New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-16
NEAL DOW AND Mr.. COUGH IN EN-
GLAND.

The following letter from Mr.. Mccoy, Core
spending Secretary of the Worlds Temperance
Committee, and late editor Of The ProhiJiioniss,
will be read with interest by the friends Of the
cause ON both sides of the Atlantic:
RAY SIDE. Long Island New-York July 10, 1857.
THOMAS R. BURKE esq Secretary United Kingdom alliance
MaHehester, England.
NV DIAN FRIEND: / received and read with feel
inps of the veliest interest your last more than well
come favor. The United Kingdom Alliance for the
Suppression of the Liquor Traffic so great an organ
izaon for furtherpg the greatest reform of the age
and Mr. Pope and yourself Il could wish to see Mr.
Pope the Mane-Law leader in Parliament, and You
the writer ef Maine-Law leaders in Tile Loadoh
Tiues are such important instrumentalities within
the greater instumentaity, that attach the highest
possible value to all your favors, whether written or
printed FO- many public journals recording the AL
lance movements in connection with our noble Neal
Dow, please receive my sincerest thanks.
You do me the honor to again call my attention to
the statement Of Mr.. Cough touching the cause Of
TEMPERANCE and Prohibition in America-to which
nv letter of the 10th of May was devoted, and which
/ trust you have long since received. You desire me
to answer the following questions: 81. Is the Ten.
"perance cause universally depressed in the States
3D. Is more liquor being consumed since the intro
duction OF the Maine Law 3. Is the Maine Law
ga dead letter everywhere A. Has the law falled
10 answer the expectations of its friends ("
have re-read these questions to see If could reply
to them as they stand but with the further infefma,
ton which hos since reached you you will be prepared
to conclude with me That cannot conveniently vi
safely do so. ~
II turns out as you will have noticed that the state
ment by Mr.. Cough, upon which these questions are
based, was part of hurried private note, which was
never intended for publication aud ought IN Justice to
Mr. Cough TO Mr. Dow, and to the cause OF l'rohlbl-
ton never to have been published. Even in this
private and hastily note, the expressions EN-
ployed used only in application TO Massachusetts;
ard that State only up to March or April astsince
which change for the better has taken place IN that
State in several important respects. Even now, how
ever the consttutiOLality of the Massachusetts law
has not been finally adudicated by the highest trou.
mails; the Courts below still blocked up with test
cases: and it would be reflection upon the Prohibi-
tory Law $50 Mr. Cough has freely admitted in con-
yeisation with me, and would admit in public to-mor-
row. it, even up TO this timer it exercised little or no
.rac,cal restraint upon the liquor traffic.
Instead of denying what purports to be MIR. Coughs
allegatioIs therefore, the facts to warrant the
simpler mode of denying that the allegation, as It
stands in the record, was ever made.
I Garnet we'll express to you, my friend, how SIN
cerely deplore this apparent conflict between Dir.
Goueh and Mr. Dow before the British public say
sppar, Mt" for my investigation Of the affair assures
me that it i, little more. When received MIR. DOW
letter on this point wrote las Corresponding Secre-
tary of the New.York State Temperance Society to
MI Cough inviting him to be one of the speakers at
our sem-aIlrual meeting. His other duties would not
permit him to speak that OCCASION but he consented
TO address the Temperance men oil Albany sothe ivui
DAYS earlier What he said in that address, and the
more detailed reference he made to these matters IN
conversation afterward are my warrant for regarding
this col fct as much more seeming than real
My feelings toward both MI Dow ana Mr.. Goagn
- frandshiD affection and aQmfa
ton Their honesty and veracty are with me equally
above suspicion; and rejoice to perceive, however
confused some OF our h enGs r, may N tbe midst Of
both classes Of facts to which they REFER can recon-
ce the of both with each other and recon
Gle both with an equally honest regard TO truth.
Their feelings toward each other so far az can learn,
have never been other than We might expect between
ga pair of noble brothers," both raised by God, to
bless and adOrn this age, and further the same great
moral reform AS this has always been their relative
position in America, so must believe 1t would never
seemed to have been otherwise TO our brethren III
England had there not been difficulty back OF
these and other Temperance organizations, and had
not ena syeR odPE
Snd Mr.. Dow shake hands at an early day on the
same PLATFORM and show to the people OF Great
Britain and the world, that while others may have been
at variance, they themselves have never been.
Luther and Meancthon had not the same gifts, and
did not render exactly similar services; yet the
Christian world Justly applauds both as apostles OF
the Reformation. The brothers John and Charles
Wesley acting jointly breathed new life into the pety
of Chiistendom, by the exercise of very different
talent and the performance OF essentially different
duties And 20 Dow and Cough, or Cough and Dow,
are both to be priced and appauded as champions OF
Temperance though enc leans more to one, and the
other another, Of two essential auxiliaries OF the
came reform.
A few years ago. the Temperance agitation was
based Oh the appliances of moral suasion. VI late
years, we in America bave almost suspended our
~t,ano in ndQ
bition The man who thoroughly studies the phloso,
ply Of the Temperance Reform, am persuaded, VIII
anve at the conclusion that both are almost equally
essential to any great or enduring success WIN
these views, were speaking critically, would admit
that Mr. Cough points the public mind less frequently
than would have him to Prohibition; while, on the
other ha1 d would have Mr.. Dow speak more fire.
oueptly and more emphatcally than he does on the
necessity even to the success of Prohibition Of moral
suasiOn AS Prohibition is not failure. but great
success; so moral suasOn is great success Aud a.
faith alone, works alone, not Religion; 80 moral
suasion alone or Prohibition alone will never effect
the suppression Of Intemperance.
Such henceforth Judge, my friend, must DC the
two.fold basis of the Temperance Reform Moral
Suasion of the drDker; Legal Suason for the seller
Not Moral Suasion against Legal Suasiop nor Legal
Suason against Moral Suasion but each for the Other
and both for Temperance-to be advocated by the
same societies. in the same meetings, the same resolu'
tons, the speeches and the same periodicals. In
short like Reason and Religion in Milton:
Twinn'd and from it hath no diyidusl being"
Until lately, acted Corresponding Secretary OF
the Worlds Temperance Committee Corresponding
Secretary of the New-York State Temperance Socie-
ty, and editor of The Proh6tionst. The two latter
positions have fet constrained to resign. My interest
in the II hope need not assure youl will sufier
no abatement. ,
have been requested by the venerable author to
edit and beautiful edition OF President Notts
the verge of publication and would invite your at
tepton to these Lectures full OF wisdom, learning