Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-27


be annihilated as completely as the old
State banks have been. The Brewers
address concludes from these figures:
Any financial depression IS sorest
felt by those whose means are most him.
tied, and the extinction or even decim-
alton of a source Of revenue to the
Government which no fnanciering ge-
MUS, either in Congress or out OF 1t,
knows how to replace, would as certain
ly create havoc and panic IN the
country as the sun shines at midday.
They also quote the statement of
Congressman Dawes on May z, that
existing laws call for sinking fund
this year of S29,OOO,OOO, of which not
one dollar had then been Laid by, owing
to last falls panic, and urge therefore
that this is no time to embarrass the
Governments revenues by cutting off
20 per cent. In this connection they
give, with quiet humor, the inscription
on the tombstone of the man who
would not let well enough alone:
81 was well, would be better
Took physic, and here L ami"
They also appeal to the principle of
personal liberty, the sovereignty of the
individual and the rights of man,
among which are the enjoyment of
ones tastes and habits, so long as he
does not injure his neighbor. "a man
shall own himself, be his own master,
be owned or controlled by nobody else,
have no master or overseer put over
him, so long as he regards the like
right to individual sovereignty in
others" They ask whether the Ameri-
can people, after freeing the blacks,
propose to enslave the whites with
sumptuary shackles. If once begun,
where will the matter end. If a ma
jority can dictate our drinks, may they
not next regulator food, our clothing,
and on up until they get to running
the churches. May we not in the fu-
ture have Congressional commission
to investigate the moral tendencies of
Catholic confession, Methodist reviyals,
etc, and selecting the most moral
church as being best for society, abol-
ish all others. The line between per-
sonal liberty and ibertinism is a deli
cateone. No Christian Staterecognizesa
mans right to commit suicide. Legit-
innate freedom may be carried to ex-
cess. In cholera times society does
forbid a man gratifying his taste for
green peas or new potatoes. These are,
however, extreme cases, and the Brew
ers say nothing against Furnishing a
man who makes himself a nuisance to
his neighbors in any way. As to the
evils of intemperance, our opinion is
that the church can do more in its
sphere than the State; that the latter
can never exUirpate the evil without
the cooperation of the former. Re-
igious influences can decrease the de-
mand for liquor; legislation can only
cut off the supply. The history of all
prohibition laws is, that while the de-
mand exists, the supply will be forth
coming.
The Address speaks of the cru
sading women as unconscious but
misguided tools in the hands Of
INSCRIPTIONS men," They offer no
basis for the charge, but we can readi-
ly understand how Radical politicians
of waning fortunes may join inthis cry
for new moral crusade, in order to
divert public attention from their mis-
deeds, and fight out the coming cam
paign on some other issue than the
gross corruption and outrages of their
party. Their war on slavery was inau-
gurated on "high moral grounds.
That being exhausted, what more nat
ural than to start political war on the
sin of intemperance, to rally the same
moral elements. We look with suspi-
cion on any offers of politicians to help |
the couse of morality. The American
idea of government is to confne it to |
political matters. The notion of using |
government in direct manner to make |
the people more moral, more religious,
more christian, savors Of the union of |
Church and State.