thropists, Senators, and the better part of the people, naturally began to enquire-If this agent of disease, this physical and moral pestilence, goes on, what will be the end? Happily, and providentially for the world, the thought did not then occur, either of Popular Voluntary Abstinence, or of National Prohibition of the Traffic, neither of which, apart from each other, is adequate to cope with the evil. Such measures would probably have been rejected as wild and extreme at that time-though History, in illustrating the logic of necessity, was destined to record both developments. Supposing the Traffic had been suppressed, we might have lost the grand lesson of a Nation's abstinence: supposing Abstinence exclusively had been tried and trusted, we should have lost the instructive lessons of 'Licence,' and then the Traffic, in due course reviving, the work would require to be renewed. The evil was perceived-and the 'Throne of Iniquity' was rising dimly before the sight.

2. The friends of Temperance, however, were not destined to the fate of SISYPHUS. At this period, it is true, they looked at the Dram Shop, rather than at the dram. They did not yet see that the Grog seller wielded his fatal power chiefly through the seductiveness of the liquor which he sold. But they did see what is also vastly important, that he tempted to the use, both by the 'House' and the paraphernalia of his trade, and by necessity of interest. They saw, even then, what our Parliamentary Committee of 1854 seems only just to have discovered-that a Licensed house is a Licensed snare. They began to see, likewise, that the formula-"the more grog-shops the more drunkenness "expressed a nexus of great moment to them. Out of these workings of light, the æra of Systematic REGULATION sprang up. They thought, at first, as the Londoners had thought before them, that their enemy was "the Worm of the Still”: that if they could destroy IT, safety might be secured, and civilization speed on ! The State began by attempting to restrict and limit, as the mother country had done before. It dictated where, when, how, and in what quantity, spirits should be vended! In the First Part of the Revised Statutes of the State of New York, passed in 1829, title 9, chapter 30, runs as follows :— -"Of excise and the regulation of taverns and groceries" (selling spirits). It prohibits, under a penalty, the sale of liquors in less quantities than five gallons, or to be drunk in the house of a seller without a licence. In Philadelphia, the Traffic was for a time, as regards Sunday, put upon a level with other trades. What was the practical result and value of these attempts at repression? In some towns and districts, where the people were sufficiently alive to their interest materially to lessen the number of dram-shops, and even to close them altogether on the Sabbath, manifest benefit accrued. In 1819, for instance, the Mayor of New York, in answer to enquiries as to the result of diminishing materially the number of retail groggeries, says—"The effect is very obvious;

"drunken people are much seldomer seen in our streets. It "has had a very important influence on the morals of the com66 munity, and lessened the number of crimes.* Crimes have "numerically decreased, and comparatively have very greatly "diminished. This great benefit to the community is chiefly to "be imputed to THE SUPPRESSION OF SO MANY OF THESE POISON"" SHOPS, where a man might buy rum enough to make himself "beastly drunk for six cents." But such a mode of action depended upon the whim, the moral tone, and circumstances varying in various districts, and was in itself so partial that it could not, and did not for long, stem the demoralizing stream which swelled up and swept on, carrying upon its fiery bosom the wrecks of home, and health, and social prosperity. In 1820, we find it officially stated, "that three-fourths of the Assaults "and Batteries committed in the city and county of New York, "and brought before the Court of Sessions, proceed from the degrading use of Ardent Spirits." In fine, the issue proclaimed that, nationally regarded, Regulation was a nullity and a failure. 3. But still the friends of order hoped and worked on. If they could not successfully combat the evil through the active and legalized Agency which disseminated it, they would assail the instrument of the mischief, and wrench the sword from the grasp of the foe! Thus tardy is the development of a great Truth! As for ages men had been barrenly declaiming against Intemperance the effect, instead of aiming to abolish its cause, and had, therefore, still to deplore its reign-so our reformers, at this epoch, were slow to perceive that to dissipate the popular or the individual notions of the goodness of the drink-even to persuade of the badness of it-did by no means compass the whole CAUSATION of this social evil. Conventional sanctions and Animal impulses are the potencies that perpetually lead astray, in spite of abstract opinions and theoretical teachings. Men know the right, but pursue the wrong : Sin else would be a mere mistake of the intellect; whereas it is wilful wrong-a violation of conscience and acknowledged law. This explains the failure of all moral and religious teaching-of all confessions and

* Report of Society for Prevention of Pauperism in New York. 1820. p. 47. + Ibid, p. 9.

The following advertisement, extracted from Hone's Every Day Book, is more than a curiosity. We hear in it, thousands of victims crying to society-Deliver us from temptation!

"

"WHEREAS, the subscriber, through the pernicious habit of drinking, has greatly hurt himself in purse and person, and rendered himself odious to all his acquaintance; and finding there is no possiblity of breaking off from the said "practice but through the impossibility to find the liquor, he therefore begs and prays "that no person will sell him for money, or on trust, any sort of spirituous liquors, as "he will not in future pay for it, but will prosecute any one for an action of damage against the temporal and eternal interests of the public's humble, serious, and "sober servant, "JAMES CHALMERS. "Nassau, June 28th, 1795.**

"Witness, WILLIAM ANDREws.

pledges (those of the Temperance World, of course, included). The last part of the Truth is now being developed. It necessi-· tates not only that the Teetotaler should oppose the domestic: drinking usages, but the social and the legal-that, as citizen, he should refuse to license that social agency which destroys his work as moralist, teacher, and parent. In brief, as the author of that notable book, The Alpha, observes, since "Mankind have the power to rid themselves of these influences-all such influences should be removed." Trumpet notes were heard over wide districts of the country-independent warriors, girding on their armour, and giving note of battle. These soon gathered to a head, and the era of TEMPERANCE was inaugurated... Amongst the most distinguished was the late JUSTIN EDWARDS, D.D., the able author of the earlier Reports of the American. Temperance Society. An annual sermon against 'Intem-perance' had been preached for years in Boston, but he was. among the first to perceive and promulgate the specific remedy of abstinence, as also the first, subsequently, to expose the immorality of the Traffic. While pastor of the Church at Andover, in 1815, he kept the idea distinctly before his people, and pressed the truth upon the public mind until the formation of the National Society, of which, leaving his parish, he became, and so long continued, Corresponding Secretary. In February, 1826, the American Tempera:ace Society' was formed at Boston, and, in March, the Executive Committee, consisting of Dr: LEONARD WOODS, Dr JUSTIN EDWARDS, and Messrs TAPPAN, ODIORNE, and WILDER, issued their manifesto. Distilled liquors ** were proscribed. In the latter part of the same year, Professor. PALFREY'S Sermons, Dr LYMAN BEECHER'S celebrated Discourses, and Dr MUSSEY's address before the Medical Convention of New Hampshire, successively appeared. Total Abstinence from Ardent Spirits was the doctrine enforced, as interest and as duty, on the ground of health, social and individual safety, and religious feeling. The people accepted the teaching as a New Gospel to them-its necessity was felt-and it speedily became regarded by the Churches as immoral to drink spirits. Before eight years. had passed, more than 10,000 drunkards were known to have been reclaimed. Five more years passed away, and behold another change! Where were many of their reformed drunkards? Where their promising young men ? Drawn partly into the vortex of the old Traffic, and partly into a new form of social drinking. Both in private circles and in Public-houses, artificial mixtures and wines, but especially cider (the light apple-wine of America), were supplanting rum, but doing Rum's work. The temperance army, then, must move up higher-must outflank the enemy-must establish all round him the lines of investment. In very truth, they attempted this-nay, fancied they had done it, in hoisting a broader Banner, and in altering the watchword of the old one. It was a mistake: they fought

the enemy, it is true, but they fought him with unequal weapons, and they did not even assault his legal entrenchments.

The

4. The friends of Temperance, we said, lifted up a new banner, inscribed with the new motto, TOTAL ABSTINENCE FROM ALL THAT CAN INTOXICATE. The armies enlisted under this ensign marched with firmer step to greater and more assured victories. Their Waterloos were many. The morale of the movement was higher-more logical and consistent-more majestic. deserters, too, were far fewer and many wonderful changes, almost social miracles, resulted. Still, their triumphs could only be carried to a certain extent.* A vast mass of evil defied all their efforts. By-and-bye, more light appeared. They surveyed the forces arrayed against them, and ascertained the methods of the enemy's attack. They marked the insidious, but certain and deadly effect of the Traffic; it was a licensed system of seduction, ensnaring their people, and frustrating their best attempts at amelioration. Two truths broke in upon them: first, that Pauperism, Crime, and Taxation resulted directly from the Traffic, irrespective of the more or less of their success in advocating moral temperance; second, they began to feel that, without the suppression of the Traffic, the labor of reform must be unending and unsatisfactory; while, with it, each year would enable them to hold the conquests they had gained, and to add to them others more glorious.

"The law," said Judge PLATT, in 1833, "which licenses the sale of Ardent Spirits, is an impediment to the Temperance Reformation. Whenever public opinion and the moral sense of our community shall be so far corrected and matured as to regard them in their true light, and when the public safety shall be thought to require it, dram-shops will be indictable, at common law, as public nuisances." When the venders charged the Temperance friends with departing from their original programme, Mr GERRIT SMITH (now Senator) nobly replied :—“I admit that a grand object within the scope of the constitution and labors of the society is that of persuading our fellow-men to refrain from ardent spirit; but I do not see why we might not also seek to remove the hindrances to this accomplishment. Now, the manufacture and sale of ardent spirit constitute confessedly a very great hindrance to the work of inducing our fellow-men to quit the drinking of it.† Could a Society, that should require its

The Morning Post, of July 11th, 1856, in some pleasant remarks on the Maine Law, concedes this part of our position:

"We would not depreciate the enthusiasm of the total-abstinence pledge; but "enthusiasm is not a normal condition-it is a sentiment which, by its very nature, "cannot be permanent."

Just so-hence we would fan the flame of enthusiasm, which shall dissolve the concrete of National Custom and Thought, and then, after separating the dross, permit the pure Truth to crystallize in the mould of permanent Law-at once a utility and a grace.

+ Permanent Documents, vol. i. p. 293.

members to abstain from purchasing lottery tickets, be expected to preserve silence on the subject of Lottery-offices? Could a Society, formed to discountenance gambling, be expected to look with unconcern on the licensed allurements of gambling-houses? No more can ours look with indifference on the attractions and snares of the Rum-shop. As in the one case, the Lottery-office and Gambling-house irresistibly invite thousands to purchase tickets, and to stake their money at cards or billiards, who but for the sight of these resorts would never have fallen into this folly, so is it in the other, that men drink ardent spirit, because of the inviting facilities for getting it; and so it is, that whilst these facilities exist, our direct efforts to promote total abstinence will be measurably, if not fatally, counteracted by them. Such views we must certainly admit to be just, unless we deny what the Bible, our hearts, and our observation alike teach us, of the power of temptation.'

The

5. The Political æra came at last. The cry of No Licence' was now heard in the Municipalities. The popular voice electing its Magistracy, this battle was attended with varying fortune, in various districts; and in many was annually renewed. contest, however, was of immense service. In it, the Ironsides' of our Commonwealth were getting disciplined. Proof of the anti-social, pauperizing, crime-breeding character of the Traffic became matter of clear arithmetic, and created that feeling and conviction which afterwards culminated in the STATE LAW of Maine. In some parts of the country great success attended this preliminary agitation. Throughout the 'Old Colony,' where the Pilgrim Fathers first settled, the NoLicence' principle triumphed so far back as 1832-a district comprehending two counties and several considerable towns. We abstract from the American documents the following passage :

6

"In Barnstaple and Duke's Counties, in 1835, after vacations of three, four, and seven months, the Judges had to preside over two criminals only, and these for a petty larcency of less than ten dollars."

The sentiments that were forming and gathering in the Public Mind, and destined to be hurled ere long upon the Traffic, we exhibit in the order of their date, extracted from the Reports

Professor WARE, of Harvard University, 1832.-"The nature of his calling renders it inevitable, that he cannot be a dealer in Spirits without becoming accessory to vice and ruin.”*

Some one asks if we are prepared to denounce the selling of a glass of grog as a crime? In the days of Lotteries (which were both of the large and small kind), some one asked, on the discussion to prohibit them, if a little-go was to be treated as criminal? Our answer, in both cases, is unhesitatingly in the affirmative. The quality of the action attaches to the system, which is practically one and indivisible. The law, it is said, regards only great things;-but in striking at great evils, its principle also prostrates little ones. Again, though a sanitary-law may not stop up every little sink-hole or sewer, those things arenuisances' nevertheless; and he who, for self or pelf, should wilfully keep a diminutive nuisance