Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-07-07
ORIGINAL. PARERs,
For the Spirit of the Age.


provided, TINT no Superior or County Court
sha grant License to yPcrsons to sell orretai
dent Spirits, a beverage, in any County, NTH.
ont The Consent IF Majority ofhercsident Citizens
ia said pyeciHt" &c.
propose, Mr. Editor, to continue, in
49, number the subject Of the License
Pfoyiso."
1t would be premature, perhaps, to an
ticipate difficulties and answer objections
to the above plan-but in order to obviate
them, the better way probably would be to
set mp our plan-explain its motives and
intentions-portray some of the evils and
injustice of the present license system, and
thus see how far or how well our plan is
calculated to relieve them; and thus prepare
the public mind not only for action, but
for endorsement and approval.
And lst, | would remark, that there
are many laws and enactments upon the
pages of our Civil Code, which if they
were not qualified and restricted by "Pro-
yiso," their practical operation would
be cruel, unjust and oppressive-if not
upon the whole-at least upon part of
the community-which part would ofttimes
prove to be majority. Again: The pro-
viso is purposely introduced, to qualify the
general application of the law and far
ther, these provisos are alfred TO laaOs of
character whose general or universal ap-
plication would infict injury or wrong.
Now does it notsecm strange, Mr.. Editor,
that this principle so generally observed and
applied in the framing of almost all other
laws, has been lost sight of entirely in our
License laws Though almost universally
admitted, evenly inebriates themselves, that
intemperance is a great moral evil
and although acknowledged by the trainers
Of our License System - the very guards
and restrictions they threw around the
traffic in ardent spirits, still upon aOhom it
would operate iniuriously, and to what ex
tent it, in point Of numbers, would affect,
they never saw proper to inquire. After
blocking up the way, as they imagined, of
the poor deluded victims of intemperance,
by imposing heavy taxes and various re-
strictions upon the makers, retailers, &c.
of alcohol, they lost sight Of any Others
that might be sufferers, and hence interpo-
sed no proviso, but left the law to operate
upon the rest of mankind as 10 might
And If were to stop at this point and
inquire show hasit operated 2" pages might
be filed with the melancholy detail, show.
ing that so faras the votaries Of alcohol are
concerned, it has accomplished nothing
but rather by its very restrictions ithas in
famed their appetites and given impulse
TO their indulgences. On the other hanC
what has il done for the sober, peace
loving, aw-abiding Citizens ofour country
Has It enabled them to thrust from theil
doors q temptation, cause OF evil, of un
happiness, Of misery and woe, compared
with which all other evis-sin only eX
cepted d-suk into utter insignifcance. Ha
il given the father ability to train, contro
and govern his son has it enabled tn
wife to win back to her trusting bosom he
errinr husband l-has it espoused the caus
Of the widow and fatherless has it open
ed up the way for the Gospel that all me
might come to the knowledge of the truth
An no, no 1t has done nothing Of TIN
kind. II has not only not relieved or r(
claimed the Incorporate as class-the
for whose benefit it was specially provided
but It has left unrestricted, unrestraineC
all the evils Of intemperance, to enlarg,
and expand, and spread her arms like sea
over our beloved conntry-irrespective {
grade, class or condition-aAmoral pest
lenee that walleth in darkness and wa
10th at noon-day.'
tod knows, Mr.. Editor, it is high tin
something was done to our license syster
to give II more efficiency, and to render
more Just and equable in its practical o
Grafton. 1t is this conviction that has /
duced me to put forth this humble effo
to accomplish so desirable an end. fe
constrained to urge this subject noW. L
the press lay hold of it-and in this W
the minds Of the people may be enlighte
ed. so that when the time for action con
round, they may be ready.
But in order that we may not arol
fears, excite iealouses, or provoke oppC
ton, we wish it distinctly understood, Il
we propose not a repeal, or reconstruct
OF even = re-modeling of our license Law
but simply TO attach to them a modify
"proviso," whichin itself is MOTTO abrog
or destroy law-but merely to determi
by that great conservative principle of
publcanism, the will of a maiority-aV
and Dhere this law shall be in full fc
and virtue or shall be null and inopt
tive. Provisos in all laws which will
admit Of universal application, look to
existence or the interests of majori
and Just upon such principles, we W
and ought TO have, our license laws ba
Now can any reasonable man object to
measure Shall its friends be persecu
their motives be impugned and their pra
disregardedi cannot believe it, Mr.,
itor. think we have submitted so |
and so patiently to these grievances,
even our enemies, il we should have