Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-05-11
Hard Shell Whiskey.

This may perhaps strike our readers as
rather curious name for the ardent, yet
there is an article that bears that name
When we were in Oglethorpe the other day,
Mr.. A. A. Lowe, Of that city, presented us I,
bottle thus labelled" English's Hard Shell
Whiskey, made in Sumter county" We
were informed that it derives its name OF
"Hard Shell" from the fact that it is made
by Hard Shell Baptist. This is prima faeie
if not conclusive evidence that it is pure un-
adulterated whiskey. For whatever may be
said and thought of some of the tenets OF
this denomination we think it is generally ad-
mitted that, for plain common every day
honesty, they have no superiors. In our opin-
ion, they are, as body, not only more hon
est, but in those opinions which relate to the
affairs and business of life, more nearly right
than any other body of people in the world ;
they are particularly 80 as to the principles
of government We will venture the opinion
that there is not in the United States sin
gle Hard Shell Baptist who is an abolitionist,
a protective tariff, or internal improvement
man-not one who is in favor of State sys-
tenn of education or of State aid, or in favor
of corporations Of any kind, or of any of this
partial legislation which is intended to use
the power of the government to give to one
man an advantage over another. They are
an honest people who desire to do justice to
all men. There are therefore very few If
any of them who would adulterate whiskey;
in fact there are some of them who, it is said,
do not like even to put too much water in It.
By the way, some time ago we were laugh
ing at one of our hard shell friends, about
the charge that is sometimes made against
| them, that it is one part of their creed that
they must drink, if not get drunk. He re-
piled to us in this wise. Said he-"lt is not
that the members of our church get drunk
any oftener than those of other churc..cS, but
that more notice is taken of it. Let one Of
our members get drunk, and he is obliged to
be dealt with. 1t is the duty of every other
member if he knows or hears of it to prefer
charges against him, and they are sure to do
it, and he has to come up publicly before the
church and make confession, SO that every
body hears of it but you let a Methodist,
or Soft Shell Baptist, or Presbyterian, or
an Episcopalian get drunk, and if he amt 30
drunk that he can't walk, or unless it is 80
public that every body knows it, somebody
will take him off and put him to bed or hide
him away in back room. They may per-
haps give him private talk, if he is not q.
very prominent member, but they don't bring
him up to public trial, for fear of scandal
izing the church. But you let them all try
their members for getting drunk like we do,
and you will hear of as much drunkenness
in any of the rest of them Us amongst the
Hard Shells"
1t struck us that there might be good
deal more of truth than Of poetry in. this
view of the case. But to the whiskey.
We think it is pretty we'll settled that the
people of this country will use alcoholic stim
ulants; they have done it at least US long as
we can remember, and the indications are
that they will do it for, some time to come.
And since that is settled, it il important trat
some attention should be directed to the
character of the article that is used. We
have no doubt that the evil, even of its e1-
cessive use, would be greatly diminished by
using only the pure article. There is more
Importance in this idea, in a mural point of
view, than is generally attached to it. 1t
would he no inconsidcrable improvement of
morals of the country to put stop to the
frauds and the crimes that are committed in
the adulteration and poisoning of the liquors
Of common use, and much would be accom-
plished in this way if those who deal i'll them
would purchase and sell such, and such only,
as they knew to be pure.-Corner Stone.