Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-27

whose tendency is to leopard the civil and
moral interests of society and consequent
". the prohibition in question, as it does not
denriye man of any rights" to which he
may make any lawful claim so it does not
interfere with his liberties" Mans :. lib
critics = grow out of, and are derived from his
:. riqhts,0 and can have no existence what
ever. apart from, or independent of them
To contend, therefore, that man has the
right to traffic IN Intoxicating drinks. and
that he has the liberty" to do in this matter
as he manthlnk proper, amounts to the same
as saying a6athe had the right " to ieop-
ard any and every interest, civil and moral,
that he might think proper to involve, while
in the exercise of his liberties" But,
2. Man has no "right" but such as he
has derived from God. Now, as all civil
governments in christian lands are confess
eddy derived from, as they are founded upon,
the principles of truth and righteousness
revealed in the Bible: it follows, that man
cannot lcgislatively derive any right" from
this source (the only one) by which he may
exercise himself, however profitable to him
self SO as to leopard the interests Of his fell
low man. lie has no "Tight" to DO this,
consequently, he has no liberty to be inter
fered with in this matter. The exercise Of
such a 8 right" would be an open violation
Of the revealed law Of the Bible. In it man
is commanded to Love his neighbor as
himself" and the same authority assures US
that Love worketh no i'll to his neighbour
3. The fact, therefore, that the traffic does
injure man, andinyolyes deleteriously the civ.
il and moral interests Of the community, is
a clear proof that no man "a have any
" right" to be engaged in this business ane
41~.o1,,o-4I,- 1oS1x.o - --I1oI
should utterly forbid the traffic in any guam
tity, would not abridge any man of any law
full " hbeffTo or In anywise deprive him 0
one particle of right" to which he cal
E make any legitimate claim.
As, therefore, the traffic is unauthorized b,
any principle of Divine government as re
vealed in the Bible-as all christian govern
ments are confessedly based upon the prin
ciples of revealed truth and right-and a
all legislation authorized by this trut
: and divine right, must be conformed to thes
: principles so as to maintain its christian-lik
: character SO, it follows, that on the on
hand, no christian government has the legit
:; innate . right" to authorize the traffic by an
t act Of legislation, but is bound on the othe
Y hand, III ali its legislative actions in TIL
' matter, to exclude the articles of intoxic;
e ting liquors from the community and tLer,
fore, prohibit utterly and forever, the trait
v in these articles when intended to be used
s a beverage.
The cause Of Temperance is intimatel
identified with legislation upon the subje
Of the traffic. Until it is utterly prohibite
the Temperance movements must stand sti.
8 This is noa0 the greatest impeachment in ii
q way of the reform. Strike down this, al
intemperance with all its attendent evils vi
d soon be-hahished from our country. A
9 other measures are like Topping off Il
J boughs of the Bohan Upas tree, while Il
trunk and roots still are allowed to renal
n To accomplish any thing here to purpos
& the tree must be plucked up by the roots.
Nothing short of this will save the nation.
Let every patriot and philanthropist, thel
fore, be up and do valiantly for the comm,
veal. To the Polls, to the Polls gentlemen
J there is your strong and ~impregnable b,
wark. See to it, that the next Legislature
- the Old North State be composed of such m
~ as are friends to the Temperance cause.
t. Let the citizens, en- nsasse, say to their s.
y rants in the e Legislature, that they m.
grant to the free UoterS of North Carolina
~ law that shall utterly abolish the liquor la
- and in its stead enact one utterly prohibit
.e the traffic throughout the entire State.
=, 70 Yours respectfully,
III PETER DOUB.