Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-03-21
MRRGH 81.
ommnnit tho MS.
FOR THE SPIRIT OF the AGE.
Letter No. A.

paragraph, which is as follows:
But suppose tho Legislature had the right and
thought proper to exercise it; what good would 1t
doi Is public opinion prepared for iti Your
committee think not"
Well. If that be so, why did you not write
such n Report as would prepare public opin-
ion for iti You could have done it, gentle
men. My favored eleven could have wrought
a wonder. If all the genius which that Re.
port displays, in pandering to the vice Of
intempernce, had been used to sustain the
virtue Oftempcrance, whenever hereafter the
question should be asked: : Is public opinion
prepared for it 2-iustead Of the answer
your committee think not there would be
one loud, universal response: Yes ready,
prepared, waiting, anxious, determined
and ruin would have sneaked to her hiding
place.
But. gentlemen, if public opinion is not
now prepared-in the proportion Of fifteen
20 one, ~ you say-how long will it take ?
Get your slate and pencil and cypher it out.
You are good at figures, l soe-you can tell
the difference between one and fifteen, at the
p0Hs-how long will take to prepare public
opinion in its favor, with such reports, from
such men, occupying such positions as yours
against It'll
Bot again, | ask, how did you get your
information that public opinion is not pre-
pared for it2 You say that one in fifteen
pe,itioned for it. But did you suppose that
they werc all who we're In favor Of it? That
no more petitioned, may be attributed to
many causes. You and those who think
with you, may have been successful in per-
suaiiug many that the Legislature had no
power others may have been scared by
'sorneihin they we're made to believe was be-
hind IL Others were prevented because by
it they had their living; : others because they
had no opportunity others by Indifference,
AMI others 10y their craving appetltes.'
But how do you try public sentiment?-
Not by counting those who do not vote but
those who do. Why, | doubt whether, by
your rule, either one Of you was elected to a
seat in the Legislature. You counted all the
votes pollcd. Well. how much did you beat
your opponent? 100 votes ? Well, If there
were l0l in the county who did not vote and
you'count all nf them against you, you were
not elected. Public sentiment was against
You. As in voting, 80 in petltloning. In
order to ascertain public sentiment, yon must
count the petitions on either side, and then
consider all who do not petition as indlffer-
ent. How then stands the case 8OOO
on one side! Not one on the other X Such
a state Of things was never known before in
the State. And, gentlemen, if you will allow
me to put what / think, against what you
think, | affirm, that, ia my Judgment, an
overwhelming majority ofthe people OF North
Carolina are in favor Of the object of the
memorialists. do not mean to say that
there are n majority identified with them +;
but if the naked question could be presented
and understood, and all unjust suspicious,
doubts and fears removed, there would not
be eleuen in n thousand to oppose it, And
if the law had passed at the last Legislature
there would have been q prompt and cheerful
compliance with it-much more than with
the Revenue bill of that session. For l APP
peal to every one, il the most popular feature
LIN that bill is not the marked and heavy tax
on the traffic in spirits. And IT the tax had
been four times what 1t is, IL would have
been oil the more popular.
Il ia n great popular error, gentlemen, to
suppose that public sentiment is in favor Of
ardent spirits. ] know that craving appe
tite' besots many but then, when sober
they think right about it; and their mos
earnest wish is that it was beyond their
reach. have seen the man who was {
slave 10 his appetite, so that his best resolu
lions could not take him away from his bot
tie. curse il and drink it-curse it and drinl
Tween for IL and weep over it. Ills thought
were right, but it was in his way. He strug
qled.' but it was not to keep from surrender
ina the right; but he struggles to surrende
IL. Such cases are common. Have you nc
seen them, gentlemen
I state the case stronger. l believe tha
not ONLY a majority of the people, but a ma
iority Of the Incorporate portion OF the peopl
Iare opposed to the traffic in spirits. Go OF
among the people take the census-go
their homes-let no demagogue be near
sneak nothing of the Sons Of Temperance
arouse no party or sectarian animosities-
excite no fears abnut gag laws-mingle ire
ly in the social circle-let the wife be pre-
Ont and tho children clustered-then pl
this single question How would you Ill
il if there were not n drop of ardent spin
in the land2' Say not another word-ar
nv word for the answer-in ninety nil
cases in a hundred the answer would be
substance: / could be glad oft! And Il
wire's eyes would brighten and the pear
tear would g%listen, and the children's til
hands would clap in gladness.
l concede that the scene could be chang
in an instant: let the preacher Q be the
and say 1t is the gift Of God and is go,
in its place Christians () should have not
ing to do with secret societies they car
from the devil and will go to the devil A.
let the political demagogue be present al
EnN GNEI1 iHAh Ilo BhN w N'N -
drink what he yleases and if we give
this right the next thing will be that a m
shall not sleep with his wife and the childr
shall not play marbles, ha, ha, ha ! A
then the bottle IL set out and the man of t
house says: Take something
Preacher-I believe l will take a lit
though I'm not in the habit of it; but ] Fl
n little out o'sorts.' blast the hypocrit'
POiiticidn-Well. | don't care if do, as
is you. ~neighbor. But you must take sol
too. Come, fill your glass-Here's to gou a
yours -
reighbor-Kou the ~like-hoping you'U
elected.
And then as to repeating:
Preacher-I believe | will try a little me
as I am about to leave. why does he AZ
ogize 80 much If he is not ashamed?) .
Politician-Well, l can't refuse you,
good friend. But, as | live, we are v
selfish We have not offered the good i
any Of our cheer. Mrs. -, allow me
Lddy-No, l thank you, sir. ION
saddened that voice y
P0Itician-Well, now, good bye,
must he sure to he at the election-good b
And now the friends are gone. The ms
appetite is up. There is a little left. l
not worth while TO putt away. "A strou
than he has entered the house and spoiled
Might comes. and OH what violence.
d1y follows, aad the wife never speaks Of
the children are used to 1.-THE preacher
not heard Of it, but he t6H hear of it.
dcmacogue was elected, aud did not care
it; hut he pW care for it.
- sana Enllnww1 f.