Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-06-25

sober and peaceabe men, and give one per-
petual trouble and distraction.
But, secondly (: this law is also just and
proper to the eye Of the highest judicial au.
thority in our country. According to the
Judgment of, the Justices of the Supreme
Court of the United States, the grand prin.
ciple involved in it comes within reach of the
police power of the State, and is not at all
at war with the Constitution of the United
States. The opinions of these civil dignita-
ries have been sgoing the rounds of the pa.
pers," and some Of. f.you, doubtless, have al
ready seen them. Chief Justice Taney oh.
serves: eff any State deems the retail and
internal traffic in ardent spirits injurious to
its citizens, and calculated to produce idle
ness, vice, or debauchery, I see nothing in
the Constitution of the United States to pre-.
vent it from regulating or restraining the
traffic, or from prohibiting 1t altogether, if
it thinks proper" Justice Grier remarks
"It is not necessary to array the appalling
statistics of misery, pauperism, and crime,
which have their origin in the use and abuse
Of ardent spirits. The police power, which
is exclusively in the State, is alone compe-
! tent to the correction of these great evils :;
and all measures of restraint or prohibition,
necessary to effect that purpose, are aoithin
the scope Of that authority" Justice Nc.
Lean observes eff a foreign article be in
furious to the health and morals of the COM
munity, State may, in the exercise of that
great and comprehen> We police power, that
lies at the foundation Of its prosperity, pro-
hiJit the sale cfit" And again: "It is the
settled construction of every regulation of
commerce, that under the sanction of its
general laws, no person can introduce into a
community malignant diseases, or anything
which contaminates its morals, or endangers
its safety And again: "No one can claim
license to retail spirits as matter of right" "
Justice Daniel declares that importers do
not secure the right to sell by paying duties
to the government: "No such right as the
one supposed is purchased by the importer,
and no injury, in any accurate sense, is in
fiicted on him by denying to him the power
demanded" Justice Woodbury. remarks :
"After articles have como within the terrific.
rial limits of States, whether on land or wa
ter, the destruction itself of what constitutes
disease and death, and the longer continu-
ance of such articles within their limits, or
the terms and conditions of their continu-
ance, when conflicting with their legitimate
police, or with their power over internal
commerce, or with their right of taxation
over all persons and property within their
jurisdiction, seems one Of the first principles
Of State sovereignty, and indispensable to
public setety." And the Commentator on
American law, Chancellor Kent, and the
Commentator on English law, Blackstone,
have advanced sentiments similar to these
The former has said: "The government
may, by general regulations, interdict such
uses of property as would create nuisances,
and become dangerous to the lives, or health,
or peace, or comfort of the citizens" And
the latter classes among public nuisauces,
against which society has right to protect
itself, "all disorderly inns, ale-houses, ga
ming houses, and booths and stages for rope
dancers" and such things as may render the
atmosphere unwholesome, ipjure health, and
spoil the property of unofending citizens
So far, therefore, as the question of coustitu-
tional right, or of State sovereignty is con-
cerned, we leave the matter in the hands of
these distinguished jurists, whose voices our
country has so often chosen to obey. If they
are not we'll acquainted with the laws of the
land, their judgment has been unduly hon
CURED.
Thirdly: this law is just and proper to the
eye of the Divine law. Paul said to the
Romans, as We read in the thirteenth chap
ter of his epistle "Rulers are not terror
to good works but to the evil" And with
out misrepresenting the Apostle in the least,
we may paraphase his language thus: Ye
rulers, make yourselves a terror to evil
works. What else does the Maine Law con-
template? And again, speaking of the civil
officer, he observes "He is the minister of
God to thee for good" Will he not, then,
strive to remove the evils of intemperance
To fulfil his high commission, will he not do
something for our relief in this respect p
Again, the apostle says /: "He beareth not
the sword in vain, for he is the minister of
God, revenger to execute wrath upon him
that doeth evil" If We give the language
an imperative form, it will run thus: Bear
not the sword in vain; as the minister of God,
execute wrath upon him that doeth evil
Let civil rulers remember this, and be faith
full to their Divine mission And still, again,
we read: "The powers that be are ordained
of God" Let them, then do the work of
their Master this is evidently Legitimate
inference. What does our text say?-"Look
not upon the wine when it is red, when it
giveth his color in the cup" This is the
very thing which the Maine Law is intended
to prevent; it aims to remove the tempta-
ton from before the eyes of men. In Habba-
kuck, I'd chapter and 18th verse, we have
these words: "Woe unto him that giveth
his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle
to him, and makest him drunken" This is
the language of the Maine Law. It threat
ems the man who putteth the bottle into his
neighbor's hands or who furnishes him IL
quor, that he may become drunken. Aaron
and his sons were threatened with death if
they drank any wine or strong drink on 60