Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-08-11

FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
TEMPERANCE N THE AGGREGATE.
From little streams great rivers aow,
And little shrubs to forests grow.n

4EOM ultie streams great rivers COW,
little shrubs to forests grow"
In a small manufacturing village which Z
years ago was comparatively a den Of corrup-
ton, many of the older part of the commune
ty were either confirmed drunkards, or parti-
ally so, while the youth were growing up in
profanity and diSsipation-there were then
OF three grog-shops In the place, and the
streets we're frequently annoyed by ~swagger-'
ing, noisy drunkards and profane, unruly boys.
OF all sizes. The Sabbath was an idle day,
set apart peculiarly for every scene of out
rage and wlckedness. Yes, seven years ago.
this was the wretched state of this devoted
village What Is it now ! and what has brought.
ABOUT the change "a change from midnightl
darkness to the dawning light of dav. Underj
tae fostering hard Of Proxilepcefa few GOO
and with interchangeable energy IN the Temper-Y
ance cause, the change has been efeeted1
TEMPERANCE-the pledge Of tetotalism-has
worked the great change; no drnnkard Is seen
here now! No dealer in whiskey can live
here now! The bloated face that once en-
couraged him, is now flushed with health
and shuns the door of his corrupt abode. The
health of Temperance smiles on his brow, and
he walks steady and erect.
This is but a small item IN the progress OF
Temperance-in the steady progressive move
ment of the whoIe-it is a vast machinery OF
moral reform. We notice a little wheel IN
some remote part OF a Factory, moving with
steady and equal velocity. We wonder wha1
causes this perpetual mo;;on-we trace its con
n~ection to some larger wheel, and this to some
other, till we discover the main spring tina
moves the whole: SO withthe Temperance cause
it has some mighty power that keeps it in mo
ton. Some fifty years ago, a few good phil
, anthropic men, in different parts Of the world
! started the machinery (then on a compare
lively small scaie) which progressing with thi
progressive age, has now thousands Of conneC
ting links and has already extended over NOR
. than a quarter Of the globe, and the smalles
: wheel in the remotest parts is kept in motion
. But distractions often occur and cause a fri(
ton i'll the machinery. to deliberate which, j
4 some places, the wisdom Of legislation has il
= interfered, and made the distiiling and vendin
= Of Intoxicating liquors an indictable crim
subject to fine and imprisonment-in othe
= it has denounced drunkenness as va9ranc
ve and the shameless brute a subject for the hou
!; of correction. We would naturally enqui
\ what is the mighty motive power that NOV
10 this moral machinery ? The answer will b
rs universal love to man.. acting on the NOR
ut force of Virtue, Piety and good will to
rs, mankind. :.
n. You may speak Of the varioys moral refor
Societies, Charity, Benevolent, Evangelical s
en- Of the Church, with her'stern disciplinea
formalities. some of whose members thoN
re they may not visibly '.strain at a gnat and sW
i, low a camel" may spurn cold water and sw
E--InW Whiskey.
Us And fnaiiy-afI goou, r1orafs hottest CT
"a tian men, must acknowledge that Temperan
NJ. has done, and is now doing more for the me
1t reform Of our poor frail race than any tn
= else, save Christianity itself.