Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-02-16
nv Grounds Of Opposition.

swell, Mr.. Editor" says one, {" l am OPP
posed to the Order of the Sons of Temper
anoe, and your Tetotal Societies, and I am
not influenced in my opposition by the Ii
quor-seller either. My neighbor B. is a
worthy man, a good citizen, a Squire, and a
member of the church he is a man, too,
pretty we'll posted up in public affairs, and he
tells me, that you Temperance men design
uniting Churchand State, and destroying the
natural rights and privileges ofthe citizen
And as he is a man have always had conf
dence in, | am bound to believe him."
Well, now, friend objector, we will venture
the assertion, that your neighbor B. drinks
liquor himself, is a d%istiller, or has some near
relation engaged in the traffic. Come, now
cast about, and see if our assertion is not true !
Well, if he be a liquor-drinker himself, is he
competent witness against those who oppose
and denounce a practice which he so fondly
INDUCES in? Would you go to an Infdel to
get testimony to sustain the Bible? Would
you apply to an aYowed Atheist for an opin-
ion as to the existence of the God Of Heaven
and Earth OF course you would not
Why, then, are you so inconsistent as to ap-
ply to an open enemy to gain information of
our Institution? Do you not see the manifest
want of fairness in such a course, and that it
Argues a want of inclination to get at correct
knowledge on the subject?
But" you say, he does not indulge in
| AZ bob;+ &c Jr;,I;omD Vhop 10 - q D;S+iI-
Ter, perhaps. "Well, he don't distil much !;
he turns his " fruit and surplus grain in
to whiskey and brandy, and sometimes dis
tils a little for his neighbors but he does
not make a business of it; and | am sure the
little he does, cannot SO warp his judgment
as to prevent him from coming to honestcon-
clusions." Would you be willing to trust a
man on ajury to try another for stealing your
horse, when you knew that juryman was in
the habit Of stealing your pigs? Surely, the
stealing of so little a thing as a pig, would
not so warp his judgment as to prevent hin
from dealing out even handed justice to the
greater scoundrel that stole your horse !
That might be; but you wouldn't risk hin
in the box. The old axiom would rush upol
you-"A fellow feeling makes US wondrou
4 kind"-and you would reject him ilastarte1'
and YOU would act ike a man of sense.
"No," but, say you, "my neighbor 3
? neither drinks liquor nor is hea distiller-bu
while he does not use it himself, be believe
alcoholic beverages are the good creatures Q
God, and should be used without abusin
them" Would you 60 to a man whom 20
knew to be associated with a gang Of counter
2 feiters to aid you in arresting and prosecr
Q ting one who had palmed a spurious dolla
G on you for silver? Would you apply fr
I medicine to an ignorant quack who had pc
soned a dozen of your friends by giving thel
n arsenic for calomel? You say you woul
not? Why you are guilty of that very foo
ish thing. Here is a man ~traducing the b
q nevolcnce and wisdom Of God by representa-
"distilled damnati0n" as the good creatul
{ ofGod." Abaser counterfeit was never snle
- ted in the caves of Rockingham or any whe.
G. else. Here is an ignorant or designing fC
- low who is recommending as the Elixir
. life a vile ingredient that has sent its m
~ lions to the grave and you arc pinning 20
y faith to his sleeve, and hav'nt got foresig
II enough to notice at the Cross Roads what
- fine building his son is putting up. lie sci
= if the old man don't. If it's so good and u
full, why is it that the old man and the s
both take good care not to drinkit? Reade
r look around you are not these things SO?