Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-03-07

the spring Of water he has given the
properties of health. life aud activity.
Man made Intoxicating drinks: and like
himself it is weakening and destructive.
A. Length Of days-long life. is sought
by all. God gave the limit of life three
score and ten years. What has shor-
tened IT? Why isit men do not live out
half their days? Intoxicating drink is
the answer of experience. turn again
to McNIsh's Anatomy Of Drunkenness,
at page 12l--" Drunkenness" he SAYS,
:" has a dreadful effect in anticipating
the effects of age. 1t causes time to
pass on with giant strides--chases youth
flom the constitution Of IFS victims, and
clothes them with the gray garniiure Of
years" At page 208, he tells Us that
I" Were ten young men, on their twen-
ty-frsi birthday 10 begin to drink one
glass (equal to two ounces) of ardent
spirits, or pint Of port-wine or sherry,
and were they TO drink this supposed
( moderate quantity of strong liquor daily
the lives Of eight out OF the ten would
be abridged by twelve or fifteen years."
; This is surely enough and to spare, it
: proves every thing which can be deman-
: ded. My experience and that of all
with whom am acquainted. who have
i been 10 the habit of observing, agrees
e with this writer. Drinkers of intoxica-
ting drink. temperately or Incorporate
h ly. do mol live out half their days. Cold
e water drinkers on the other hand in
: general live TO be old men.
Il 8. The prevention or punishment Of
/. crime calls for great waste of time and
: the expenditure Of large sums of money
,r annually.
o II the cause Of crime could be ascer.
e tanned and removed. all this might be
IS saved. Intoxicating drink is the parent
n Of crime. II is so in much greater de-
J. gree th,n most persons are aware. A
Is connection with the administration OF
j. justice as lawyer and Judge for thirty
d SIX years, enable ne TO say that the
great body of the crimes Of force. such as
to assaults and batteries, Iiots, afffays, and
N homicides, is to be ascribed 10 iatoxica
it ting drink. So, too, many of the other
crimes arising out Of an euiI intent, are
II TO be sci down to the same cause. In
st The district. in which | live. Newberry,
State Of South Carolina. and two friend.
it. ilf in / think the year 1916. examined
y, the crimin Il dockets iron l800-and &c
te our amazement, we found that nine
k tenths Of all the cases were caused di
Id rectly. or indirectly, by Intoxicating
e. drink Surely if it be worth while Il
- purify a community from crime, it il
Is. worth while to destroy the cause; ans
be thus save not only The usual cost Of pre-
by vention and punishment but al<o th'
a poor men, who commit crime under tht
lis influence of intoxicating drink. Sobe
lat men, total abstainers, are not criminals
lis they are generally too busy to be in th
IN way of temptation.
6. Industry makes man "healthy
he wealthy and wise; Intoxicating drinl
he never made man industrious. is b
who sighs for the bucket, which hun
Is on the well.'' who will rise refreshe
IS; from his deep draught OF water, and puI
do sue with untiring industry the road whic
nix leads to success He who drinks stron
in drink will spend his days in idlenes.
.Fe lose the golden moment of success, an
- finally be loafer and vagabond.
so Z. The great object Of life properly vi
at derstood is happiness here and hereafter.-
he In this life the bopI holds no drops of hal
er, piness It is full of deeeitful revel but
lk- it turks the snake, whose fang strikes dec
.en and poisonous. Even the temperate drihl
ian er finds happiness steal from him, in ever
at drop be drains from the poisonous chalic'
rty His temper becomes soured, his busines
'ol- and family are neglected, and of course ev
'od ry thing IS at cross purposes. Even h
lch wife at every untoward step is provoked
en-. say, !" Didnot I tell you so?!" The s
or Der temperate man drinks
TO ''The purest and sweetest that nature cou
Of yield. 2
en- and his temper is like his drink--his bu:
lith ness is attended to his family cared for ar
re- in his wife's smiles. he basks in the SUI
lse, shine ofhappincss.
To- Happiness hereafter may possibly be
en- the enjoyment Of millions Of Temperan
drinkers "who come and are not, but th
irst they hasarded it, is plain, when We are to
nd. that the drunkard can have no place in be
Ca ven.
The Having thus discussed the general subjs
am. it remains that we should ask why it is tt
ink, our fcllow-men refuse to be followers Of 7
lor- tai Abstinence. 1t is the path of safety !;
alth can do no harm; itmay do much good, v
ces- shun the connection? Why having und
/ in taken the work do any look back 7 It
ess, because persons in the first instance are !
,age sufficiently informed, and in the second.
,nu- cause we yield to temptation. Il is our
fhelty, men and brethren, to be instant in 8
aeir, son. IN pursuing all means to spread IND
/ by nation and to remove the femptation. Th
,uch little tracts are to go out to be read and
on we hope to lead persons to examine, asS
var. tain the trIIth and then act. Let us h