Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-04-11
WHOLE NO. 2,3OS.

tai rage could infict on man, oatrages
of all descriptions were committed.
prosecutions of individuals and Ma
tions were decreed and executed in
cold blood, destructive wars were
waged, millions Of men were made
miserable, and other millions slain-
all by the abuse of religion. And Just
now, generous danes and damsels are
misled to abuse prayer and benedie-
ton themselves, take the name Of the
Lord their God in vain, and make
\ public demonstrati0ns-ladies make
public demonstratiOns-und the in
fiuence Of abused religion. There is
nothing so holy, so sublime, so divine
that man In his delusion can not abuse.
Shall God destroy his beautiful erea-
ton because foolish men Worship the
objects of nature? Can we abolish
money, luxury, beauty or religion, love
or prayer, because they are abused and
become the sources and causes of
misery, affection, shame, crime and
ruination2 Haman nature and the
civilized world respond emphatically.
Nol If the law prohibits that which
is not criminal or immoral per SC, it is
despotic, challenges resistance, renders
itself contemplate, undermines the
respect also for good and necessary
laws, makes hypOerites and hidden
rebels, and defeats its own ends. 1t
demoralizes. Ifpublic opinion stigma
tlzes that which Is neither criminal
nor immoral per Sc, il weakens itself,
and renders itself powerless. If re-
ligon and prayer are abused to wage
war on liquor to-day, they may be
abused tomorrow, on the same princi-
pie precisely, to persecute and pray out
of their houses and homes, Free Ma
sons, Catholics, foreigners, Infidels, or
anybody who Is not fashionable; suits
not the taste OF his neighbors, or does
not conform to vulgar prejudices. IF
the passions may be ignited with i'm
punity to override and defy the law
and the Constitution, in this or that
form or by any means, it matters not
how or what we stand at the brink of
lawless despotism, and the gates are
aiar for all sorts of violence and per-
seeution, oppression, and destruction
of all personal rights. As practical a
people of common sense as We are, let
US keep In sight that the passions once
reused invariably end in mischief, and
destroy the very thing they mean to
build up. The passions once fully
rused, may lead US back into all the
exeesses and brutalities Of the Middle
Ages. ui .stu
No nation on earth, modern or an
cient, can boast upon respecting higher
or treating better the women of our
country than we do; nor do any de-
serve it better We are willing to grant
them equal rights in every respect, but
We must refuse to be governed by them.
Let them not put us to shame before
the civilized world, as a priest-ridden
and woman-ridden people, after the
heroism of our soldiers, the genius of
our inventors, and the liberty of our
country have filed all with admiration.
There are plenty of means at our COM
nand to protect the community against
he abuse of liquor and many other
abuses but passion, fanaticism, des-
Dotic laws, priest craft, and changing
he course of nature IN subjecting the
aw to passion, and man to female die
alton, will never accomplish any.
There are means at our command to
heck inebrlety and excess, and | am
wiling to assist in reducing them to
Practice; but it is not the theme of
his essay. Here | wanted to estab-
ish this:
First-The use of wine OK strong
rink as beverage is no moral wrong,
lor can it properly be called waste Of
Second-Whatever is not wrong to
me class of our people can not be
made so to any other in a democratic
country. s.,..-.s .
Third-The abuse OF anything not
criminal or immoral per Sc jUstifies not
he abolition or prohibition thereof.
Fourth-Pensl or prohibitory laws
lgainst acts or usages not criminal or
IMMORAL in themselves defeat the very
md and object OF all law.
Fifth-The abuse of religion and
,rayer is worse than the abuse of
liquor. i1
Sixth-The present crusade will not
emedy the evil it is contrary to law
nd liberty, and ridicules us in the eyes
# the civilized world safH
The decree of King Ahasueras, the
uler of Medo-Persia, reads: Tint
very man may be ruler in his house,
nd speak according to the tongue of
lis people" @