Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-10-26

AAuFItHl ana QeUOrdIlZllg as inc llc6HSc Syo
tenn is, our noble commonwealth has been
IN the market for years vending her recipes
for making drunkards by thousands, to fill
her Golfers with the price of the blood of her
citizens. Verify, it is blood-money! The
cries Of her murdered children break out
against her, and call for vengeance! The
ghosts of her slaughtered citizens, clamor
for retribution!
mere, ten fellow-citizens is the fountain
whence flows the stream which supplies the
Devastating current and swells the overflow
ing tide OF lntemperance. Under the opera
ton OF the present license law, intoxicating
liquors are so abundant-so cheap-so i'm
Fortunately and %temptingly offered to all,
who can resist? The recruiting Offices of
the foul demon are found every where. The
licensed agents of the State meet you at
every turn. This is the uplifted food-gate
hence the efforts of temperance men have
been so repeatedly baffied and often destroyed,
You may lecture and admonish-entrnat and
persuade its victims to desist-you may fill
the State with temperance tracts and papers;
every county and neighborhood may have its
temperance assoeiation-eVery church its
temperance minister-every school its tenn
perance teacher but so long as the still
worm is fired with alcohol-so long as it is
bVN9hVu lfo oOLu ny IllC VIZ hh' pow lllC
State for the privilege of making her citizens
drank; SO long Intemperance will come in
upon US us a food, nor can it's fiery wave be
stayed, by the mere influence of moral
SuGsi0n.
What say you, fellow-citizens? Shall this
fell-destrOyer still ravage our State ? Shall its
darA4aath-wave still sweep over our land p?
Shall the license law still blurr our statute
book? If you have carefully considered this
suLiect-if you nave looked over the records
of intemperance and weighedtheir verdict, we
expect a decisive answer. The stern mandate
of a great but injured people will come from
every county and neighborhood, from village
and hamlet, from mountain and vale, Down
with the liquor traffic !"
In the Judgment of this convention, the
period has come when the traffic IN tntortca-
ting liquors as a beverage, must cease. A
crisis in the conflict between Temperance and
Intemperance, has arrived. The hatchery
of both parties, is ''%victory or death" People
Of North Carolina, what will you do? The
only sure and certain remedy, is the prohi-
button Of the traffic. We cannot, we dare
not conceal longer from you our solemn con
v%ictons. We dare not parley longer with the
monster, nor will we. Rome is on fire and
shall we act the part of the p%erfdious, fd
ding Nero? God forbid.
1t is proposed, that yoW naenaoridtize tn
meet General assembly to pass a taac, pro
AiRitiaq The duying OF. selling poithin the limit
Of Gas State, all Intoxicating liquors, ercep
for medicinal or mechanical purposes. w
advocate no invasion of the chartered right
Of our citizens-no law for privileged classes
Men drink to drunkenness, not because the
have a right, but because they can. Tn
suicide destroys his own life because he can
but would you say, he has the right! Re
collect, God has said, "Thou shalt not kill.
Legislative bodies have no right to forbid
mans drinking alcohol, nor arsenic, nor lau
danum, to produce death. Such a law woul
be an assumption of the Divine ~prerogative
but it would not invade mems rights, sine
men have no right to kill themselves. Nov
as it is the duty of every man to put out c
the way of the suicide, the knife, Or arseni
or any other instrument of death, as it woul
be Il crime to furnish him with either, know
ing or suspecting his intention, so we propos
to put out of the reach of the drunkard or tn
habitual drinker, all alcoholic drinks, :
least, so far as the prohibition of the sale
them in the State can accomplish it. An
is this q hardship? ? Is it an interference
But, perhaps, 1t may be asked, has tn
General Assembly the constitutional autho
ity to pass a prohibitory law? If any re-
ance can be placed upon the best legal deci
ions of the country, there can be no doubt
The question has been answered a thousar
times, Yes! Strange that any one shou
question it. Indeed it may more justly
questioned whether that body has the rig
to license the sale of intoxicating liquors,
be used as a common drink. Can a legisl
tor with a full eye upon his oath and his 7
sponsibilities to God and his country, 70
for such q law
But, a prohibitory law, it is said, will wo.
badly in North Carolina-it cannot be e
forced-it will do harm. Can it work wor
than the license laU? We think not. A
our people less law-loving, law-abiding tn;
the people of other States? Certainly n
The prohii Dry law in Maine works we'll,
t spite of all opposition. 1t may be evad
5 sometimes. But must we have no laws
? cause they may be evaded? Then wipe G
to risk it. Tennessee, our hourishing daug
e ter, IS already ahead of US. Her people
/. pear to be resolved upon prohibition at
: early day. North and South the ball is re
q ing. Shall we behind our Sister States?
Peradventure you will say, that we are
advance of public sentiment-the people
uOI fCtuV lOF 1t. LII LIdy Uo 50, DuG we III
8 test it. The friends of Temperance do
insist upon the passage Of a p%rohibitory |
in opposition to the will of a majority of
people of North Carolina. We must In
and plead and memorabilia for nothing Il
But we are not so ultra in our views
welded to our own opinions, that VIC V
take nothing less. Strong as our convicti
are of the necessity and utility of such a
anxious as we are to erase the license
II from the statute-book-much as we wO
risk in order to obtain it 4; we are too e
+. can-too democratic to desire it, until
people demand it. Nevertheless, a prohib
re ry law is the goal for which we aim-it 81
10 be our wdtch.e0ord until victory perches
Of our banners but we desire not to fore
d public ASntiment nor to 0Verslaagh wlate
10 instructions the people in the several Co
ct ties may choose to give their representa-
IL If they desire for the present, an impro
e. license law, let them hare ii, much as we I
lie disapprove ofthe principle but still thro
IL veal or woe. it will be the purpose and
p dutf of the Temperance men, to press t
IS, favdrite measure to a successful issue.
'fBut you design the formation of a I
ha perance party-a political machine to f
ho up1n the people Interior measures"
meet the charge with q fat contradiction
> Asa body of Temperance men, we have
= one design-one purpose; and that is tn
IS tire suppression of Intemperance in the s.
w are divided in our party predictions
" political views, like other citizens, and W,
y, pest to remain so. As a body, we can a
" ate with neither of the political partie