Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-25

y III ilio oO tAuO CI
pestilential disease broke out in Geneva, and
continued for a long time to ~depopulate that
celebrated city. All the relations Of life were
disturbed, the public squares were deserted,
the courts of Justice were closed and the
Angel Death lowered over the devoted place,
gathering hundreds daily to the tomb. Whole
families became infected, died, and were
hurriedly buried by strangers. The most
learned Physicians were unable to arrest the
destroyer, till fortunately circumstances led
to the discovery of a horrible conspiracy,
formed by an Ubiquitous band of williams,
who defused the deadly infection among the
inhabitants in ar artful and diabolical man
ner. Their dreadful practice was to mix the
UlTuS or contagious matter Of lothsome ul-
GERS, drawn from diseased bodies, with other
poisonous compounds, which they spread on
locks and bars of doors, spreading infection
every where. They likewise poisoned the
medicines used by the patients in the Hos
pital and bound themselves by an unholy
oath, never to case their murderous practice
till all the wealthy were destroyed and the
riches and wealth of the city should fall into
their hands. Thirty-one of the murderous
crew were apprehended and burnt by the
inhabitants, the Physician and his two assis-
tants were beheaded and quartered. Some
of the inspectors of the Hospitals were mem
bers of the murderous confederation. The
poisoned medicines were seized and destroy
ed.
This account reveals a diaDolical ~atrocity
committed for gain, nearly equalled by those
engaged in the Liquor traffic. The manu-
facturers of liquor use poisonous and marco.
tic substances to infuse in the deadly alec.
holic mixtures, such as v%itriol, opium, log
wood, c~oculus, indicus and numerous other
mineral and vegetable rank poisons, which
spread infection and death over the land
An eminent Physician calculates that The
average number of deaths by intenperanct
for several years, has been one to every tire,
hundred and twenty-nine inhabitants, whicl
would make in the United States, 10000 il
a year. And yet, in the United States thou
sands are licensed to deal out the poison t.
destroy their fellow citizens! What are Ii
censed Liquor sellers but licensed p~oisoner
by the wholesale? The plague of intemper
ance is worse than the plague in Geneva
The poisoned Alcohol incites it's victims t
commit the most hideous crimes-supplie
the scaffold with victims, brings disgrac
and poverty in it's train, and destroys sou
and body. Who would not rather see hi
friend die Of a plague, than die the awfr
death of the drunkard
LIN CAAS AStlC III GhS ~ WI
propagated the plague. Those who prop;
gate the plague Of drunkenness are licensed
Tho Genevians burned the poisoned med
cines. The poisoned Alcohol is legally pr,
tected, as being property! There exists i
Raleigh, or lately existed, a law empowerin
any one to kill his neighbours dog, found
large in the %dog-days; nav, q reward w;
given for every canine death, and the pr
perty of many was destroyed legally Will
the poisoned Alcohol, the physical and mo
al destroyer, which biteth like a serpent al
stingethl like an adder was legally protected
We have aprohibitory law against gamblin
why have we not a %prohibitory law again
liquor-selling? [ believe there is a la
by which a man can be punished for selliI
q glass or a pint of poisoned rot gut viii
he can deal in hogsheads and punched
with impunity, aye, even by legal authorit,
This reminds me Of an old English law
gainst suicide, which provided that if the
fender did not succeed in killing himself,
was to be punished but if he succeede
the punishment was not to be inflicted Y
have laws by which a counterfeiter can
punished, and his spurious coin and dies
stroyed; why not destroy spurious deco
tons of poisonous liquors?
Letus have a prohibitory law against be
the vender and the poison that will rea
the manufacturer and the barrels. Let t
r possession of the poison, whether %rejoici
, in the dreadful names of Gin, Brandy, VIII
: key, Rum or treacherous Cider, be destroy
as the Genevians destroyed the poison
medicine. 1t is better to execute the barre
than allow a mar to drink of their contel
!, and then execute him, for a crime commit
, under the influence of Alcohol.
| If law has no power to correct a diseas
: appetite, law can remove the cause. Let
' patriotic North Carolinians rouse Intensely
/, Why should they be backward in the gr
4 moral reform? Let them be up and dol
: and shrink from no responsibility, till
s plague that destroys both soul and body
! banished forever from the good g old No
e State" JEAN BLANCHE
Falls of the Neuse, Jan. 9, 1854.