Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-12-03
LIBERTY PARTY AND THE MAINE LAW

presents perhaps, rs good an argument as can be
presented against the prohibitofy liquor law, tho
it is by no means new. Every liquor seller and
rum drnker has it by heart. So far as we can Sec
the argument goes against all restrictive laws, and
our friend, who complains of Mr.. Smiths inconsis-
tcncy, must look to his own, unless he is willing
that every should he II law unto himself in all
things,
For tho Duglo.
FRIEND RoBiNsoN: / read the Address Of Gerret
Smith in the Buge, in which he advocates the Maine
Law as part of tie Liberty Party creed.
Friend Smith has certainly given evidence Of his
honesty and zeal in the cause of human liberty !:
but confess il is hard to set bounds to human in
consistency. The man that has exhausted his mem
tai powers in trying to show Henry Clay tic great
Importance Of II raintaining, unimpaired the liberty
Of man he that has scattered his substance with
n lavish hand in spreading the principles Of liLer.
~; he that has cautioned the human chattcl OF
the South to leave his condition at whatever haz-
zrd pilicring itself becoming q virtue in his es-
mnton, If it should be necessary to elude the Vi
gilence Cf the slave holder; he that has invoked
Heaven to interposc in the Of human liberty;
he that has abored give roce to the very stones
''''' '''Ns ''E'N A'IpiNooiVhs llNt
glories in tie purity of power that will trample
under foot all oppressive laws he that prcsides at
meetings called TO celebrate the day that wtncs Sed
m open violation of law This man. strange as it
may seem, goes might and main for the Maine Lii
quOr Law. The stakeholder says that freedom does
not suit the negro therefore he takes away his lib
erty Gcnet Smith says liquor does not suit the
people, therefore he proposes to take it away from
hem Some rel giuus bigCts think the salvation Of
mems souls depend ON certain faith and are
therefore, anxious 10 regulate religion by law
Some men are willing to inerpose the mighty arm
Of the law to strangle old women under the pre-
tcnco that the public good demands their execu
tion.
There have been men anxious to put down
Thompsonian Physician, by lava others equally
anxious to deprive people of the use Of calome
Opium and the lancet, by legislative enactment ,
while vcgetarians would insist that people should
eat nothing but vegetables, and back up theiropn-
ons by arguments at least as cogentas friend Smith
tan use in favor of the Maine Liquor Law. 1t GER
tainly must he clear to every rejecting unprciu-
diced mind that all these notions of men stand ex-
actly ON q level, and should be treated alike Let
each man propagate his notions by spreading truth
broadcast over the land. When person attempts
to carry forward moral reform by law, it proves to
me that he has mo arguments, no reason, and no
philosophy to sustain him and like the rowdy with
his brck-bat, uses the most potent means in his
power.
In speaking to Liberty men, friend Smith says,
" In word you believe that civil government has
no other Office than to protect life and property
In the next breath he intimates that no man
could receive the vote of Liberty men, unless he
was pledged to support the Maine Liquor Law, a
law which authorizes men to destroy the property
of their neighbors.
Friend Smith seems to forget that people would
treat the Maine Law just he does the fugitive
slave law, and it would at some tim, them to
turn a leaf ear to his temperance lectures.
Thy Friend
NICAJAH T. JOHNSON.
Short Creek, Harrison Co., Ohio,