Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-11-15

Here, then, are three important points t.
which we may safely assume as entire b
ly unquestionable: that our country is c.
horribly scOurged by intemperance; that d
the time has come sohea great effort is de- c
nsanded for the expulsion of this eUi1; and a
that no effort can be efectuaI Uithout being o
unsUerSai. Hence is deduced, undenia- +
bly,, the conclusion that it is the duty, a
and the solemn duty of the people, in v
every part of this country, to rise up at /
once, and act vigorously and unitedly '
in the futherance of whatever measures T
are best calculated to promote reforma- !
ton. Ii
Here the question occurs, What can
be done? How can this woe be arrested?
The answer is plain. Nothing can be
done, but in one of the three following
ways. You must either suffer people to
drink inansoderately; or you must endeav-
er to promote moderation in drinking; or
you must try to persuade them to drink
none at all. One of these plans must be
adopted. Which shall we choose? The
|, first is condemned already.
What say we to the second, the moder-
! ate use of Intoxicating drinks? 1t has
, unquestionably the sanction of high and
: ancient ancestry. 1t is precisely the
e plan on which intemperance has been
!, wrestled with ever since it was first dis
: covered that "wine is a mocker" and
e that strong drink is raging" But
L hence comes its condemnation. Its
u long use is its death-witness. We're it
% new, we might hope something from its
ID adoption But it is old enough to have
r been tried to the uttermost. The wis
dom, the energy, the benevolence of cen
E. turies have made the best of it. The at
E tempt TO keep down intemperance by en-
It, deavoring to persuade people to indulge
s. only moderately in strong drink, has been
s. the worlds favorite for ages; while eve
at ry age has wondered that the vice in
n creased SO rapidly.
lis At last we have been awakened to a
,r- fair estimate of the success of the plan
i'm And what is it? So far from its having
all shown the least tendency 10 exterminatt
le- the evil, it is the mother of all its abom
in nations. All who have attained thu
he stature of full-grown intemperance, wert
ith once children in this nursery, sucking a
he the breasts ofthis parent. All then ''mel
re- of strength to mingle strong drink" VIII
na- are now full graduates in the vice, an
lu- " masters in the arts" of drunkenness:
e a began their education and served thei
aw apprenticeship under the discipline {
Of moderate drinking All that have learr
en- ed to lie down in the streets, and carr
re- terror into their famihes, and whom il
de- temperance has conducted to the pen
ere tentiary and the madhouse, may loo
ere back to this as the beginning of the
was course-the author of their destiny. n
ere man ever set out to use strong drink wi
the the expectation of becoming eventually
rere drunkard. No man ever became drum
ome ard without having at first assured hir
the self that he could keep safe rein upc
2 US every disposition that might endanger b
rrid strict sobriety. am IN no danger aDh
ca / only take a little, (" is the first principle
hen the doctrine of intemperance. tits hi
de- time it were discarded. 1t has delug
the land with vice, and sunk the popu
the ton into debasement The same resu
.cih- will ensue again, just in proportion as
, In moderate use OF ardent spirits continu
tenn to be encouraged. Let the multitu
ince continue to drink little, and still {
e ef- hundreds Of thousands will annually dri
will to death.
crate 1t is settled, therefore, that to enco
pub age moderate drinking is not the plan
ublic which the temperance reformation can
this successfully prosecuted. The faith
ONE, experiment Of generation after gene
| the ton, decides that it must be abandon
dleth A cloud Of witnesses, illustrating its c
his sequences in all the tender mercies o
man drunkard' portion, demand that it sho
athan be abandoned. Its full time is cor
as Long enough have we refused to o.
If the our eyes to the evident deceitfulnes:
a riv- its pretentions. At last the countr
aiseth awaking, and begins to realize the el
tiness of this dream. Let it go a
r the dream, and only aforementioned that
ID by may wonder how it deceived, and Ian
7 the how it injured US.
If hu- But, if this be discarded, what pla
relig- reformation remains? If nothing i
e has be expected from endeavoring to prom
Iously a moderate use of ardent spirits, and
rance less from an immoderGte use, what
be dones There is but one possible
SAL wer. Persuade people to use none a
I'D the Total abstinence is the only plan on W
e, like reformation can be hoped for. We
e free. shut up to this We have tried the
or one sequences of encouraging people to
ere, to ture but moderately into the atmosp
lg re- of infection; and we are now convir
curse ! that it was the very plan to fee
} quar- strength and extend its ravages. W
Geo forced to the conclusion, that, to a
arriers the pestilence, we must starve it.
noun the healthy must abstain from its nj
ing ex- borhood. All those who are now