The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-02
- -. ON the ProhibitOry Liquor Law.

n CO.. ON the Prohibitory Liquor Law
49,. MAYOR A MAN OF rRErEscEsf"
- .ver dsivsrsd a sermon last evening
a1a,'" nd legal aspects Of the Prohib
s' ~ ,"' mu,a 'urse given before, but
80. .a" nc u of large number OF the
advocates Of the new law. PA vs...o
his text from Ecclssiastcs chap .or,,..,a,s,t nd
"Icounsel thee 70 keep tssekhg
that in regard Of the oath of God -, u~.n.n,
The speaker commenced by scyA 'g ~" :,
is made the spontaneous growth o -. - ~. ~.
In soc ETY., and is sanctioned and snsA -. go.
thoiity Of God, in ORDER, under such n a,
restraint to carry forward the designs of6 80. -,
Christ Jesus The powers that be- he con- -.
- .Po wv sa'AornS, no' n"neI ana - Bu,
ste Is the minister OF God, for good not for evn
II the laws are such that men cannot obey for O.
saks and for conscience towards God, then they mna
break them. The very authority and obligation thas
binds them to obey good laws, binds them to dsobsy
bad sws-that is, such laws would compel them to
ipiquity and for the Ieason because the powers
that be ordained Of God TO keep obedisnce
frcm nscence towards God and not from the force,
or wrath violence OF man. It follows OF ,esaity,
that when the powers that be usurp Gods prerosatve
and tuin sgsnst him that authority which they have
received 10 for him, they themselves be
strained snd corrected and their laws must be brought
into accordance with Gods law else swe, from the
statute book But now suppose Law under tho sane
tion Of the tivne law and framsd to carry out
the purposes Of that la applying the Dviney granted
authority OF government for terror to evh doers and
praise to those who do we'll, forbidding tue sale
OF opium and ardent spirits, except under dednite
and y crime-suppose tho Lsgislature, after
having BY the experience OF years. yea, OF generations
classes Of society bot especially from those mos, needing
to- be taugt ana protected guagsd the almost indni,e
misery and guilt produced by tne traffic those articles
yea, may sry infinite without any qualification since
Drunkenness the murder OF the SOUL and he who kills
bis neghbor by putting the bottle TO HIM, kills him be-
yond the tomb. suppose the Legislature, after the
widest induction tho faithful searching in
vestgaton and OF facts and principles -
have prepared and promulgated statute sasctuay 70
put down and abolth traffic In the articles OF sin and
death that law every Is bound 10 obsy; not from
reeaid 70 txpedence merely not because on ths whole
be judges discrested bat from regard TO the oath
ana authority OF God-the oath which he takes as
member OF the civil community, the obligation which
as subject Of entitled it, protection
by the Divine Law II any traffic be found lon the
whole, mainly productive Of crime and misery, and
accomplishing good, no necessary purpose, n
statute forbidcipg such traffic IL constitutional and
cannot be otnerwse and In order TO secare obedience
IL be necessary to pronounce such traffic nuissnce
and crime, then such pronouncement IN con
s,ifutonaI II does not make tn at crime which was
not crime before hut merely defines II according to
the principles OF law for tue sake Of lay
ing held upon IL with the technical well equitable
clutches OF the law II traffic itself ~ wrong, whose
main essence consists in mnisterins to and provoking
mans vicious passions, whose grand demonstrated
and ackno wlec ged operation is TO make criminals OF
and especially riotns on the ruin and asstruct1on oi
~. Ply. -. 70 nionsyed and sensual prosperity OF
the rich, then u - right and constitutional In
forbid that trshe nay by the very obligation OF gov
s S Of sGa ID. very % . .s
thority received God-it Is bouni to pass such
prohibitory law IL Is bound 70 declare as NUISANCE
and crime, and to prosecute a. such what IL such In
reality. Now, to our view, there hardly eser was .
clesrfr in which conscience law, gosernm.nt and
cops duton s on one side, ana in which the text
decides our duty. great benevols snt m ovement has
been naugursted, ana mighty experiment Il in pro
rtople in the work OF supprsssng intempersnce are
able so govern themselvss; whether God has wrought
in them and smt ng th'm such amount Of vtucaton
and right principle that their constitution aud their
| goverrment can stand on conscience whether con
science enlightened by the word Of God Is legitimate
and be o sacce ssfu guide in lsgsl,ton and
element in law. II tisa grand and sublime experiment
OF freedom whether the people can be trusted with the
ting and outla wing among themselves a trafhc that
erouneed appetite and svnrice, has assumed the
tion and cl.s the privileges and the sscre OF
vested right not to be disturbed vested rght MAX
ing money at the cost Of crime and misery the
mun,-a vested right which is to be protected BY ls~
and against which law II constitutionsl-a vested
right OF traffic IN the materials OF immortality add
| wretchedness, especially among the poor, tho de.
Guilty those classes that, but for this traf
| flo might have been raised might have raised them
seves to comfort and respectabny but Il this trahc
continues, IL there Is remedy against It, must re-
main In poverty and woe There vho ridi uis
the frat sentence In Declaration OF ndspenisncs
as falsebood-that all born with equal rights
TO life liberty and the pursuit Of happnsss--who,
vertheess maintained in effect that the right TO sell
rum : natural right Of hum.niy With Witch We are
any serious restraint OF IT. forbidding IT. unconst
tutionalsnd illegal The true fanatics are those who
such position and assert the erisence OF q
runselng copsciepce as under impregDaeie protection
Of the constitution The statute in question is not
hAtty law but IL In the frut OF slowly gathering AMI
! eeepenipg conviction-the work Of honest opinion
forced In TO the mno by demonstrations Of misery and
crime ins,ssns from year 70 year Can y DO cues.
Mayor man OF pretencssa man who will strain At
sbst and swallow a camel For all the abuses he has
plsuded in the conflict but mosquitoes gsiinp.
pers at the worst In parison with the gigantic and
tremendous evils against which tins Law Is aimed Ar,
our Judges and police body Of men who shalt psl
nell upon q poor, innocent vendsr OF harmless cOntro
yersiai pamPt's on the week day and shut him up IN
Robert Hall Justly called "distied death aud hqud
| dsmnation," even ths sabbath, ami suasr nos,
streets and past the church DOORS hawking immoral
newspapers flied with dshanee Of this very lawl Tne
moral submty o. tbs ptosrs.a o. th, Ia. and the eoa
g,eat, that Is almost az we we're permitted 70 BE-
watchers while Goi was going 20 create word II u.
Indeed stupendous experiment, experiment. of such
vast surpassiny interest that would think every
good man must loo upon With intense anxiety tina,
II may sueossd ono thing Is certain, the impulse Of
God, the eA Aas the sspctop Of bis word and lhers
deep dst1anation IN the heart OF ths people Ia
carry IT tsrsHh and ever thers vas an occasion on
is the oS. LIT the friends and supporters Of Ii. law
be encouraged fer there prayers going up 10 God
from quarters where he haa pledged bis wros sttrbues
Tor sptwerr. there ars tbs tars and riisrfies and
vtorgs heart brgsea widows aai orphsns before him
He opensth his 10 the cry Of the oppressed and
tear with God II greater srgumsnt than the most
subtle, constitutional dsmonstrstion bought with
thousand eoar fee. Let good men psfscysre, and ts
lawyers in such case msy hle precedsnfs and Sable
ties and constitutional anti n tiops 10 the heavens,
bat they viii be OF 20 avail 70 stay ,hs Onward
progress Of righteous law than band Of cobyebs 70
| stop the Falls Of NsgsrA.
At the conclusion OF the mon, collection wrs
taken up for the Temperance Association after which
| the audience di,persed.
| Coroners' Inquesfs.
4 TIE HUDSON RIVER RAILROAD ACCIDENT.