Newspaper Page Text
feed llic position of touch ‘teldom, and i
Uiai this habit is onward,
ami governed by no laws of restrain!,
in the physical economy—man cease
to drink; for vou are violating the
laws of High Heaven, promulgated in
ttic books, Nature ami the Bible.
JAB. 11. OLIPIIANT.
lira, liranlly. —l have noticed with
pleasure several communications to the
Banner — our Banner, —on the subject
of regulating the liqti .r traffic. Throw
wide your columns and let ideas float in
on this subject, for it will result in j
good. 1 trust the discussion as to the
best plan, will go on, and will bo con
ducted, ns llro. Myers says, “calmly \
and judiciously.” 1 cannot enter the
list of debaters myself, for I am lacking i
in experience, ability, and time, but af
ter reading Cro. Myers’last article, I
entered on a train of thought, w Inch has, :
occasionally, for sew; ul y< ars, passed
impresssively through my bruins.—
Yielding the point (which in my opinion ;
is a great concession) that alcohol must |
he retailed, the great question now din- j
cussed seems to be, to ;whom shall he
entrusted the power of granting theli.|
censo for its retail, and how shall dint
license issue ? The drift of Bro. My
er’s argument seems to be, that those
most interested, shall have the power to i
decide the question of license or noli-!
cense, and that the license should issue
in a wav to prevent its intermixture,
with politics. Beyond all question
thus fur he is right, especially us to the
persons who rIiuII decide the question
of license in the first iustunce, for who,!
hut those that are interested should de
cide; it ? Here is the point, und let us
look well to it: What docs both reason
and polity say on this point l The
man who has slaves to bo debauched
and ruined is interested—deeply inter
ested. Shrill lie decide ? See the field
open for the rum-drinking and rum-sel
ling demagogue, and many merit/ess
politicians, who may not drink much !
fathers who have children raising, both
those who have and who have not
slaves, ure still more deeply interested,
fifiiull they decide it ! Shall wc trust
them ? In many instances I had rather
trust the child, or the well-truined
slave, than the father und master.—
I low many fathers lead the way, anil
•‘make plain” the paths to those grog
shops I They will risk the chunees
for their children and slaves', to have
themselves accommodated with u conve
nient grog-shop.
“Alas! for n thousand fathers, whose indul
gent drink,
Hath emptied the vial of confusion over a
thousand homes;
Alas! for (In’ palaces and hovels, that.
might have lieen nurseries for heaven,
By fathers (trinkin broils blighted into
schools for hrll. ‘
I tut suppose I mention a class of per
sons more, deeply interested than either
of tho above, and who can be safely
trusted, and whom neither demagogues
nor ruinsellers can denounce without
destroying all their influence by show
ing themseves ns tiny are— devils und
barbarians ! Will you then say, with
me, that this class of perrons should
have a voice in this matter: Widowed
mothers] Oh! what volumes nro in
those two little words—widowed-—mo
thers ! Who loses more w hen slaves
are ruined and property wasted * who
,v offers more when a young and thought
less, but promising son is ensnared und
destroyed forever! Vet who is now
more helpless, and less protected from
the snare* of one of them heartless
grog-shops? I know that mothers are the
best to train and mould aright the minds
and hearts of their sons; but then the
son must be brought within tlm control
and underthe influence of the mother;
there must he an outward force to press
the son in A- keep him under the mothers
roof, and in nine cases out often when
tile father is gone, this cannot be done.
The only out-door influence tlien is that 1
of a giddy, selfish, frolicsome world,
which is ever acting to draw oil’ tlm
soil from bis mother's pious home and
fireside, his the orphan !> n y w hom
tho rumsellor and Irinker are most suc
cessful in impressing with the belief,
that they are his best friends and most
social associates. It is the fatherless’
daughter, who is most liable to be vic
timized by the external polish and de
ceitful smile of some drinking, gamb
ling, heartless adventurer. You know
this ; 1 know it; wo all know it.—
Shall we make it the basis of action ?
Who objects? Hero is the plan, lint
power die Inferior Court to issue a li
cense to any person to retail liquor, or
sell liquor, who sliull produce to tho
court tho w ritten consent of the wid
owed mothers who live in the Militia;
l>isiiiel or neighborhood where the:
grog-shop is to be established, that the
license shall issue. And let it issue
only on tills condition, td let this writ
ten consent be recorded iu the Clerk’s
Ollioe. With this plan, or some simi
lar one, 1 am willing to take the field
against any enemy. This is no resort
to the ballot box. It is no monopoly to
property-holders. It is simply to pro
tect the widow and the orphan, and God
will bless the government and people
that shall do it. Shall they who sutler
most have no power to prevent ? Shall
not even their wishes be consulted in a
civilized country !
Not long since 1 visited the Peniten
tiary of our State ; I saw there several
young meu, or raiiier boys, of tine man.
ners, good intelligent faces, and who
evidently might Imve been useful men.
Some ol them very well educated. I
fell anxious to converse with them und
know something of their histories.—
With three ut them l did converse sep
i
o!v<jAN OK Tin: SONS OF TFMi J KKANCE ANi) STATE 1 EMPibRANN Lb CON V KNI IQ V
I urutely. Among other tilings I asked
each one it he had a mother ; here in
each ease, the countenance would sad.
den, itiel a shade would pass over the,
young in,ui’r brow, as each replied, “1
have a mother sir, but no father, my,
fattier died when I was young, and my
mother is a widow.” And need I add it,
i’twas liquor brought them there ! Un
happy mothers 1 The laws of your
•date permitted u worthless rum.seller
to ruin your sons, though promising and
lovely, and gave you no right to ob
ji cl, iben took your sons and impris
oned them, destroyed your support ami
comfort, and merry and free tho rttni
seller goes on in his work of death!
And uli 100, in the name o (liberty 11
When you and 1, Mr. Kditor, are j
sleeping in the grave, may our widows
uid little ones bo protected by belte r
I laws.
Apiil 25th, Jps2.
‘I uun\
i l . tS. Say to Bro. Myers, I mean no
I harm in writing over an anonymous
! signature. I have entered the field not!
1 for controversy, but simply to cry hur
ra to all patlies who arc in the
light. For in this fight it matters not’
! very much who whips, wo shall have
a victory ! Our mi;-dies an aimed at
different pants, but wo aro oil hooting
at old alcohol, and let us never quit the
field until he it; dead, dead ! und no
no mistetlce.
1 By the way, Bro. Brantly, you have
escaped a law suit and some awful a
buse. You sent me a paper some time
cince with three black marks on it.—
Now this was a horrid charge, I con
aider it a slander, a libel and actionable j
perse to charge mo with reading the
I funner for three years without paying!
for it. Well you have of your own ac
-1 cord repented, and I’ll forgive you. —
idle lust several numbers have had but I
lone black mark. That is correct, but I
that is too many, and enclosed you will |
| find two dollars to place mo ahead.
T.
Leu a non, May 4th, 1852.
Bro. liranlly: —ln reference to log.
illation to regulate a grog-aristocrasy
in tho country, I am well aware the
public mind is divided, it is argued
I that the Legislature bus no right. For
one I have no doubt as to the right; the
! expediency may he doubtful. The Po
lice of a City cau enforce ■quarantine
! law upon the evidence of* tho Port Phy
sician. in many States they will pro
j hibit the Botanic Physicians from using
; brandy and red pepper, iAc. as No. (*
and denounce it as quackery ; but an
other class may salivate you with calo
i inel and it is scientifically done. Now
what are we to do with a class whoiiev
, er li ir moral suasion, who never at
lend u temperance lecture, or read a
paper/ 1 douhl whether we will gain
any thing hv referring to the Grand Ju
rors. A similar course is adopted in
So. Ca. which dm s riot arrest the evil:
and if wo petition the legislature, alco
hol has too many warm und true friends !
tin re. Tl.o question returns upon us,!
what shall we do / 1 reply, let every I
county, in the first place, re-organize
; the Washingtonian Society with every j
! other they can, and g°t ready for an!
| attack upon the enemy of the church
and country. Then let every Christian j
and temperance man vote understand-1
; in”ly anil not ns a partizan, and sup- i
port no man who is an immoral man, as!
u consistent man lie should vole this j
way; he cannot vote otherwise. This !
will soon prepare the minds of the pco
i pie for sober action. A Christian and
temperance man should by careful !
when he puts his vote in the ballot-box
that lie has not belied his profession.!
And if the Christian votes tor an im
moral man, and the temperance man
j for a drunkard, how will lie look at!
j that vote in the great day of judgment/;
lio may call upon the legislature anti
! grand jury both ; but sir, unless we do j
our weak consistently no attention will |
lie paid. 1 (ear too legislature is not!
prepared for action at the present time. ;
And should a petiti o be vent there and
i defeated it will be a signal triumph to!
our enemies. Let us then get ready
. for tilt) charge before we make it, and
: when wit Jo, cry as Pulaski once did, j
; no quarters, uniil tho evil is extormina-!
! tod: we need some drilling and we
must go at it, and the sooner the octet'-j
) ours truly.
J. C. PONT ELL.
Mr. Banner, —1 suppose \on will uc-’
know |e tge me to boa good S. of T.
when you learn that l have entirely nl>-
staineii from all intoxicating drinks for
some 20 or 27 years, and am fully re
solved never to touch it as long as 1
live, and then to charge toy children
and negroes to do so too. But as strong
as 1 am, ! am now a member of no Di
vision, and I find a large, yes very j
large, number of good teetotalers are in
my fix-—viz: members of no Division.
All have been ; but for different reas
ons we are out and do not expect to
join again until some different arrange
ments are made. We have paid some,
5, some lit, some 20, and others more
than 880. Well, wo feel that we have
paid enough as we have never received
any funds back, and never desired to ando 1
so; hut wo do think that we ought lo
i be entitled to remain members of’the
Division, without having to pay more—
provided we receive no benefits. I
1 know of very few, if any Division,
whose membership would not be about
double as large as it is, if some ar- !
rangemeul of this sort were made ; and
1 can see no gum I reason why tile N i
t.oual Division should not at once do it. It
is well known it would be of great in
terest to tis cau - . It is true t>eN l
tionut and Grand Division would loose ,
their p'-r centage, and it is believed by
, rnunv that this is the strongest grounds
• ‘ i
HUAilHft it.
bay creek.
LaFayettk, Ala. May nth, 1952.
Mr. Editor, —The agitation of the
temperance cause, Is producing in our
country somo good results, and our;
principles are gradually spreading and
gaining ground. The Institution of the
j Sons of Temperance, lias received an
impetus, of 1 at*-, destined, as 1 sincerely
hope, to override all opposition howev-!
er formidable, that muy array itself!
against our heaven-born mission. Al-1
ready do we see hundreds flocking tot
: our standard, to uphold it in a dark and j
i portentous hour, and to fight valiantly !
in this morul conflict, with which wo-j
| man’s hopes, the patriot’s pride and J
Christian’s weal, aro intimately con-:
nected. All over the country the ti
dings i■; borne upon tho winds, that a,
j Division has been re-organized, where
one-’ its sun sunk in darkness; Charters |
! forfeited have been regranted; backsli- j
dors reinrtated, an 1 lukewarm Sons!
j aroused from their lethargy to action, j
zeal, and energy in this philanthropic!
; enlcrprize. How could it be otherwise j
when we take into consideration the im-!
port a nee necessarily attached to our!
Order. That it has redeemed and is
redeeming man from one of ‘ho foulest
j curses, known in the long-catalogue of
vices. That it takes him from the
j filth and pollution of inebriety, with its
| long train of deleterious consequences,
into which lie has lieen unfortunately
drawn by the charming influence of
sparkling wine, and places him in an j
elevated position in Society, where he!
; becomes an honor to bis family, to the
cpinmunity in which be resides,
. and the land that gave him birth,
j Tins charge is brought about, in coa- !
! nection with other causes, by public j
j speaking. And this brings toe to that
j part of my correspondence, concerning ]
i which, I wish mainly to write. We
j have bad two public addresses of late,
! upon the subject of Temperance. One
Iby the Rev. Win. Atkinson, the
I other, by our Grand Lecturer, S M
Hewlett, at di fib rent times. The first
; gentleman gave us a very sensible and
logical discourse, inveighing rather se
verely against the traffic of Alcoholic
! drinks, proving beyond a doubt that it
was at) evil of which tho country
should got rid. The other, Mr. How
lett, spoke last Monday night week, in
the Baptist church of this place; in
which discourse, wit, sarcasm, miniick
ry and out-bursting eloquence were
displayed by one of the most humorous
Orators that 1 have ever ha* 1 the plea
sure of healing. His appointment had
been made previous to his arrival ut
this place, and the people manifested :
ail uncommon anxiety to hear him. The I
houso was crowded ami all were intent!
and eager to catch every remark which j
| might fall fiom the lips of the speaker. I
My communication would be too elah
■ orate even to give a sketch o--'hisspeech.
| And should 1 undertake it, ! would so!
mutilate the original, us to make those!
; who heard him, think that there was no
j analogy between tlie two. Suffice it to,
say, that his arguments were cogent
l Ids eloqunce effective and his anecdotes
- appropriate and convincing. The uni
versal opinion of uil is, that he is the j
man for tho times.
1 have been credibly informed that
the Divisions at Fredonia, Natasulgai
and other places have had several ac
cessions through the instrumentality of!
Mr. Hewlett’s Lectures. He sowed |
some seed in the LaFuvette, which ii
hope will sprout up and bring forth n
rich harvest of sobriety. Mis address!
at Mill Town seemed to have the de
sired effect to arouse the people from a
lukewarmness upon this subject, to
think and investigate ere the bligtliing
mildew of intemperance shall wither,
tho few green Oases, which are still
left, of our country’s prosperity.
If a few more gallant spirits, whoj
aro willing to brook the storm ot popu-,
la r indignation, und a few of our poli
ticians who are willing to be ostracised;
for their country’s good, and man’s
happiness, would engage in this great
contest in which right and wrong are
arrayed in antagonistical positions, we
wouhFsoon see, instead of penury and
want, plenty and ease scattered profu
„odly over our republican government;;
instead of desolution and misery; we
would sec happiness and contentment
beaming from the countenance of all;
in fine tho wilderness and desert would |
bloom as the rose.
Yours in li. P. & F.
J.A.J. C. j
The Sheriff of New York. —We un- i
derstand that the sheriff ot this county
has got quite sick of his office; the
rum-shops send him more subjects to,
hang than lie likes to attend to. They
have accumulated on his hands. There
are no less than ten subjects for the gal
lows now in prison, and we have no!
doubt they will prepare and have as
many more ready by the time theSher
ilf gets rid of them. Our Sheriff'is one
of the best men in the world, but he
does not like to send men into another
world for crimes-committed under the
influence of liquor furnished by the
keepers of tippling shops—we were
about to say of the lowest grade—but
there are no different grades; a rum
>liop is a rumshop; and a rum-dealer
is a rum-dealer; thev are all of one and
the same stripe.— Weekly Visitor.
Bitter pills may have blessed effects’
For the Temperance Danner.
Mr. Brantly A question through!
the medium of your paper has been by ;
one “Givis” “proposed to any one who;
may take upon himself to answer it.”
The question is this : Are our medical
colleges justifiable in sending out young
inen to practice medicine, who are
wholly incompetent fir the profession.
The first portion of the proposed ques
tion : are our medical colleges justifia
ble in sending out young men to prac
tice medicine,) must be answered in
the affirmative, unless an objection be
had to those who aro young. If this hr
an objection, the ages of young men
whom the colleges send out should be
defined.
The conclusion of the question in
volves an impossibility, ("who are whol
ly incompetent for the profession.’ )
What profession ? The profession of
seniority? The profession of that do
tage which seventy years so often
brings—of that experience based on the
errors of age? Or does the writer
mean a profession of the science of mod
; ieine—or the practice of that noble and
philanthropic calling, whose object is to
1 palliate pain—to alleviate distress—to
■ cure disease ? To practice this noble
calling with ability, to profess truthful
ly a knowledge of the science of medi
cine, is to declare, that within the men j
tal gtasp the whole encyelopedea of
seichce is held. Without a knowledge
of physical science, especially such as
Anatomy, Physiology, Materia Medica
and Therapeutics, et cetera; these be
ing intimately by circumstances con
nected with that biped of the genus Horn
inis or of the mammal tribe of animals,
jno one should practice the science of j
| medicine. That the unlearned, the
unqualified should so do, is not the de
sign of medical colleges, neither does it
; meet the approbation of the professors
of such institutions. But it does of
, some people, as they employ the igno- j
rant, and patronize the unscientific. If
i the people.employ such, the colleges are
not to be blamed, for our citizens are
democratic and wise ; consequently
have the right to patronize and the
wisdom to select whom they please, and
will not put themselves to the trouble
of consulting Mr. “Civis.”
The manner in which the question is
proposed renders it absurd, for no one
who can talk, has the power of locomo
tion, being endowed with femoral, cra
ral and pedal appendages, who has a
head with brains in it, is a matt endowed
with the usual amount of vitality, can
be wholly incompetent for a profession
or its practice. The veracity of one
professing, though unprepared, and the
utility to mankind of such an one false
ly professing may be questioned, but to
assert that such an one is wholly incom
petent would be a very great fallacy.
Mr. “Civis” should remember that
“we are of such stuff'as dreams are
made of, and our little life is rounded
with asleep,” and he who can dream
can profess, and will do so until his lit
tle life is turned in the lathe of time by
the chisel of death-,
STUDENT.
May the <ki, 1852.
lie that wants health wants everything.
SONS OF TEMPERANCE.
Pledge of tlicSons of Tompe-
r SUICC-—I, without reserve, solemnly pledge
my honor as a man that I will neither make, buy,
sell nor use, as a beverage, any Spirituous or
Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider.
Officers of tlie Orami I>lvision,
G. L. M’Cleskey, G. W. P. Monroe.
J.S. Pinckard, G. W. A. Forsyth.
W. iS. Williford, G. Scribe, Macon.
E. C. Granniss, G. Treasurer, „
J. PL Evans, G. Chaplain, „
D. E. Blount, G-Conductor, Clinton.
J. D. IlAvts, G. Sen. Houston, Cos.
CADETS OF TEMPERANCE.
PLEDGE.
No member shall make, buy, sell or use
as a beverage,any spirituous or malt liquors,
wine or cider.
Officers of Ilie Grand Section.
J. W. Benson, G. P. Macon.
U. Burton, G. A. P. Pondtown.
L. C. Simson. G. S. &, T. Atlanta.
Rev. J. S. Wilson, G. C. Decatur.
S. M. H. Byrd, G. G. Oxford.
W. P King, G. W. Thomaston.
I. O. of Kecliiibites.
Officers of Georgia Dist. Tent, No. 28, loca
ted at Washington, Wilkes Co.,Ga.:
Washington, Rev. G.G. Norman, D. P. C. R.
„ J. D. Burden, D. C. R.
Atlanta, C. R. Hanleiter, D. D, R.
Washington, John R. Smith, 1). R. S.
„ George Dyson, D. F. S.
St. John Moore, D. Tres.
■„ R. U. Lynn, D, Levite.
Recliabite’s Pledge.
! hereby declare, that I will abstain from all
intoxicating liquors, and will not give, nor offer
them to others, except in religious ordinances,
or when prescribed, in goml faith, by a medi
cal practitioner ; 1 will not engage in the traf
fic ot them, and in ait suitable ways will dis- ‘
countenance the use, sale and manufacture ot.
them ; ami to the utmost of my power, I will
endeavor to spread the principles of abstinence
l from all intoxicating liquor?
11 E IMFIUISI.
PENFIELD, WAY 15, 1X52.
(Mr NOTICE- —Subscribers recei
ving their papers with a straight black
mark, are thereby notified that they are
in arrears. One mark indicates one;
dollar due; two, that two, &c. Please
remit the amount at once by mail, with
out waiting for other opportunity.
There is justice in the folio wing re
marks, by the Editor of the Augusta Con
stitutionalist, and if black marks will not
reach a certain class of newspnpet subscri
bers, it is hoped plain truths may ;
Bank of St- Mary’s Bills-
We notice that several of ourcotem
porariesare offering to receive at par,
Bank of St. Mary’s bills in payment
of arrearages due them for subscrip
tions. One offers to take this sort of
pay for all atrearages of two years
and upwards. Now, this is certainly
offering a premium to delinquency. It
enables delinquents to take advantage
of their own wrong. It is putting those
who have unjustly neglected to pay to
the publisher his hard earned dues, oti
better terms than those who have, punc
tually and honestly, paid their subscrip-1
tiens according to the contract. If any j
favor is to be extended, it should be to j
the punctual subscriber, not to the de- j
linquent. If either should be allowed j
to [my in depreciated paper, it should i
be the former. But if any service and j
labor is entitled to be paid in specie I
funds, it is that rendered by the news- !
paper printer. The offer to take St. j
| Mary’s Bank bills may arise in some j
cases from the necessity of raising mon-1
ey; owing to the neglect of the natrons ‘
to support the paper, by paying their
dues. If so, what a reproach is it, to
those who, by carelessly, or fraudulent
‘ ly, refusing to pay their .several pitten- j
! ces, force the publisher to submit to a I
; heavy sacrifice on bis dues patiently
toiled for and fairly earned !
Tho State Temperance Convention of
Georgia, will be held at Newnan, Commen
cing at 10 o’clock on the last Wednesday in
June. We take great pleasure in laying
before our readers the following procee
dings of the Committee appointed at the
lust session of the Convention;
Stale Temperance Convention, j
The Executive Committee of the State j
Temperance Convention to be held in New-1
nan, in June, have the pleasure to announce j
that they have secured the services of the J
Rev. John E. Dawson, of Columbus, as our j
annual Orator. Jt is useless for the Com- i
mittee to eulogize Air. Dawson; his fame
not only as a minister, but as an able cham
pion in the temperance cause is well known
in a large portion of the South. Other dis
tinguished advocates will be invited to be
present on the occasion, Hon. O’Neal of S.
CL, Judge Floyd, Bishop Andrew, Dr. Hoyt,
Dr’s. Me ms, Talmage and Pierce.
To the numerous Temperance Organiza
tions, Washingtonians, Sons, Templars, Re
chabites, Cadets, and last not least Daugh- J
ters ot Temperance, we say send your dele- I
gates; let us have a strong representation, I
| and once more present at our annual cold
i water gathering, a united front against the
) old monster. The battle is yet in progress,
the enemy still in the held, and no cold wa- I
ter hero or heroine should consider himself
or herself as discharged from the war as
long as the old enemy makes his bksody
track on Georgia Soil.
We hope our President will be there and
with his well known voice, cheer his nu
merous friends, to the renewal of another
annual campaign against the common foe.
The Committee respectulhj requests the;
citizens of Newnan, without distinction and j
friendly to our cause, as soon as practicable i
to hold a Town Meeting and appoint a Com- j
mittee to wait on the citizens of Newnan !
and know of them to what extent they will!
accommodate the delegates to the Conven-■
tion; also a committee to receive strangers
at the cars, and other [daces, an assign;
them their places of entertainment.
All submitted to the public at large and |
Newnan friends in particular.
H. FLEMING,
J. Y. ALEXANDER,
l. E. ROBINSON, !
J. J. PINSON,
D. P. JONES.
Newnan, 10th May 1852.
N. B. All the Temperance Organizations!
will no doubt see the propriety of sending!
up money, more or less, to defray ineiden-1
j tal expenses. One lecturer will expect j
I contributions for past services, during the
j Conventional year.
Will the various Rail Road Officers grant
! half price Tickets to delegates? U'e would
most respectfully ask this favor.
Funny,
To see an individual, in a public street, I
slip out of a house, with a jug behind him,;
and walking sideways to a carriage, deposit
it, his eyes turned only one direction along
the street, and then think he has not been
discovered. That’s cute, isn’t it?
For the driver to have an empty jug
slipped into his vehickle, when leaving a
place, and upon his return, having the same j
jug full of Bald Face, taken out, and he be
entirely ignorant of the transaction. Smart,
decidedly.
The Liquor bill, as amended, passed the
House of Representatives of Massachusetts,
on off) inst. by a majority of 26 votes.
; The undersigned requests all cor
respondence for him to be directed to Union
j Point, instead of Public Square.
„ V. R. THORNTON.
[ May IF 18-32.
Precocious l‘|*ravii v
A writer in the New York Home Jo,, r
gives an account of a visit which he reeem’i’
made to one of the shilling theatres in it ‘
city. He mentions that there were !A
not less than four or five hundred bov.AjC
tween the ages of ten and sixteen'year ’
whilst some of them could not have” !>/*’
more than seven or eight years of a<r e I!
These children and youths, so far as eouTt
lie observed, were unattended by anv
teetor or friends of an age sufficiently
ture to he responsible. They would
main at the theatre until 12 or l o’clock ■ i
night. In the interludes they would re
pair in crowds to the bar-rooms, with which
the house was amply provided, and there
they would spend the fiuie in drinking
fighting, or in other vicious employments’
Tlircc-cent glasses of spirits, (and on such
terms they must have been of the vilest coin,
pounds,) were dealt out to these juvenile
drinkers whenever they would apply f or
them. When it is remembered that there
are several cheap establishments of this
kind in the city in which lnindredsofthe.se
lads are nightly convened, and when wo
consider that the plays which are performed
arc frequently of the most demoralizing
tendency, it is difficult to estimate the at
mount of evil which is done to the voum*
in that city. We can coiioieve of no more
certain and efficient manufactories for drunk
ards, thieves, disturbers of She peace, and
\ for those who are accomplished in all that ‘
| can make them the pests of society.
But is New York the only part es our
[ country in which the young may be corrupt
ed by intoxicating liquors? Happy should
I we be could we answer this question in the
affirmative. But alas, in our very midst there
j are scores of drinking shops in which child
ren who are old enough to express their
; wants, and who have the money with which
to purchase, can procure the intoxicating
dram. One would suppose that any one
with the heart of a man would shrink from
furnishing to persons of tender years the
draught which is so pernicious to their
health and morals. It being so obvious to
all, that they are not of an age in which they
can decide what is good for them, the vend
er, if he possessed the common feelings of
humanity, would deny them the destructive
stimulus. But alas, they who live upon the
woes of their fellow-beings soon become
Very dull of conscience. Their object is to
make money by the sale of their poison.
Whether that money comes from thejuven
j fie tippler of 12 or 15 years of age, or wheth
j or it comes from the veteran toper of
j a century, it is, nevertheless, money—the’
j object which they seek.
The writer in tlie Journal already referred
j to, urges the friends of youth to Unite their
j efforts in securing such enactments as may
arrest this evil. We are persuaded that
this is the only way in which the mischief
can be abated. It is idle to appeal to the
humanity ot those who are prosecuting a
traffic which implies the extinction of the
moral sense. The strong arm of the law
must be interposed. Let the sale of ardent
spirits to a minor, unlc y s by the order of his
parent or guardian, be made a penitentiary
offence; and let the conditions ofeonvic
, tion he such as shall make the proof quite
| easy in every case of guilt. In London the
laws are very stringent upon this subject.
A man detected in the corruption of the
young by means of strong drink, is prompt
ly and severely punished. This is right
| Evety tiiend of youth, be he a temperance
man or otherwise, mint acquiesce most
heartily in such a measure.
Men who think bhl net for
themselves.
1 he number of this class in every commu
nity is usually very small. Yet it is reas
onable to suppose that it would always com
prize the majority. It is, we are accustom
ed to say, liy the possession of thought and
reason, that man is distinguished from the
| other animals who inhabit the world with
him. tSuch being his characteristic qua'i
i *' es “ e should naturally expect to see them
exercised on every occasion when they
■ could be demanded. But, strange to say,
the great mass of every community are gov
erned by a few energetic spirits who are
industrious enough to do the thinking for
the indolent. Some new plan of action is
projected ; some enterprise is suggested;
j some rail-road or manufacturing adventure
| is proposed. Instead of examining these
i propositions for themselves, and after a de
liberate survey of the case, making up their
I millds in reference to them, the first enquiry
i is after the opinions of A. B. and C. who
seem to have been appointed a Committee to
think tor the rest. If an important quee
i“ ’ S “ Kita,ed in P°ltfics> the same enqui
res are at once heard. Before darim* to
express an opinion, they pause to learn the
views of their leaders. Catching the sound
winch is heard from them, they make haste
to re-iterate it with as mush Leal as if they
were themselves the authors of the opinions
which they promulgate. The same thin™
IS true ill questions of morality and philam
thropy. Men evince the utmost reluctance
to espouse principles which their better
judgment must recognize ns sound and sal
utary until they can learn whether these
principles will become generally popular.
ihe consequence of this mental indo
lence (and perhaps we ought to add moral
imbecility) is that a few demagogues gov
ern society. In polities how small the class
ot men who manage public opinion. In our
conventions to make Governors, Presidents,
Congressmen, members of the Legislature,.
eVc., you are sure to find through a series
id years the same individuals. They feel’
themselves charged with the entire interests
of the community and cannot imagine that
the wheels of government would roll on
without some effort on t heir part. The min
utesof our religious Conventions will ex
hibit in many instances, the identical dele
gates from year to year, claiming the pre-