Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-04-25
CORRESPONDENCE.
our BOSTON CORRESPONDENCE.

Letter from "1ndex."
Bosros, April 18th. 1867.
Deav Commercial The absorbing matter Of Inter-
est just IN Boston IL the Liquor Law, which has
recently gone into effect. The CONSERVATION among
the rum sellers Ia prodgious, and talk Of outraged
rights Of the citizens, threats Of popular riot OF prom
ised vengeance on the officers charged with carrying
out the provisions Of the law, are heard everywhere
How far they may be true false, have no means
Of ascertaning but 1t 10 certain that the lowest por
tions Of society--the drinking casses-are nightly
| moved, and there may be some trouble. Let that
come, though, II we still keep the rum shops
| closed. Many gooa men contend that we cannot !;
that stringent license law will serve the temperance
cause better than absolute prohibition. Yon will not
expect me here to give the arguments advanced on
either sde the subject Is great and requires pro-
found thought and care. But though good temper
ance mon are found to favor license law, there are
many other people who will not see the prohibitory
law abandoned without struggle. I am Of that
classI have attended some OF the exciting debates
In the Legislature and have read all the printed re-
ports with the greatest care and see nothing to shake
my convictions that prohibition can be- as 1t mani
testify should be, enforced. know not how far this
may be your view, or that Of your readers but each
man for himself on all great questions; with mo
feel II matter OF religious duty to fight the rumse
Ter with every In my power. That the sale and
use Of liquor be absolutely stopped suppose the
most sangulne among us do not expect; means of
poisoning themselves will always be devised by those
who are determined upon It, but the great, the bles-
sed fact remains that this law keeps the temptation
and the fashion Of drinking away from our young
men. Liquor can be had doubtless but 1t Is hard to
get Its signs do not Haunt you every corner; hon
est youth who never really cared for drink. do not
sec or hear OF 1t and forget 1t for nothing is so
nuch mere habit, at fret, as drinking Let young
man live his most critical years. say to the sgs OF 2
sobery, the chances enormously in his favor that
he will ever after be temperate. For this reason
among many others, will not give up the prohib
tory law without hard fight, and hail It Of
the most comforting signs Of progress Of the times
You cannot have failed to notice this agitation from
the newspapers which reach you from this region and
1t Cannot have escaped your attention either that the
strongest allies the sellers have are the Copper
heads Of old times. 1t is asngular fact at FIRST glance
but upon reflection 1t ceases to surprise you. The
slavery party-the traitors psrtys the liquor party,
and by natural sequence l esteem Ii but another
proof that the Republicans-with all their faults and
mistakes-make the real brain and conscience OF the
people.
Shall we sink these graver questions for while
and talk Of music p" Heavenly Maid yves, 1t was
truly said. The initiated know its blessings men
change and change in most things, but they never
wander from that fold. ! sometimes envy your COM
paratively retired life in your quiet little city, but
oitener pity such OF your people are musical when
think OF the advantages have in this respect in
Boston. Music-of the best Is plenteous here; as
the city, Venice like, seems made as much OF water
as dry land, "a bewildering geography, l have not
mastered 1t In several months) music part
OF the essential life Of this community, permesting-
fertilizing every part. Concerts innumerabc cassi
cal matiness, soirees, oratorios, symphonies, op-
era follow and combine lavishly that Is afraid
TO think that he may be living next winter where his
privileges will be poor in comparison. In fact
oen think Of It, how do such Of your people as love
great music content themselves where they hear
nothing from year TO year, They have their pianos
but without public reunions how is IL possible to cre-
ate musical socieiyi What, for example, would your
people have given to have heard Beethovens Ninth
Tor "choral'D Symphony given. as 1t was here last
week. with iull orchestra and chorus and the great
organ in the Music HALL This WAS the last concerl
OF the Harvard Musical Association, and worthily
closed most glorious and successful series. The
season generally, Ia nearly at an end; the Harvard
finished as have said, the Mendellsohn Quintette
also finished and has now started on q concert tour
West, and the Handel aud Haydn Society publish
their two last announcements Elijah and The Staba
Mater for Saturday and Sunday Of this week. These
oratorios will close the regular season, but Of good
music there will doubtless be plenty through all the
spring and summer.
great promoter OF the musical feeling here 10
doubtless the presence Of the three great music
schools, each Of which is the centre OF an intelligent
art circle. There academies are the New England
Conservatory Of Music-the Boston Conservatory of