Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-09-28

NEATLY AT THIS
a cause which has and is enlsting the efforts of the
wise and prudent, the beautiful and brave of every
land To have been honored with a selection to ad-
dress you, ladies, upon any subject would have been
esteemed sufficient compliment, but to be selected
as the organ of the Order, to express to you ap
probation of your gift, / cannot but regard an
embarrassing, yet peculiar favor. / shall make
but feeble exhibit Of for the token,
to do 1t justice l cannot hope. The highest powers
Of human eloquence may here find theme worthy
its noblest efforts and he who addresses you may
well invoke the aid of him who touched Isaacs lips
with lire, to extinguish in his mind conceptions
unadapted to the grandeur and sublimity of the
theme, to give such form and expression to his
thoughts, that word may now be spoken, which
being recalled in after years may bring with it ne
sting of painful refec tons but pleasant and profit
able memories. Feeling is the favorte element of
the female soul, she has instructive sympathy
with the tender, the generous and the pure. We
expect from her examples of goodness, nor are We
disappointed in expectations; there is not one
In the rushing crowd of human beings, whom the
/ heart of woman docs not care for and pity how
ever unlovely and vile. Woman has ALWAYS thrown
her influence in the scale of whatever exalts and
adorns human nature, alleviates human misery, and
renders the world we live in, like the heaven to
which We aspire the residence of innocence and
purity. If through female encouragement and ex-
ample the spirit of this age is to be purified of the
folly of drunkenness, if it is to be elevated and
adorned by the excellent virtue of Temperance;
surely L cannot be wrong in saying it renders
your present action not only a source of pride and
congratulation to the Order but Of imposing gran
deur to the eyes of the patriot and philan nthropst
The Division feels 10 hess pxuad than thankful for
your Offering, and must confess when we think of
| the unspeakable happiness, which hand in hand
with the ladies, temperance organization is now
disseminating, and still more when l try to raise
the vel OF the future and contemplate the brilliant
and glorious destiny which awaits the human fam
\ lily through their agency; am ready to exclaim
" VISIONS OF glory spare my aching sight, But our
position Was a responsible before, now doubly
dearly so; meet the storm and listen to
the angry tide of opposition, because we have the
active, persuasive, eloquent action Of woman. Let
this responsibility be engFayeD deeply upon our
souls. If fathfess to this trust it will haunt you
like the ghost of Tartarus and madden your guilty
souls Life with all its solemn consequence is ours
the past, the present and the future, TEEN with
motives weighty as the universe, vast as eternity
and countless as the stars Of heaven. Are you
tempted brothers, by the love Of honor or worldly
applause! Go and bear this Banner aloft, go and
wipe away the tear of woe, pour the oil of comfort,
the joy of gladness in the bleeding heart of your
race. And souls of sweetness, lips of energy and
fervor will chant your song of praise nation waits
to register your name among the benefactors of
mankind. Is pleasure your aim? What pleasure
Hills the soul with so much satisfaction and delight
as active, earnest efforts for the good of man. You
must dare my brothers, the worst there is middle
course there must be herosm in our every day
life, heroism which leads us to rally under this
Banner, that makes the industrious, sober man
and good citizen, it teaches to surround our homes
with comfort and our fresides with cheerfuness I;
) 1t enshrines each heart with domestic peace, and
spreads our land the pleasant verdure of rural
culture and waving harvest. Let this heroism be
ours, instead of acting under the impulse of meaner
qualities, raising high artificial wreaths, as q
mockery to hide universal Bear this flag,
pure In its representation of purity and innocence
the herald of a new era in midst the OF
universal peace There is blood upon its folds,
" 1t is not wet with tears. 1t has been planted on
every shore and in every land let it still 90 forward
1he naTp1ngeF or good until liberty of mind and OF
4 soul shall become the birth-right of every land
k tnat wherever the temperance Banner shall be un.
1urled there shall ring the watchward of the free
You have, brethren, bequeathed to vou to-day n no.
BILE treasure you not xioas to add something
to the character of that exalted nher tance before
~ you bequeath it to generations who are yet to
come after 1t is one of the traditions of the age
:, OF chIvalry, that Scottish King, when dying be-
queathed his heart to the most trusted and loved
MS MOBILES to be carried to Palestine Enclosing the
precious deposit in golden and suspending il
: from his neck, the knight went forth. When on
n his way to Syria he found himself severely press
- ed by the MOors of Spain. To animate himself
with supernatural efforts it were, that he nigh
break through his thronging foes he snatched the
charge entrusted to him from his neck and fling.
ing 1T into the midst Of his enemies exclaimed !.
&c Forth heart of Bruce, thou won't and Doug
ID lass will follow thee die" Even thus should yor
press IN advance of your steps this beautiful charge
1t It IS your duty to follow that charge to pluck il
from under the feet Of those Who through Ignorance
and enmity would tread it in the dust And no
- like Douglass will it be yours to follow it and die
ut able to reflect well Of our beloved institution b
s. able to point to substantial tokens of good will
10 which she has receiyedat your hands and thus thu
% hundreds of young and huoyant votaries who vii
y surround this Banner with afectonate respect anC
q q reverence, be able to say In terms more elOquen
!, than speech, $50 and do likewise" Tell them tha
OF pass to them the flag of our Order untarnish
I'd ed by treason, brightly waving above christian al
tars and the shrines Of American liberty. Tell theu
A. to guard the sacred trust with unslumberng vigi
lance; charge them to fight Valianty in its behalf
" that then raise higher this memorial Of the fai
dS and seal of their mothers and sisters; and when
length they softly rest beneath the shadows of til
In grave, they will leave behind honOred Names fra
of grant with a worlds blessing.
he The heart has its own language that mocks a
- the studied arts of learning. The soul has its ow
= utterance which laughs at scholarships control
, with our hearts, with all our souls thank yo
ed ladies for this favored expression We all ha
10 tening to mans final resting place, and when "
re- have passed away, nature will the same aspe
nd of beauty as when her Creator commanded her
r. be- the heavens shall be bright above our grave
as they are now around our path. Yet little viii
and the grave-clod shall have been thrown in, Il
Il prayer will have been said and shall be left
darkness and the worm. Yet this good deed
1Hl yours shall out-last fes ftfl fever be more end
ring than time, perhaps be forgotten in etern
te ty. May the thought Of the good you have so hal
PLY assisted in efecting, throw around your pat
the radiance of peace, the sunshine of perpetu
gladness; and when lifes feeble pulse is DER, ma
,as your last end be like his, who folds the drapery
his couch around him and lies down to pleasa
oh- dreams.
.ge
the FOR THE SPIRIT oP THE AGE.
In conformity with resolution originatir
18th hn frinndn &C ~ "a -, AZ -.