Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-04-02
Eiquur-Eaw Reform.
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
(Continued.l

ed through our State when, by the burning of
the Richmond Theatre, in 1871, seventy Virgin
-ians persisted. Among them were the brave,
the accomplished, the fair, and the lovely. A
cry Of mourning echoed along our streets, and
woods, and hills. Suppose it had been then
proposed to rebuild the Theatre; and it had
been certain, or nearly so, that another such
catastrophe with all its deaths and horrors, would
ensue in every following year Would not the
Legislature have been forced, by a resistless
Public Opinion, to fobid the re-erectionP Yes
and under penalties that would have made the
prohibition most effectuall Why, without any
anticipation OF another such fire, and without
any legal prohibition, the mere awe which that
tragedy imprinted on the public mind prevented
the appearance Of new Theatre in Richmond
Tor nearly nine years! Now, You cannot doubt,
that among the flDsnty times seventy annual Vir-
gilman victims to the Liquor Traffic, there are
more than seventy as much to be mourned for,
q, the victims Of that burning Theatre were.
Remember how commonly the demon Of Strong
Drink makes the best men his prey--then con-
slider how many Of those annual victims have
been the loved and honored centres Of circles,
humble or exhalted, where true and loving
hearts rested upon them through long years,
even after subsection to their enemy had begun;
and, as that subsection grew from month TO month
more absolute, while the MAN was becoming
brute, how much misery he inflicted upon those
loving hearts in his mad hours, and upon him
self in the dreadful collapses Of his half-sober
intervals land consider, that those lingering
years of loathsome, peace-destroying life, were
closed by death compared with which any sud
den death is enviable! And then say, if the
Liquor Traffic does not every year repeat, with
enormous aggravationS, the catastrophe Of that
Richmond Theatre
You, People of Virginia, by one word, can
put an end to the annual repetition Of that ag-
gravated, and hOart-rending tragedy Will you
not speak that word?
In relation to the duty of Government, and
how this duty has been recognized by the law
making power of Virginia, the address says:
1t is the great duty Of Society, to protect itself
aud its people against wrong and evil whether
coming by violence, or fraud, or perncious and
corrupting allurements. This is chief end
nay, il is the End-for which Society and Gov
ernments are formed. Society, or the State,
through its Legislature, should protect its citi-
zens against Whatever threatens their lives,
properly, morals, peace, or happiness. No sane
man ever deemed such protecting law "inya-
sive Of individual right, OF freedom )" because
no sane man ever deemed Freedom to be the
right of doing mischief with impunity
Your Code teens with instances OF such leg
islation: lorbiddlng practices Of which none,
nor all put together, are thouSandth part so de-
sructive to health, property, morals, peace, hap
plness, and life, us the Liquor Traffic is.
An amiabe and excellent Lawyer "a hus-
band and father-in lS09 was killed in duel.
Our Legislature immediately passed the strn-
gent law, not only declaring it murder to kill in
duel, but making whoever should send, accept,
or carry challenge, incapable Of holding Office |;
and requiring from every man elected to any
Office, an oath that he had not Uoldted that Tau,
anil vo,id mol violate ii while he should hold the
office.
affirm without hazard of just contradiction,
that for every Virginian as much loved and res
pectable as that Lawyer, who has fallen in a
duel more than a thousand such have died of
Strong-drnk, made and sold for lucre!
Agan-in 1888, young man having killed
another with pocket pistol, in conflict which
the slayer had sought and was prepared for
though jury acquitted him; your excited Leg
isature forbade any person, under severe pen
aties, to keep or carry about him pistol, dirk
or other such weapon, hidden from common OBJ
servation. Because he might, perhaps, in o
passion, shoot or stab somebody. 1t may be
I doubted if the practice Of carrying concealed
weapons has caused, in this Commonwealth
since its foundation, five, or even three deaths
per GtuIIpa.