The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-10-19
THE MAINE LAW IN OHIO.


Conflicting elements are at work, aud Time
. lone can tell whether from this chaos will BE-
} evolved the perfect world Free Soilism wi
, no d,ubt make lis disturbing force felt in the
/ play OF the machinery, but the question round
which the hottest of the strife goes on, so far as
we can judge from our exchanges, touches the
enactment Of the Maine Law
! The positions of the Democratic Tarty in thu,
| State are so well taken by an editoria! of the
Licking County Herald, tina, we subion it, not
; only for the light it throws on the position OF
parties in that State, but for the excellent prac-
'ical sense and close argument, evident in it,
The spirit and tone of the article are identical
with that evinced by the democratic press in the
eastern States, with the Boston Post a, their
head. How for future events may make these
doctrines applicable 70 our own state, remains TO
b seen, and on the subject we express no opn.
on
| The blue laws of Connecticut are the ORIGIN
ais from which the liquor laws Of Maine have
been derived. There certainly is and ought to
be marked difference of character between the
people IF New Engl md and the West There
is that difference wIlch affords grounds Of con-
trast rather than comparisons difference most
obvious IN the aptitude ofthe Yankees to origin.
ate and pntronize every species Of humbug and
fanaticism; and of western people, doggedly to
refuse a.! occasions to participate in the move.
m, nj, be it what il may.
| Anti masonry, which had its origin among the
] Yankees Of New York, from an absurd story
about one MORGAN being murdered for divulg-
| ing what probably never existed to be diyulged,
and what was entirely unimportant, if it did,
reached degree Of consequence and attained to
an organization among them that aimed at the
| highest office in the government. It had its
hour, its course its trial. its defeat its death and
burial.
In this Yankee atmosphere, prolific Of enter
| prise, and famous for "nneteel tweniieihs OF
the ingenions Improvements America can boast
/ Of the spirit of philanthropy has become so
purient that 1t is devising mans salvation by
law, from the sinful temptations that whisky
leads us into. Among those with whom it is
said, "orignated our bel ideas of religious free
dom sprang up, too, the notable idea of Native
Americanism; that which denied to the refugee
from European tyranny an equal participation
in the blessings we enjoy-allhough our priv.
leges could not thereby be in the least i'm paired
more than the pure springs of our valleys could |
be dried up by the thirst of the exile wanderer
This conspicuous spirit of federation in the city
If brotherly love, forbade the victim of foreign
power to sit at our feast where we had liberty |
and to spare. It too had its day, and persisted |
In the West this fanaticism, or policy it you SO
please to dignity it, found no rest or abiding
place.
Womans Rights Conventions, wherever held
have been unable TO persuade western woman
that she has any part or lot in that matter
whilst neither the suggestive costume of
Lar, Rv anl bar AZ. |
Rochester Knockings have had power to prose
lyte the western people. The notable Anti
Slavery movement whilst it has agitated Con-
gress aud troubled the channels of political ac-
ton here, yet negroes have been returned under
the fugitive slave provisions of the so called
law, aud in this State no candidate has been
seriously supported for Governor who would not
advocate the srictest enforcement of that law.
In this Congressional District the capital dis
trict OF Ohio, the lofiiest character and most
Important service was insufficient TO Withstand
the suspicion of faint upon this subject, and with
GALLOWAY, went down the hopes Of Abolition,
to endless perdtion, we trust, forever and
ever
All these devices, tricks, schemes, projects
or pans-call them by what name you will-of
moral reform, have been urged upon The country
with ferocious philanthropy, spiteful love.
boisterous piety, which savors far more of that
evil spirit which from the top Of an high noun.
tain, pointed out all the Kingdoms of the earth,
and said "all this will give to thee, if thou wilt
tall down and worship me-" than Of that meek
and lowly piety which finds in the teaching of
the ospei-eccupation enough, and in lis laws
restrictions enough to remedy all the evils that
flesh is heir to. We cannot help looking upon
all such movements as pernicious in their ten
wrong Instead Of meeting
the aPprcba Of the christian sects, it appears
to US their condemnation should be rather ex.
cited, for ifthey not anti-scriptural they are
certainly extra scriptural, and therefore to be {
discarded.
Amongst the most reprehensible Of all these
is the effort to invoke the power oil
the law to enforce a rule Of morality, and pre-
cept of religion. Nor does il come with any
more authenticity indeed it is not the less re-
prehensibe. because Maine and some other {
Yankee States have 6 ven 1.-THE sanction of their
Legislatures 1t is proved, even there, by ex-
perience to be impoitic and Intellectual If TEN
perance is to be enforced by law, why not clean .
Illness and industry? Why not piety and pray
err Suppose the estimate of treasure spent and
death incurred from the use of ardent spirits be
correct, what these compared TO the enor- 1
nous treasures annually wasted in idleness and ,
vain show, in gilded equipages and plate, in
jewels and costly entertainme nts, which many
think lead to snfullness and often result in ruin;
what TO countless multitudes who every day die
in their sins and go down to eternal perdition
You wish to snatch by law five hundred victims
from drunkard's grave; Why not
hundred thousand souls from the gates of hell
If the law may forbid, it has right also to com.
mand and why not issue warrant to a con-
stable commanding him to make domicillary
visits to the houses Of the impenitent, to read to
them the word Of God, and try upon their unre-
generate hearts the efficacious power of prayer ?
Why not require Mayor Humphrey, instead of
sending brawling disurber of the peace to the
dungeon, on bread and water, remanding a
counterfeiter back to prison, to retire with them
to some sequestered spot, and try the purifying
influence of practical piety, plainly set forth
in aweIl digesled supplement to the New Code.
When the law begins once to travel beyond lis
customary course and infringes upon liberty of
conscience, or when from overweepng solicit
tude for public morals it trenches upon the con-
ceded province Of religion, there can be no
bounds set to fanaticisnl and there can be no
security whatever for public liberty. The para
mount object in view, the great benefits, real or
ideal, to arise from the proposed action of the
law, constitute no Justification whatever for the
overthrow of that great principle which asserts
that moral obligations are not to be enforced by |
law but must be left 10 the control Of that which
is stronger than any law-the force Of public I
opinion. When this proves inadequate to ac-
complish a reform, or to effect a great object,
rational men should rather examine The wisdom
of their own views than question the adequacy
Of the means to accomplish them.
No reform Of modern time has appealed so
powerfully to the sympathies Of man as that Of
temperance, and the success of the movement
shows how great public opinion has been ens
ed in its favor. 1t is deeply to be regretted that
the means heretofore so efficacious should be |
abandoned and the friends of temperance reform,
instead of adhering to en'reaty and persuasion
should resort to threatening and menace. Notn
ing can be IRE certain than the final and tri
| umphant victory which awaits the movement ifI
1t is followed legitmately, and raises mp in its
path no other enemy but the demon Of drunk
eness, with which it should only engage. IL is
SIMPLY question OF time, and cannot see
the wisdom Of endangering by impotence, sue
cess which few revolving years will be certain
to secure,-Lieking (O) Herald.
"THE COUNTRY GROWS. Under this head
n