Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-05-10

flex Of he popular sentiment throue bout the
) ate Legislators spoke. and spoke truly,
the opinions of he people they represented.
" hen this result y as artained humanity sent
up shout Of triumph Hope wien it saw
the gr .>p Of the law fastened. upon the neck
OF this grea est destroyer Of human happi-
ness. hi greatest propogandist Of human
mis- ry, uttered cry Of joy. Industry SAW
prospect OF relief frnm taxation. anl labor
a chanc,. of escape frn4n the burdens that op-
pressed it.
As Legislators we have exhausted our ef
forts, and, as we believe d scharged cur duty
We passed the law aud could d, no more.
The i;ii went tu the Go ernor for his sigua-
ture The religion >entim N of the State,
thp mor4l sent,rs at nf tie State, the gen
u'nr social lriue of,he STATE charity for hu-
IN u si'ff .r'ng sympathy human sorrow,
parents who h .d foLowei III. children Of
iht'r loye to the drunka:d's xr,ve, wives
whose husbands had been h.utalited by in
temperance, daugh'. RS thar il lad given to
shame. children II had heg4ared. hum nifty
itself had appealed IL him. with voice
choked and tremrlons with nguish, not to
stand in the way of this great experiment
of reform not TO fal>ify every promise of his
past life, or throw away he great hope of his
future by an nterpo>ition of the power con-
i filed 10 him by The Constitution, and thus
wipe out all the progress Of arter Of a
century. Yet these appeals were in ain.
Governor SEYMOUR with full knowledge
of the popular sen iments on the subj ct of
the law before him. of the will of the people,
50 clearly and cnPhatcalls expressed made
himself the champion of The opponents Of
Temperance Reform, by withholding hi> as
sent To thl| most benign III asure that was
ever offered for the am .lior ltipn of the con-
dition of man.
With the motives uhich dictated bis veto,
we have no'hing to do. IL he can vindicate
himself 10 his own conscience, if he can ans
wer at the har of Eternal Truth for the act
thdt gave scope and way TO the greatest
evil that ever afflicted human destiny, we
shall rejuice. The gor, and the shame, the
responsibilities Of his l",>iton in this respect,
We leave to the retrihuiions of time and to
Him WHO can look with clear vision into
the human heart, aud sean its $, cret thoughts.
But with he arguments OF the veto. the rea-
sons upon which it is based we propose
brief, to deal and We ask The attention of
the people of this State while we expose
their falacy. and demonstrate how little
foundation they ha, e, either in legal accuracy
or fact.
We propose, now. to examine the obiec-
tions Of Governor SEYMOUR, as stated in his
veto to the bill presented for his signature,
and to demonst. ate thai thaY Lara nn fauuda
The hrst objection urged l. to tue 9Th
section of the bill which he insists is in vio-
latiun of the Constitute of lhe United
States. and of what he is pleased to call the
rights of this State. In regard to the pro-
visions of the Consultation to which he alu-
des, the Governor not only ought to have
known, but we affirm that he actually did
know, that il had hem more than once deci-
ded by the Supreme Court of the United
States by he highest judicial tribunal of
this Stare and that such is the settled law
now, that hos. provisions we're intended to
limit the powers Of the G~netal Go eminent,
thai they applied TO the General Government
alone and bad nothing whatever TO 10 with
The State sOvereignties. We affirm that he
knew this. hecau~e his attention Was called
TO the decision Of the Supreme Court of he
United STA es where the opinion Of that
court was delivered by Chief Justice MAR
SHALL, he greats jur-st this Union has
cte' produc d upon this ve.y questions and
To he decision nf the cOuft for the correction
of errors in this state, upon the same point
where tbe Unanimous opinion Of the court
W 5 d,iiv red t.y Chancellor WALwoRTH
x
One hing he gov. Seymour) state'
which af,er all Is the real foundation tbt
ground and mnrive of his action. which il
that he i opposed to all prohihirory enact
mens against I he traffic in Intoxicating drinks
Had ne avcwed this in spirit Of frankness
Instead of seeking to avoid censure lry hollow
professions of regard for the temperanc
cause, and of heing reluctantly compelled
to interpose his veto on account of the pecu
r liar and stringent pro, isionS of the bill. h
, would have been regarded as courageou
: man, whatever the world might have though
, Of the soundness of his opinions "a a states
man.
In conclusion, we ask, What will tn
friends Of this great measure OF reform do
l NV:ll they be discouraged by asingle failure
| Will they yield now. when sueress-M he
| the triumph of the right is 30 cl-arly With
] their reach? Will they permit this on
D disappointment to weak n heir efforts an
It hanish hope from their hearts? We answe
s No! A hundred tunes. No This gre
d Ase is thr cause Of vmtue-of morality
y reIigion-of social prugress-os humani
II itself; and though It were thousand tim
c stricken down. it will rise again to glorio
E triumph at last. 1t is above all polite
,e considerations superior to all party respon
rs biIti S. ItappeaI> alike TO the interests al
RS the duty Of tie masses Of the people.
le success will relieve labor from nigh
a burden of taxation. 1t will carry comic
er TO thousands and trns If thousands OF fal
e. lie>. and hope aud happiness to the hear
Of of millions in tn future who would else
= down in sorrow TO their graves Ii will ]
u, move the most pregnant cause OF pauperIs
and crime and save countless numbe
ce from the destruction thai hovers over I
re life and eternity Of the inebriate. Let
1it friend of the cause then. relax any effort
st carry it forward. single man has stO
ell between the will Of the people, clearly c
bs pressed and tie accomplishment of th
IS purpose on thissu iect That will, found
ly a, it is on the principles Of Eternal Truth
ly. upon the profoundest wisdom. and all lo'
llv -. - H. ,r,o. 90 nosSihla Ooo1 nf tho ~