Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-02-12

Corn !-Oorn!-Co-n! Whiskey!
W~hiskey!-Whiskeyi

ooutnern Otates almost unprecedented.
Notwithstandingithis, cern in many pa r,
Of this State is selling at S. per barrel, a
meal at $l.25 per bushel. What has ca.
ed this high price for grain, when the or
was so a~bundanti 1t has not been exp.
eed. The blockade prevents it. Wiz
then, We repeat, has caused the recent Q
vance in the price Of meal and -four?
The answer is at hand the grain has be
and IS being bought up for the purpose j
converting IT into whiskey
Is there no remedy for this crying evil
The'C Con vention now in session haa be-
memorialized upon the subject, and the
interposition invoked. The whiskey di,
tillers, and their friends in authority, CO
tend that aay legislative interference
this matter, would be violating the RICH
of property. The expectation of BAG.
and leather has been prohibited BY II
Authorities of the State, unless for milit
~ purposes. Why was this donei u
prevent the scarcity of those articles and
consequent high price for them-to ket
on hand a sufficient supply for the peop
and the soldiers in service-to prevel
these articles of life from being boarded U
by spectators and sold beyond the limi ,
of the State, at an enormous profit, there
by causing an increased price for them ;
home. Has not the Convention, ~investet
with superior powers" the same righ
to prohibit the conversion of grain int.
whiskey, and thereby prevent %sufferin
among the poor for the bread of life g.
Perhaps the number of distillers in the
Convention renders the last ipterrogatory
more difficult of solution.
Nothing, however, has been done by
this august and supreme" body in the
premises, and we are ready to infer that
their non-action proceeds from q slavish
fear of the whiskey-lords of the land-or
self-interest. Has the whiskey power be-
come so omnipotent, that neither Conven-
tions, though supreme" Legislatures,
Courts, nor the people dare deny iti Shall
the whiskey power rule the Pulpit, the
Press, the Country, and exercise its des-
potic sway in every department Of socie-
ty2
Why are hundreds Of the Pulpits silent
upon the subject of this oligarchys Can
1t be accounted for in this way /: One mem
Der furnishes the grain for distilling, an
other makes the barrels, another rents his
houses for grog-shops, another drinks whis,
key and rctails it TO his ncighbors and
brethren. Mr.. Editor, you might vomit
the Internal regions with a dose of tartar
emetic as big as the Blue Ridge noun
tains, and it could not throw up a more
wicked set of the destroycrs of life and
happiness than these liquor-mongers. The
thunder of the Press in North Carolina,
TO its credit be it spoken, has boldly de.
nounced this evil. But public men, alas
do truckle to the whiskey influence. This
Internal liquor-making, liquor-traf6cing
and the power it exerts, has laid onnipe-
tent hand upon both Church and State
and though many good and sober men il
both, hate the thing, they seem disposed
to yield, rather than assert their freedom
at the cost of place and influence. Uuti
every fearless, independent advocate of 80
briefly is ready to make this question {
freedom from the whiskey power q para
mount one, there is but little hope Of q r,
formation.
We do net expect to convince liquor
makers and liquor-sellers of the impropri
ETY. of their conduct and traffic. None
Is their god; let them worship it in th
world, and sufer the penalty Of their lido
airy in the world to come. If we can CO
vince the balance of mankind of the n.
cessity of RETAINING from the use Of ale
hol stimulants, we shall consider our etfor
well merited and properly rewarded. F.
this purpose we now offer them the ten
mony of experience. Mr.. Jefferson at L
expiration of his second Presidential teri
said: The habit Of using ardent spir
by men in public Office, has occasion
more injury to the public service, a
more trouble to me, than any other CT
cumstance which has occurred in the
ternal concerns of the country during 7
administration and were | to CONNER
my administration, with the knowledge
have acquired from experience, the Fl
question l would ask in regard 20 eve
candidate for office, would be-is he
dicted to the use of ardent spirits." N
President Davis profit by this sxperier
A majority Of the acts of violer
deaths, &C., which have occurred in pu'
life among the representatives of the P
pie, in the army, navy, and in social
have had their origin in the intempe
use of ardent spirits. It is q fact uni
sally conceded, that a drinking ma
unfit for any public trust ; in proc
which, our late disaster in Kentucky
been attributed to the intoxication if
bribery, Of a Major General. Drinl
units a man for any business, pfivat