Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-10-19
Claw Power"

days since, alluded to the extracts from the
of the Spirit of the Age, which we pub
lished a week or two ago, te prove that we
had always been in favor of the interposition
of law for arresting the evils Of the liquor
traffic and said he thought he could show
articles of ours, in which we had taken ground
against legislation. We handed him our files,
regularly bound, andh he commenced the search.
After a while he pointed US to an article he
said he was looking for, and called our atten-
ton to the remarks which we shall quote be-
low. The paper containing them is dated
November %, 1850.
The article sets out with a disclaimer
against the allegation, that " it is the desire
and design of the Order of the Sons of Tenn
perance of North Carolina to invoke legisla-
tive aid in efecting the great work of moral
reform which they are endeavoring to con-
summate." While we admit there is appar-
emily a difference in the sentiments we then
advanced with those we now hold, yet, sub
stantially there is no change. AS Sons of
Temperance we do not invoke the aid of leg
SANSA' W biiC oA0C
sion we use in retaining the inebriate but
we ask the lawmakers to take away from
his enemy the liquor-seller, the " legal sua-
sive" power they have given him to crush
and destroy the rising hopes of reform and
redemption which have just been kindled in
his bosom. 1t it one thing to legislate as to
what one shall eat or drink, but quite anoth-
er to legislate against a man killing his
neighbor by selling him the beverage 0 fdeath.
But we then had not the benefits of expert
encein legislative e~xtirpation. Hitherto, tink-
ering, mending, attempting to regulate the
evil, J" had been the policy pursued, and the
insufficient impotency of the policy had con-
WINGED temperance men that remedy was flu
tile-hence we disclaimed it. The glorious
bow of Prohibition had not then spanned the
Eastern horizon-now, it shines conspicuous,
hopeful, certain-and obtusei indeed must we
be, if we have learned nothing from its in
structive lessons.
We also declared it as our opinion then,
that penal cnactments and statutory de-
crees could not arrest intemperance, if pub
, lie sentiment and public practice were at va
< rance with those laws - and hence we then
declared we did not desire nor did we ask
} for legislative interference" and therefore
: asseverated-" If it were in our power no0
s to have q law passed, totally abolishing the
liquor traffic in North Carolina, we would not
: exercise it, because we feel satisfied it could
: not be carried into effect" Why could it not
e then be carried into effect? Because public
g opinion was not ready for tive did not de-
r clare ourself opposed to Prohibition, but ex-
d pressed our opinion Of its anerpediency, be-
cause the people were not sufficiently aroused
to a sense of the evil. In our declaration OF
principles, published u few weeks since, we
laid down the following as one of the planks
Q in our Platform =
First, We hold that it is the bounden duty
of the Legislature Of this State, whensoever
it becomes convinced that a majority Of the
people desire it, to pass a law, prohibiting
entirely the sale Of spirituous liquors as a bev.
erdge aOtthtn the limits Of the State.
Where's the difference between our views
" of 1850 and the present?
~ - OHCA RAOSSCO tIO LII u Ill OtCIk
of 1850, that we expected to accomplish thii
en~lightment Of public opinion, "by arrayin,
y the respectable and virtuous portion of com
= munity on the side Of temperance-by get
= ting our public men to set their faces agains
= the Ubiquitous liquor traffic, and by these ant
other means, in making the selling of til,
:, poison disreputable and contemplate" Thi
was our position three years ago-read an,
ponder over it, and answer if there is not ey
III cry where to be seen in it the prospective ez
n pectation that the time ayoud come when
M righteous law would be demanded by an en-
: lightened public opinion for it's overthrow
The time may not have arrived yet-but it
a lifetime business with us, and we hope t
be spared to labor onuntil it is demanded an
n, accomplished.