Smyrna times., 1857-04-15
Original -Artitle,
Inc Written for The Smyrna Times.
The Effects of Immoral LEGISLATION.

.-s Written for The Smyrna Times.
The Effects of Immoral Legislation.
Mr.. EDIToR Il see that some of our good
citizens are availng themselves of the privileges
granted to them by the new law relative to
vending spirituous liquors. | cannot conceive
how a civilized and ehristianized legislature
could sGccumb 10 the depravity of fallen human
nature, to abrogate a. moral statute aud enact
instead thereOfa statute homogeneal with man S
depravty. Such an achievement is in my
opinion, to say the least of it, demoralizing !;
and to the full extent of demoralizing inf1u-
ence, said statute will have upon the morals of
the community, either that Legislature or their
prOmpters will be responsible. But, although
this is the fact, ye. am persuaded that~they
will say as did the Pharsees, who, when in.
formed that the blood of that divine parsonage
would be required at the hands of somebody
said " let his blood be upon US and our chill.
dren; but be it remembered that, although
Judgment against that evil achievement was
not executed speedily. yet it was in the ful,ness
of time iearfuly executed by the hand of Him
who neither sleepeth nor slumbereth and like
wise, doubtless, Judgment will ultimately be
executed upon the heads of those who have
been the insligators of hosting the hoodgates
OF the rum traffic amongst us again. !,
Now, am of the opinion that our late res
Pectable Legislature never would have repeal
ed that moral statute, had it not have been for
the previous course of immoral and designed
men. That statute which was originally de-
signed tofassisf poor degraded human nature
torlse higher in the scale of morality had lis
enemies; aud those enemies took every advan4
tage to bring said statute into disrepute, they,
like the manufacturers of the goddess Diana,
at Ephcsus, stirred up the baser sort, not, only
10 cry out against the law, but 10 violate it,
and whea the said yiolators were arrested by
the proper authorities, they were backedup by
those whose design it was to bring the law into
dlfrepdte, and thereby make il obnoxious to
the cnmIouuity and this they achieved even
beyond their most sanguine hopes or expecta-
tons. The Prohbitory Law was, in reality,
one of the best statutes that ever was recorded
upoa the journals of fiegislatioI; Nnd ifit had
had proper and judicious application it would
Lave done more for the amelieration of de-
praved humanity than any law now upon the
statute. -,...-...... ...... -..., -...... .-:.
There ID one feature in the present existing
statute relative 10 vending spirituous liquors,
which ! cannot comprehend and especially
when take into Consideration that that statute
was enasted by a Legislature in Christian
land. If the traffic of Intoxicating liquors is
an evil (Which is acknowledged by alb, by what
authority did that Legislature enact a License
law, especially when that law conflicts with
the Divine law The Divine law says, "Wo
be unto him that putteth the bottle to his neigh
bor's mouth,"-with many analogous passages,
But, irrespective of the Divine Law, our good
Legislature has enacted a statute and published
it to the world, that for a. certain stipulated
sum Of money (Which is said to be the root of
all this eviD any white person twenty-one years
old and upwards, may have a license to not
only pu. the bottle to his neighbor's mouth, but
to The mouth of every person whom he can bring
under bis abject temptation. This is, indeed, !,
making the word of God Of no effect by the use
made the greatest impression on my mind reia!
tive 10 The license law, is found in the eigh-
teenth section specifying to what purpose the
license money should be applied, viz: to the
school fund. Now, under the Mosaic giispen-
sation, money, which was the price OF blood,
was never thrown into the trsasuty !; but this
license money, which. doubtless, viii become
the price Of innocent blood, foods Of tears, and
suffering humanity of every shape and form,lis
thrown into the free-school treasury ourchil.
drenare foibe eds Gated and'fttsd forthe great
drama Of life with shat money, which is not only
the price Of tears and blood, but the price Of
pec.ps and immortal souls; for q no drunk
aFdean enter into the kingdom Of heavell,"s .bia,
Our perpetuity as a State and and alnation
depepds eptirely upon the. predcpninancylof mo-
raiayand Christianity, andafihe Legislature or
.jsai " ~ sal