Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-02-04
Cruelty of the Law.

In the year IS, [ was returning from
the city of l. in New England. T
put up at a hotel, and for a time took my
seat in the bar-room. The door opened
suddenly, and a female stepped in. She
was the very picture Of agony-her hair
dishevelled, her dress negligent her eye
unsteady, aud her movements eccentric.
She seemed to hesitate at first, but at length,
gathering courage, she moved up to the bar,
and said =
Nh. -, don't sell my husband
aRy more rum! You have already ruined
us! You know hat before he began to
come to your bar he was a sober man. He
was respected in society. He was as kind
a husband as any woman ever had. We
had a good home, farm, and every comfort.
But you sold him liquor until he had no
more money to pay. Unbeknown to me,
you got a mortgage on his farm; you sold
1T, aud turned me and my helpless children
out Of doors! Ny husband lost his health,
his character, and his reputation. He be-
came cross and abusive to me, whom he
once tenderly loved. He turns me out of
our wretchad hoyelinto the cold and storm +!
He comes home from your tavern ~infuria-
ted like a demon. My once kind and ami
able husband, and the father, is a madman
while in liquor. He beats me and my
children cruelty, and threatens to murder
US! Oh, don't give him any more liq-
uor!' and the tears gGshed from her eyes,
while the landlord stood speechless.
In the midst OF these eutreaties, which
should have broken a heart Of adamant, a
man stepped into the bar-room, and with
the vacant stare of an inebriate, moved to-
wards the bar. Instantly the pleading
wife threw herself between the man and
the bar, and, with one hand against his
breast and the othor stretched out ilnplor-
ingly towards the landlord, she said; ooh
don'tlethim have it! don't, don't !" And
while this scene was passing, heart-rend.
ing beyond the power Of description, the
landlord walked deliberately out from be.
hind the counter, and taking the woman
rudely 10y the arm, said "This is nc
place for N - and violently tore her
from her husband, and pushing her out,
shut the door against her. He then went
behind the counter, and placed a bottle Of
liquor upon it. The wretched inebriate
staggered up and drank his dram, placed {
piece of money upon the counter-the land
lord wiped it off complacentlj into thu
drawer, and the drunkard passed out, mad
dened with the d~raught, to renew his bru
tai attacks upon his defanceless wife anC
children.
Nobody defends such barbarous cruelt,
as this. No ons apologies for it. Al
agree to pronounce the landlord a brute
But there is one fact deserving especial at
%tention. The whole transaction was unde,
the sanction Of the law For the sale O
every glass Of that %ruinous liquor, which
reduced an honest man, a good citizen, t.
the lowest degree Of suffering and infamy
he can show a "licease" from the officers 0
justice, under authority solemnly conyeye,
by grave Senators and Assemblymen, sig
ned by the governor, and bearing the sea
of the State
There was no redress in law for this sui
tering lady. She had been robbed of be
home, of her comfort, of her husband, an
the blight of despair had been thrown owe
her whole family; but the law p~rotecte
the destroyer, and left her to endure he
anguish without any hope of relief