Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-03-21
O. 0 NJ nj nmttat1g11s
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Letter No. 8.

Is a further reason why the Legislature
las not power to legislate as desired, you
ay;
" Society only required that he tHanl should
urrender what was injurious to her Aiterest and
sas ut war with his own happiness and peace"
There is more .proprietI in "a psppo-
ition than any thing else you have said,
md propose to assent to it. feel as if
had hold of something; and really feel
! little vexed that you did not stop at it,
instead of spelling it with the trash that
follows. We could try the whole case by
his proposition, if you had let it alone
You say (and | assent) that every right a
man had, that would be injurious to socie
ty, he surrendered. Well, is the traffic in
spirits and is intemperance injurious to
society? If they are not, why did you say
they are? Shall I repeat your End para
graph If they are injurious to society,
then, according to your own showing, he
has surrendered the right without strug-
gle,' and you may restrain him by law
Again Is the traffic in spirits and is in-
temperance at war with his own happi-
ness and peaceF IF they are not, why
did you say they are? IF they are, then,
according to your own showing, he has
surrendered them without struggle
and you may restrain him by law. Now
all this is SO plain and proper, that 1 dis
like to have to notice what follows. You
say: 'The right to eat and drink was
never surrendered Say that over again:
The right to eat and drink was never
surrendered Philosophy, defend US !
Well, did the memorialists say the contra
ry? | presume not. l might have sup
posed that you did not intend this as
general proposition, but only for the con-
sideration Of the Raleigh landlords, ifit had
not been for the reasons you give-which
reasons had almost thrown me into another
fit Of laughter. You say The right to
eat and drink was never surrendered, be-
cause to surrender them would strip him of
his free agency Why, gentlemen, it
would do no such thing. It would strip
him of his life !! /! And change him into
mere automatic machine do you say g.
No, gentlemen, it would change him into
no such big word as that. Itwould change
himiinte alsmp of clay Controlled BY
/ the viii of The law-mazing pnrer,, as- yJo;.
say? No, gentlemen, it would put him
past all control. You do not do your side
of the question justice, gentlemen. You
ought to speak out and be earnest-you
ght to have thrown your whole power
into one word-such as that 1t would
mash him into fts' You conclude this
paragraph with the following:
"Your committee believe that the passage OF
such law would satisfy the memorialists, would
operate most injuriously to the peace and welfare
of the people"
What Do you think it would produce
worse results than intemperance and the
traffic produce Verse than Insanity /?
3 worse than 'beggary?' worse than desc
t lation?' worse than the 'untimely death
D of countless millions 2 worse than ruiz
: to society? Why, gentlemen, you believ'
no such things. Your report states th'
0 evils carefully considered which 20,
find would result from the law. Your 10tl
paragraph contains them. And what ar
+, they +? 'Jealousies and heart-burnings.
i These are all. And are these COMPARABLE
to the evils in your End paragraph? Blu
It how would it produce jealOusy2 I cal
o conceive of but one way: A man-a'hus
e band and father-has INDUCED to the full
y extent of his craving appetite '-injure,
It his mind, affected his wife, 'beggare
d his children, 'desolated his hearth AN
the law takes from him the right, which b
e had surrendered to society, to commit thes
If evils, and he regains his mind, cherishe
his wife, provides for his children an
cheers his hearth-feels like man, look
= like man, acts like @an and do 20
d think that if all the good women in th
E. neighborhood should love him little fe
'e the change, that the happy wife would b
jealous? But how would it produce hear
!, burn? Are you physicians, gentlemen
t. But what if it should produce heartburn
e, A tea-spoonfull of soda, or it may be
little vermifuge, would cure it. Why, gel
~ tlemen, if it produced the cramp collie,
ou would be nothing like the evils enumerats
in your second paragraph.
be With your 9th paragraph you. close yo
constitutional argument !! !! Founded, n
On upon the constitution of North Carolin
be or of any other State or government, b
er upon your oDn constitutions, greatly shi
NJ tered by your last winters privations.
Either the subject was too great for 20,
he or else your meals were too small. Y
th were evidently overworked and badly fc
he And no one ought to be surprised at t
his big-headed,' 'ittle-legged,' ricksty c
om spring.
on I believe I have presented for you eve
one of your positions, reasons, illustrate
and arguments. think you have fail
af- to show that the Legislature had not
lip power, and you haze shown that the L
islature had the power claimed by the n
in morialists. Therefore, but little rema
ing for me to do in regard to this question
rem do not doubt but that the Legislature mi,
vn- frame an act which would be unconsti
,ll- tional, but there would be as little dific
lth- ty in framing one that would be consti
'ers tional That the Legislature possesses
power to regulate the traffic, has never b
the questioned, and the power has always b
# a exercised. Ycu cannot sell it to sla,
my You cannot sell without a license. J
Don cannot sell at all at certain times and
will certain Localities. If you cannot sell "
out the State gives you icence, may