Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-08-10
Respectfully yours, in L. P. & F.
TEMPERANTIA.

Mr.. EDITOR Cant l induce you to let
alone the monopoly? You publish the COM
pliments and circumstances of Dikos, as
though he had no sorrows to assuage. You
and the Sons must be hardened against con-
sequences, and insensible of the mischief you
are producing.
Should you succeed in your designs, Heaven
bless the country, the whole order of things
will be deranged. Have you forgotten that
the monopoly claims the legal profession as
its devoted patrons? And that a distin-
guished prerogative of the Lawyers of North
Carolina, is to spree and get gloriously
drunk, and destroy vegetation under back
windows with the contents of their stomachs?
You know they are regularly before the eyes
of the steady farmers they are a living
warming to thousands against the propriety
of educating their sons and a standing ar
gument against the efforts of those who seek
to elevate the many. | beseech you, think
what disturbance in the order of things we
shall have, when it shall come to pass, that a
lawyer who drinks liquor will be unpopular,
and canuot be elected to the Legislature and
to Congress, and the plain farmer shall find
out, that sound learning and general intelli-
gence lead rot to dissipation and when
the young b~arrister shall be compelled from
1SC0SSIUY, " hCep COOI, dlu ScCh UI1C Z
sources than drinking and cards at all the
Courts of the State. Farmers may imagine
their sons could make enlightened States
men and worthy legislators, and act accord
ingly. This would be revolution and are you
for that? And besides, you are weakening
the confidence of the people in the integrity
of the bench by teaching that liquor-drinking
does not increase legal learning and quicken
the perception of points of law and claims of
justice. Some are already talking of leaving
the State, because drunken judges preside in
Courts where the property and character OF
sober men are involved. It is said now, that
the citizens of North Carolina hold their legal
rights by a more uncertain tenure, than they
ought, by a great deal, owing to the infrmi.
ties of judges. You had better hold of
awhile, had you not? You will cause people
to look at the high dignitaries of the Supreme
Court, and talk about the strange example il
sets to the rising youth of North Carolina
and if things 90 much farther and Temper
ance folks do not stop, it would not surprise
me much to hear talk of impeachments.-
Whenever a majority of the citizens of Nortt
Carolina shall once think drinking lisuor anG
drunkenness are improbable to the State
and unfit to grace. high stations, what ar
uproar you will hear, about this irregular
las you Sons say conduct; but generous
gentlemanly department, the monopoly vii
proclaim.
People are already saying, the bar, as i
is now exhibited in North Carolina, is a nox
ious fungus on the body polite. suppos
they mean what they say but know som
of the bar who are true men, worthy of an,
noble station but you must really quit talk
ing so much about dram-drinking and tn
monopoly, or you will make people belieV
they keep bad company.
l met recently with an ungracious youth
whose predictions for the law were neithe
few nor feeble but unfortunately biased b
ideas of your fraternity; and strange to say