The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1857-03-12

N.
and in few days, by way of contract, the
same editors. will call public attention to the
fact that Messrs. Smith, Jones, Johnson or
Brown, have received a fine supply Of wines,
brandies. &C.. to the quality of which they
can Dear ample testimony, having been invi.
ted to test them, and foun6 them " not hard
20 take" thus putting up finger-board Eg-
for their readers, that they may be sure TO
find the place where may be found the vely
source of the great evil against which we are
contending-pandering to the nppc,ites OF
the drunken and vicious, and giving aid and
comfort to traffic which is supported
through perjury and fraud, and is not thought
disreputable merely because it has the sane.
tion Of ia,o.
The Press Of this country may be likened
to :he servant in the parable who received
Ten fdtcnfs, but in the use Of those talents
may be compared t, him who received ONLY
one-the final reckoning must be accord.
ingIy.
Another feature Of the Press is worthy Of
some remark-its readiness to herald every
act Of opposition which the reform encoun-
ters IL a prohbitory law is vetoed by some
such Governor as Seymour or Barstow, or a
case at law is decided adversely by Judges
who lean more to their cups than to their
legal aLd moral obligations, it is valuable
item Of Eews, and is passed around withou,
comment, or if commented on at all, it is
somewhat after this manner: We are as
much in favor of temperance as any Of its
advocates, but disposed to doubt the expedi
ency of any law upon the subject, believing
that moral suasion alone should he employ
ed; and we fear that the good, if any, tina,
has been accomplished, is more than coun-
terbalaneed by the evil subterfuges which
are resorted to in order to evade it. The
late case Of The State "ersus John Doe is an
instance which goes to prove our conclu-
sions." This is a specimen Of the faith of
| those who are rs much in favor of tempe.
rance as any of its advocates. They pro,
nounce the law unwholesome, because ba,i
men try TO evade it. This same class would
doubtless contend that idolatry, profane
swearing, Sabbath breaking disobedience to
parents, mu der, adultery, theft, f;,lse.swear.
ing and covctousness. have all been the re-
suit Of their prohibition. as contained in the
decalogne. were it not that the previous COM
mission of these sins called for divine Iegs
lation to prevent and punish future trans.
gressions. The evils and curse of the traffic
and Use of ardent spirits have long cried for
some remedy; il had reached the point be-
yond which it should not GO; hence the me-
cessity of legal enactments, and the duty of
the press Of The country to sustain them, by
enj"ining upon the people the propriety of
obeying and sustaining the law, while it is
in force, for il is the duty Of all men impli-
city to obey the laws while in force, no
matter what may be their peculiar ideas OF
opinions. il the law is wong in principle,
or unconstitutional, they can appeal 10 the
courts for redress mt the came time, it is
reasonable to suppose that even the courts
should offer no barrier to the execution of
the laws passed bv the State Legislature, but
carry them out in good faith, until repealed
by the same power which enacted them, and
then only by the voice of the people The
Press has done much, very much, TO impede
the spread of temperance, not SO much by
overt or manly opposition TO the friends and
advocates Of the reform as BY their careless
ness and indifference.
The mission of the Press is to disseminate
intelligence, inculcste virtue, encourage mo.
rality, and advocate the claims of religion.
As such, j. owes something to the cause of
temperance. which Saint Paul classes among
the Christian virtues against which there
is no law" while in the same Scripture we
learn that "no drunkard shall enter the
kingdom Of heaven" Temperance is the
very opposite Of drunkenness. therefore the
directors q public opinion should set up n
finger board pointing to knowledge, to
which ths Scriptures say add temperance
and virtue. This is, in part at least, the
true mission Of the Press if neglected or