New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-29
TIE NEW moron Law.
ADDRESS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE or THE

ADDRESS Of T1iE I.AECtIINb tOhNIJ w
NETWORK STATE TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.
The recent passage of the License Law has de-
VOWED upon the temperance men of this State n new
duty viz: that of determining what shall be their
of action i'll reference to it, Shall they aid in
its enforcement, shall they leave that duty IA
be performed by others.
In regard to this question, the COMMITTED feel mat
they only decide for themselves and that all they
say relating to the course to be pursued by others
should he merely advisory. They NEEDLE with NO
mans Conscience they dictate mans course of nc.
ton They simply state their own conclusions and
the considerations by which they governed.
II is entirely clear that tho law itself was not got up,
advocated, nor passed BY temperance men. They
were oil opposed to it. They had planted themselves
on prohibition. They had reached that point in the
history of the temperance movement and IN realizing 1t
they had passed through al the principles involved IN
the license system, and had gone beyond them. Tney
could not return for they felt that the moment great
moral principle falls back, faters until il has
reached its highest possible point OF attainment its
energy gone its force expended and its ultimate de-
feat rendered certain. IL may take generations and
centuries to reach that point, but its progress
must be ever onward. An army may be defeated and
destroyed and rs place supplied by another, that may
triumph; but moral principle must rely upon its iu-
teai forces alone, and when they fail TO push on
ward all its resources exhausted, and il 20
further
But that which they opposed has become law
the law of this State. Does that change their duty :
Has it taken anything from the principle of prohibi-
Legislature should propose law to legaize lottery,
we should oppose it. Suppose thfy pass it; should
therefore be under obligations to purchase and
lottery tickets The mere passage OF q law imposes
no other moral obligation upon those who subject
to il than that which is involved in the observance Of
it, We DO not counsel its violation. We leave things
inst they when We entered our solemn protest
against it, passage.
Bu, this law is stringent and partially prohib-
tory in its provisions is true; and that is the gliding
that secured its passage. More than that, Is tho
tempting bait by which il was thought the whole tenn
perance array would be nlarshaed in its SUPPORT and
after they had bavey done battle under It's banners,
and cffeCtualy driven from the field all the little un
censed grogellcrs 10 be found the State the large
vendors could then enjoy unmoeSted their gains made
according 10 law. Shall the bait be swallowed and the
battle fought Or shall the larger smaller dealers
be LEFT 10 exceedingly Interesting contest with each
other, in which law and money embarked
side, poverty and appetite on the other, and and
ruin on both
But suppose the law strictly observed. would
the sum total OF human misery be diminished! That
by no necessarily follows. Ii hundred small
hres extnguished and ten large once supply their
place the amount of heat may still be given out.
We have seen the same quantity Of water pas in
given time through narrow mountain gorge be-
tween the banks Of wide river. Death is tho only
avenue 10 the grave, and yet al men pass through it,
But this is not the problem Of month or q year. II
draw largely upon the future for its solution. In
temperance s practical preacher aAd has yet many
sermons to give US With without law. its evils and
miseries are o sure thing. What matters it whether
they are do,ed out to by Titles through Of
years or whether the foodgates are at once hoiAed
and such vail Of we and cry OF misery and distress
sent up from every city and hamlet and human habia
ten, ~ shall render Prohibition an absolute necessiy
or even, il we must 60 down, Is 1t not better to
Sink beues,A tho shock.
Than mo,dey peoeunea OIL The rse&f
Blu. there is little danger If its rsmainmg usea.
forced There are those with whom sef.interest vlh
be pronptex TO duty The large vendors pay high
pn"e for their privilege Of selling. VIII they Be vii:
ling to continue the competition with those who sen
and yet pay nothing Clearly now human nature u
not all bcnevolepcc, even with rumseners H. there
fore, Temperance refuse to eight their bAtes, 70
clear the held Of their competitors. they vii e .ss
the contest themselves, and having lss On tse@ SIDE
We present one other consideration: W cannot set
lively enlist IN the enforcement Of this Law withsst
adopting e As our law, idessifinx ourselves Nth +
abandoning prohibitioe aid planning ourselves uPoa
the Ioene psincipie- Soppose this dese, wAst is
position before the future LeyslstIes' The presess