The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-08


build everything of green timber Up goes the
building no matter what, and year after year. the
timber shrinss and warps and cracks and decays,
ard We see II and grow wiser II 10 90 in all our
reformstory movementsitis 90 IN all things ex sept
in cur frame of government That was pui,t of
sterling old English timber, without .w: OF mss
sive strength, and repeatedly seasoned in the nres
of persecution
l wish there was not 30 much fansticism uuon
this subject Indeed, there 10 no reason why there
should be. By the time that schsme re.chas Viz
gnia, II must have been sfted. North and West and
we get 1t in its perfect proportions shorn of ell is
extravagancies. and reduced to its simplest form
We therefore have no excuse for going into and
repeating the absurdes that ever cluster about the
first measures of reform.
wish merely to say that the substitute now offer.
cd. utters emphaticaly, all that 10 claimed in the
original resolutions. If all thai would wish Ii
not ar anabe, then, say. tase par. If we cannot
annihilate the liquor rsfc, let lessen, far
we can, the evils which how from II.
But extreme advocates Of this cause say, wa will
accept OF nothing less than general p.ohibtory mes
sures and If we don't get these we won't take any
thing. Now 10 this eorrestf Can we not by differ
ent measures lessen the evi If we can't got all, at
tr.tc are felt In the places where 1t il carried
feopie on the spot are the bestjudses. Formerly,
the chiefsourcs of danger to be found In social
ii1e-ltls not 30 now-for almost unanimously, the
means and sop iances of intenperance are removed
throushous the country. We have now, the, efore,
different object, different point of attack. We
have now to do with the traffic it-elf. Now, just In
proportion az you surround the seller with res.rc
lions, and tnrow difficulties In his way, in the same
proportion do you restrict dr. mixing Suppose that
you simply say, that In order obtain license TO
sell liquor, the applicant must bring a certificate
from SIX good and di,intereitsd free holders. Who
does not see that this single provision provision
ado ed TO the Staunton resolutions, as published in
our last would, in many localities. absolutely de.
stroy the trafc' say, not in all but 10 many; and
when we cannot obtsin all Ihat might be desirable
let us at least accomplish whstws can. These sir
some of the reasons which have at this time led
me to oppose general prohibitory measures. The
substitut. sfms all that is claimed in the original
resolutionsso far as doctrine Is concerned and in
the application of them, tine substitste proposes only
what Is practicable.
Mr. Lucau Minor of Louisa objected to the aubsti.
tute of Mai Preston He thought il too com p Gated
and circuitous. There were in his view too many
circumloc 1tions to express the same things which
were embodied In the original revolutions. Said
Mr. Minor, this substitute when we come to really
slit and examine It, stetes simply this "If can't
get what we want we will take what we can ee'."
sit puts tine peope Of Vrainia with regard to the
Legislature, In the attitude of green youth, ma
king his first bargain with an experienced horse
jockey. The uusophishcated boy tells the horse
dealer that he thinks his horse is worth $3.50 but
thstf he can't get :hst he will take S75 Of course
he don't get tn, $50, and will prove lucky II he
gets even %i5. On this temI erarce question
the legislature will take US at word. If We de
mand as the substitute OF the gentleman from Rock
bridge proposes, merely partial laws, or present 20
them an Tentative, either restrictive or pronibito.
ry LEGISLATION, we shall be very likely to get neither
Chief Justice Marshall in favor of particular
cause to be inserted in the compromise measures
but minated to others, tha. if the clause which
| ne favored could not be passed, he would &C
| cept OF something else. The caute was lost,
| OF course, and 1t will be 50 with Us If VS. ex-
peet to do anything towards putting down the liquor
trsffc' we must lay down our plauorm-positively,
dG Gfn1fO OIw laho o1,xk1f L.
yerbiage and bs subject to double constructions
Ih9 substitute Is NOT positive in its character and if
adopted would be equivalent to saying TO the peo-
| pie OF Virginia, this: I'VE resolve to do wnaI we
tnink we ought to, but at the same time, resolve,
| that II we can't do what We ought to, we will do
| something else" | cannot concur with the geatle-
man from Lexington. ltis true probably, that there
may not be majority now for general prohbito.
~ law, such az is propoundad in the original reso.
lunons; but, sir before the arrival of another cleo
ton, there will have been great advance in public
| opinion on this subject. Speakers will have been
abroad, and the people will have looked into this
suhJ9e In all ts momentous bearings Let speakers
re forth ana enlighten the people, and in the most
uniavorable localities. there will be a vast change
| OF publie sentiment. am confident that If " g had
tour or five efficient speakers i, the field. could
at the next election, carry general prohbitory law
| by an overwhelming nsj sjority
Sir believe | am as sanguine as any man on this
fl 1or, and think too that have as Keen an apprec
alton OF the difficulties to be met, any gentleman
but have an intense, unalterable conviction. that
the people OF Virginia will look to their rights and
duties In connexion with the subject of the liquor
traffic. and that the current of strong common sense
which underlies all txcitemen.s, and all theories
amongst us, will soon be found on the side of o.
| hlbItion l would not have Maine liquor law
passed oy what John Randolph called ''ean and
staggering majority" | would ra,her have none
| at all But we nee d not lock for such a state OF
things. We NAV fai-bat although ltrs rusIy In
tue cissscs stlii remeWber the sense OF line In
oas o the e, that even to fail In noble undertakings
| is glorious"
For Freedoms battle once begun
8ssueathed from bleeding sire To s.n
Though bafisd off is even won.p
cont nke this going before the psople with these
complicated, double headed reso,uticns 7 dom,
,he ..s , OF inrertng in proceedings aay-
hquor trathc. You might just as we'll ta ahon,
regulating the bites of mad dogs or the action of
cancer Men don't try to regulate, suob thinos
ia,c ~, eaps.s snem. aohor all attempts to reau
iate taat which every man knows to bs In itss1,
dangerous, and capable of no safe regulation uho
ever would rather Asye no law al sll thar . 80
nonai one-or one which should be enforced In NJ
nam sieuisr counnes l am for general law which
shan inniude every foot of our territory from ths
Atlantic to the western boundary. Ii might ner
haps do to uass orchibitory law applicable IN tha
whole District east or west or the ne Ridge hut
cannot think with patience CT This narrow, sec
uonai ieSssiioh-corfned to counties here and
there, by which tine moral aspect of the State would
become vsriegated like Dutch bed quilt Such
legs is always dangerous, and, perhaps Ii NAV
De Well Tor US to consider, that most ali the evils
under which france groaned, before the revolu-
slon, grew cut OF partial and unequal laws Nor.
mandy had one law and Provence sno,her-and 90
tnIonghous the Kingdom Each district and CITY
had iss peculiar code and from such a system,
nothing out wrong and oppression could proceed
j. Tne gent.man from Rockbridge is mistaken as 10
the condition CT pubic sentiment in Maine | have
recently visited the North, and travelled through
Hienigan, Illinois and other States On NV way 1
met neii Dow, of Portland, and in his words saw
tnaI tne pronoltory measures which we hesitats to
sdopt have In ali the Northern States roote1 lhsm-
selves Gay by day more despy into the ae=tions of
tne people. New =, mp hire might as well overturn
ner loou ntalns as Maine her liquor law The sams
rnasn noos aDod N her States. Peeuniary interest
msy and Will produce violent op ppositioE we ought
20 The nigh ana aristocratic the cl l.ssical
men the lovers of Horaces glorious drinking songs
G1 Oh 0lo' wi M oppose as But SIR it WI be found in
ne ed that our cause has sren by every
ssssnit csmrnend the resolutions and the subnti-
tuts 70 !, 9 cam consideration of this meeting, and
asa gentlemen present whether they viii adopt mss-
sures efhcient or inefficient
TNHE SUBSCRIBERS have in store and
q AlEa~