Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-06
The Rum.Seller.

1t has long since been a matter OF surprise
With US why it was that the rum-seller-the
nan who follows that vocation to enrich his
,ofers-could dare to hold up his head in
and it has been no less strange why
he public ~sustains him in his Ubiquitous
death dealing, and why an indignant popu-
hEnot frowned him down long since
with
IA dismal, universal hiss, the sound
Of public scorn."
It must be from commonality-an established
custom handed down from sire to son-thls
must be the secret talisman that shields him
from the contempt of the world. If any per-
son was to establish a shop in our city, from
whose shelves he dealt out some poisonous
soul damning drug-a deadly hasheesh-at
six cents a dose, such a whirlwind of incensed
outrage would be aroused against him as
would sweep him from the midst of the peo-
pie and brand him as a murderer, d6ore the
Ldtcs Of God and man!
Is the Rum-seller, whose sordid desire for
gain blasts the physical glory Of his fellow
being and sets his immortality drifting with
the eternal tide, any more deserving of the
popular countenance and favor, than the deal
er in fatal drugs for illegal purposes Let
US see. Let us institute a court of inquiry
and hear the testimony. Let the dead stand
upon the green earth again as witnesses ris
en- from the tombs.
TNboroi loovo tho orooEipo ro1lows now
thou rum-deranged fratricide-seize thy braiI
besmeared bludgeon again, and lean upon it
silently testifying against your destroyer
Burst the grassy turf, ye blasted armies 2
drunkards-rattle your dusty flesh from you
skeletons-wipe the grave dews from you
ashy brows, and stagger up a sepulchral no:
before him and let the world hear your al
palling testimony. Point your bony fingers;
him and say as did Nathan to the Royal maj
SLAYER. "thou art the manr Crawl out fro
thy Shiny river bed, thou drunken suicid
and with your protruding eyeballs and BIZ
:" lips, sufocations fell mark, stand before hi
'' an accusing witness and let your rum ma
: dened brother stand at thy muddy side vi
A. the gore streams oozing from that faithf
Ct cash from ear to ear. Give room for th
id lady! Horrible! it is a frozen corpse !
C. Well, let her como aSsardyuh IS the n
ty corpse-wife of a maniac drunkard, who
I'd he shut out from the cottage hearth to peri
in the snow storm-both her and that j
. babe CONCEALED to her bosom. Let that te;
hardened to an ice pebble on her bloodlt
. cheek, testify to the guilt Of her destroye
- and let the untaught finger Of the little I'M
!, cent write on the marble wall the blazi
!, meme TEKEL UPHARsIN over against
name of this blood drinking Belshazzar
Let the deep silence Of the past burst OF
;, her secret vaults and turn loose the pent
shrieks, cries and prayers of wives, mothe
daughters, sisters and the unutterable gro;
of dying victims, shrinking back from
OF precipice of eternity,i in one condemning sto
Int against him. Ye countless r%etinue''
10 Rum damned ghosts, burst asunder y
DC clankingfetters, and rush, like Almighty Wi
- ~ 20 an~+L epan4 uanr hlauin~-~Alla- 4h~n
ed IN molten lava fresh dripping from
heavy pillows of your eternal confines,
the bring ga RAILING accpsot;onn oco;,et =
murderer. Plead for humanity-plead
God and human rights" plead like ang
'ast trumpct-tongued, against the deep dam
43 ton of your taking off,!
per- And let the earth, and all that is Their
ert- give ear!