Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-04-04
G0 IN mmnnitations.
FOR TIE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.


2afd to sumptuary Laws.
A prominent objec....n to your Re3ort
is, that you have presumed upon the ono
rance and Wclousness of the people: and
this the people shall know right well, be-
fore end these letters to you. In sub
sequent letter | shall so explain to the
pRbhc-not to the temperance men, but 10
the pGbhc--that your Report is such a
direct reflection upon their Intelligence and
virtue, and the character and dignity of the
State, as win make you rue the day when
you mistook Sae Gnafacter Aud Sentiment ofs
the noble people of North Carolina. You
shall feel the power of an indignant and
vlrtuous community when they come to
know-as every man who reads these letters
shall know-that in your Report Won have
set them forth as degraded people-'im-
becile In body-insane of mind-with
cheerless homes, deselate heartts and beg
CARED children-rushing, in countless num-
bers, to untimely grayes-with public
opinion so disordered as to love their de-
gradation and violently resist any law hay.
ing for its object the good of society,"
Whatever you may lack of the qualities
OF statesmen and patriots, you are not alto
gether wanting in the skill of the advocate.
You seem to be aware that when the pur-
pose is to alarm, the object is best attained
in the dark. You seek to alarm the people
about sumptuary laws, and you seek to
accomplish your object by leaving them in
the dark. But it by no means follows
that because you are in the dark upon this
subject, that others are also. The ostrich,
the simplest of birds, hides his own ewes
and thinks the buntsman cannot see.-
Total mistake J Poor ostrich! The hunts
man is upon you |! and thy proud plume is
torn away, and thou art rumpless No
more shall 1T avail you, Gentlemen, to be
IN the dark as to what are sumptuary laws.
The people shall know and be upon YOU as
the huntsman on the ostrich You knew
that there was prejudice against sumptu-
ary laws, and you sought to transfer that
prejudice against the memorialists. Let
us see therefore whether the object of the
memorialists had any thing to do with
sumptuary laws. You have already stated
the object of the memorialists to be 8 the
passage of some Law to prevent the traffic
In spirits and the ruinous effects of intem-
perance upon society," If they had any
other object, you ought to have stated
1t. Let US now see what is meant by
sumPtuary laws. ( have already shexn
you what the dictionary says sumptuary
means: it relates to the costliness and
splendor of living. But as you allude to
the sumptuary laws of England, Scotland
and Ireland, it may be proper to under
stand what they meant by sumptuary laws.
refer you therefore to Blackstone, 4 VOL,
page 10. He says:
"Under the head of public economy NAV al,o
be properly ranked all sumptuary laws against lar
nTy and extravagant expenses in dress, diet and
the ike: concerning the general utility of which
10 state there Is much controversy among politi-
cal writers. And indeed o1r legia
latorE have several times changed their sentiments
on this point, For formerly there were a multi
tude of penal laws existing to restrain excess in
apparel; chiefly made in Edward III, Edward ~.
and Henry VIII, against piked shoes short aoub-
lets and long coats" And hc mentions another.
(which ordains that no man shall be served at
dinner or supper with than two courses, ex-
cept upon some great hOlydays, when he may be
served with three"
And now, gentlemen, / have pat the
object of the memorialists, as stated bv
yourselves side by side with the sumptuary
laws of England, referred to by yourselves.
And | ask you this question, or, to use
your language, | 'pointedty enquire" -
Did you intend to make the impression that
they are the same or at all alike? If YOU
did not, then why did you refer to them 2
If you did, what shall | say to you? I
am one of the citizens of North Carolina
whom the Report is calculated to deceive.
love the State. / am jealous of her
honors and high renown
"Ne'er yet did base dishonor blur her name"
Whatever has emanated from her CONN.,
sells has been reliable and able; and
Senates have honored her sons with un.
wonted praise. Let me remind you again
OF the Importance of the subject you had
IN hand. Let ne remind you of what the
public expected from you. Let me remind
you how ably the subject has every where
else been discussed. Let me remind YOU
that yours is legislative document. Let
me remind you that great publicity has
been given to it by the circulation of extra
copies in pamphlet. And then, let me re-
mind you of the Report itself If it had
been only pedk, it might be said in excuse,
well, it is on the weak side But that it
~ N'6cesuOtct
to deceive, unstatesmanlike y What shall
say? If l knew the word that would
Shame without offending you, would use it.
had occasion to correct servant for gam,
bling on the Sabbath. / told him nv OBJ
ject was to reform him and that if knew
how many stripes would do that, would
give him only SO many; and l left it to
him to say how many; and he said seuea,
and l gave him seven and l have not
known him to gamble since. And SO far
as the memorialists are concerned, would
let you escape with your own punishment.
But, gentlemen, it is out of my power to
excuse or protect you. For SO soon as the
public know that they are deceived-that
arguments have been furnished them which
only make them ridiculous, the swilling
multitudes will be upon you There is no
class SO sensitive as that to which your
Report caters. And when they find that
they are trifed with, they viii be upon you
like storm at sea swift as the wind,
quick as the lightning, loud as the thun-
der, mighty as the waves, and as resistless
as they. You may trife with the whirl-