Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-12-06
O. o 1T ntlannitationa
For THE SPIRIT OF THE. Acc.
LAGOON,

~ a " " " " -
Or Letters TO Member of the Legislature Of
North Carolina.
DEAR SIR :---It behooYes me now, ac-
cording to promise, to enquire into the con-
stitutionality of prohibitory law. Now
it is either contrary to the spirit and genius
Of our government, or it is not, to prohibit =
entirely the sale of intoxicating liquors as
a beverage. If it is contrary to our Con-
stitution, our forefathers ought to have
known it, for who knows so well the mean-
ing of letter as the man who writes 1T
That aur iathers who tablishsd the fEpme.
work OF our government thought 1t not
amiss to have prohibitory law, you may
easily learn fromf the following resolution
taken from the journals Of the first Cont
mental Congress:
Resolved, That it be recommended to
the several Legislatures of the United
States Immediately to pass laws the most
effectual for putting an Immediate stop to
the pernicious practice of distilling, by
which the most extensive evils are likely to
be derived, if not quick prevented"
This was passed in 1774. The Supreme
Court of the United States have subscribed
to the following opinion of Chief Justice
Tany: eff any State deems the retail and
internal traffic in ardent spirits injurious to
its citizens, see nothing in the Consti-
tuition to prevent it from regulating and
restraining the traffic, or from preventing
it altogether" No higher authority can
be asked for or submitted; yet there are
!, MANY who would be wise" that denounce
prohibition as unconstitutional. Such re-
mind me of pop-guns amid the roar of ar
tillerv. 1t is constitutional to legislate
:! so as to prohibit vice and crime, for the
end of all legislation is to lessen the
D amount of vice and increase the amount
of virtue among the masses. 1t has been
If maxim Of many centuries, that, The
e peoples happiness is the statesman's hon.
re or And yet, singularly enough, we ind
O. many at the present day longing after
O. political honor, who rather than risk theil
of popularity upon doubtful point, vii
I'D countenance and help forward the mos
damning vices with which this poor world
has ever been afflicted. There can scarcely
he be found man of common sense, disinter
nd ested in the liquor traffic, that will sa..
mr. otherwise than that if intoxicating liquor
am were obliterated from the world, the hnma
at family would be far happier than at present
- is .sa~ ~seaagal thai very tel
en-, shop, or are given to indbriety, or kno
ng that they may gain votes in the election
ice by using intoxicating liquors as fashion
on- able bribe. Now, sir, as one who woul
ng like to bequeath good name to posterit,
nto can you withhold your influence from tt
Ill prohibitory law. Such law as will strik
the the monster dead at blow, and not merel
ck shorten his horns or shackle his feet.
ur know sir that you would like to be though
er- a great and good man, and that good thing
ed, may be spoken Of you long after you sha
yer have 'shufHed off your mortal coll Fc
are this reason [ wish to remind you of IL
lin- fact that posterity often changes the phast
in of a mans character. The revolution tn;
or is now going on in the public sentimeI
- will sooner or later fasten a stigma upo
of every mothers SON who has advocate
be the rum traffic. Are you willing to cou
md the popular breeze of to-day by doing wha
of you know to be wrong, and thereby pu
die chase for yourself the contempt of aft,
uce years? | hope, sir. you are disposed
be- act more wisely. Then let us hear vol
ant voice in the legislative halls battling @
the side of temperance-going for prohib
hat tion out and out For this, and nothin
nee less than this will save our glorious RepuI
lily lie from falling to decay, for a people co
9th rupted by strong drink cannet long renal
If free people The minds of the peop
ub- must be first enslaved, then tyrants ma
ans cast their chains upon them. We shall Sc
AN Yours truly, CLINTON.
lora -~e~~.-