The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-09-02

direct Infractions Of the social OBLIGATIONS:
those wherein the direct injury is upon the
he has reserved for retrbutiOn
at his own hand. OF the first class. mur-
der leads the catalogue; suicide 81 the
second. Now we are but q student in
ethics, and only speak didactically because
it saves circumlocution. There are men
who have devoted much time to the subject
Of temperance legislation and yet we have
never seen an essay wherein it was attempt
ed to define the line where human lepisla-
ton upon morals should stop. There il
such question, and it is an important one9
Another view: Does not that very gem
eral opinion that the law cannot be carried
into effect, indicate something else besides
the want Of proper sense in regard to the
evils Of intemperance among the people.
When laws Of great stringency are passed
especially those in restraint Of individual
vice-they are not, in general, executed. It
is a reason very easily given for this state Of
things, that "our moral standard Is too low
to permit law so good to be carried into
effect = but is it always the true one
Laws are inefficaciOus for other reasons
because they over punish, and because they
meddle with that which human legislatures
have no right to touch. People feel when
they do not reason, and feeling, always ac-
ting upon true premises, while reason often
predicates its action upon wrong ones, is
frequently right, and overrules the intellect
and from what we can learn, the Maine
Law in its own State is already being re-
pealed by the feeling Of the people, who are
convinced that it is somehow wrong in
principle, though they may not have been
able to suggest single argument to prove
it so:-CiHcinnGti Commercial.
We believe that the argument of the
"COmmercial'' is about half right, There
is no doubt but that a thorough and uni
versal ''revival Of the sentiment of temper.
ance, as living principle, in the hearts of
the people," would do away with the me-
cessity of law on this subject. So If the
cardinal virtues of heaven were in the hearts
Of all men, earth would be paradise, +" the
home of peace, and men, like "sngels,"
could dwell harmoniously together without
the aid of law. This is going to the very
bottom of the whole matter. But the mis-
fortune is, men are depraved. They will
stand "unmoved" and witness the burning
incubus sweep away the ranks of their fell
lows they see its blighting march, they
acknowledge its deadly effects and though
they may fear its rayages, yet "pure" and
''hOly" zeal for its eradication is seldom
found. 1t would be precisely the same
method of reasoning to argue that, if there
existed virgin" sentiment in regard to
all criminal misdemeanors, there would be
no necessity of law to regulate them, as that
such sentiment viii regulate the traffic in
intoxicating beverages. We admit that
that would be the best Of all remedies but
in this sin-stficken world we cannot hope
for such state of things. We must have
human laws to help society along. We ac.
knowledge that "God has divided the func-
tiOns of legislation between himself and
mankind and we mistrust very seriously
that you will seldom ever find two men
who will agree on the exact mark at which
human legislation should cease, and Gods
laws begin, although such mark exists.
But, as the "Commerciap' says, "he has al
lowed the human lawgiver to legislate
against and punish those ofFenses which are
direct infractiOns of the social obligation =
And if the liquor traffic be not an infractiOn
of this obligation, in the name of heaven,
we would ask, what isH We do not agree
with the Commercial" that the Maine
Law would be inefficacious because the
people would think it wrong to execute it.
A majority of the people are becoming SO
well convinced Of the dreadful state of in
temperance to which society is tending, that
they would feel it their duty to execute it.
It is hard to see miserable creature strung
Il up between the earth and heavens, for will
fully poisoning one of his fellOw-creatures !;
but no one shrinks from it as wrong, be-
cause 1t is in accordance with reason and
law, both human and divine. He who
deals out ardent spirits to his fellow-men, is
virtually poisoning them, giving them
= - LII