Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-12-06
O. 0 mmnnitations.
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.

FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Mr.. EDITOR: This is our County Court
week in our County, the Magistrates com-
posing the regular court, on Tuesday actu-
ally refused to grant license to a man to sell
ardent spirits in this place. He of course
was able to prove a good moral character
before the court by an old chum of his
Now, sir, to show the depth of degradation
to which the witness descended, let me tell
you that the man who was thus enabled to
prove himself possessed of such good char
acter, has actually been Branded under the
direction of one Of our Superior Courts of
Law for this State, and that, sir, for shoot
ing a poor negro slave who did nothing to
him whatever. This miserable wretch of a
man, when but about seventeen years of
age, contracted a fondness for ardent spirits,
and while staggering home in a drunken
state from one of those sinks of ~iniquity
that are to be found in so many neighbor-
hoods, he came across this negro and shot
him without provocation. Now, sir, what a
picture this presents and what is to be
thought of the man who in the face of these
facts will swear that he is a man of good
moral character Thereby asking the court
to commission him to prepare others for
deeds as dark as the whole course of his life
has been, and surround himself with cooper
ators in the works of shameful degradation.
This act ought tomake the bkpd ofevery pat
riot son of the good old North State boil with
indignation, and cause them to raise their
voices in defence of right and for a sup
preston of wrong.
In the case referred to, the Court stood,
three for granting license and four against +:
thus, to the credit of our Court be It said,
this mai was rejected from his work of
| death Than0 o~okI..
which occurred that caused some excitement:
A man made his appearance on the Court
yard with the word-Oysters-written on the
cover of his cart. The hungry and those
that felt Inclined soon collected and partook
very freely of the oysters, but in the course
OF the ensuing night nearly all who had eat
en- OF the oysters were found to have cholera
morbus-ali were down on the seller of this
infected commodity with a shower of invec-
tive Indignation. Every body regarded him
as an lmposter, some were for lynching him,
while others more law-abiding, held that he
ought to be arrested Now | wish to show
the inconsistency of some men while all
were united IN their abuses upon the unfor-
tunate FISHERMAN who, no doubt, by being
imposed on himself, in the first instance, had
SOLD a few spoiled oysters, there were licen.
sed grOg shops near the same spot. against
whom not one word of murmuring was heard
These same cess pools of destruction were
dealing out their poison to a large number
OF our citizens; these poisons will have a
different effect from the oysters, which only
slckened for a short time, while the groe
sellers poison will gnaw at the vitals unit
life is extinct and the victim fills a drunkard'.
f grave. To these the populace speak peace
and bid them onward in the work of death
Now, sir, if we can submit to one mans ia
king the life of another, by selling s~piritou,
liquors, why, ! ask, such a fuss and stir u,
about the the sale of a few spoiled oysters
5 The case, in my view, is a parallel one. W,
say down with all poisonous food and drink
protect the lives of our citizens, young ant
old, male and female, and allow none to b,
murdered, either by spoiled meats or intoxi
= eating drink. Then let gentlemen of tn,
old North State come out on mercy's sid
. and save the innocent from the rude hand o
l the ~spoiler-put down the life-destroyin,
noison-Tben-hanaAs that are now uF1Is