Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-04-21
Virginia New License Law.

name class of citizens known as liquor dealers. |
VIZ have carefully examined the amendments, t
and for the life of us cannot see in what re-
spcct even liquor sellers can object to them,
unless they are opposed to being required to
observe the laws of the State, designed for
the protection of the slave property, and to
prevent the nuisance of a drunken free negro
population in community. If they desire to
have the privilege to degrade the morals and
destroy the lives of their ~neighbors' slaves
without check or hindrance, then they do
well to object. If they want the unrestrain-
ed privilege OF infuriating the free negroes of
Virginia with whiskey, and fastening upon
society a dissipated, idle, worthless gang of
free negroes-then their opposition is we'll
timed. But if they recognize the right of the
STAKEHOLDER to object to his selling liquor to
his slaves and of the community to protect
itself by law, against a drunken free negro
horde-then, we contend, there is moth
ing in the new law to which, as good citizens,
they can be opposed
The law provides that the dealer procuring
license to sell by retail wine, ardent spirits,
or a mixture thereof, shall pay the tax pre-
scfibed for such privilege; and that she shall
enter into bond of 500 dollars, with sufficient
security, faithfully to observe the laws in re-
lation to dealing with slaves or free negroes,
Or selling ardent spirits, wine or any mixture
- thereof, or any other intoxicating liquors to
slaves, as contained in chapter 104 of the
= Code Of Va, and shall moreover take an oath
10 Now what reasonable objection can be made
:" to these wholesome safeguards, unless it arise
d from a wish to sell liquor to negroes without
III restraint But it is objected to, because the
~ retailer is required to enter into bond to OBJ
30 serve the law-and also, to "take oath in
l0 open court, faithfully to observe said laws"
, How can this be a hardship, if the dealer in
~. ~ tends to be a law-abiding citizen? He first
40 enters into bond if he forfeits this bond by
violating the law, his i~ll-gotten gains Cor a
ale eo1 no C
y as with the smuggler or pirate. But if he
violate his oath, he becomes a criminal, anC
the law places this lawless disturber of tn
public peace where he cannot set the laws o
Who his country at defiance. Is there any thinI
1no hard or unjust in this Not at all. If tn
lstl- dealer is an honorable, law-abiding man, h
Sd has nothing to fear; but the history ofliquol
ally dealers generally, with some honorable e1
he ceptions) Justify the opinion that the laro
ntly majority CT them will sell to all who apply
'een law or no law. The law can only bear har'
rom ly on those who violate it.
1ave But the law further provides against Sc
t for ling liquor to a free negroe, unless he prese
A to the dealer a written certificate, signed
for three or more justices OF the peace, that Il
f be- bearer is Ia sober, orderly free negro, and
and good character" The objection urged
in this fe allure is, that it will cause a resort
the forgery of names to certificates, and that de
aper, ascertain whether the signatures are genuir
m in that every imaginable ruse will be resort
to, to evade the law, &c. Now can su
n the stuff be considered an argument against t
p propriety of such a law ? Then none of O
nros- laws ought to stand, for bad men are alwa
are. resorting to stratagems to evade the con
limo quences of their evil doings. The murdel
g A feigns insanity, and under this plea freque
E. S.; ~ escapes the galloWs-butW Will 1t be argu
J.; P. that therefore, the law against murder Gus
Rev. to be abolished?
on to The provisions of the law are just a
Age Wholesome-and II any evil arise from tn
existence, it will arise from the fact that n
hovo viOlotod tho 1ou-. onI will chour +ho ~.
dom of the legislature in requiring of 81
-oros+ men, a bond, clinched with an oath, ito /
Car fill the laws of the Commonwealth" AnC
sever men will ''trife with the sacredness of
t we oath" by violating it for the sake of intert
they ought to be brought ~ to the law, q
not for their accommodation have the |
brought doDn to their loose code of NOR:
he We see that money is to be raised by
rning liquor dealers, for the purpose of feeling Il
This yers and testing 1.-The validity and consti
t has t~ionality of these laws" Of course they
j the both invalid and unconstitutional! Who
public er heard of a law interfering with the liqr
the traffic, that was not Unconstitutional
peclally IN the opinion OF a feed lawyer.
mind 1naC was faCnef a cute trlck, 10 Try
The draw Mr.. Pegram, Commemorative Att
alton. ney, out into an expression of opinion agai
but a the legality Of the law. But his hint that
every should uphold its constitutionality," N
sions, have been rather a damper to their 'spirit
to fol- Blu are all our State constitutions such sire
Gus whiskey defenders, that they positively
terdict the passage oflaws to protect the p1
erty of the citizen from the cupidity and r
s gal chief of pad men? If so, it is time to
ice, in away with constitutions, since nothing
vision whiskey and its kindred receive their pro
/, and tive Egis.
,hbor- We shall look with interest to the re
A. NJ. of this law in the Old D~ominion-and by
,, and time the next General Assembly meets,
several hope sufficient importance will be attache
and all the phite men and women of the State, to
with tify some protection being afforded til
IN but against the destructive influence of theliq
|, and seller.