Smyrna times., 1855-04-04
"A Misapprehension..

dIton of affairs ln Delaware 1here IL no :,
doubt a msa pprehension existing on the
part Of some. upon this question. Prohibition
- mot susamed-we merely have the statute
Wh.n the people lose their interest in a law,
it sfmost-iuvariahiy .becomesasa-de letter e
Then, it being evident that the subject ef,Vend-
ing liquor is destined, fer, some time, to be a 7
vexed one, the friends of temperance should
not be So recreant 10 their duty, as to fail to
eyince a due interest for the maintenance OF ,
thesprinciples they advocate There is u vast
difference between the politician and the tenn
perance man in this respect--the former
steadfastiy sticks to his own," while the latter
often loses his adhesive qualities, though
his office were performed, when success IS pic
tured upon the wall. But, to the article:
"a gentleman, writing to our Publishing |
Agent requests that the Prohbtionist to his |
address be dscontinued--' the paper having |
answered the object intended that is the !
procurement of prohibitory law Now there
il a serious misapprehension here, which 1t
may be worth cur while to correct. The OBJ
lect at which temperance paper aims is some
thing more than the o6taInment of law pro-
hibitve of the liquor traffic 1t is the suppress
sion Of iniemperance, and the removal of the
vice aud misery incident thereto. We have
not vet obtained even the desired law-and if
we all followed the example of the correspon-
dent above alluded to, and rested from our labors
ia the assurance that our work was done, we
never should obtain it. But thsre are some of
US who have concluded to toll on, and we ex-
pect in due time that the prohibitcry principle
will be embodied in the legislation of the State.
VIII our work be accomplished then! By no
means The trial hour of our faith will then
have come, and the law will be blessing or a
curse to our State, according to the spirit in
which it is received by the friends of temper
ance. If they regard it as the consummatlOn
of their labor and told their arms i'll the con
viction that they have nothing more to do, il
will be like blight and mildew to our enter
prize. But if, on the other hand, they accept i
thankfully, as an instrument of ultimate good
placed by kind Providence in their hands
for the right use Of which God will hold then
accountable, it will be blessing, great beyon
all estimate, and fraught with good to our peo
pie and to the world surprising all human ca
culation.
"Never before, in our opinion, have we :
greatly needed, as now, the general diffusion {
Intelligence upon the subject of Prohibition
law. ,DidPr enlightenment Of the publ
mind is. requisite 10 The enforcement, than oOC
demanded for the atiGinmrAt Of such laIO.-
Where one copy of temperance paper W;
taken in this State, last year, ten should
taken this Every neighborhood, every fami
should be supplied with it. Then the peop
would be prepared to sustain the law and tin
wdl demonstrate that it needs more intetligen
ard more moral courage to sustain the Ia
against yolators of it, than it did to petition
its enactment, or vote for men who were fav'
ablezto the prohibitory principle. -,
1t is no time now for temperance meh to J
aside the harness, and betake themselves to
glorious repose. We are only in the edge
the battle. Eternal vigilance is the prlc
that will be exacted of us If we coyet tull d
glorious victory. 1t may be ours-but 1t Is
be won through continued and augmented &
But when it comes, it will bring a train OF blt
ings with it, that Will more than compensate
for all our labor and all, our self-denial.
-.They have good prohibitorg law in Conn
ticut. The maledictions of the liquor sci
and The blessings of the drunkard's wife
child, upon the law, demonstrate that itw'
wea--admirably, and is accomplishing nnm'
good. 1t wo: Ks with Tess friction than 1t
IN any other State. But do the temper
men of Connecticut therefore conclude
their work is done Nothing could be far
from their thoughts than such supposit0
Alate number Of " The Examiner publ
in Norwich, CT, referring to the adnHi
working of the law, says: .......s 80!
-.aa.Its success has surpassed the most
p,gine expectations Of'lts frIeuds. Bot this
not ALWAYS b. So. The broom viii not al
be- new, and 1t may not always sweep so
as at presept. OF this the friends OF tel
ance are wall aware. nd they are consequ
eoptinuiuo tr.' vtr0-. ali their organIZa
and keeping IN fuii activity all the means
have hitherto employed Tor moving the
mind Now JHst
appears the necessity of uaceasing eff
the part of the friends OF temperance.
have a Maine Law on the statute hook.
must have a Maine Law 10 the hearts
oeople also These must be united. ~
Is Of any value without the other = -
aThat's it, exactly. Instead Of relaxing
efforts as soon as the law is on the statute
.(some of our people cannot wait tor eve
our Connecticut friends continue I'm iui
all their organizations" aud " keep mi I
tivlty all the means they have hitherto
ed,.in order that they have "a Maine
the hearts of the peopie." And the
have it, too, by the use of such means:
may weif we will only shO" ourselves
,of 50 great blessing, laoy.esH sag
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