Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-10-13
The Tenth Anniversary.

4AC AOuGAL xAA11tC4od41
OF the Order of the Sons of Temperance,
was celebrated in New York and the neigh
por1ng Uluies, on uIe z9Tn nit. Public meet
ings were held and addresses delivered at six =
different places in the city ofNew York, with
audiences composed of Sons and Daughters,
Cadets and all others engaged and interested
in the great Temperance enterprise. Well
may the Editor ofthe Organ exclaim: What
a picture! The saved inebriate, rejoicing in
his freedom and acknowledging his delive-
rance woman, as mother, wife or friend,
c%ountenancing and cheering on the effort,
and aiding in every way our blessed cause;
our youth-the men of another generation
the hope of another time-sitting at their
feet. and gathering lessons of wisdom from
the experience of the past. 1t was a scene
over which angels might rejoice"
We gather the following interesting facts
as to the origin and progress of the Order,
from the address and resolutions adopted by
the several meetings:
Ten years ago, a little band, whose hopes
were high and whose faith was strong, pledg-
ed themselves to our principles and flung out
our banner to the breeze. To-day we meet
5 to celebrate our Tenth Anniversary, to survey
the ground over which we have passed, and
learning from its experience and the present
necessities of our position, make new resolves
t as to our action for the future
s Ten years ago our numbers were sixteen,
n all told-to-day we have a membership of
over a quarter of a million. Ten years ago,
one Division held its first meeting in our EN-
= pire City: to-day our Divisions are to be found
~ :! -. So. - nEo..4a-- C o,n TTn,on
r in the British Provinces on this continent,
- and in many districts of the nIother-land be-
side. That was a day of small things beftt-
" ing modest effort and humble hope On this
we see CTR most ~sanguine antieipations moro
" than realized, and feel ourselves strong enough
# to attain all that we may desire.
Our first and earliest efforts were to win
" men to our ranks and to our principles, and
these Hoana Hva4e n e4fr ptfiH5tsif e mo- fIgR
OF efficiency in our principles, but necessity
n OF our then position and circumstances the
sapllng must long retain for its own nurture
' and growth every principle of vitality which
e it may possess or d~evelope, and not till it be-
comes q tree will it's early branches afford a
shade or its luscious fruits supply a repast-
AS time rolled on, our development m
ed; our brethren, in their individual, if not
IN their associated capacity as Sons Of Tenn
lie perance, became actively engaged in outdoor
etfOrt-in promoting and sustaining public
temperance meetings and temperance orga-
: nlzatiOns of various kinds. The first efforts
u were by moral s%uasion, by words of kindness
ID and OF love, by the recital of our W wrongs
and sufferings under the demons influence,
and the testimony of our own happy expert
Q ence when delivered from its power, to win
our fallen fellows from the chains that bound
IN them, to assume their right and true position
le as sober men and we had hoped, too-alas!
!, how vainly THAT some, at least, engaged in
the SouEdestroying traffic, would, when once
~ aware of it's nature and its influences, relin-
- narsistence of
ne these and others in their unholy calllng-tne
inducements of music and paintings, the en-
ployment of young and handsome females to
~ wait In their saloons, added as so many wIles
a. to. ensnare the thoughtless and the young,
ne and to lead many a %repentant though weak
al brother back to his cups, and the increasing
!, indifference of the whole fraternity OF rum
? sellers to the wrongs and suferings o fbrOken
I'll hearted humanity-to the wailings ofthe wife
I'd the pleadings of the children of the unfortu'
IA nate nebriate-their Indifference, too, to the
increased burdens laid upon the community
~ as the results of their traffic; their open and
In continued dissertation of the Sabbath, in VIC
er lation of all law, and their iron rule bywhicl
they governed politicians, and the iron grasI
al with which they held all the political infu
ence they possessed, at last convinced us tina
something more than moral suasion was need
ng ful in the premises, and that to the ballot-bo1
and the Legislature must we look for a reno
dy, not the regulation, but in the entire pro
hibition of the liquor traffic.