Newspaper Page Text
ton am! A. \V. M’Cloy were appointed
a committee of reception. And imme- i
diatelv they proceeded to the Hotel and
conducted Rro. Hewlett to the Hall,
vv;u m ho was introduced by the Mar
shal, Hro. 7.. T. Murphy, to th • mat
rons and maidens of temperance and to ;
.he Division. Alter while procession;
was formed, composed of Cadets, Mat
rons and Maidens of Temperance, and
Sons of Temperance ; and we nnmeJi
i. !y repaired to the baptist Church, j
where we found a very large audience
in waiting. Arid after singing an 1
prayer by the Chaplain, liro. Hcwlet j
was then introduced to the audience,
and in a speech of an hour and a hall j
he most completely uprooted the. battle- ,
ments ofour opposers, stormed the for- j
tress of old alchy, uticapt llte pit of bac
chanalian misery and di struction——
sang the song of teetotaler or no hus
band. and sat down amidst tho smiles of
j, gratifiedaudience. The matrons and
maidens have initiated IS or 20, and ,
the Division Ins initiated nine, and still |
they come.
The Division held a called mission on !
the night of the 24th, and i terns ad-.
journment a large number ol temper ;
ance men collected in town, (it lining
tho last day bv law, and by the moral j
s ntimeut of tiie people that alcohol ;
could ho vended in our v illage) and |
(brined a torch light procession and;
serenaded the town, alter which they |
tanned in front of the office of Ardisj
and Thornton, and M. E. Adair being
called for, come lot ward, and in a short I
address, most manfully and eloquently
portrayed the evils attendant upon in - j
temperance. At the conclusion of
whose speech, R. D Thnmton living I
loudly called, a rose, and in Ids usual,,
bold and pathetic manner, dug up the;
dead evidences of misery and ruin, and ;
arrayed them with tho living, against j
him who in this enlightened day, should j
daro to put his cup to bis neighbor";;
lip, and wound up by saying to the de
funct groceties, Rcquiescant in peace. I
Yours in J.- I’. Ai I'.
11. M. THURMOND, i
K. D. THORNTON, > Com. j
J. J. WILSON. )
CuLLODEN, fill., May stll, 1852.
Mr. Jlrant/y : —living a Son of Tern- ;
pcrance, and one who desires much I
the advancement of the interest of the j
order, 1 think that it behooves me as
such, to do whatever is in my power
for the attainment of that end. And it
is for that purpose that I address this l
communication to you, hoping and de- i
siring that what shall follow below may 1
find an insertion in tho columns oftlie ,
“Banner.” 1 seek to repair the inju-I
ries done to Subordinate Divisions, not i
only in our district, but perhaps through
all the Suite by a non attendance to!
their duty, by the superior officers. 1
do not wish to chide them, nor charge 1
them with intentionally neglecting the
business of trie order; hut desire to
call upon them to their duly, not only 1
as Sons of Temperance, but us pliilan- 1
tliropists, and as men wlio desire the
general welfare ol man. II they desire
to see the universal dissemination of
temperanco principles, it” they wish to
see temperance with outstretched arms
embrace all mankind, and if tlioy wish
to see temperance stretch one hand to
the Hast and and one to the West, and ;
clasp earth to her bosom, and kiss away 1
the tears of orphans, and sooth the sor
row sos widows, they will not, cannot,
refuse to hear my call.
Tlio object then, of my coinmunica-!
lion may be summed up in the follow
ing address :
P
To til3 G w. P
t3ir:—Believing ii to bo my duty to ;
address you, when the interest of our
order is ut stake, from the negligence
of a superior officer, I most respectfully!
ask your attention on this point. Your:
Deputies sir, have not properly attend-j
od to th-'ir duly in our county. Ac
cording to t 1 o onstitutioii of the Grand I
Division, it is their duty to visit each
Subordinate Division within their juris,
diction, ut least once every quarter. —
Now sir. u'f have no', had a visit for
three years with one exception; we
hire had one, and only one visit in these 1
three years/ One i>“ two Divisions inj
the county have become completely ob
solete, un i iu my opinion, it is owing
to this oiromnvjanoe. 1 have heutd
members from m arly all the divisions:
in the-county make the statement, that
thev were seldom or never visited !>v
your deputies. That this has a delete
rious eifect no one will pretend to deny.,
Now if the Subordinate Divisions are
bound to obey the Grand Division, and
have to pay strict attention to whatever
that burly may require of them, l think
that the officers ot the Grand Division
should do their duty to the Subordinate
Divisions and not allow them lupine
uway from pure neglect. It h but jus
tice to us as Sous id Temperance, and
if you neglect us, you do vmlouae to
the cause ot temperance. Now sir, 1
have vou appoulc 1 to because we are in
dangt r, and if you do not give us that
attention that is due us under such cir.
cumstanees, you will be culpable if wo
fall.
A SON.
Columbus, Ga., Mn. Gth, 1852.
Uncle Ben: —In my List epistle your
compositor caused me to say something
wrong. In speaking oft lie ladies cau
sing the shop keep is to fly around
drawing brandy, wine, &.0., your com
positor put it drinking brandy, A’C.—
The error is of very., halo imparlance,
unJ 1 should not have noticed it, but
that it conveyed a different id’ u from
that which 1 wished to impress, i. e.
that the ladies became truth, ers in this
OItUAN OF THIS SOWS OF TKiMPKUAXCF and STATE TEMPERANCE CONVEX i ioy__
1 lilthy business, and what astonishes me
i more is that some of them are the wives 1
and daughters of Washingtonians and
Sons.
But sir, 1 will not fill tins sheet u ith
strictures upon the conduct of our
wives, daughters nml sisters, but leave
them to tho mercies of their own tend.
1 er consciences, which l know will keep
them in the paths of propriety, if they ;
will but listen to its teachings.
I see licit the major part of your cor. I
rospoitciits are discoursing upon the!
subject of legislation, and I would to
I God that tiie major part of our people,
1 were in favor of it; were it so, then we ]
should soon see that lor which wo have!
prayed, labored, and toiled. Ourpeo-i
! pie are too timid for good soldiers ; our
policy is to strike while we have the
vantage ground, and not wait until wc
have retrograded to the posit ion occu
pied a few years past. That this will
bo the consequence if we i.pt to,
stand still, none can deny, or disprove.!
| Taking it for granted that tins position
is correct, “your duty brothci / ’ To 1
(gird on new weapons and scale the]
ramparts of the enemy. An army he-1
fore a fort in . \ p- iv .. ■ for- e tiie
’occupants to a i-.apit dan m, by c an- j
j munding, hut it in re frequently oc-;
leurs that the invading army uro com. |
i polled to charge th - tort and compel
the enemy into submission, and no ar- t
j my ever failed that had right and jus.
lice on their side, that had the great!
King of kings, & Lord of lords to sti ike I
Confusion in the < neiiiy’s ranks, Well
brothers where do we stand i We’
■ have met. the enemy, and forced him;
into his fort, (the law,) and wc have
; been commanding for years, yet still
they do not capitulate. Uncle Dabney j
thrown shell upon shell into their quar
ters, which has stayed its thousands;
i Hewlett has raked them foro and aft
: w ith chain shot, and yet there are mu
'ny left to battle against us. Why un- j
cle Ben, tho enemy seems to care no
j more for uncle Duhnev’s shells, or j
llmvletls chain shot than if they would j
for :t squib; the fact is, they have a,
j fort wo cannot penetrate. There is,
’ thunk God, one other big gun wc have
the use of, but which we have not yet
| brought to bear, that is the same gun
! they have been using, with a little dif
ferent construction, the law. They
j have never scrupled to force upon us
what we know to bo trespassing upon
our dearest interests! They have uev.
er .scrupled to foist a pauper population
! upon us which we have to support!—
’ fln y have not scrupled to crush the
! hearts of hundreds and thousands of in
j nocenl women and children, and to
j blight the fairest prospects of our sons!
j All this they have not scrupled to fas
ten down upon our necks ; uml yet we,
who have borne lliis burden for years,
now scruple to remove tliut damnable
curse when we have but to determined
to do it. It is all nonsense to talk übout
t lie legality or illegality of this question.
1 l! it is legal to authorize men to poison
j and ruin us, it is equally so to pass a
law to prevent it.
But 1 have already occupied more
space than I intended, and must close,
not for the w ant of more to wi ilo, for 1
could write day ulicr day upon this sub
ject, and then not tire or bo short of
i ideas.
CHATTAHOOCHEE.
Palmetto, Ga., 27th April, J 852.
Wo 3.
Dear Banner : —My last comuiuni
j cation left me at Salem, Ala. On Sat
urday tho 10th, I leave Salem, and hail
| for Waocoochoe Valley, where 1 arrive
iu time to lecture. ‘The division in ses
sion when arrived. Wo turn out in
I retiulia and march to the church. !
; found this division, though not a large
, one, yet composed of such working mem.
! bers us will always (while they ure per
severing) tic tho means of doing much
‘ood—some initiations at night. Sab- 1
haili 10th, attend church, and preached. I
1 The Methodist church here, the only j
| one of tilt pleuee, is anew, nice, sub- ‘
i stuntial building.
Monday 11 tli, c xiveyed by my young •
’ friend Key, to M ehatiicsvillu, where j
| wc arrive in good time. Here 1 found 1
I the division about dead, I revived them i
again with thirteen names. From ,
( theilce igo to West Point, Georgia; I
101 l yotl l>- liquor abounds here to ra- 1
: ther a fearful extent, yet there are a|
good i■ lunv eiuY. us and Sons here, ut 1
; least iu principle. 1w as sorry to lintl!
the division down ! dow nI ! And it up- j
poured they would never meet again.
I succeeded in rallying a few’ good ur.d’
true men who entered their names a
gain, resolved to reorganize and buttle i
again ugainst the monster. Success at-!
tend them. she next division 1 lee- I
lure oefore is Rising Hope in Harris!
j county, nothing to note more that it is a ;
good division, composed of good materi- j
al, and one that will last, mark it; my
I reception was a warm and hearty one.
j Chi the 15th 1 hail tor Whitesvillel
and lecture before Good Samaritan Di
v isiou and a good audience. Good old
j Samaritan is right side op yet, there are
lew hotter Divisions in Georgia, tliev
: work and work on, “hope on and hope i
ever.’ 1 received eight petitions and
saw seven initiations. Thev sing right
—work in harmony, and ‘stand by!
each other erect.’ Friday 10th, lec
: lure in the grove before 1J >pewe!l Di
vioti and public. At night tlia ladies
I gave un entertainment, consisting of
pound cake, ike., die. Well li. once
more 1 was the Ladies man; why bless
you, supper over, what should I sie but
one of the prettiest pound cukes 1 ever
: saw, in the shape ot a triangle, with u
little flag flying from the top, with
Love Purity ik Fidelity beautifully
painted on it. Well Mi>s K. of Mt-rri- :
wether was selected to present it in the
name of the ladies (and there were not
a few present) to uncle Dabney ; wed
bless you I responded you can’t t 1;
how pretty. For once B. you would
have been convinced, had you hn
present, your popularity with the l-idi- s
would have been nothing in comparison
to mine. Bless the ladies, and 1 less
Miss R. who presented it in their name.
I tell you 1 look it home,arid though iny
children and little grand children are
clamorous for it, yet my old lady has
kept it unharmed us yet.
I lectured oil .Saturday 17th at White
Sulphur Springs, u good Division and
good audience. 1 go', one petition, him
self an host—-old Bro. M. M., father
of the Uev. W. D. M., an age-1 Dried.
i to, 1 saw him initiated. Ah! if the
venerable men every where would just
throw the weight of their character into
our scale and wear our cold water uni
forms, alchy’s throne would . n totter
to its full. The lv>t place I lectun at
is Mountville, nothing to not. farther
than I was kindly treated, had god
audience and go< and Division to hear me
O.u; word more, dear cold water
comrades in all Georgia! once more to
II <• breach Buns, and Washington ians !
Templars and Rachabites, and last, not
least, “Daughters! ’ come by scores to
tlm Convention at Newnan, don’t let u>
iugloriuu.qy surrender Ibcground taken
from our enemy—yon will find our
Newnan folks uid do their duty, hearts
and houses will be open to receive you.
Come then as to a cold water jubilee.
Truly in L. 1* iSi F.
D. P. JONHS.
l’.S. I forgot to mention 1 lectured
at Berlin, Alabama, where was once a
flourishing Division, but bud gone down,
partly from emigration, and partly from
u large number withdrawing and fum
ing anew Division on the Georgia side
cf the river. I got eleven or twelve
oftlie brethen to sign their names, pledg
ing to re-orguuize—success attend.—
Bro. 11. and his friends must rally
again to the breach.
D. P. J.
Mr. Editor :—1 have noticed in your |
paper a number of ways proposed to put
an end to the trade ami traffic in ardent
spirits. No two of which l have seen
exactly agree. 1 believe that if the
vote was taken in Georgia, at this time,
any great alteration in the present law i
on the subject would fait. A heavier
tax might be laid or something like ii;
but 1 am sorry to say that 1 do not be
lieve the people are exactly prepared
tor it. Vet 1 will submit a plan tor
your consideration, which shall cost
you nothing, and every man will be ul ,
liberty to try it or not, as lie pleases, i
1 am very certain it would do a great
dual of good, if all the friends of the j
temperance cause would try it. Now 1
1 know of no man whosells ardent spir
its but what lias to resort lo the sale oi l
a great many other articles in order: j
enlarge liis profits; the smallest and i
tho meanest, all have to deal in other |
tilings to make a living, and am vert
much mistaken if there is a grog-shop
any whore in this country, where a man
could make his bread by retailing liq.
uoi alone. Ihe best bar-rooms result
lo the sale of other articles---the whole
sale merchants do the same. Now
there is u great many, both town ami
country merchants, who and o not sell it.
Just let ever) true friend of temperance j
resolve, and stick to it, that he will bu_\
no article whatever from any man whoi
sells liquor, if he can possibly help it,
be lie town or country merchant, shop
keeper or not, and when he can bin
from other men who do not sell it; ami
1 am of tho opinion that a large uum
her would be starved out. No country
store in ibis section would attempt to
keep it, if they knew the people of the |
neighborhood had come to that conclu
sion—the trade in liquor would not pav
I for what they would otherwise lose.
Jefferson Cos., Gu., May, 1852
EXPlilll MFNT.
For the Temperance Banner.
J. P. had imbibed a strong appetite!
; for stimulants, which he sometimes in
| dulged until it was with difficulty that
|he could navigate. On those occasions
i his friends, who hud not partaken quite’
iso freely, would assist him home.—
Though the potutions taken in him’
j would sometimes prevent his walking,
still he generally retained his reason.
And bo would generally make some ex
euse in order to conceal the real cause
>ot his weakness. And his mother who
I loved him exceedingly, would believe
: anything that appeared any way rea
-.unable. On one occasion having Li
kert rather too freely of the Obbejoy
fti , lie was assisted home by some ot;
nis companions. And as they were
carrying him up stairs, his mother ve
ry anxiously said J-—, what is the mat-
I ter with you my son. Oh, said he, /
hare sprained my ankle again (he hau
sprained it about a week before in the
! same manner.) He was carried to his
room, placed in bed, and was in a i'< w
minutes asleep. His Mother who was
very anxious about his recovery troin
the sprain, soon came up with a con
siderable quantity of clay and vinegar i
to bind to the sprained ankle, but as she ‘
could not find any signs of swelling or
any thing else to indicate a sprain on’
either, she thought that the belter plan
was to bind up both. which she accor
dingly did. J—, ufter sleeping ofl’tlie
’ t fleets of the brandy, awoke, and being
quite astonished to tind a large bandage
around each ankle, asked his mother
what it meant. Why J— said she,
. you told me you had sprained vour a:.
kle. Ho understood, that was enough
for him, so he quietly said, I think it I
is well now, you can take them off.
J. H. S. j
An Expensive City.—The expense!
of the New-York city government du.
ring the last year, says the Times, were
more than three millions of dollars. It
cost over three times as much to govern
the ciiv as it did the whole State, inclu-:
I ding the city; three times as much as
iit did to govern the six New-England
I Suites, it cost the city more to get I
governed fora fortnight,than it did any j
i one ofsixteen States for a year; and
i half as much to get itself governed j
j for a year, as it cost all our thirty-one !
! States for tiie same time.
Mr. Editor, —Some two weeks hack |
i saw in your columns a eommunica
i lion from the hand of “Civis,” asking a ;
(question, which he says should inter- (
I I st all—men, women, and children. It
I past it unnoticed until a lew days since, ;
I I see a piece from our worn out friend, ‘
(.Medicus—l w ish I could sympathize ‘
; but I cannot. Thinking some other j
- poison might become inoculated with j
; the same poison, I oiler an antitode, j
which is more than my friends have j
, done. ‘They say tho M. D’s. know
nothing. So it may he, but we want
’something besides assertions—some
proof also, if they plea*e. ‘The anti- t
j dote is this, a little common sense. If
I “Civis” is a nonprofessional character,
|he might be pardoned, but I fear he is
j one ol those that dislikes to hear any one
called Doctor but “Civis.” Are the
Medical Colleges justifiable in turning
!out young men who know nothing at
all übout the practice of Medicine? I
i answer they are not, and so will every
inan, woman and child that has the nn
(tidote; but do they doit. In reply I say
I they do not and 1 challenge “Civis,”
Medicus, and all others to whom this
| may concern, to prove it—if they will
j prove it, then I will give it up. I think
jour friend Medicus is rather ashy from
the way he wiites, and bold assertions
he. makes. I would not make such if I
were he. He says there are scores
turned out that know no more about
the practice of Medicine than the ani
mals from whence their Diplomas came.
In reply to this, l say it is not so.
One thing is certain, if there is a man j
i calculated to practice medicine, liej
| will do it.- but if not he will be caught 1
in the same trap that Medicus is in,
I though lie may have been in the field
for twenty years—yea forty.
1 will close by saying to every man,
j woman and child, that just before the
| young man gets his “Sheep Skin” he is
j taken before the faculty, and if he is
’ (bund to have a sufficiency of theory,
j he is put before the people, then they
I are to judge for themselves. If Civis
land Medicus will go before the faculty
iofour State, they will find before they
[get half through the examination, that
| they are after something, In sides “mo
ney and names.” Y T ea, they will find
| that a sufficiency of Medical know
ledge is the thing, and 1 fear that they
would be disappointed when they had
| examined them. You will hear from
me again.
A SECOND COURSE STUDENT.
SONS OF TEMPERANCE.
i
Pledge of t lie Sons of Tempe
rance.—l, without reserve, solemnly pledge
inyliouorasa man that 1 willneithermake.buy,
sell nor use, as a beverage, any Spirituous or
Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider.
Officers of I he Grand {Division,
G. L. M’Clkskey, O. \V. P. Monroe.
J. S. I’iNuKARD, G. W. A. Forsyth.
W. 8. Williford, G. Scribe, Macon.
E. C. Gran mss, G. Treasurer, „
J. E. Evans, G. Chaplain, „
1). E. Blount, G. Conductor, Clinton.
.1. I). II avis, (i. Sen. Houston, Cos.
CADETS OF TEMPERANCE.
PlXUlilf.
No member shall make, bnv, sell or use
as ti beverage,any .spirituous or malt liquors,
wine or eider.
Officers of flic Grand Section.
J. W. Hf.nso.n, G. P. Macon.
E. Burton, G. A. P. Pontltown.
L. C. Smsos, G. 8. &T. Atlanta.
Rev. J. 8. Wilson, G. C. Decatur.
8. M. 11. By tin, G. G. Oxford.
W. P Kin , G. W. Thomaston.
I. O. of ltcciiiibitcs.
Officers of Georgia Dist. Tent, No. 2S, loca
ted at Washington, Wilkes Co.,Ga.:
Washington, Rev. G. G. Norman, D. I\ C. If.
Washington, John R. Smith, D. C. R.
Atlanta, C. U Hanleiter, D. 1), R.
Washington, A. 11. Sneed, 1> It. 8.
.. 1,. F. I ‘arrington, D. F. 8.
~ St. John Moore, D. Tres.
Atlanta, R. II Lynn, D. Levite.
KCeeim bite's Pledge.
I hereby declare, tiiat I will abstain from all
intoxicating liquors, and will not give, nor offer
them to others, except in religious ordinances,
or when prescribed, in good faith, by a medr
< a! practitioner : 1 will not engage in the traf
ticofthem, and in alt suitable ways will dis
countenance the use, sale and manufacture ol
; them : and to the utmost of my power, I will
endeavor to spread the principles cf abstinence
Loin all intoxicating liquors.
TOGS IMimi.
|>U>FI£LD, IWAY 22, 1852.
OCT NOTICE —Subscribers recei
ving their papers with a straight black
mark, are thereby notified that they are
in arrears. One mark indicates one j
dollar due; two, that two, &c. Please
remit the amount at once ly mail, with
out waiting for other opportunity.
To our Subscribers.
The Bills of the Bank of St. Marys,
under five dollars, will be received in pay
ment for all back dues for Subscriptions to
the Temperance Banner, it pay
! nient is made by the first day of July next.
New Subscriptions and advance pay
ment.-, fiom .present Subscribers, may also,
be made in St. Marys money.
is hoped this proposition will be
accepted by every Subscriber in arrears ,
and that we may no longer have to make
black marks, or in any other way, ask for
what is justly due us, after the first of July.
This may bo considered our “finality,” so
, far as moral suasion is concerned.
The Weather and Crops.
On Monday we Were visited with a fine
rain, and our planting friends have been bu
; sy during the week in plowing and other
operations. The young Cotton is coming
! on as well as any one should desire, and
the season lias afforded a good opportunity
1 thus far to put forward the young corn,
j The Oat crop promises well, and if two
i weeks pass without damage to the wheat
; crop, scarcity of bread in this part of Geor
! gia, will not he complained of for twelve
I months to cotne. Corn can now be pur
; chased in our village for ninety cents per
I bushel; and our Tennessee friends, who
j calculate so confidently upon keeping
Georgia “poor and dependent upon them,”
; had better get lid of their notions and sur
j plus produce, at an early day.
Cliiir-lacs suit! Tobacco.
We publish tiie following extract of a
letter from an esteemed friend, with peculiar
satisfaction, The First Baptist Church of
Savannah, generously threw open its doors
for the accommodation of the representa
tives to the semi-annual session of the G.
| D., for the purpose ofhearing the address
usual upon such occasions. The members
!ol Toonaliowie and Yamassee Divisions,
; with tho Cold Water Army, united with the
; Representatives of the Grand Division, and
j u particular portion of the House was as
j signed to the members of the Order, l’re.
vious to leaving the Division Room, the sub
ject of tobacco chewing and spitting was ad
! verted to, and the members of the order
j agreed that it was an ugly practice, particu
j larly in a house devoted to religious purpo
! ses. The fact is, the crowd of Sons and
Cold Water boys, that attended thedelive
j ry of Dr. l’ieree’s address, were a pretty de
cent -set, and the following extract will bear
j us out in the remark :
“Savannah, May 12th, 1852.
Halve been trying to find time towriteas
promised. In the first place, lam glad to
i say that the “Sons” proved themselves true
j temperate men on the night of the address
by the llev. Dr. Pierce; at least so far as
Tobi icco is concerned. There was not
found the slightest trace of the “filthy weed”
in any of the pews oftlie center idsle, where
j the Sons were seated. I made a careful ex
; animation and found the church, after they
: retired, in the same neat condition that it
■ was before they entered it. If all temper
i ance men would act thus, at all times, the
trustees of churches would not be so reluc
j taut about opening their doors for temper
j ance meetings.”
The relation of Liquor-selling j
to Government.
The organization of Temperance Socie-1
. tics for the promotion of personal sobriety !
has been productive of incalculable good.!
Hundreds have by this means, been ro
i claimed, ami thousands prevented from ev-1
jer being contaminated by the pollutions of
ardent spirits.
In connexion with this great benefit, there
has been an incidental evil from which we ;
; are but just recovering. Because the j
| friends of Temperance were organized into i
Societies, a notion prevailed that they were |
1 a distinct class, having separate interests !
j and claiming peculiar privileges. If a tern-1
peranee man dared to intimate that the Leg-1
islation of the country was defective or in-:
jnrious in any relation in which intoxicating
liquors were concerned, there were not;
wanting even well-meaning men to cry out!
j about Liberty, and to take the alarm about
j exclusive rights, and the encroachments of!
a separate class. The idea seemed to be
1 that in becoming a Temperance man, the in
; dividual had lost (in that respect at least)
his citizenship, and that while lie had a
right to be heard on all other subjects and
while Government was bound to remedy
I all other evils, on the subject of intemper
| ance audits evils, the citizen must be mute
and the Government powerless.
This error is passing away. Wears all
citizens. We are all equally concerned in
the blessings and in the evils which flow
from w ise or unu iso Legislation. As citi
zens we all have the right to discuss ques
tions of political economy, or political ethics,
,or public expediency. It is both the right
: and duty of the Legislature to consider all
such questions, guarding by wise expedi
ents against the evils and securing the good
of past experie ice. Thai the selling of in
toxicating liquors involves many most im
portant questions of political economy and
ethics is indisputable. That Government
has enacted laws which involve the absolute
i jurisdiction over all these questions is unde
niable. ,\o good reason can be assigned
why the evils of the liquor selling should
constitute an exception which the powers
, ofLegislation are not to touch. All municipal
laws to a greater or less extent are iiitendcd
to control the licentious exercise of natural
liberty, for says the great Commentator on
the Laws of England, “municipal law is a
rule of civil conduct prescribed bv the su
preme power in a Stale, commanding what
is right, and prohibiting what is wrong.”
The language of law is different from the
words of an individual; the latter may in.
deed bind himself by a compact and say “I
will do this.” But to be bound by such a
j compact, bis own const nt is necessary ; the
promise proceeds from himself. The Law
commands, and speaking by authority says,
“Thou shall do this,” and whatever the in.
dividual thinks oftlie wisdom or expediency
of the command, lie is hound by it. By
commands of law, individual liberty is con
trolled by jury service, militia service and
road and patrol duties. Individual liberty
is controlled by all laws of police, by all
regulations respecting public health, public
morals and decency, and private property.
Indeed no relation affecting the rights of the
citizen are exempt from the all-prevading
authority of law, and wherever that, authori
ty is interposed the will, the judgment, the
right and the power of the citizen must,
succumb.
As we have said, Governments have applied
well these known and universal principles
to liquor selling, and laws already of force
and maintained by the liquor seller and his
friends :ire based upon the very principles
for which the enemies of intemperance con
tend. The license system involves the
whole question and was adopted for the ex
press and avowed purpose of controlling
the sale of liquor and diminishing the evils
of liquor drinking.
Had Legislatures the right to pass these
laws? The liquor-seller maintains
that they had, and so do we. Upon this
question there is no difference between us
and the retailer. Are the laws which have
been passed wise? And ought they to con
tinue in force? In regard to the first of
these questions, we do not know that any
one maintains the affirmative; but ot the
second many do. Yet we humbly suggest
that the continuance of a law in force ought
i to depend upon the wisdom of its provisions
• especially when that wisdom lias been test-
I” ed by experience.
; What then does experience teach con
■ cerning the economy of the license system ?:
. Does it not spend dollars where it gathers
s dimes? Donut the pauperism and crime
1 produced by liquor-selling cost far, very far
i more than the treasury collects from the’
sale of licenses ? And even if it were oth
eru ise, what wealth could remunerate for’
ignorance and vice? What shall we say
then, when ignorance and vice are pur
chased at the expense of exhausted treas--
ure, and squandered fortunes?
What does experience teach of the ef
fects of the License system upon public
morals and public decency ? Every one
knows the answer. The eye of modesty
dares not look upon the scenes, and the ear
of virtue dreads to hear the voices that are
the constant, certain, and legitimate fruits
of legalized liquor-selling ?
Are these laws expedient? As citizens,
and as Legislators, let our people look ut
this question. This is the relation in which
the question is indeed considered iu many
States, mid we are glad of it for two consid
erations. It shows that men are beginning
| to regard liquor-selling not as an abstract
I moral question, but as a prau.ic.ul legislative
j question, and thus indicates tiiat the preju
l dice which has had so long sway is dissipa
ted. We are glad too, because the new
laws which are enacted will give us the
benefit of experiment and enable future-
Law-givers to scan the whole ground, more
cautiously to avoid error and more firmly,
j to protect the right.
Small Pox.
We hear of no ease of small pox existing
1 at this time at Public Square or in the vicin
ity thereof; death has terminated the last.
Henderson, a servant man belonging to the
1 estate ofE. S. Hunter, died on Sunday loth
inst.—There are however several persons
who have been exposed to the disease that
have not taken if as yet. The committee
Jof safety think it still advisable to guard
\ the infected region, both day and night, till,
in their opinion, the danger is over; and if
other eases should occur, the public may
rest assured that provision will be made for
I them in the best possible way.
in behalf of the committee.
V. R. THORNTON,„Ch’n..
May 17th, 1852.
Cap.rolton, Ga., May lltli, 1852'.
The cause of temperance is rather dull
i here—a fault in most of our Divisions is a
prevalence of opinion, that the vote of the
Uh i -ion is paramount to law or constitution.
1 believe it injurious lo the cause of temper
ance that ours is by its members considered
a “charitable institution,” or at least, the
construction placed upon charity. It is cer
tainly rightto “be just before being goner--
ous.” Again, the practice of receiving can
didates by dispensation—without the extra,
50 cents—the Subordinate Division assum
ing the payment to the G. D., thus dispensa
tion candidates are worth hut f 1,50 to the
Division; whereas, petitions who come in
in the regular way are worth !s2,uo to the
treasury. This I consider inequality and
j contrary to the letter and spirit of the con
stitution.
I should be glad to see an Editorial in.
the Banner upon the subject of dispensa
tions, &c.
Yours fraternally,
W. P. PARKER;
The liquor dealers in Boston declare
I tiiat they have been humbugged iu the
| election of Mr. Parris as Mayor of
Portland. He turns out too good. a.
Maine Law man lor their use, and they,
already look upon the 814,000. which
they subscribed to elect hint, as a dead,
loss.
“ Pa. ain’t ligrowing tall ?” “-Why,
. | what’s your height, sonny?” “I’m*
| seven feet lacking a yard !”