The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-12-04
WHOLE No 592
For The Cecil Wig.
TIE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.
Remarks,

Ecm:arkS,
On certain Article entitled "7He Ten.
pernace Curse, No. - whlch an.
peared in Tie Cecil Wig, dated Noe.
1871, 1852.
SIN the abstract man has right TO drive
his horse al rapid ratc in crowded street. In
Inc abstract he has right 10 establish a DOW
nrr magazine IN the heart Of a populous CITY,
In the abstract he has ri ght to establish panb-
ling houses and brohcls, yet there are laws
prohibiting him from doing any of these tbinys
Now the reason why snch judicial arranoe-
lnent is concurred IN is because tho right in Tho
abstract such things are wrong IN the concrete,
The above theory is certainly re-.
markable, and in our view decidedly
original, slnce man cannot possibly
nave any right in the abstract to do
what is wrong in the concrete. The
whole argument is based on false pre-
misses, and seems TO proceed from an ar
ror very common to the supporters of
the Maine Law, namely that the right
OF a man as an individual is secondary
to the rights Of society. Now society
does not and cannot require the annihi-
latlon of single individual right. be-
cause natural rights and advent.,ious
rights, tho distinct. never clash, or m
terfere with each other.
Actions are right or wrong ACCORDING
to their tendency, and the agent is vir.
tuous or vicious according to his DESIGN.
But man can have no right in any case
to DO what is wrong, and what is wrono
never in any case becomes right. 4
man has no right, whatever to drive
through crowd at a rapid rate; he has
no right to build powder magazine in
the midst of popuIous city; he has no
right to establish gambling houses, be-
cause such actions are wrong in them
selves, and for that very reason cannot
in any sense be considered right.
The acknowledgement of right on the
part of an individual imposes cores
ponding obligation on the part of soc-
ETY., because right and obligation are al
ways reciprocal. If man has a right
to a house or an estate all Others are
obligated to refrain from it. ia man
has right to do any action all others
are obligated to let him alone in doing
it, because society is nothing more than
individuals considered in a mass and so.
clal rights are simply the rights of indi-
viduals taken as whole; but ten men
have no more right to sequestrate or an
initiate the individual ight of one man
than one man has to attack the social
rights OF ten. This rule admits of no
exception. 1t isnot society or law that
annlhIlates the light of the individual
to life in the case of capital punishment,
but the individual himself who forf.its
his right by his criminal conduct and it
is on the same principle that society is
justified in the imprisonment of any of
its members. When man by murder
or felony has forfeited his right to life or
liberty, then society has the right to
punish him according TO his deserts.
The Maine Law taken as a whole, is
a gross outrage on individual rights, be-
cause it subjects man to fine and i'm
prisonment for the commission of an
action innocent in itself. 1t is anti
democratic IN every sense of the word.
Here, in New Jersey the Sons Of Tenn
perance, secret society, eXerted their
utmost TO elect to the Legislature the
open and avowed advocates of such a
law. We are pleased to say that they
wee defeated by large majority, not
because we are personally Interested in
the trade, as we Meth n buy nor sell H.
quor; but because it outlaws actions in
themselves innocent and would be es.
tablishing dangerous precedent. Now
that they are acquainted with the senti-
meats of the majority, are they satisfied
to let the thing alone Not at all.
Some ofthem openly assert that the law
shall yet be passed if the Legislator.
can be bought we have no sympathy
with such men.
A discussion of the Maine Law in all
its bearings and tendencies would re-
quire too much time and space for
newspaper, hence we refer your readers
on" and all. to a pamphlet now in press
and shortly to be published, which will
expose all its abhorrent features and
anti-democratic characteristics.
lamar DAVIS.
DThe expenses OF the City Aims
House of New York city during the