Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-11-23
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE ACE.
THE OLD NORTH STATE"

Though North Carolina is not a land of
historical renown, yet it is a land cOnsecra-
ted by memories as endearing as life, and as
glorious as the stars of heaven. Within its
peaceful borders domestic happiness, fllial
reverence, parental tenderness and coniugal
affection. are flowers of perpetual bloom. 1t
is the land of our ancestors, and their hon
ored ashes mingle with it's soil-the land of
ournativity and the scenes of early childhood's
sports its graves are consecrated by sweet
memories of the past. 1t possesses every va
riety of desirable climate, and on its soil may
be made to grow all kinds Of fruits and plants
common to the United States, and could we
ascend some lofty ~eminence, and have the
natural eve aided so as to view at one glance
the varieties displayed in its foliage and rich
ly waving fields Of grain, we would imagine
that the great goddess Ceres, in the DAYS of
her glory, sat on some lofty mountain, with
wide spread lap and busy hand, throwing on
the wind the seeds Of vegetation, which chiefly
fell in North Carolina. Or, that Triptolemus,
being fond of beautiful and v~ariegated scene
ry, and at the same time resolved to SOW the
best spots of earth, was of course led to that
part of the world called North Carolina
And being fond of ~fountful regions, he COM
mences his pleasurable career in 1.-The extreme
western border. We imagine he strikes the
Iron Mountains, a little south of 360 north
latitude. 1t is a beautiful morning in May,
about the lawn of day in the year of dissem-
nation and as he approximates, he once,
and only once, forgets time. We suppose
this scene, both curious and delightful, and
especially by twilight and as his untiring
dragons ascend the adverse sleeps, and the
wheels of his splendid chariot thunder over
rich beds of ore, he exclaims with no little
animation Minerals! Minerals! His whole
mind is, whirl eastward and sow seed; and
we may suppose that not q few were shaken
from his chariot, besides what he threw out.
But scenes more beautiful attract his at
%tAntion. Behold a wonderful obstruction be-
fore him it seems as though so much Of the
sky has fallen in the vista, and over this
huge pile there pours a food of light, burst
ing up from the farther side-darkness re-
brilliant face. He mounts this wonderful
pile, which he finds to be the Blue Ridge, and
from its summit surveys at one glance a great
concentration of natures wonders and beau.
ties. Here he pauses in his career and looks
on every side, and 10 objects Of the most
striking sublimity meet his gaze for he finds
himself in close proximity to the high noun
tains, lovely hills and fertile wales of q strange
and beautiful land. He views the cloud-pier
cling mountains of the west, terrifcally sub
lime, and the regions between, with the ut
most establishment; and then turns to sur
vey the eastern part of his new found won
ders and as he turns his eye athwart the
heavens and descending is caught by some
stupendous mountain or jutting cliff, onwhicf
he looks with as much delight and surprise
as lift were his fathers long forgotten throne
But, behold, the sun-beams press closely
around him-they break his CACHE turns
to see from whence they come but his eyC
is driven to earth, and he regales his sigh
by surveying the basis of the mountains ant
%vallies, in the midst of which he is perfect.
delighted. He finds himself in a fountful re
gion where from every hill and every vale h,
sees countless numbers of gurgling fountain
bursting forth. Steadfastly he gazes on tn,
widening streams, until they assume the ap
pearance of so many sh Gets of silver, reach
ing from the mountains to the sea shore.
Upon the broad bosoms of these limpi,
streams the sunbeams play like golden rufles
and in the midst of this effusion of nature
beauties, he is enraptured. Even his dragon
being fascinated, he drops his reins and seed
broadcast this land of fertility. With tn
most p~leasurable emotions he exclaims, On
ward dragons to Pamlico Sound! They hea
the sound of his voice as it reverberate
through mountain and vale, and rolls alon
those silvery streams, stirring their crysta
waters. Animated by that voice, the drag
ons dart from the mountains and along thei
destined course they fly, as if pursued by
whirlwind loaded with thunderbolts and elet
%tricity. And through the length and breadt
of North Carolina Triptolemus has sown hi
seed. When the sun began to hide himse
behind the western hills, the dragons of TriE
tolemus drew him into Pamlico Sound, bu
he being sentimental escaped, and cam
forth, declaring that if those who inhab
other lands, want seed, let them come I
North Carolina and get /!
Viewing North Carolina in this aspect,
must be thought a disparagement to he
that the Sons of Bacchus are permitted b
law to combine the harmless elements ths
exist in the fruit and the grain, and tur
them from the high purposes for which the
were created, into a poisonous fluid, that Ell
genders misery and death to all who use i
1t is to this fluid, the curse of our race, whie
we should attribute nine-tenths of our so
rows. 1t is the makers and vendors of a
dent spirits, that roll the fearful waves of in
morality over our beloved Carolina. Ye
gentlemen, our sorrows proceed from thos
red eyed devotees of Civil Liberty, who spen
their lives in the Glorious Edifces of Inebr