Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-02-09
gBRDAY READING,
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE
A Shameful Transaction License Tao
liquor Dealers.

y 4aG Sf1h11 Or HE AGE y
A Shameful Transaction License Taac- ;
Liquor Dealers. t
After the world had been in existence more a
thap three thousand years, there lived a man in '
Palestine, between the river Jordan and the
Mediterranean coast. who sod a part of his es-
tate, a very elevated and picturesque spot, to the
Ruler of his country, for the purpose of carry
ing into effect a grand project. The amount
of the purchase money was &694, Is. Cd. ;
Upon that hill a large city was built. exhib-
ting no ordinary degree of magnificence and
beauty. But lis projection was soon laid away
in the tomb, and his son assembled the throne
and grasped the sceptre. This young King
formed a matrimonial alliance with the daugh
ter of a neighboring King. His wife intro
duced into the kingdom the grossest idolatry,
to which he submitted without remonstrance,
and of which he became a willing subject
Contiguous to the palace of this man of regal
splendor and power, there lived a man who
possessed a choice and most desirable vineyard;
and notwithstanding the king lived in luxury
and possessed the good ofthe lard, he coveted
this vineyard. On one occasion, he proposed
to the owner of the vineyardto exchange with
him, or to purchase it but this by no means
met the approval of his subject. A positive
and decided refusal was given, with a statement
of the fact, that he had inherited the vine
yard from his father, and to accede to the pro-
posal of his king was revolving to his heart in
the extreme. Theking was overwhelmed with
disappointment; he had been thwarted in his
~covetous design. We may imagine that the
mans whole manner and emphatic tone of
voice on the occasion took the Ruler all aback.
He turned his face towards The Royal Palace.
mortified, heavy and displeased.' But why ?
Were bis circumstances of so INDECENT a char
acter as to awaken such feelings in his heart ?
Did pressing want, fearful mendicancy, form
the basis of his proposition? Nay, verify,
it was his covetous desire that urged him on
ward in his course. The disappointment pro-
duced a most astonishing effect. The King,
disconsolate and spirit-broken, really took tc
his bed, and refused to eat. This fact is but
"a an evidence Of the deep rooted nature Of hi;
coyetousness.
AS he lay upon his couch, suffering intense
y ly, his wife made her appearance, and presen
ted special inquiries as to the cause of hi
distress. On being informed as to the rea
cause Of his sufferings, she appealed forthwith
80 to his power, and exclaimed: 'Dost thou nov
+" govern the kingdom of /? Arise AM
~ - eat bread, and let thine heart be merry; | wi
" give thee the vineyard of IN, the Is
IL Her plan was laid to this effect: She wrot
~ letters in her husbands name, and sealed then
with the Royal seal, and sent them to men {
"A distinction, directing them to proclaim fas
E : as if some fearful national calamity were abou
mo- to come upon them and on that occasion, NV
men Of the baser sort were to accuse the owne
of the vineyard of blasphemy and rebellion
os that he must be found guilty, and he and
an family stoned to death. The plan was exec
;IIs ted as directed, and the poor man and his far
lily were murdered.
,ro The success of her plan was reported to h
husband, and he, gratified with the ~reflecti
that there was no one to oppose him in his &C
for etous wishes, arose, and the next day proceed
to take possession of the vineyard. After ii
=, c~ovetous, and murderous- hearted man h
ond taken possession Of the vineyard, he saw an {
nod man approaching him, to whom he said: I'll
Inv thou found me, O! mine enemy p To VIII
he replied i have found thee, because th
tri- hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight
do the Lord The old man had been comm
soc stoned to say to him: Hast thou killed a
ded also taken possession! Then he proceeded
,me- pronounce a fearful curse upon him.
that Now, no one need doubt the faithfuln
and correctness of the preceding narrative
IT'S all true. / assert it upon the ~veracity
one who cannot lie. The whole transact
the may be seen, by reference to the Bible.
sir. Kings, 21st chapter.
+ ont But, asks one, what has the above to
Oh a with Temperance, the License Law, or Liz
IF for DealersY | don't know how it may stl
came other minds, but TO me 1t IS quite appar
that the principles and facts involved in
j US, above, are moi without a parallel. ALLOW U
ID. to exhibit the truth of our remarks:
# TO There is the c~ovetouS man, who looks u
,ched the fine estates of his feIlow-men. T
h the splendid mansions, fruitful fields, scores of
day and maid-servants, their gold and silver
shook he gazes upon these things, he groans
ut of %covetous anxiety, days of earnest longings,
skin, nights of sleepless solitude are spent-he
orked gets to eat his bread. or eats it not with pl
tn the ure. The all-absorbing consideration is:
pans, shall | get these things to myself? How
n bed | possess them? | can't go, and by viot
than bear these things away; this will not d
chat clandestine, open procedure would be in
fout lation ofthe laws of my country, and W
lldn't be arraigned, and judged accordingly.
in--I at this j%uncture, it is suggested that there
yself, process, sanctioned and authorized by IdN
v my which he can attain his object, and the lay
up | quires but a Uery small portion of the gal
er and Ills admirably arranged he exclaims
! you power IS appealed to-favor IS galned-th
strument is written-the price is paid
says ], now the depraved hearted man prccee
f this his work of death, under the sanction and
thority of the law of country laying C.
yes, q to principles of civilization and humani
kes is His rich neighbors drink to drunkenness, '
beans their fortunes, are reduced to penury
want; and this man of war and death fiji
Iere in Golfers. He has sold himself to do evil,
ut the the curse Of heaven is upon him. Is he
our ia Liquor Dealer, not a murderer? If 20
swer TO, then I say that Ahab was not.
/ moth is my opinion, and | hesitate not to d.
It well that in this enlightened day, the Liquor
wipe a. is a murderous procedure; and inasmr
ten it is sanctioned by the law Of the land,
boy blood is upon oursstatute book. Liquor
the err, YOU may expect to sink under the W
ne be- ing stroke of Gods a~venging hand. E.. ]
quapin NoTTowAY, Jan. 90, 1858.
Yelling,