The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-01-19
The voice of God for TcsR-
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aSeHl Oh II cTOWll or silver. It's lin
pid waters laved the smooth pebbles
in its shallow bed, and seemed to pol
ish them as tiny mirrors to reflect
the faces Of twittcring birds. Mcrrily
the little strcamlct played through the
vale and woody dell, and the sweet
flowers. pecping out from the grassy
banks, smiled as the sprightly rill i'm
printed a kiss, and danced along. The
lively warblcrs of grove and garden
dipped their bills in its censcr,
and struck their harps to swcctcr
notes, us if in praise Of Him who
taught the rivulct to play. The wild
hare sportcd upon its howcry borders,
the busy bee sung amid its tufts of
mint and cowslip, and the gentle gale
waited tho fragrance Of myriad flowers
over its winding pathway. But one
voice asccnded to the skies, and that
MAS the voice Of gladncss that God
had made the nILL. The rill itself, in
unison with the song or shower and
dashng waterfall, the pealing voice of
river and ocean, seemed to cxulL that
God had mingled no poisonous clc-
mcnt with its delicious beverage.
looked abroad over the wide do
mnion Of nature, and every living
creature WAS temperate but man.-
Birds, beasts, fishes, and even the his
sing reptiles, rcioiccd in the abundance
of summer showers and gushing
springs; and all sportel in the full
tide Of luxurious health. No DESTROY
ing pestilcncc ever swept through their
leaty chambers i'll grove or forest, and
deep sorrow never crushed their lncr-
ry hearts. On wings of imagination
rose to see the clouds pour ont " liquid
poison" instead Of rain, and Tie fair
morning dis,i Intoxicating drugs s~-il-
stead Of dew; and forthwith lie green
earth was withercd from mountain to
main, the blushing flowers dropped and
perishcd for want Of the crystal dew
drop: and the caroling birds folded
their tiny wings and died.
saw Il child, fair rs the morning
when the gildcd montain-tops pro
claim bright and cheerful day. Tho.
blush Of tho summer rose was uponS
her cheek: and the elastic bound of the
deer was in her step. Beauty, trim
med its roscatc garland upon her brow,
and she played and sung rs a creature
too fair and beautiful for earth. gaz-
ed, and said. surely this is divine plea
for temperance for the w ming child
has never slipped the tempting wine,
nor poisoned her hcalthiuI blood by
drinking from the river of death. Be
fore the whitening breath of intelnper-
ancc her beauty would fade away, and
all her bcwitching charms perish us
vcrdurc in the path Of 4 s:occo. The
angel child, in the hand Of this demon
vice, would part with the last trace of
human lOvclincsS, and sink to hope
less grave rs a revolving mass Of cor
ruption.
saw All aged man trembling ut the
portals of the drunkard's grave, with
all the kindly affections crushed out of
his once devoted heart. AS cring-
ing slave he bowed before the sway of
insatiatc appetite, and seemed to love,
rs music, the sound Of his clanking
chains his frame trcmblcd in every
muscle and fibre; his eye balls, blood.
shot and glaring with inward heat, roll
led fcrccly in their sockets and
through every vein and artery rivers
Of flaming fire seemed to run in angry
tides. AS he stood at the door of
death, his body burned and Scared
from head to foot, and his heart cmpti-
ed Of love and virtue, Il loatllsonc
frightlul specimen Of ruined human na-
ture, exclaimed What thrilling
plea for the cause Of temperance 1t
isa Divine lecture, beyond the power
ofgenius or Imagination to report,
written i'll burning characters upon
; the human frame, and read to us in
blasphcming words and cries Of ago
ny. is the strong utterancc of God,
full, clear, and terrific, to Il wrcc!iIcss
and disapatcd world. Not all the
learning and cloquencc of schools and
forum can portray the evils OF intcm-
pcrancc with such power as jehovah
does i'll the bloatcd, scathcd, and per
ishing frame Of the drumkard Stand
aside ye gifted orators, upon whose
lips OF glowing cloqucnce, mighty au-
ditorics have hung cntranced, and let
the God of nature speak through his
broken laws! Lift up the Scared in
cbriatc to the view Of men, and let the
tongue that is in every fostering sore
and wounded muscle proclaim the ruin
and death that ningIc in the wine cup!
Lay bare his heart, and show that eve
ry noble charity is withercd up, rs il
the lightenins's fiery bolt had struck
and shivcrcd the many virtues from
branch to root! What more convinc-
ingargumcnt can mortals have, unless n