New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-23
COTTON ON Run.

He was shrewd old Judge who cOunseled his young
brother Just risen TO the Bench to be chary Of giving
reasons or pronouneing elaborate opinions in support
of whatever decisions be might be imPeed to render.
For your decisions" be explained. may often be
fright, while your reasoning in support of them is
every erroneous; and this, if made public, will ne
"cessarily prejudice and perhaps unsettle your de-
"cjsion whereas Just judgement, if left to stand Oh
ats own merits is essentially imPregoabe."
Mr. John Cotton Smith has the honor Of making
the Report from majority of the Joint Select Com
mee Of the present Legislature of Connecticut against
the passage of the Maine Law, any further egsla-
ton at all against the Liquor Traffic The canse could
not have found filter advocate, nor the advocate
cause more congenal to his sympathies. The reader
of the Report as his mind reversfrom the cause it
mepds To the logic whereby that is commended
is often moved TO exclaim
Sure, such pair never seen"
Spscal legislation is OF course John CottOns great
horror. Legislation which in effect forbds ninety nine
hundredths Of the people TO sell liquor but comedies
license privilege to do so TO the hundredth for cash
paid is general while legislation that forbids all alike
10 do what the baked exscOn Of license confeses 10
be perous and furious, is partial legislation VIII
no generous citizen Of Connecticut give or lend this
Scion dictionary
violence to private rights" is his minor aversion.
Legislation must be careful respect the rights OF
property Yet We have had the statute book Of the
Nation for nearly forty years back act obnoxious TO
all the criticism snd objection which be brought
against the Maine Law on this head-namey, the act
Of lsl6 fcrbiddhg any trader to sell liquor to our In
dian tribes, and authorizing any Indian agent TO seize
any liquor that may be carried into Indian territory for
sale and destroy it, Under this ac, keg afer keg has
been seized and destroyed yet trader veRtured
to sue the destroyer and carry up his 10 the Su-
prtme Court the final arbter of Constitutional differ
ences Why not if such destruction of property is not
CONSTITUTIONAL Mr.. Smith cites provision of the
State Constitution as an impeachment TO the Maine
Law; be clearly plants himself the general ground
Of inccmpatibii,y between such legislation and the
principles of Constitutional Freedom. Why, then,
does he not indicate some principle some ground on
which ramseers liquor is shielded from legal conds-
cation when those he intends poison with it are white
men, but not when they are Indians
Having laid down the broad principle that individual
rights, however small are not to be sacrificed to
"subserve moral ends however great, Mr. Smith fayors
us with this axiom
aNor Is the ascsrained fact Of popular majority being
popularity as 'd~'
blow is here aimed at the principle of Submission
TO the People but how wide of the mark Nobody has
proposed TO submit to the People moral principle bu.
legal enactment. The question submitted or proposed
in every case has been" Shall ts act have the force
Z. and character of Lawl"-never, q Shall this moral
~ urincple be established and respected y
Cotton proceeds to talk Of Legislation Of this de-
"scription' having been condemned BY pubicsis and
ursts but he has ust shown that he does not under
stand Of what description the Maine Law is O
course, his shot al hy wide Of the mark
The question fundamental to this whole controversy
is enc he does not raise and evidently dare not meet
runs thus-Is Alcohol poison to Man. If it IS theE
we are to seek anaoges guide US in legsstng there
on in our laws which regulate the dpensstiOn OF othe
posons and all defamation about sumptuary laws arbi
trary regulations Of dress, Diet &c. is just so muet
breath thrown away. We who stand for the Maine Law
maintain that Alcohol poison and cite the evidence
Of chemists, physicians and oxicologsts sbundanty sus
tanning our position. We challenge reply from Oul
antagonists, but they are all dumb dogs Not man o
them, Of any consideration asserts and undertakes 4