The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-03-24
NO. 4.

that arm of iron which weighs so heavily
upon It, Visit it and purify the hearts Of
ITS children. Pour into the bosoms of the
rising generation those dearest attributes of
youth, modesty and docility. Extinguish
those destructive animosities which divide
mankind ma and arm them one against another.
Visit it, Q Lord; and in thy visitation warn
the watchmen Of Israel 10 set good examples,
and, arming themselves with divine pru.
dence and strength, to be vigiiant in guard
ing the interest of the people entrusted to
their care. Deign, o my God to hear
my prayer, and shed over the whole world
thy most desirable benedictions."
This discourse has produced great effect
here, and welI-wishers to Italy see. in the
ropes Liberal views, better things for this
long oppressed land. The bigoted influ.
ence of Jesuit-ruled Austria, enforced with
an iron hand, has been paramount for more
than thirty year, throug ughout the peninsula.
without toleratiag the least reform. We
have now hopes that England will send a
minister here, ashe has had none since the
days of bluff Harry,) to uphold the Pontifr
IN his measures Of reform, as the French
minister. Prince Met,ernich gsumbles. but
dares not fad fault.
GAMlNG.-Of all the evils that make de-.
solate the social hearth-stone, perhaps there
IS not one more deadly, if we except intem.
perance, than that of gaming. Young
man whose life's young dreams" tell Of
happy days yet to come-you, who, gazing
upon the ocean of future life, see pleasure
g!!itlering in the sunbeam of hope. and dan.
cling upon the waves of expectation, whose
glowing Imagination points ou, to YOU ool.
den shores OF bliss, which are already yours
by yanticipation-beware-beware, do be-
seech ye: of that tremendous whirpooll
beware.-lest in the voyage of human life,
reason should quit the helm, and you should
be lost, irrecoverably lost, among the quick.
sands of iniquity.
Look at the pale victim of this Unsuitable
destroyer Of human happiness-his hap.
gard cheek and beamless eye-what Ian.
guage do they speak, Wnh mule and
awful eloquence they tell of blighted fame
and tortnne-of hopes withered and crush
ed-that fame, fortune, and honor, is a!! a
fearful wreck! Hear his holaow laugh,
which tells you tha. he is ru;ned-ruined.
and undone Fills b-ain is all on fire-his
gaarlng eye-balls seem reem reudy to burst
their sockets, as the awful reality rushes
upon his affrighted SOUL The deep panes
OF mental agony gives fearful iustre to
his rolling eye-his desperate mirth-his
wild convuisive joy-tells of black despair
wrung from wi,hered heart.
Look we back for moment upon his
early youth. The morning of his days was
bright and glorious. The gayest of all the
gay, and the happiest Of the happy, he set
out upon the pathway of rejoicing in puri.
ty and hope, love and being loved. But
alas although his morning sun rose with.
out clouds, yet, ere it reaches its meridian.
it is eclipsed In an evil hour, a pandora a
&c non, must drag him into a lazy nabyrinth.
from whence there is no escape. He must
drown his love Of virtue in the intoxicating
bowl Soon the wreaths of vice. whichs
had been treacherously thrown around him,
is hardened to adamant.
Now what is his si,uat,onl Cain.Iike. L
upon his brow is stamped the burning mark
Of shame-and the cold hand of scoIn Is
pointing wi,hered finger at his blivhted
reputation. !: Could be speak, he would
teiiyou that he has reached the lowest point
Of. living degradation and .i wos /. And could
ne anticipate his end, he would tell yollihat
self-murder would shortly crown his work
OF guilt, and despair's last work be- done, 4
That the father who hung over his cradle g.
weaving bright visions of Che future spreas- aa
ness OF his boy, would shortly feelsa dread +
fui satisfaction as hegazes upon; his coffin
that Che. mother, immuta Bile and eyeri 49,
ting as is her. love for her backsliding chi.