The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1852-04-03
entious men, acting from those pure mo-
tives implanted in their breasts by divine

and man, and it was considered right
The moral suasion of an age of purer
Christianity convinced rulers that it was
wrong; but to carry out and implant in
the hearts of the unrehecting and disso-
lutte proper sense of this wrong, the
majesty of the law was invoked to pro-
tect society from the evils resulting from
the usage. About the time Of our revo-
luton, and shortly after, many Of the
States of our confederacy, by moral sua-
sion, came to the conclusion that African
slavery was wrong. But some of the
citizens thought differently; and the NOR
al suasion of the majority clothed itself
with the power of legal enactments. TO re-
strain the propensities of persons to traf-
fic in that which public opinion said
should not be regarded as property. Had
any Of us lived in that day, we might
have heard the same clamor about the
sacrifice of personal rights in thus declar-
ing negro flesh and blood to be no prop
erty, that we now hear, owing to the fact
that our legislature has declared that own
ing a cask of liquor will not make citi-
zen one dime better off than if he did
not own it. All penal laws are the off
spring of moral suasion, and a concomi-
tant necessary thereto, to render this
same moral suasion of any practical force.
When the millennium comes, we can burn
our penal code, but not before.
Citizens of Minnesota More than
two thousand years ago, drunken revelry
fired the lustful passions of member Of
the ruling family of Rome. The honor
of Roman matron was the unholy sacri-
flee which the people had to pay for the
lethargic security with which they had
allowed the serpent of Tarquin to entwine
them within its deadly folds. Then, and
not till then, did they rise in their might,
and drive the last vestige of the corrupt
nest of vipers from their midst. But it
required the patriotism of the elder Bru-
tus, even to the sacrifice of his own son,
to accomplish the end. Let us not reach
a depth of degradation where such sac
rificc will be required. We are fast
tending that way. AS yet, those who deal
out the deadly poison are mostly peaceful,
law-abiding men. They sell liquor be-
cause it is profitable, and because public
opinion sanctions it. The moment it re-
fuses to sanction the traffic, they will have
too much respect for their standing in So
ciety, and too great desire to merit the
good opinion Of their fellows, to continue
in business which must eventuate in
horrible broils, bloodshed and murder in
our midst. When we hear of shooting
and stabbing, we may set down the acts
as the doings of alcohol, and not the
deeds of men as God made them. And
we can safely say, that we have scarcely
known a broil, or rencontrc of any kind,
since we came to Minnesota, that was
not, in some degree, promoted by whisky.
Therefore, let every one who wishes to
live in land of peace and public safety,
where the moral senses ore not daily
shocked by quarrels and street fights,
vote for the law.
1t will be great-a glorious-a heav-
emily spectacle to see young Minnesota
thus rising in her might, and banishing
from her borders the devastating demon
Of Intcmperance, as was the corrupt Tar
quin driven from Rome. How it will
cheer us on our journey to great and high
renown among our sisters Of the confed-
eracy! How it will resound from the
pulpit and forum of older communities
Men of means will not be afraid of set
ting among us, and bringing with them
their sons and their daughters; for then
they will know that the former will not
fill drunkards' graves, and the latter will
not pine in sorrow and poverty by their
desolate hearths. drunkards' widows and
mothers of drunkards' children. Men of
worth, of character, of usefulness and
high moral standing will crowd our steam
boats to make their home in the new land
whose people have said 10 the world,
ave will not be drunkards or the faith
ers &C. race of drunkards." Such will
come among us instead of hordcs of dis
honest loafers and scape-graces, who; if
their sustaining element, whisky, be al
lowed place here, will ovcrrun lis with
curse greater than Egyptian. Oh! it
will be a happy, happy day for Minneso-
ia, if this law is passed and carried out
IL IN