Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-01-02

- IT, ~ WUU sUTWTWICU tHUWgW OF IITIHU5
and squandered enough Of fortunes, ruined
enough of characters and constitutions, beggared
enough of homes and broken enough of hearts
Has II not sent enough of patients to the hospital,
enough of prisoners to the goal, enough Of vic
Tins to the scaffold, enough of untimely corpses
70 the churohyard-enough of unprepared and
impenitent souls to perditionl What thought
theyl he wished for their answer.
We, the Sons of Temperance, think it has, and
at all hazards, are determined to drive it from
the land for ever. Aye, even though rum sellers
should cease to grow rich upon the coinable blood
Of the workman's body, and they actually COM
PEELED to become honest men-though the coffin
makers should be left comparatively idle-the
sheriffs' situation become a sinecure, and the
manufactures of the country deteriorate in
value lin the face Of all these fearful alterna-
tives, we have vowed our energies, our existence
TO the struggle in which We are engaged. (cheers)
Ignorance may thwart us, envy may oppose is
those who live upon the crimes, or gorge their
Venal appetites upon the follies of the people,
may pour upon us all the calumny their black
hearts can create, or their lying lips utter-we
will still perseyere, for we know that truth is
omnipotent, and in the end will be triumphant.
Our principles are too widely known to require
comment. Neutral in religion, neutral in poll
tics, (although we are decidedly of opinion that
the temperate citizen is more likely to be
a better christian and a better patriot as we'll as
o truer husband and a better parent than the
drunkard) no man is excluded our society on
account Of his religious or political opinions
With a love, that while it is the essence of the
Gospel, yet is older than il, and eternal as the
fountain from which it sprung, we regard all
mankind as brothers. This is not only the theory
Of our lips-it is the procession of our hearts
and the practise of our lives. We have no foe
but intemperance, and we can know no rest till
it is completely exercised. After dwelling at
considerable length upon the enormous amount
of money annually spent in the purchase of in
toxicating drinks, and in furnishing the crimes
Of which it Is the cause, Brother Sicily refuted
those silly objections which the uniformed or
the interested usually make against the princi-
Piles, of the order, and continued Seeing that
the friendship of the world is often tickle. some
times false, always uncertain, the Sons of Tenn
perance have knit themselves into a bond of af-
fectionate Brotherhood, for the purpose of mu-
tual support in the season of adversely. 1t is the
custom OF the selfish when forming any friendly
association, to hold the ties so extremely loose.
as always to have it in their power to ~straiten
or relax them, rs circumstance or situations
may render most expedient, smiling upon us
when fortune lights our path, and deserting us
IN the time of difficulty, when we most need
their sympathy and assistance. To obyiate this
evil, to give n systematic direction to generosity,
as well as to cement more thoroughly the frater-
nal feelings with which we regard each other.
we afford each other mutual aid in the time of
sickness or privation, not given with the cold
charity which chills and humbles, but with the
cheerfulness and affection which, while it affords
relief and generates gratitude, also inspires hope,
and makes the receiver only feel that he has
BRoTHERs. The bread of dependence is not
sweet-our aid is therefore given not only rs n
matter of relief, but as n dutiful right. 1t rains
upon the just as we'll as the uniust-so too will
sickness and the angel of death visit the resi-
dencs where virtue presides as well as the re-
gion that vice contaminates. In that hour, sweet
is the voice of comfort-holy the balm of con-
ISOLATION emanating from true Friendship. No
Son of Temperance shall ever want either. His
brothers, in health, we feel Joy for his prospective:
his friends in sickness, we testify our sympathy
by taking care that he shall be properly tended
and that his home shall not feel the pressure of
want and should the MINOR come that calls
him to a brighter and a better life, his last mo-
ments shall not be disturbed by the fears that
the wife of his heart or the children of his love
are left alone and friendless in a cold unfeelina
world for we'll he knows that they shall not
want protectors, while Love, Purity and Fidelity
have m existence. (cheers) Some WOULD b~e-qreat-
men object to joining us. on the plea that we are
not sufficiently discriminating in the selection OF
our members ; they admit you are a very useful
body, but not quite genteeF' enough for their
polite companionship! (laughter) How could
their dignitios condescend to grasp the hard
hand Of honest labor, and call its owner by the
familiar and endearing name of Brother ?'-To
DO go might be very right, but then est wouldn't
be respectable" (aughter) After all, said Mr..
S. the course these purse proud selfish gentle.
men" pursue is perhaps the best for us, their con.
nection would only clog and cucumber. Our
only object is to benefit mankind, and as we
seek no honors ourselves, neither have we any
TO confer upon others. For the possesor of wealtl
we have no respect, unless he be also the inner
itor of virtue. The being whose wishes are al
concentered in self-no matter how large nn
plantations, his heart is too small for our society
But he e~ntreated tho active cooperation of tn,
good of all parties. He asked the advocacy 0
the press, he e~ntreated the influence of the pull
pitt n purer than the press, and equally power
ful as the pulpit, he implored the aid of woMA,
in the struggle against intemperance. (cheers
Of woman, he would speak with the respec
which he sincerely felt, but he was not going t.
utter any of those stereotyped compliments
which custom had converted into cant. He dis
liked fattery, he hated to receive it, and woul,
seorn to bestow it. When woman was what sh
o1ght to be, she was to man Heavens creates
treasure, his charm of earth, his Joy of the pres
ont, his hope Of the future, his angel of this lf,
RiAA NO NAAhpASAA VI % ONlNCA NCilGCISj IlOllC
the great teacher, and woman's influence is Their
o%mnipOtent. Upon the mothers of the country
more than upon any one else, depend the sent
ments of the rising generation. 1t was their dut
70 instIl into the minds of their children, to il
fuse into their souls and to impress upon thei
hearts a love Of purity and a holy horror of il
temperance-self interest alone should prom
them to do this. This was Thanksgiving day
the drunkard shows his gratitude to providenc
by depriving himself of reason. Look at hi
in the public house-is there upon Gods fa
earth a spectacle so degradingG See how L
swallows poison by the pint and vomits bla
phemy by the Sushell Behold the human shar
without a single aspiration of the human sou
separated by no boundary from the brute. Ho
hunbling to the speculations of the philosophe
how painful to the seHsibilities of the philaI
thropisti Follow him to his home-but no, {
notLhe sanctuary Of sorrow is sacred III
unfeeling should never be permitted to ente
There is nothing in the drunkard's home bu
woe and wretchedness, tears and ashes-a Wi
no longer expecting a husbands caress, b
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