Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-12-22
rahipa' RrPartmrut.
o THE spIRfT OF THE AGE.
e.
To North Carolina Ladies.

ACgOFHteF. we nOn0r the 'SonS OF lem
p%erance,,' for we believe that of all merely
human Associations, theirs is the most un-
selfish and unalloyed with corrupt motives
--that they have already done much good
IN various ways and will continue to do so:
but the Sons begun their work of love and
reform when Intemperance was rife in
the land-when the enemy had already
invaded and conquered it, got possession
of its s~trongholds, and from that vantage
ground defed the assaults of the Forlorn
Hope Of Humanity. For the same reason
that an oak is too old to transplant at
fifty" mature and oLdinebriates, an general.
are too old to be reformed. Besides. the love
of many will wax cold, many will return
to their darling sin, and many will secret
ly violate their pledge. Still the glorious
moral Revolution will 90 on-stil the
manful " strike" for emancipation from the
worst domination that ever scourged man
or shocked high Heaven, will be made
But the enemy's name is "Legion," his
nature ubiquitous, and his life hydra-Hke,
for so soon as he has been wounded or slain
IN one of his forms, he reappears in another
therefore we wisht to call in the aid 0 fman's |
fond and fair ally, who ever fights his bat
ties and never fights in vain, who, whilst
he attacks the foe in open array, in high
places and his stronghclds, may attack him
In the bud, break up his recruiting grounds
and cut off the sources ofhis impressments
and conscriptions. Alcohol must be de-
elared a universal enemy, (not the subjects
OF him-them we pity and love, and be-
cause we do so, We write this) out of the
pale Of Nations, an outlaw to be fought in
the field and the fen, when in open array
and IN covert, with force and weapon, STRAIT
egy and surprise. Thus the Natural and
international Law warrants civilized nations
to deal with Pirates, truce breaking and
faithless nations and Savages. And is not
Alcohol such a common foe to the peace,
prosperity and progress of Nations? There
fore we should raise the legal hue and cry
as in the pursuit ola murderer, and attack
with the weapons of nature and of art, with
hands and feet and teeth, with slig stone
and staff, for t~he'contest is one Of self de-
fence Of we
must attack the vice in it's qro0inq state.
in the bud, for eff these things (the inc
briate's works. be done in the green tree,
what will not be done in the dry 2" chat is
in the maturity and strength Of his habits.
The work of reform must begin not only
in boy-hood, but baby-hood-yea, in the
cradle and even at the breast. Oh woman,
on mother ola possible man-ofan immor-
tai being, can you bear the idea that the
tiny copy of yourself that now hangs at
your breast, drawing life's first, and sweet.
est, and purest nourishmcnt from thefoun.
tain OF life, and hiding ~instinctivcly it's lit,
tie hand in its yielding cushion, and anon
lifts up into your face the mild radiance Of
those blue cyes-bluo as if they had caught
q reflection of the Heavens from which il
has lately descended to you as a gift, yea
and a responsibility (and not a little one
either, but as momentous as the concerns
oftime and eternity you arc solemnly asked
can you bear the idea, that this no0 almost
cherub, may, Cifimproperly reared in maud
I'm b%abyhood, In stupid sottishness, in the
senselessncss of intoxication, clutch anC
fondle Gas many have SEEM a black bottle
and tug and draw at its Internal throat. as
In infancy he was wont to do at the paps O.
human feeling and nourishmcnt +? DINO
say you, the idea is too. horrid for contem
plation, and the contamination would b.
death. But how to avert it? Much cal
DO done by you during your child's c~arlies
years, and VIC think we can tell you thu
means but before doing so, we prcmis,
for your comfort and consideration, that i
is a strong proof of the wisdom and good
ness OF the Creator, that those beverage
and edibles which arc most injurious t.
man arc not naturally agreeable and temp
ting to the taste, but are used only by thos
who have acquired a taste for them. Ant
it is equally a proof of mans tendency t.
declension, that those stimulants, drug
and narcotics, Alcohol, opium, tobacco
&c, which injuro him most, he learns b,
use to love better than the food and drink
which bountiful nature has provided 70
him-botter than Che finest wheaton loaf
the most luscious fruit, the most soothin.
milk and refreshing water. You have thel
this encouraging truth to ommenc with
that you have not an Unborn bias to o
teract, but only the formation of a bad hab
1t to prevent. But this general truth !
not without exceptions, for it is quite re
suitable that bad habits (second nature) i
parents may become natural propensitie
in their offspring. Surely, then, it is no
necessary to tell many mothers, that it ]
at the hazard of teaching their babies tn
ALphabet of Intemperance, that thew in
feet the breath which issues from the lin
which they press to their children's, an
which may be to them like the exhalation
of the deadly Upas tree or that they hea
and poison that milky fluid which God dc
signed should flow pure and nourislin
from the fountains of life to satisfy the fir,
wants of the helpless slumberer there. w
therefore conclude that mothers do no
will not, can not drink! And this is GU
first precept for preventing the sober chill
from becoming the drunken man and Oh
second is like unto it, namely, never t
give it to them as a medicine, nay not ey
en- to disguise the unpalatableness of otl
er medicines, for if often used in this wa
itmay become a craving ofthcir constitution
Thoucau1s of drunl- rdo b,ro Iao-. /.