Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-02-06
Are they not Emporiums Of the Sab
bath Dissertation

bath Dissertation?
Brother, for whom Christ died, we would
have you to look at this broad fact, that this
traffic is built on the ruins of Gods Sabbath
1t ignores tit proclams broadly, let there
be no Lords day. Between it and Christ's
Sabbath there is a war waged in which there
is and can be no quarter, and one or other
must be extirminated. Do you know that
there are So 900 breweries and distilleries in
the United Kingdom? And will you believe
| it, that in every one of them, Gods sacred
day of rest is, and we believe must be, hab-
t!ually outraged. Think of it-in Great
Britain and Ireland, the land Of Bibles and
sermons and boasted light-an army Of at
least loo, 900 are men, kept and fed to break
the fourth commandment, that men may
drink. What do you think of this ? On
the 9th day Of March $50, Gods Sabbath
there were in the city Edinburgh, 312 public
houses open, and between the hours of one
and two, and four and eleven in the after
noon, l,79o visits were paid TO them
41,202 by men, .931 by women. and
1868 by children ! What say you TO this ?
man walks into Oldgage-street, Manches-
ter, on Sabbath evening heis the correspon-
dent Of the Morning Chronicle ; he tells US
he is no very great Sabbatarian. What
does he see? Something that, non-Sabba
tartan and all as he is, makes him pause
Loud sounds of jollity and music foated out
from thepublic houses; the street was swar-
ming with mill girls and boys shouting and
hallooing with each other the public houses
and gin-shops were roaring full; rows, and
lighting and scu flies were every moment ia
king place, within doors and in the streets !;
the whole street rung with shouting and
swearing, mingled with the jarring music of
halt-a-dozen bands. In no city have wit
messed scene of more open, brutal and gen
eral intemperance. That is the wav public
house and strong drink keep the Lold's day.
But, be strong brother, God is mighty, and
the land shall yet enjoy her Sabbaths.
ARE THEY NOT ASSESSORS OF TAXATION
Look at this-a man quiet and arniabe
steps into public house-he is drunk-is
possessed of the devl-comes out-enraoes
in a row-draws knife-stabs neighbor
to the heart-there is foul murder-the
coroner comes-a jury is empannelled-
doctor is feed-verdict of wlful murder re.
turned-warrant issued-police out-man
apprehended lodged in the county Jail
kept there for weeks and months s-solcitors
are mployed-counsel paid-wtnesses tc
be searched out and brought up-the tria
goes on-he is found guilty condemned
executed at an immense cost. You say
Try penny or ItA-costs e,,rv,..ss, r
police, witnesses, solicitors, counsel, prison
fare, up to the very rope that hung him
must come out of your pockets, the citizens
and cess-payers on whose virgin soil, stronG
drink spilled that human blood. Men ant
brethren, will you not believe what Judge
and juries, chaplains of workhouses and Jail:
are perpetually crying out to you? Wi
you not believe what your own eyes see, an
your own ears hear, that from four-ffths t
nine-tenths of all the pauperism and Grim
of our land springs from this awful trasic
And, because we will allow it to exist-b(
cause we will license it to devastate our Ian
we must build prisons for criminals, worl
houses for the paupers, asylums for its man
acs, and provide extra strings Of officer
clerks and police, at an expense that is tr
ly frightful. Penelope unwose at nigl
what she wove during the day. That WI
wild work. The man was mad, you sa
who, TO get the pleasure Of mending his sku
, first broke it. But, there is madder ar
wilder work still. 1t is nation, for the sa
: of revenue, licensing traffic that floods Il
, country with murderers. madmen, thiev'
; beggars, and bastards, to protect ourselv
! against whom, enormous taxes must then
assessed 1t would be wiser to license t
plague, and to draw revenue from amate
r volcanoes and earthquakes.