The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-02-05
TEMPERANCE CIRCULAR.

"A. I1EhoC, heSlslcr.
TEMPERANCE CIRCULAR.
At a convention of the friends of Temper
ance in the Court House at ST. Paul Jan. llth
1853, Rev. T. d. Ncili. c. G. Amcs, J. W. North
c. Hobart, and S. 2. II. Mcmillan were appoint
cd 4 Business Committee, and presented the
following report, which was unanimously adop
ted, ordered to be printed, and laid before the
Leg islaturc.
Report Of the Committee.
Whereas, in the course of judicial invcsti
CATION, the manner in which the Minnesota Lii
quor Law was adopted has been pronounced
unconstitutional rendering it necessary tina
the citizens of our Territory should take fur
Their action in order to secure legal protection
from the evils Of Liquor-tralfic. your Commit
tee would recommend that the following Memo
rial be presented to the Territorial Legislature
as the sense Of this Convention. and that this
Memorial be the resolution, and the only reso
luton, presented by this Committee:
Memorial to the Minnesota Legislature.
Citizen Representatives.
Your felow-citizcns in Convention assembled
ask leave to lay before your Honorable bodies
the following statement Of facts, which in our
opinion have an important bearing upon mat
ter vitality connected with the highest interests
of Minnesota.
You are aware, gentlemen, that The "4Act for
restricting the sale of Intoxicating drinks re-
ferrcd by the last Legislature TO the people.
sanctioned by a large majority OF their votes,
and generally supposed TO be the Law Of our
Territory. has recently been pronounced. by
His Honor Chief Justice Iiayner. null and roid
not for the defects which it doubtless possessed
but simply on the ground that the manner o:
its adoption was deemed unconstitutional We
are thus left without legal protection from the
great evils growing out of the traffic which
that Law was designed to suppress.
lou arc aware that a very large portion OF
the people of this Territory sincerely believe
that the said traffic should not be tolerated by
Law They have been led to this opinion by
several weighty considerations some of which
we would ask your leave to enumerate.
1t has seemed to them unreasonable that a
traffic which cnr;ches the few to the injury of
the many should be permitted to continue. VIC
lating as it does that fundamental principle of
our government, which seeks the greatest good
to the greatest number. Statistics of ungucs-
toned authority show that in the older parts
OF our country very large majority of the
paupcrs and criminals are rendered such by
the traffic in intoxicating drinks. 1t thus APP
pears that society is not only heavily taxed for
the support of paupcrs and the convictions of
criminals, but that it is still more heavily tax
ed ny the loss of many who might be valuable
citizens, who not only ruin themselves. but are
constant source Of danger to the public peace
and of wrctchedncss to domestic circles.
1t has also seemed desirable that this traffic
should be suppressed for the sake Of the public
morals. We are well aware that there is dam
ger OF curtailng indiv dual rights where laws
are enacted to guard the morals of communi-
ty, but we believe it is generally admitted that
society has right TO protect itself from the in
curslons of actual and open vice. Nor are VIC
SATISFIED that Law supprcssing the Liquor
trade, would interfere with any mans rights,
since 1t has never been shown that any citizon
mas right to lnfl.ct continual and evident
INJURY upon society. And as rowdyism. pro
taneness, gambling. incendarism. murder. and
All forms both of public and private vice are
the almost Invaluable fruits of the Liouor-traf
hc' IL becomes serious question whether the
parent Oh so many cvils-whcthcr the debaucb
er OF public mOrals-should be tolerated Inv
Law. We believe the proposed Law rests upon
the same principles with our Statutes for the
suppression OF lcent:Ous books and houses of
1t is surely easier to break the eggs
OF the cockatrice. than suffer them to hatch
anu then hunt the venOmOus brood,
1t is moreover believed that the supprcssion
OF TINS traffic would be an additional security of
inc pubic health. Our best physicians assure
Us that men OF Incorporate habits are much
more liable to become victims to epidemics
than others; and it is not unworthy of rcmork
that the innocent families of inebriates are Oft
en- compelled to live in such circumstances of
poverty and exposure as are unfavorablc to
health: so that they are swept away by disease
or grow up with enfeebled constitutions, which
WIN the vices of their fathers, are often trans
mtted from generation to generation. The
records OF insane asylums show, moreover.
lhat many instances of lunacy arise from the
nabitual use of alcoholic drinks; thus LETTING
oosc upon society class of madmen, the care
d whom must burden either private charity or
The public treasury.
1t being granted that the liquor traffic is an
Evil which it is desirable to remove. another mr.
sument in favor of its legal prohibition is ia no
ound IN the actual success which has attended,
Jaw, law OF this kind in Maine, Massachusetts and
Shode Island. In Portland. Bangor. Lowell
! and other large places. the renorts
u tne respective Mayors show Surprising and
most gratifying diminution of crime as VOL rs
lrunkenness; and the recent Mayor of Port
ana mas published the statement that there is
,o' single wholesale liquor establishment in
ne otate OF Maine. The manufacturers and
ea'y dealers in other States, already complain
nal their business has suffered serious retiuc-
ION In consequence of the operation of this
ew form OF Law; which may be regarded as
pundant proof that it is well adapted to &C
omphsh its object viz: the extinction IF tho !