Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1856-08-21


House In Dover on Tuesday, the 18th Instant at 10
ocook A. NJ, for the purpose of selecting delegates
% the State Convention to nominate Re presenta |
i've 10 Congress.
The meeting will be addressed by several distin
guished speakers.
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SUSSEX DEMocRAor AND THE REPORTER -We
are quite surprised that the Reporter should have
any difficulty in understanding our review Of the
resolution of the Sussex Demooracy,--or that he
should misapprehend our position in regard to the
Delaware Temperance Law. We think that we
we're clear and explicit on the points referred to by
the Reporter in his leader Of the 18th inst, and
especially in the seeon1 division Il our remarks
which the Reporter strangely passes ever without
comment. That ''sseJnd dipison" triumphsntly
answers all contained in his article.
We believe and have said again and Hgain that
the State has authority to inouleate or enforce by
law, "utorality"--by which we mean obedience to
the Divine law But the State has authority to for
bid and punish any and all cipa crimes" and no.
thing but civil crimes and Offences against the peace
and dignity of the State We were replying to the
great objection ofthe Rum Party that Temperance,
drunkenness, and liquor selling were moral ques-
tions, and as such were not proper subjects of civil
law, and belonged only to the influence of the min
listers of religion acting then We said that
the Legislature bad always exercised the power and
that thousand times, in prohibiting and Furnishing
civil crimesi that were at the same time moral
wrongs. Now what We meant and all we meant is
ths-that if any act or subject be in the judgment
OF the Legislature and people injury to the State,
Iii within the province of the Legislature to declare
that injury crimo or misdemeanor against tho
State and to prohibit and punish it, and tho moral
character of the injury ia just ground of objection
to the law.
And over every subject matter of this kind the
Judgment of the people and Legislature, is absolute.
ly sovereign. Now we contend that drunken ness
and liquor selling are both "civH ortnss" and that
the Legislature has the authority to suppress the
one, and strictly to restrain the other The Della.
ware Law is of that character and for that purpose
solely and the only doubt of lis efficiency in our
mind arises from the smalness Of Its penalties The
heporter admits that drunkenness ia a crime and
not merely an immoral not" lie also says, The
arH"Se@ man m public bsoomUs a public nuisance
6y annoying Others and tre,pas.tns toAiis in thai
state, Rpon their civil rights"
Then MIR. Reporter ooncede one Of the great points
OF this controversy about our Law, yiz That public
drunkenness is civil crime and has always beer
and ought still to be punished and suppressed Tn,
law does moderately punish it, and in order to sup
press the crime and avoid the necessity of puuishn
the poor unhappy, and somewhat untortun-s
drnnkard, ;t PEVPVSgs Gu suppress II 0y strlct re
stroint on GROCERY and tavern trade which is the
principal cause of the crime you admit. The Re.
porter says, "had the law gone no further than t,
forbid and punish drunkenness, there would an,
there could have been objection to it In princip
or operation T"
How the Repeaers differ. In Wilmington th
leaders Of them say that the great and only objec
ten to the law is that it sends the poor miserabl
drunkard toal for ten days when the fault or Grim
of his drunkenness is not his but the liquor SELLERS
It is his misfortune, but the sellers unmitigatel
crime for whom there is neither apology nor sym
pathy. They say here punish the liquor seller ant
we are with you, in the strongest manner. The re
suit is between the two our law is just right ant
there is no reasonable doubt it will be so found
the people and officers will sustain it for two or tire,
years Will you please try t-give it fair trial
Will you let it prove itself? The law has had nc
chance yot-it is strongly opposed bya powerful
rum party-it has not been executed lit is held out
as in constant uncertainty, violation and neg
lect arc encouraged by the hope of its repeal How
blessed fruits of the law in such circumstances p
Let the people determine at once to try it and come
out with their voice and influence and say wo will
sustain it for three years, and see it enforced.
The rum party will understand your emnipo tent
will, and will yield to its mandate.
The Reporter says that the law is injurious to the
cause Of temperance and the morals of the people
and he mentions four instances, as foIIows:
ist 1t causes travellers TO carry their liquor In
their trunks and about their pers ns " This may
be done IN some instances and under present crcum
stances, but it must be limited and of short duration
I'd. 1t increases drinking by inducing people
generally to buy and keep liquor in large quantity
about their houses" Drinking people have AWAY,
kept liquor about their houses and have AWAY,
draHk what they wanted at home, and at the public
groggere' besides. We all know that home drink
ing in stamily has been serious evil opJ
WIN grocery drunkards and this will gradually di,
out It we stop the social GROCERY drinking.
Sd. 1t will tend to turn the agricuturisti into frui
growing and distilling for his own private use AMI
often, clandestinelyr for others, &c DC y
This is dscourteOus to the farmers OF Delaware
We might call it a SANDER against them, they ar
temperance men very generally. No it is not tn
farmers, is politicians, drinkers and seller
who wish to supply drink and sustain drunkenness
4th' Now, only look here, after stating the abov
injuries to temperance, and especially the first tw
as facts, he says, "Again tho law has already with
in the knowledge of our information increased th
number of vendors of liquors more than ten fold
"Ten sellers where before there was one" and yt
travellers carry it, and housekeerera buy large quar-
titles for home These things all evdentl
In the Reporters imagination. We will susta in III
law.
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ANOTHER CHAMPION FOR THE cAusE.-We hay
received the first number of a new paper pubishs
at Harrisburg, Pa, by John j. Clyde. 1t is spt