Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-30
PLAYING THE DICKENS WITH IROHlBI-


PLAYING THE DICKENS WITH lROHlBT-
TION.
Charles Dickens il one of the most ctlr vc writers
OF the day against extravaganza in thou.nt and ac-
ton. His writings I'VE quote from III Pitisburg
Union) are characterized by correct v,ns Of com
mon place life aud incidents familiar to rdinary oh
servaton. The old naxims tha, cons,'.;cI the wis
dom of the anciens, he illustrates and forces in his
most charming sketches. He does noundcrtalc To
developc new plans for the advancement of human
happiness, he invents M Ut"pau scrIncs for the
better government Of race, but lie virtues, and
habits and principles that have, in ull asrs, been
found pro,nolvc Of morality and go" order, he in
culcatcS with mure than oriimar! power. The
mountebanks who are ever pretendin TO discoveries
of some grand panacea for all human ills the croak
who will bc satisfied with notl.as il i4 and the
anatical retnrIners who would ig nc the les
taught by the whole history of the ,ast, and shape
the course Of mankind by arbitrary ales Mt variance
with all former experience he de- .hts in making
themes for pleasantly and irony. Iany hulnbug
that for period ruled the public lind he hns aided
in exploiting by iudcinus ming ng Of argument
and ridicule. An cnnrntly coiIse valve vein runs
through most Of his wri,ings and projects that will
not bear the test Of plain common nss are by turns
subjected to his scathlns sarcasm md happy merri-
ment. Pretended returincrs, whct,or knavcs FOOLS
he has peculiar felicity in descr pins. Prominent
among the vugaries Of tho day, Dickens places the
system of harsh prohibitory lcg alton, the fuvore
remedy of some people in Englan and in this coun-
try, for whatever appears oifense on the surface o
sociuty. Enthusiasts are apt To become nonomanincs
which consideration seems neve' to enter Into the
minds of some good minded p,plc, who looking
steadfn,tly for while at e forget that there
are many Others. aud make The suppression of
what they think wrong paramount To the plain
cat principles OF right AMI l,erty. This is the
mistake OF the advocates q those prohibtory
laws tha, are being ex,ermcnted upon in
several States of this Cnion to ne manifest injury Of
many citizens. We do not wish here TO be under
stood as believing that the rcibitioni.ts aro all of
them governed by honest pur,usc and sincere COLI
viction Far from it. A large proportion of them,
we are satisfied, the veres, kuaves who join, IN
what seems popular outer, in order TO promote
their own political or persona aims. But we REFER
more particularly, to those whose motives g"od
They regard the public Dickens says, ~ great big
what monstrous deeds some men have done, because
not chained and watched i'll thcir every novemcnt-
And to give excuse for restraining such offenders,
the whole community must submit to he shackled rs
felons.
In late article in Household Words, Dickens thus
draws the picture:
"Alamantine.hcartc,l Baby dissolves into sraldnG
tears at sight of the next Witness hanging his head
and beating his breast lie was one of the grra'est
drunkards in tho world, hr t.i, vuu When he was
drunk, he was very demon--and he never was so
ber He never takes any strong drink now and IL nm
use without abuse; and bccau.e he initiated the hye
mn or other obscene animal, in not knowing, IN Inc
f.rocy uf hls appetite" what Moderation was; there
FORE Big. healed Baby, yun perceive that he mus
become standard for you: and for hs backsi'dng'
YOU shall be put i'll tho corner evermore.
"Ghost of John Bunyan, it is surely thou who ush
rras into the Committee Room, the volunteer fest
fer, MIR. Monomaniacal Palrihrch Baby, finger II
each eve and ashes from the nearest dustbn on your
sSre,chei head, for il s all over with you now MIR
Monomau,acal Patriach, have you pnid great a'sTh
t;on to drunkenness! Immense attention. unspeakho''
ottantiun For how many years! Seventy years
Dn von think the People ever really want any bee
~ rounr 70 drink Certainly hot. know all a6ou
il and know they don't. Do you think they eve eve
ought to have any beer or liquor to drinkf Iet
tainlv NOT, | know all about it, aud know the!
ourhn',. DO YOU think they could suffer any neon
venience from having their beer and liquor ehtIei
denied them! Certainly not. know ail about II
and know they could not.
"rhus, the Great Baby is dealt with IRON Inc peg''
ming to the end of the chapter. IL IS s"pioseu y. !"
incapable OF putting This and That togeiher' anu
detecting the arbitrary nonsense o these 'hoS'to"
deductions. That u whole people-a h"ihes'''' Io o."
sonable, considerae penple--that whole peopl
should be judged by, and made TO answer ana suhe