Perhaps this is the most fitting place for alluding to a question. which, though immediately connected with establishments such as we have herein referred to, is one that affects, in a most serious manner, the entire community of the United States-the Maine Liquor Law.

The idea of America calling itself a free country has rather a comical sound with it; for to us it seems that, not only are its people slaves to themselves, but incessantly slaves to one another. We are not going to bore the peruser of our en passant remarks, by going into the original introduction of this notorious enactment-our desire is to take a transient glance at the consequences it seeks to prevent, and those to which it actually leads. It is neither more nor less that an attempt to carry out, vi et armis, the hitherto peaceful precepts of temperance professors. If it were simply a determination entered into by a whole community to put a stop to the disgraceful dealings of low retail spirit-stores, which, like the gin-shops of London, lead to premature decay while living, and become

"A sore decayer of your whoreson dead body,"

we should go heart and soul into the necessity of its adoption; but this enactment is neither more nor less than a direct attack on the liberty of the subject-another branch of that general line of business which the saints of New England carry on with such puritanical success. The idea of one body of the people presuming to dictate to the other what they are to drink, and what they are not to drink, seems to us about the broadest farce ever yet acted. It is just as reasonable that they should lay down a law for the control of any other taste or habit; and while they are about it, they might, with equal propriety, insist upon the prohibition of beef, and the exclusive substitution of mutton.

The reformers of the day, to whom ordinary notions are offensive, might just as well regulate apparel as appetite; and thus, according to the stringency of their ideas, compel the victims of their policy to go about without raiment as well as without rum. The preachers against, instead of the practisers of, the ars bidendi, themselves, the waiter had orders to apply for the amount of his bill: he might as well have asked him to swallow at one mouthful the various items in it. At last, Stetson himself went to demand it, and perceiving by the eulogistic manner in which he spoke of everything, that he meant to pay for nothing, Stetson said: "Well, I see how it is; and if you'll go and play this trick at the American Hotel,' I'll forgive you the whole account." Upon which, the varlet coolly and instantly replied, "Oh, I've been there, and they sent me here!"

are the principal gainers after all; for it is almost impossible to believe what vast contributions are made to the one to enable them to persecute the other. In Washington alone, we saw no less than eight of these fellows holding forth at the corners of as many different streets, habited as sanctifiedly as a head of lank hair, hanging down like straight candles (eight to the pound), a white" tie," a full suit of sables, with demure manners to match, can make a person possibly appear.* They spouted by the hour, amidst the yells and derision of the mob; and all this scene passing on the day we are commanded to keep holy! If their efforts could put down the vice of intemperance in the better, as well as in the lower classes, of life-could empty the overburdened cellars of the high born and the rich, at the same time they assault the scanty vaults of struggling poverty, and break down every barrier of distinction, there would be at least the quality of consistency in their actions, fruitless though the attempt might be; but, as things stand, the prohibition is tyranny of African refinement, and esclavage of Siberian savageness. Private families, as private families ought to do, may imbibe any quantity of wines and spirituous liquors they think proper; clubs may do the same; in fact, "society" at large may act upon Shakspeare's definition of Venetian immorality

Their best conscience

Is, not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown!"

But the poor man, striving to increase his pauper's meal by the sale to others of what perchance he never touches himself; or the jaded laborer strengthening his frame, after a day of hard toil, by a glass of innocuous spirit, is hauled up before the tribunal of justice, and prosecuted with all the malignity of party.

If book-making were our object, by filling these pages with paragraphs and advertisements, after the fashion of those temperance and pious couple, Professor and Mrs. Stowe, we could transfer from the newspapers some hundred instances;† but the following, being a remarkably simple mode of proceeding, will

* A gentleman told us that he heard one of these Mawworms (pointing to him) farther down South, thus address his congregation: "Beloved brethren, this is to give notice, there'll be some horse-racing after Divine Service t'other side of the water, and tickets can be had of the deacon, down in the vestry-room; price fifty cents!!!”

+ One mode which these tartuffes have of exemplifying their arguments, is that Government land costs on an average one dollar an acre, and champagne two dollars a bottle; and thus, by laying in his wine instead of laying out his grounds, many a man has died landless, and swallowed a fertile township, trees, quarries and all.

do duty for all the rest. It is headed "strong-minded," but we imagine the fitter title would be, "strong-bodied."

"STRONG-MINDED WOMEN MOVEMENT.-The Cleveland Herald says on Tuesday evening, that 'some thirty strong-minded women,' of Ashland County, Ohio, well backed by gentlemen, proceeded to the grocery of Anthony Jacobs, and asked him to discontinue the sale of liquor and the use of a 'bagatelle' board, which had enticed many of the youth and some of the married men from their homes. He refused, and the ladies chopped his 'bagatelle' table into kindling wood, and emptied his liquors. They then visited another grocery and a tavern, both of which capitulated. Mrs. Witz, better known as 'Mother Younkers,' was obstinate, and the 'spigots were pulled from her whiskey barrels.' She had no bagatelle for them to lay hands on, and so they retreated in good order."

Let us turn for a moment to the consequences too frequently resulting from a fear of the enforcement of this arbitrary law, or from a firm determination to resist it. Every species of evasion that can be invented is naturally resorted to. "Houses," headed, "Depôt of French Millinery," "Gallery of Art," and so on, are nothing else than decoys to wine-stores in some remote part of the building, and thousands have been introduced, under the specious announcement of "fancy articles for sale," to the more fanciful varieties of spirituous liquors and compounds. But a deeper sin lies at the door of those prohibitors than any of mere mundane commission. Upon the principle laid down that the Devil himself can quote Scripture when it happens to answer his purpose, parties are not wanting to bring into their arguments the law of Moses, whereby they seek to prove that " strong drink," denounced by man, was countenanced by his Maker. Whoever will turn to the 14th chapter of Deuteronomy, will find these words at the verses indicated::

"23d. Thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds, and of thy flocks.

"24th. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, or the place be too far from thee,

"25th. Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up that money in thine hand.

26th. And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for WHATSOEVER thy soul desireth; and thou

shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household."

This profane ribaldry is carried to a still greater pitch than this; for they tell you the following anecdote: A temperance preacher was detected coming out of a liquor-store, and he only escaped lynching by a promise to denounce from the pulpit the very law he had hitherto upheld there. He exposed its hollowness in this simple specimen of the facetious: "On mature reflection and further reading, my brethren, I am prepared to prove that the Maine Liquor Law is contrary in purpose to the edicts of Sacred Writ; and that instead of drinking being prohibited by some of our inspired writers, it was not only indulged in, but miracles were wrought by such indulgence-for Samuel himself used the horn;* and David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling."+

There is no end, on the one hand, to the shameful measures which this law calls into operation, nor on the other hand, to the absurdities to which it gives rise. A temperance gentleman was recently appointed collector of one of the ports, and not exactly knowing his duties, he asked information of his prede-.

cessor.

"Why," replied he, "amongst other things, you have to brand with your name every cask of spirits passing through the Custom House."

"What," replied the uninitiated, "have my pure name appear on some two thousand barrels of brandy, rum, and whiskey, in all the various towns where I am known to be a temperance man ?"

"Yes," was the rejoinder; "and what's more, you must, according to law, taste every barrel before you put your name on it."

What," ejaculated the son of sober sorrow, take a drink out of two thousand pipes of spirits! I'll go and resign the appointment!" This was exactly what the explainer wished

him to do.

It may be law, but it is oppression in the highest degree; and, as Lord Coke says in his "Commentary on Magna Charta," "That is the worst oppression which is done under the color of justice."

*Samuel, chap. xvi. v. 13.

66

Gin-sling," an American drink. 1 Samuel, chap. xvii. v. 50. Spirits are, in many places, allowed to be kept solely for medicinal purposes; and, consequently, in towns where such licence is granted, there are more sick people, requiring medicine every half-hour, than in all the strictly sober communities put together!

CHAPTER V.

New York-Indian summer-Something more than a nibble; a regular bite-Some idea of emigration-An argument between New York and Boston-Bridals, and their chambers-Deference to woman-Targetmen and their targets-The Kerbstone Rangers-Oyster saloons-"A dream at sea"--A good sized cemetery-Plank roads-Public mourning, and public monuments-A very dirty account-An electionLeviathan steamer-A black swan-A Dutch lady-Two sorts of husbandry-Shakers-Rights of women-Petticoat government-The press of America-Horses and horsemanship-Patriotism-Go-aheadism.

THE visitor to America is always strongly urged to land in New York, because all the marvels of the country are said to burst upon his observation at once. By the same course of argument, any one writing upon America would be expected to begin his remarks with New York. We have adopted a very different line of procedure, and opened our campaign with the fourth city of the Union, in point of population, from the fact of New England being, in our belief, the source from which the actual glory of the whole Republic has emanated, and of Boston being the focus from which the importance of New England has radiated.

However, as we have already stated, it being our intention to go far beyond the confines of those primitive States, as inclination or occupation may direct, we find ourselves now, not only in the most wondrous city of the Western World, but, excepting only London and Paris, the most wondrous one on the surface of the earth-New York, or Manhattan Island, Gotham, or any other alias by which the place may be designated. Its harbor, extending from Sandy Hook to the Narrows, a distance of eighteen miles, is as fine as can be conceived; while the bay, a distance of about eight miles more up to the city, is, we presume we are safe in saying, the finest in the world. The saying of "see Naples and then die," may, with even greater justice, be applied to the bay of New York; but whether the revision of that saying, "see Naples and you will die," as applicable to its dirt, heat, plague, flies, &c., can be borne out with reference to sundry drawbacks in the city of New York, remains to be inquired into presently.

We were informed that we had arrived at the most favorable