Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-08-10

vent selling half-pints and getting drunk at j
at public places will be restraints upon
them, very. naturally wish to prevent their t
passage. But that anybody who understands q
the extent Of the injury done through the 9
dram shops, and desires to save from ruin '
youths and easily tempted men of the
country, should be opposed to the use of
the only c~tfcctual measures by which it can
be done, would be a strange absurdity. Z
II all the evils arising from retailing 1
halfpints were limited to free men and
educated citizens, the clamor of the retailers
and drunkards might be heard with some
allowance. But we of Georgia are answer
able for the habits and happiness of our
negro slaves, whose strong animal appetites
render them unable to resist their love of
whiskey, when once the habit of drinking
is formed. We who hold them in scrvitude
should see to it, that we do no. 90 to hell
with them through our exposing them to
the temptation which overcomes them
Will good people consent to be answerable
for all the crimes and other miserable con-
sequences from negroes having access to
dramshops, that tiplers may get drunk on
public days at public places.
The shall L and the shall / not folks,
are asking whether the Legislature had not
better suspend its action in putting down
retailing half-pints at public places, until
the voters of the militia districts and county
collections shall say yes or no. And has
itcome to thisin Georgia, thatifthere should
be a majority of rogues in any militia dis
trict, the honest men there are not to be
49, e. it,. &c ,,oSo4xr ofI
gamblers, that the easily tempted shall not
be preserved from their vile practices? The
laws sanction putting the keepers of gam
bling houses in jail. Why should the
keepers of grog shops be permitted to go on
in their work of unmixed mischief? Has
the legislature ever asked the people of
militia districts and counties, whether they
arc for OF against theft, perjury, or murder ?
Must wrong doing go on unrcstrained, be-
cause of the great number of participators
in guilt? This asking the consent of the
guilty, that the Legislature may put an end
to their evil practices, Isl new mode OF
administering government. Why confne
it's operations to the retailers of half-plnts !
Does the Almighty ever withdraw his
furnishing power, because the majority are
doing the devils work If the majority
of any county or district want the liberty
of buying half-pints or drinking together
in dram shops until they get drunk, fight,
steal, gougc, murder, 60 home, slap their
daughters, kick their wives, whip their
sisters, and curse their mothers, is that any
reason why the Legislature should give its
sanction to such vile doings2 The 'shallP or
shall mot, folk propose to putdown dram
shops where there are none, and let them
alone where they are supported by the
majority! We should indeed be given
over to hard hearts and reprobate scamps,
if the legislature had to ask every rasca,
whether he wanted to be punished, before
it would pass the law for the purpose. Il
would indeed be increasing wickednes;
with a vengeance, to tell the bad that thei.
chance of going on in their wicked way
depended upon the number whom the,
could induce to join them. 1t would be
fearful sign of the times, if the legislature
duty of putting a stop to retailing half-pint
made to depend upon tho consent of thos
who keep them and frequent them. Wi
the legislature, Gods vicegerent on eartf
ask the consent of any body, whether
shall exercise its power of putting dow
the greatest of all instruments for maxim
men do wrong? Will the elected forg,
the obligation of their oaths to put dow
dram-shops, now that it has become obviol
to every one that they do not conduce
the interest and prosperity of the State
The command is sounding in every ca
choose you this day which you will foiio7
the dictates of conscience or the hungerii
after half-pints.
Our State is tho most prosperous count
in the world. Will we show our than
fulncss for the good things given US,
putting aside the evil ones? The devil
a very successful general he has foug
and overcome in countless contests. Ten
tation, drunken habits, and vile purpos
arc keeping within his mighty paw INF
meSablo doors of his will. His great
agitor, the dram-shop, is beating up for
cruits far and wide, in neighborhoo,
villages, towns, cities, and counties. 1t
fearful to see how the two arc bringing il
captivity vast numbers. 1t is a miseral
sight to look upon the weak, yielding to
temptation of the offered half-pints, a
the vain struggles of the tiplers to do bet
after the habit of drinking has been form
If God and the country prevail in the C
test, then happiness will take the place
half-pints. If the devil and the dram-sho
then the retailers and tiplers will beco
our masters, legislators, and governors.
The candidates for the legislature who
still strong in tho faith, that the devil
the grog-shops are more popular with
people than God and the country, and t
electioneering with halfpints will get m
votes than doing what good men desire
led into their mistake by the ~triumphs
the dram candidates in former times, W
whiskey was drank by every body w
the bible was a novelty when schoolmasr
got drunk; when preachers, whilstthey pc
ed out the straight and narrow way, so
times followed in the rceling tracks of Il
focks when the special treat given t
visiting neighbor was to draw out the bot
when merchants encouraged the people
buy dccanters Of whiskey upon their count
and when on muster days, election d,
and court days, every one considered