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Poetry: License Laws

Poetry: License Laws image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
March
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
Additional Text

First published as a broadside in response to the Massachusetts license law passed March 24, 1832.

Poem
OCR Text

"For so much gold we license thee," So sny our laws - "o drauglit to sell, '1 hat bows the slrong, enslaves the free, And opens vvidctlie gatea of heil. Vor public good rcquires that some, Since many lie, should live by Rum." Ye 'civil Falliere! while thr foea Of this Destróyer seize their swords, And Henven" s ovvn hail is in the blows They're dealing - vviJl ye ent the cords That, round the falling fiend Ihey draw, And o'er him ho'd your fhield of Law? And will ye gíve to mnn a bilí Pivorcing him from Heaveii's liigh sway, And while God ehys "thon shalt not kilV' - Soy ye, "for g-oll, ye vur y - ye muy?" Compare the body with the soul! Compare the bullet with the bowl! In which ís ft-lt the fiercer binst Of the destroying Angel's breatli? Which binds the viciiin the more fael? Which kills him with the deadlier death? Will y the felon fox restrnin, And yet take off the tiger'e chain? The living to the rotten dead The God contemnipg Tnscan lied, 'Till, by the way, on his bed, The poor corpse carrior drooped nnd died - Lashed hand to hnnd, and face to face, In fatal, and loathed embrace. liPss-ciifting1, think ye, isthethong That. to u bi-talhnig corpse, for lifc, Libhee, in torfaro lonthed nnd long, Tne drunkard'schild - the daiuknrd's wife? To clasp that clny - to brentñe thnt breath - And no escape! O, that is death! Are ye nol fathers? When your eons Look lo yon for their daily bread, Daré ye, in mockerv, load with stonos The table tht for thern ye spread? IIow can ye hope your sous will live, If ye, for fish a serpent give! O üoly God! let light divine Break forth more broadly frotn above, Till we conform our laws io thine; The perfect lav of trut h nnd love; For truth and love alone eau seve Thy childien from a hopeless grave. Merentius.