Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-01-31
A CASE.

that Prof Ansey, a young man of fine ac-
q~uirements, whose classical a~ttainments are
well attested in a work entitled g Elements of
Literature, or an Introduction to the study of
Rhetoric and Bellies Letters" published in
1849, by LippIncott & Co., of Philadelphia,
in that cityon Monday last, after being
found in an almoet frozen condition in an old
howell, with a bottle of whiskey by his side.
He recently held the position of Professor in
St Mary's College at Wilmington, from which
he was removed on account of his inebriate
habits. He continued, however, his course
of dissipation. until he was reduced to a
condition of utter destitution- houseless and
homeless, friendless and penniIess-he was
driven to the extreme of starvation, wandering
about, seeking shelter wherever chance direc-
ted him.
How deplorable and melancholy is the re-
cital of such a case. The time has been, when
the excitement produced by the wine cup and
brandy bottle were considered necessary to
fire the genius of poetry, and give warmth and
power to cloquence-when it was considered
essential to the lighting up the scintillations of
genius into a brilliant fame, or assisting in the
prolongation Of mental efforts, when the pow
ers of the nervous system would otherwise be
exhausted. But that time has passed, and
now, no physiological fact is better established
than that of the depression Of the mental ener-
e. consequent upon the undue excitement of
it, by whatever causes that excitement may
have been oecasioned and the rapid and
brilliant thoughts which mayNhave been called
forth by the alcoholic stimulant, gives place.
! after a few hours, 10 the opposite state Of
$ languor and despondency. Hence the fall o.
so many flour most brilliant men, in the pull
: pit, at the bar, in our halls of legislation an6
3 in our colleges, who have resorted to this cxpe
dent as a meaus of g exciting the activity o.
e the creating and combining powers" But i
: is the testimony of general experience, tina
n where men of genious have had habitual re
!, course to alcoholic stimulants for the excite
ment of their powers, they have died at al
e early age. Burns, athe chiel of Sang" AM
e Byron, the gifted Bard of England, may b
cited as remarkable examples of this result =
While on the other hand, Demosthenes, DR.
johnson, Newton and Locke, who drank moth
: ing but water, though men of greater menta
! labor than either Burns or Byron, lived TO
d green old age.
h The more light that is difused ui.on th
subject, tends to confirm the Medical men {
tie world in the belief that alcoholic stimulant
n are injurious physically, mentally and moral,
N to the human family. And they are begir
N ming to speak out boldly upon the subject, an
: we trust will eventually SO ~enlighten publ
sentiment concerning it, as to cause all me
= to Danish it to the shelves of the apothi
cary, alongside of arsenic and other poisons
lie 1.-THE GOOD CREATURE OF GOD.
e. DIR. Carpenter combats with great furce ii
K absurd doctrine which some cantend SO strenr
m ously for-"that the abuse Of a thing good
itself, does not afford a valid argument again
E. The right use Of it''-when applied to Alcohol
e beverages. And he brings the strong eviden,
.r Of Archdeacun Jeffreys, 10 prove the rides
to lousness Of such argument. ''The truth is,
nd says the Archdeacun, that the old adage
only true under certain general limitations at
a tina, out Of these. so far from being true, il
on utterly false, and a mischievous %fallacy. Az
er the limitations are these If it be found
experience, that. in the general practice Of d
times in which we live, the abuse is only u
to solitary exception, whereas the right use is Il
:" general rule, 50 that the whole amount Of 90
- roe,I,.1r C-o-, Sc -,obs 1911 al. -
an amount of evil resulting from its partial abus
ur- then the article in question. whatever it be,
led fully entitled II to the benefit Of the adage a
xer il would not be the absolute and imperative d
af- ty of the Christian 10 give it up on account
cd its partial abuse. This is precisely the positi
hat in which stand all the gifts Of Providence, a
,slv all the enjOymenis Of life for there is not q
oh Of them which the wickedness of man does
more or less abuse. But, on the other hand
the it be found by experience that there il son
thing SO deceitful and ensnaring in the arti
ible ltseli' or soneihlng so peculiarly untoward c.
cial nec'eo WIN Inc use OF II IN The present a
that the whole amount of crime, and mise
and wretchedness connected with the abuse
il greatly exceeds the whole amount of ben
arising from the right use of it, then the ar
ment becomes a mIschievous fallacy, the a
MY Gle in question is not entitled to the benefit q
Pc and it kecomes the duty Of every good man
re- gel rid Of it," After abiding TO the evide
nch that this is pre-eminently the case with reg
are to Alcoholic liquors, The Archdeacon contin
ortb 1--WE have then established our principle
! ho opposition to the philosophic adage; taking
duty of the citizen and the patriot, even on
ene west ground. But Christian se!edenial
lueh Christian love and charity go far beyond /