The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-09-29

placed him at the head of influential journal What
has thus demo rallied this man What filed his mind
With vindictve and malignant passonsV What drives him
- the Of blasphemy almost TO justify the sheoung
Of his brothers. oioodY The law has turned ad m'h h
away from the principles and precep OF the ne
processes, to considerations Of and violence me
satute giving him power over ms ie 81 man. urs
hg IN all mems hearts and tne evii pitt spilhs
no fun force and stature. ms unhappy case
deadly blow thus struck at the cause OF temperance
~ making its advocates rePussey 9dioas, Anotaef
venee and his Kind but mistaken philanthropy, takes
similar views declares that inebrating liquors
Ike yners which be destroyed wherever found and
MAJ the constitution has nothing to do with the matter
The power which this law gives does more Than into-
este One cries for blood and another foul
pents cong folds upon the sacramental
altar nusing their venom into the sacred elements and
kissing amidst the soemntes of the last supper This
IL the very delrium of ianacism, which has
ever been fatal to temperance, religion and liberty.
Let the advocates Of temperance see what spirit this
enactment has evoked. Is this the day of triumph for
their caGse? Persuasion requires virtue. ability and sin
eerity.
Coerciye laws are enforced by the violent vindic
tive and base. Hence these taking the lead
They even show malignant hostility TO those who have
hk0red long, and sacrificed much for the objects they
claim have in view; and when Mr. Delevan, after un-
firing efforts and most earnest solicitations to induce
objections urged objections since admitted valid
by the action OF its advocates and by judicial tribunals
tins simple act OF courtesy and truth was denounced as
treason by Of equivocal habits and unequivocal cha
matters. Those who engage in phianthropic efforts
apt feel that they the in fec of the virtues
they particularly affect and that they have right TO
wgmatise all enemies to their who do not ioi-
lsw their peculiar rules OF action in all that relates TO
their adopted virtue
The reasoning urged by the advocates Of this statute is
"ntemperance is evil 1t is the duty of gov
ernraen to suppress evils therefore coercive law is
hight" The evil il conceded, and those who feel its
aaguiude cannot and viii not consent TO any measures
which increase it, But must not stop with depicting
these evils in glowing and exciting terms The great
question is this Is coercion rightful and
roedy? This question il usually overeaped in order to
reach the denunc:aory exercises The remedy s either
q ne which In q
event its advocates are hasy in yilfyng those who
dsubt its efficacy. The arguments upon which it is
founded have caused most of the political social and
Egious evils which Cypress mankind Those who hold or
nsurp power, are wont to say that what they deem
freely, evils and that IL is the duty of state
evils and therefore, they may punish freedom of
thinking well freedom Of drinking. In all these
eases the real question is overlooked What the right
semediesi
The bad effects this upon its advocates have been
Seen Another objection il, that it creates spirit of
ISSUANCE which increases the evil it claims TO out
is fact shown by the experience Of different nations
AZ dihele periods in the worlds history The of
particular narcotics amongst most nations has been
confirmed by efforts to suppress their consumption by
trce. The dreaded Amurath punished smoking by death,
and the Turk has done little else than smoke since.
The use Of opium is prescribed in China, and has thus
document shows that Chinese legislation the subject
has caused the most startling mischef King James's
OF Virginia, and the Maine law has domestcated the
81 intoxicating liquor throughout New England and has
made It pocket institution The constant changes 10
ne Of the effort. New provisions and restraints
are added year after year, and 4 is confidently
Aho dreamer of perpetual motion nces another screw
Or another puy win perfect his mechanism The object
viii not thus be gained, and in little time the
ated tide Of objections, and evils will sweep away the
barriers Of prohibition and the public will again turn
their attention to rightful remedies
The vital principle Christian religion is persua-
sion in opposition TO restraints 1t makes temperance
sud all other virtues something positive 1t aims to make
men unwilling, not unable to DO wrong. 1t elucates
alike the feelings and the Understandings the heart and
the head All experience shows that mere restraints
rom vice do not REFORM Our PRISONS the examples
Of the perfect system of restraint Their inmates for
ong series OF years. are entirely prevented from indug
Of perfect regularity industry and propreiy because
,hsy are compelled to DO So few are reformed BY
fhe fact that they have been subjected to it, is by
courts and communities regarded evidence Of depavy
The very condition OF restraint is found to be post
Awe obstacle in the way Of the influences Of religious
education when brought to bear the inmates Of
prisons. Are the advocates Of the temperance law will
strive . place othersS vim they give up their conyc
virtue and merely they
cannot drink They viii shrink from the application Of
s S Sa virtues hy Try ay
der such systems The law has and does lead away from
right remedy to wrong know that il is difficult to
the line where persuasion should end and coercion
begin This has ever been the problem which has
barrassed legislators but this DO know that the pro-
vress Of civilization morality and virtue has been mark
ed by the extension Of education and religion and the
contraction Of coerciye laws
We object, then, this law, because it demoralize
temperance men, making them vindictive and violent
because il arouses spirit of resistance increasing the
evils Of intemperance because it step backwards IN
civilization, substituting restraints for education. AL
admit that is better be temperate from choice from
thought and resolution than from coercion Who doubts
that persuasion viii win than force
But 1t is said in triumphant tone If the law win in
crease ntemperance why do the sellers of intoxicating
opinion with regard to The propety OF their drink
1h very law comedies their necessity for mechanical,
MEDICAL and sacred useshut while it recognises the le
eaity And necessity Of their manufacture and sale 7
strives 20 make both odiou dangerous and degrading
and this is naturally resisted by whose objects
higher than mere gam. ana VINO DO not wish = zee
pursuit OF conceded necessity forced into the
hands Of those Indifferent 70 their right to public sen
1ment
do not assa the motives Of its advocates hut good
motives do not prevent the evil results Of false principles
A good motive ito save mems souls) origin ted the
slsve trade. The good motive Hnded the fires of
the lnquison Good motives and wrong principles have
hin at the root Of almost every evil which has oppressed
and afflicted mankind.
gratifying that the great body Of the clergy reject
his union with the state They continue 70 put their
faith in the Christian and not in the legislative III pensa
zion Their less sagacous brethren will find where
their infdel alliances will lead them.
We have another phase OF this principle Of
Not few Of those who wish 10 have an inquiston ia
each neghborhood apprehensve the Pope d Rome,
our thousand miles away will destroy our liberties.
They hold that the emgrants OF the last century
saints and patriots ihose OF the present criminals
and paupers. They thank God for guiding the first pill
sn the dangers Of the great deep, and protecting
Them IN their want and poverty and they condemn GO
vernment because allows the pilgrims Of this century
land upon shores and demand they should be sent
hack because they in poverty and The sub
OF their creed that relief of the suffering aud
wants OF others H. unjust diminuon of the blessings
enjoy. The propose to alleged bgory by fierce
Sntoerence. They insult the memories of their fathers
ly revng all Of foreign birth They claim TO hate per-
secution In foreign lands while they vndctively pursue
minority Of strangers scattered throughout
They hold that their own rights of conscience and regi
freedom should be preserved but that the smoke
certain burning churches would roll up acceptable
sacrifice to heaven.
WIS. this emigration that is Tins denonnced9 II
the victory of country and its institutions. IL is
mighty achievement in contest for superiority with
The Old World lisa triumph ofpeaee. II is glorious
contrast with the devastations Of 1t annually
brings three hundred thousand pilgrims, and
plants them into happy homes, making them prosperous
and nation great while, elsewhere sacrifices
equal number upon the battlefield and by loathsome dis
Il Is the manifestation of the superior power Of
commerce over mere martial strength. While great
lions Exhaust their energies, eInbarrass their finances