Il is
as really different as sickness is different from
health OF drunkenness is different from sobriety-
Hence, 1t no more follows, because, fruits and grain
are proper for man. that therefore Alcohol, which
Ihe fermentation OF thesc substances produces, is pro
per, than It follows, because, those substances are
proper, that therefore poisonous misama is pro
per One IS formed by q living process. the
other by q process which operates only after
acaJl. anu they are as really different as life
= different from death. Because one is good. it
does not follow that the other is good, and to con-
clude that it is, is as really unpbilosonhico q : Il
would be to conclude, that because potatoes are rood
as an article Of diet, that therefore the manure out
OF Whlch they grew, is good for the same purpose"
~ rot only are the general principles Of the
divine law Of the Bible and Providence outraged nv
] the maUut9ptIrn IF A1aotcI Inf H, o,,u,azI1 ~
pose ofGod is also frustrated. This purpose is thus
expressed And God said, behold have oivan
you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face
o. al the earth, and every tree, in the which is the
lFult OF a tree yielding seed, to You it shall be for
meat.
The principle involved in this and its kindred
passages, IS, THAT the purpose Of God is that the
vegetable kingdom should afford these substances
found upon the face Of all the earth as the 'meat"
OF 1000 Tor the slistenance Of his body. He shows
III his Providence, that the " fruit Of" the trees
yielding seed IS IN its nature calculated to do this.
9}F6yEEtt f Which Hi hhatt5gFa riSSffBb ff6e lass #in6ii 1dB6tnvgFt4tu
into AlcohoD it is thencelorth innutritiye and in
capable of supporting the system of man. Neither
is there nutriment in the substance that remains of
the original fruit, nor in it's product, Alcohol. SO
that I'm the manufacture Of grain or fruit into Alec
hol, not a particle Of the nutritious qualities of these
remain, all is utterly destroyed and nothing substi-
uted in their stead but Il deadly poison.
Had 1t been consistent with the purpose of God,
fhl III UtCblUtlCS WIN TX ItiNS OF DIS EEONluGlGb,
Z for m2n t. have Alcohol for use, he would certainly
long before this have discovered in some recess of
his Providence, the existence Of Alcohol in its ma
tive state. This he has not done, but has shown
that it cannot even be produced out Of substances
which he has created, until their vitality is utterly
destroyed, and an entirely different and unnatural
substance produced in their stead, and a substance
too, which, IN ai It's variety of forms, is utterly re-
f pugnant to, and subversive of the laws of life.
While therefore, it is a revealed truth, that the
; { - I.1 A..-. - - = 1J
earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a
; tree yielding seed . is given to be "meat" for man,
while it is equally true that native Alcohol has new
er been discovered to exist as such, in the seed >"
of the " herb, Or the fruit Of the tree while it is
as VIGOROUSLY true. that the ;" seed of the "herb !"
and the fruit " of the " tree " must be wholly de-
stroycd in the vitality Of its being, and the nutri-
Jveness of its nature before one. drop of Alcohol
can be obtained, and while il is as clearly a truth
: chat when the vitality Of Che fruit Of the tree, !"
and tho " seed of the "herb" is destroyed, that
3, the product thereof is a deadly poison and Us
such does not minister " seed to the sower" nol
"bread to the oater;' it follows as an inevitable
! conclusion, that the manufacture Of Alcohol out o.
these things, is a violation of the revealed law 0
: God, and a contravention Of the laws Of his Provi
, dence, that therefore, the manufacture of Alcohol /
a direct and positive moral evil, and consequent.
y the manufacture Of these things is morally wrong
1t is q remarkable fact, that all those substance
a (as forsinsauce, the " seed of the herb and tn
= IfulU OF tnc Tee) WHlcu bOu u6SlghGu VI III
Y "meat" ofman, are all innocent in their unfermen
i ted state while, it is equally a fact, that when thes
substances are changed in their nature, by what
Z called vinous fermentatioD, they are every one il
nutritious and exceedingly deleterious to the COZ
Is %stitution of man. These facts indicate several thing
As
l. That God originally designed these things
administer nothing but good to man. Hence, IN tt
composition of their nature, there is no mater
III which, in its unchanged state has the least tenden,
ar to injure the system their only object being II
Sc n~ourishment and support of man. In themselv
there is not the least tendency to produce any e
nj cessive and -infammatory excitement by which t
~ energies Of the system would be eneryated and I
-, various functions d~eranged. Every thing shoV
Dc that the purpose of God to secure the physical 60
Of man, Is fully and cautiously carried out. Eve
provision of Providence proves this, rs Is demo
strated by the facts noticed above. These facts
dicate
q. That the laws Of Gods Providence perfec
.on coincide with the revealed will and purpose Of 6
in this matter. These laws act invariably and u
~ yersally in conformity with this design OF God
~ Never in one solitary instance have they var
dcr from this purpose. In all the varied forms OF
YER substances intended for the :" meat" of man; in
~ -,r;,t;es If soil and climate and under all