The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-08-21
Teetotal Tenn perance Manifesto.

H.
TeetotaI Tenn perance Manifesto.
TO TIE TEMPERANCE MEN or THE STATE or NEW
YORK.
The near approach Of the period when the elect
Ors of State accustomed to select the candi
dates for their surages at the annual election, and
the vast interests which are dependent this
choice, copjon to admonish us well Of our reel
procal and personal daties as Of our rights as MEM
bers OF the body polite. As these duties dis
charged so our rights maintained or impaired.
Rights and duties under representative form Of
government, are correlatiye terms There sin Thorn
natural sequence, which cannot be SEVERED but at
tho cost Of their vitality.
The urgent question OF the day with us is. what
are duties as electors. TO ourselves, our
families, to each other, and to the great community
of which we form integral part, in reference to
the widely spread evils of intemperaDce!
We profess TO believe that no people Of the Old
World or the New, have ever been blessed with
system of government so admirably calculated TO
secure personal rights and happiness, social peace
and prosperity. individual and national wealth, an
enlarged intellectual and moral Development, anda
high relative position and influence in the great
family ofpations, rs that devised and tran shifted
TO us by the great minds and the bravo hearts OF
the last century.
And yet we find that jail is necessary appen-
dagc to every county, and poor.house to almost
every town, while prisons seem essential to com
pletc the roll oil our State institutions. Why is
this 2
In the Investigations which the observant and
cial returns, the great mass OF pauperism, vice.
and crime, is most distinctly traccabo TO the free
and unrestricted use Of intoxicating liquors Of
peculiarly pernicious character, by very large part
To counteract this growing and dcplorable con
dition of things, associations Of various names and
forms have for many years, and by innumerable
and almost endlessly varied appeals to the moral
sense, endeavorea to stay the dosolating scourgc,
and reclaim the victims Of a dcprayed appetite 10
sobriety and virtue But earnest and perseycripg
have been these endeayors the evil has gathered
strength from year to year, until, from IN inporta-
ton OF b A2S Si gallons. in 1914, whom our total
population, aceordin: to the o. s. Treasury Ia
bea was I9,2flo70. We have risen, in 1850, 70 an
import of II, l56, li9 gallons, with q population
Of 23,2as,a0l; or, while the population increased
but twenty per cent, the import Of Intoxicating
liquors of all kinds rose 225 per c:nt Ans
the domestic production. meanwhile. has KEPT
pace with the foreign trade, no less than 5.N2 i5
gallons (lnal liquors being estimated a 30 gallons
per bbl according 10 The late census. having been
manufactured in the United States N lSj0 and this,
too, without including the products of SIS States
and two Territories. from which no returns were rc-
ceivcd: thus showing the manufacture ana inrort in
1850, to have been together equal (beinr 81 u, POI
gallons to over four gallons Tor every man. woman.
and child. white. black, and Indian, within orr
borders And Of this appalling amount only .0T,5l6
gallons Of foreign, and ,o333IO gallons Of domestic
liquors lin both cases estimating wines and ales in
bottles at p gallons to the do2en), were exported.
TO do their work OF death in other lands.
But, while hlushing for or common country, let
ue in faithfulness, SEQ how much of the shame We
sre to take TO ourselves. In the year 1850. there
were manufactured within own State. 81 Dol ,JC
gallons of malt liquors and spirits OF al kinds, being
about three eighths o! the whole produet of the
American still. Lest this should discourage the
faint hearted, il may be observed that the COM
parativey paltry sum Of y. -, 500 capital only
| employ ed in the manufacture, while hut $50
hands were sufficient to keep open the suces whence
poured the fiery stream
To show the precise quantity OF Intoxicating
liquors which are used II the United States " as .
beverage" afler deduc!ing the exports from the
amount manufactured ara imported, further al
lowanee should be noB5e for consumption in the
arts. 1t is 10 be regretted that tlis cannot be
readily oscertainedif indeed, there be any method
Of arriving AZ even an approximation % the truth.
II cannot, however sensbly disturb the conclusion
to which re have arrived that On the basis Of tie
census and treasury returns Of l.5o, the cosumr-
ton equals four gallons per lead Of the entire Fopu-
lation Of the esrntry.
Does not this state Of facts both Justify and de-
mand some more stringent and radical method Of
dealing with this monster vice. Are VIC not called
upon. as We love our country and her Institutions,
which are the wonder Of the world, end the envy
Of al laudsas We regard the welfare Of ogr sons.
and the virtue and happiness Of our daughters
to address ourselves manfully to the work of re-
form 2
But wha. shall we do
We claim, then, that the remedy Hes with tho
sober and intelligent part 81 the community. We
have q remedy il the law. making power, which in
heres TO Us through our repre- sentaives.. And the
uIe o. tbs possT '9T this paTpos;' haas its .a
Of the case, but in the admitted principle that the
welfare Of the people is the highes. lava pr.nc-
pie indeed Sc old ag u have passed. into an axioIs
and to be recognized Sc the true rule OF construo
ion by courts of al grades, up TO the supreme judi
ciaTy Of the Union. ne ayow, therefore, object
TO Be nothing shor. Of The prohibition, by law, oS
the importation ard traffic il ell Intoxicating drinks,
statute having this for tie object would he no
invasion Of private rgh; for no citison has right
20 to use his property az TO interfere with the life,
health or happiness Of bis ncighbor. This too is an
adudica.ed and long established principle Of law.
Nor would IL be obnoxious to the charge Of being
q sumptuary law, as has been ignorantly alleged
Laws q Til, description aim at interfcreucc with
matters Of peuopsl comfort, convenience ard graft
nestion. which concern the individual alone, and
have nc legitimate or necessary influence upon the
well-beiDg Of others.
No. would il injurously affect the trade and com,
mercs Of The country, This is incontestiby proven
by the fact that whilst the value Of the imports Of
al descriptions Of liquors for she year ending juno
20, 1850, vas Sit5i3o2 that Of 81, othor desetip-
tons Of m9rohardize was sl7s, l35,3ic, (dutiable
values IL both cases,l being but i0ths per cent
Of he entire import u the trade of the country And
for the year to June 80, 1851 whilst the total i'm
ports were s223, 4I9,Oo5, tho liquor tom was but
si.2s5, ss5, or 9 I0ths per cent Of the whole.
More contemplate still in proportion, was the value
Of all exported LIQUORS to that Of al the other ex
ports OF the country for the year ending June 30,
is5; the grand total Of the latter, including both
domestic and foreign merchandise being &2is, }SS-
OIL; and the value CT liquors Of all kinds being
only 500, $50, or onethirI Of per cent Of the
whole Now, every intelligent merchant viii OF once
admit that Of the losses 10 legitimate commerce
by fraudulent. bankruptcies, forgtries, false pre-
ences fires both by sea and land, steam boiler OK
plcsiont railroad accidents, wrecks &C., involving
IN different forms the loss or destruction Of property,
an amount more than equal to the cost price OK all
he liquors consumed in the country, may be justly
charge able, directly or indirectly, to their use
Ana both the farming and the manufacturing in-
.eles would derive direct and positive dement's ~
'Ae enactment OF the law We demand. Whilst, in |
ZONE instances, change or diversion OF pursuits,
requiring however actual loss OF property, may
Ce fenueieu necessary, yet, in the aggregate, With