Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-02-07
NASHVILLE TENN. THURsDAY. FEBRUARY I. 1856 4

become less regarded and less vigorously en-
forced. Indeed, this circumstance will excite
little surprise, when it is known that the magis-
trates themselves infringed upon the very laws
they we're appointed to execute.
The dissipation into which the people of these
mighty nations were encouraged, engendered
feelings of a selfish nature The love of luxury
soon absorbed those ennobling virtues for which
these nations had been previously distinguished,
and freedom and patriotism were sacrificed at the
shrine of personal qualification. Hence, it is
well said that legislation to encourage intempe-
rance, declines the genius and spirit Of nation
indisposes them to noble designs and generous
actions-and either softens them to an efeminate
Incidence for the public welfare or ires them to
seditious tumults.
And to come more directly to the effects ofen-
couraging intemperance upon us as a nation,
beg leave to refer to some statistical facts ;-lt
is said from extensive calculation that the num-
I Der of persons who have died since the birth OF
Christ, together with the causes of their death,
are as follows -
By War, about 1880, COG. 900
| Martyrdom, 100000, 900
intoxicating drinks, $4,000. 600
Natural or otherwise, 1900 100000
These are startling flcts-and il is alarming
to see how many have fallen from intoxicating
drinks, and that too when we know the number
has been increased by legislation encouraging
the same. Then how necessary to encourage
temperance by Legislation! And were to al
lude TO the Russian war startling as it may ap-
pear. would say believe it to hs fFue-- that
I the destruction of human life and the waste Of
national wealth, which must arise from this tre-
mendous Russian war. are outrun every year by
the devastation caused by national drunkenness;
nay, add together all the miseries generated in
our time by war, famine and pestilenee, the three
| great scourges of mankind, and they do not eX-
eeed those that spring from this one calamity.
This assertion will not he readily believed bv
those who have not reflected on the subject; but
the fact is that hundreds Of thousands of our
eountrymen are daily sinking themselves into
deeper misery; destroying their health, peace of
mind, domestic comfort and usefulness, and ruin
! ing every faculty of mind and body, from indul-
gence in this propensity. And then, what null
titudes do these men carry down with them! 1t
would not be too much to say that there are at
/ this moment "hGlf a million homes" in the Ii nj
ted States where hcme happiness is never felt
| owing to this cause alone where the wives are
| brokcn-hearted and the children brought up in
misery. For the children what hope is there !;
! amid ceaseless srenes of quarreling cursing, and
blows-where as Cassie says, 1T hath pleased
depH drunkenness to give place TO the Deca
wrath, and the two devils together have driven
! from tue house all that peace and sweetness,
which should be the atmosphere Of the young"
Then the sober part of the community pays
heavy penalty for the vices OF those drawn off
/ DN encouraging lHtSllpSlhuCe
And sir. TO show that the history Of those ma
! tions to which have alluded was so viewed by
our ancestors, and that this is no new question in
| the United States. but one that came early into
! the national legislation, will read q resolution
adopted by the American Congress few months
after the signing OF the Declaration Of Indepen-
! dence -
"ReSoIUed, That il be recommended to the
several legislatures of the United States, imme-
datey to pass laws the most efectuai, for put
ting immediate stop to the pernicious prac-
! tice Of dstiling-by which the most extensive
evils are likely to be derived if not quickly pre-
vented."-l Jour. of Continental Congress, Feb.
u, l777l
! And have read this resolution to show that
this subject of legislation was looked to by the
| first American Congress, as one likely to effect
vitality the prosperity and virtue of the American
people. 1t is true the resolution refers TO distil
ling, (Which by our Constitution is fixed) still it
hears upon the subject under consideration
The American people in Congress first assembled,
under their then pending hope of freedom, where
they had in their view The plains upon which
they had seen the blood of their brethren poured
out upon the earth-a boon to freedom for the
land their children were to enjoy in time to
come when they stood at the foot of the tree of
American freedom which they had just planted,
and which they wished to see grow tall enough
and broad enough to embrace the world, and
under which every man could stand and boldly
assert with pride. L am an American-T ana
freeman Since this be true, it is surely ques-
tion of Importance to US and one TO the settle
ment of which we may well look with interest.
We propose to lcgslate to lessen or remove
the evil from public places-tbe place where vice
is most inclined TO exhibit bis deadly poison
the place where youth meets the strongest temp
taton-the place above all others the most des
tructiye TO the best talent ever produced in our
I Ia nd ic wa IN try hp of Fact pf
legislation. We do not propose TO visit the place
dearest of all Others, you call "home"-the spot
around which the heart is most inclined to lin
ger-to which memory clings most fondly, and
/ to which the wanderer turns in thought aud Wis
! its in Imagination the old "oaken tree under
whose widespread branches he spent so many
happy hours, and fingers over the joyous sports
of has boyhood, bright with his earliest fancies
and spOrts--the social spot where associations
mingle with his earliest dreams and reveres, his
freshest affections and purest mpnses--it is not
here we propose TO go with Legislation this
nrust he left to 'moral s1asion," here the fathers
aud mothers Of the country must bring their in
fuence and authority to bear.
II we were to consider by what authority or
legal right one man a set Of men can invest
their means in traffic detrimental TO the rights
of others, we would be led to make remark up
on Natural Law !" which Blackstone says re-
quires man Ito live honestly, hurt nobody and
render to every one bis due" If have shown
that the liquor traffic breeds crime, misery, pow
erty, DC, il is certainly violation of Natural
Law Let us further inquire if this "liquog trait
fc as a beverage" is a violation Of Common Law.
The same author speaking of Common Law says:
Common Law requires that man shall not use
his property TO the injury OF another and that
the consent OF the injured party is no mitigation
Of the oifences-henee, il is plain that manc
not use his own house as 'grog-shop' without
- fh..f
be invest his money in liquor and traffic upon it
as beverage without doing some one an injury;
therefore il is a violation Of Natural Law and
Common Law" then what law is there that au-
thorizes IL? The rights of society under our
government came from one of three souyces-
Natural Law, Common Law. and Statute Law"
then all the right 10 traffic in liquor as beverage
arises by Statute, and here the liquor seller
claims his right. What is Statute law! II is the
act OF legislative body which has the power TO
grant privilege and TO take \ away. Thus we
have shown clearly that the question ''of the
traffic in ardent spirits as beverage" is a crea-
ture Of Legislation. and il is now for this Legis-
lature 90 determine whether II shall continue
under the old law, or will this body exercise
right which they have, and so modify or change
the lcgslf ton, that evils heretofore existing
der che present law viii be lessened OF removed,
1 Let us make move towards reformation--and
/ il ihe next two years experience shows that the
/ Acts of the present Legislature upon This ques-
! ton have u happy elect. the next Legislature
4 which meets two years hence. can continue the
! principle We have begun and create greater ben
| ehts. But II our legislation shall prove unsnc-
cessinl, the next General Assembly can adopt
| better measures than we have done.
! do not pretend TO dictate what particular
/ law, but myself am for the law now under con-
/ slderatien, believing 1t the best we can carry
through at present, bat | am contending Cor a
| great principle, and one which effects US a
State more than any other question that we will
have before ns. Therefore, any eEieient law
which removes the principle OF establishing CO.