Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-07-20


mind will; tool; rscur s. the fate Of that encs
argelic dang h:er, If whose purity dc intel
lset and bSzaiy Of form. society might ksve
ooasted abd claimed her q paragon 81
grace and loneliness, who. hy carly neglect,
exposed ID tesnptations snares, ard the al
lurements AZ \ sinfaI world, too young for
thought, TOO feeble 10 resist was blown 81
the tornado a. sin into the whirlpool Of vice,
and insAtiabl3 destruction grasped her a. is
victim living rsbuke 20 the once intem-
perate father
Reader, this Is no fanciful sketch, at
tuned 10 fction'a expansive song. nor Is il
40 ettenpt 70 mighty want and miserysfor
If You have been ohsefvaut Il All az society,
you have found that intempsrnnee stops not
ID ne 4uiss f1mily and pleasant honle to
disseminate the sred Of RAIN Tor Ia its bale.
fal cycle il has entered the Congress 81 the
United States, and plucked from the galaxy
Of statesmen, some Of its brightest orna-
meDts, and consigned others prematurely,
With shattered constitution, to pirate life;
and among the hterdti Of our State il has
found victims, and the maculate band OF the
despoiler has frustrated tho prospects 81
many burning genius, whose generous
hearts beat high.to the warm impulses Of .
lively nature, whose glowing imagination,
brilliant mind, and high toned feelings
might have redounded to the happiness Of
mankind. Il is the empty phrase Of Z good
fellowship and the poets homage that has
thrown around the so called "cup Of happi.
ness" its peculiar enchantment. and by the
dslusiye balm the uawary areallured imper-
ceptibly into the vortex of dissipation ere
they become conscious Of the surrounding
and inextricable destruction heart broken
the victim looks back, and with poignant re-
greet, remembers the magic press of the
:. FIRST glassn-chilled by memory's icy hand,
and aware Of bis inefable condition, the
drunkard goes reeling on the path Of life,
ploddiIg bis unsteady way with dubious
steps among the lowest haunts of vice and
SIM. with the curse Of iatoxication, like
en- incubus weighing down his spirits. and
exhauss;ng his hopes, until outraged nature
yields the conAict, and the sot is precipita-
ted into premature grave, unkennelled and
unmourHed. If you are skeptical, reader,
on this.subject, and regard most of the evils
growing out of intemperanee as ehimercial,
revert to chronology for confirmation, and
examine histdsy's page, and try if yeu caa
find one -ecoSaed event Of discomfort that
will compare 20 magnitude to those incurred
by the I" Liquor Tratfc.n Examine in jux-
Imposition those causes which occasioned the
ayulsion Of nasions, and led to the decapita.
tion Of rulers and kings, and then you Wilt
be- forced I'd thA conclusion that those
causes which produced so much commotion.
will sink into sasiknifcance when examined
in unionS viii, those resulting from the con;
tinpation Of TIC uke OF g SpiritnQns Liquors;
as Il beverageI fog one Is transient. -
'cco1tents,of iAIe Tsparkling glass; Surely,
no man can loSk With Indifference upon the
myriad evils bf Che 9 Liqusr Traffic. and
turn his back 10 Shy means that Wilflikely
lead to alrefoftnatsen Of this insidious habit
and refuse to 3doIa and sanction any meas
urewhich wil4gaih the laudable end Of sup
pressing tho s4le bf distilled liquors, except
for medicinal, mechanical and religious pur
poses, and STAY thd progress Of the pregeni-
tor of nineteenth 81 all the crime and misery
Of our State. Yes, the people of Virginia
gan, by one aAitsd act Of theirs, obliterate
from our midSt tire most direful Of earthly
curses, and oHTiatd the repetition Of those
heaEt.rendingl Sceisss Of quiet home made
miserable BY BE iacursion Of this pernicious
tyrant, who ranyerts the happy Preside into
pandeinpniu,a, from which vice issues IN
all its hideoSsness stalking forth ia our
towns, and flSpg tpr state prisons with isa
offspring. 81.
I1hold it asa FUNDAMENTAL truth, that ii
is Incumbent Mpos every man to protect
from injury bis fel.e,a man, whether arising
from violence nr wee end il is upon this
principle that nocissy is formed, and it IS the
ultimate end d the Legislature to improve
the eonditionIT thsipeeple by the enactment
Of such laws al will conduce to the cstab.
isbment Of rsprala measures, and connect
more closely t$ose Kindred ties, which bind
markind to eash other. And no man can
regard the otisnaIion Of such laws as con-
tribute to bis Aapslness and prosperity, an
encroachment s5n I inairilnaI afgatx and
fyecdsn; !" for sthe;gight Of doing mischief
and committing ;srirse, with IMMUNITY,
irrespective Il its injury incurred By
others, is nlotA 5ndiEldual yfgLts Or -freedor, 4
nor is it in ac35rdlace with the dictates Of
reason, that msg's fAssion and propansit'es
should be uhl5idlsi and unnotlced, meet
their own retri2utioa Hence, laws are made
70 prevent the 8 nekision OF an act considered
hcinons aud rllisitsng il the slightest de.
gree against lhS elar4tion Of the moral con
dition Of society an;i inperatively dess tho
Code Of yfrglb fsibid the practice Of lar
ceDy, duellipg usurb, lotteries, gambling.
profanity, and I'll analogous acts, considered
detrimental to EeaAh prosperity and prop
erty. Would Che evils arising from all the
offences abovescn1mk compare ID a
mount with th@ magnitude Of Consequences
resulting from Die JsE.ration Of the traffic ef
liquorll No, III :sig,ipation begets each
and ali of thels, AMI an prepared 70 say
that fcur ont osevaFF Eve instances Of yio+
lation of the i5Ns ii directly or inciFectly
connected With Che p@tations or Whiskey.
After allowing the Legislature the power
ofsr.estiDg some Of taa oTsprings Of intern,
perance, Why t9t slew that body the power
Of crushing the origip isTelf, audit Is net ii.
logical to infer sif Eths Legislature has the
right 10 restrisb tip sale Of liqaar, it has
likewise the power % snpfsess it In tote !:
aud il Is derl4rabsc fact that the establish
ment If sueh 4 law 10 giTgiuia. and similar
III charscter toIlthS Maine Liquor Law"
met some oppS. iijSn, not only aulouy the
people, but ID Ahet Legislature itself, End
more particularly faips that numerous class,
lrhownlto every eoPSnlrnisy + !. dirk deal
ers.n Who asserted q hi much assumed inp0-
ccnce aud SONS dfgfrs Of self eoshlenee,
!. fEt,t han Il q lsxss gsut, and ftfy Do not
ak or konpSZ sini "A, - driak Perhaps
they do not isz Len 10 drink. but their
erogshops. Ike IA moaths Of monsters,
CAPE widely 10 rsaiow the unmindful