But  says  another,  li  you  do  not  license  men  of  conscience  to  sell
it,  men  01  no  conscience,  in  such  great  numbers,  will  sell  it,  that
the  evil  will  be  overwhelming.  But  it  is  not  necessaiy  to  license
counterfeiters  to  prevent  the  community  from  beiqg  deluged  with
base  coin.  It  is  not  necessary  to  license  gamblers,  or  swindlers^  in
order  to  prevent  the  community  from  being  overwhelmed  with  their
mischief.  No  more  is  it  needful  to  license  men  to  sell  ardent  spirit.
If  wicked  men,  in  opposition  to  the  influence  of  moral  means,  will
prosecute  a  wicked  business^  which  corrupts  our  youth,  wastes  our
property,  and  endangers  our  lives;  the  community,  in  this  free  coun-
try, this  land  of  liberty,  have  the  power  and  the  right,  without
licensing  iniquity,  to  defend  themselves  from  its  evils.  This  opens
the  door 9  and  the  ardy  door,  which  truth  and  duty  ever  open  for
legislation  vAth  regard  to  sin  ;  not  to  license  and  sanction  it,  but
to  defend  the  community  from  its  mischiefs  ;  and  in  such  am^anner
as  is  best  adapted  to  deter  the  vmked  from  transgression,  and
promote  as  far  as  practicable  iheir  good  and  the  good  of  the  conh
muntty.  And  this  is  the  change  in  legislation  with  regard  to  the
gin  of  trafficking  in  ardent  spirit,  which  the  cause  of  temperance,  of


68  AMERICAN    TEMPERANCE    SOCIETT.  f294

patriotism,  of  virtue,  and  of  God,  now  imperiously  demands.  Treat
this  vice,  as  other  vices  are  treated,  and  there  will  be  no  difficulty
in  branding  it  with  infamy.
