Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-01-31
To Young Men.

An esteemed friend has sent us a pamph-
u, conv ola " Sermon to Young Men, deliv-
or0d in The Presbyterian Church, Wilmington
N. G., by Rev. NJ. B. Grier." We have
read this production with the highest pleas
ure. and can say with truth, we regard it as
.,pe of the most forcible and truthful disserta-
tons upon the dangers and evils consequent
upon the use Of intoxicating beverages, we
have ever read. The Reverend gentleman
addresses himself especially to "young men"
and faithfully warns them against their immi-
nent peril, while they bow to the rosy god,
and do worship at the shrine of fashionable
tipping.
We shall publish the whole, or at least a
part Of this sermon, in future issues OF our
paper, but we must here give a portion which
relates to the personal history of a young
man whose early life gave hope of promise
and greatness, but whose sun, alas was
stricken from its meridian glory by the mad
dening, infuriating influence of the brandy
bottle. Let every young man read with fear
and trembling, and resolve to abjure allcgi-
.ance to the tyrant that conquered the soldier
hero when his fellow soldiers were exulting
IN triumph over the enemies oftheir country.
--+Fecaii as / speak, the mournful history of
one who for n time promised well, and des-
cribe his end as o lesson and warning,
disclosing his ~frailties only so far as to
make the lesson impressive and useful
Ho was my youthful c~ompanion-my col
lege classmate-my associate in many
AIn.M-N 49,. MI -aa r IL, IL.
save myself, we drew closely together, sand
for many years he sat upon my right hand
ut all recitations and lectures. | remember
him now as q youth Of fair countenance, and
slight but active form, with an eye beaming
with intelligence high spirited, ardent,
generous young man. Fluent in speech, and
singularly graceful in attitude and gesture,
he was acknowledged to be one Of the best
speakers Of the class, and seemed destined to
play the Orator upon the broader stage of
Public Life.
Very soon our paths in life diverged, and
we parted to meet no more on earth. OF the
various professions which lie before the young
man, he chose to be q soldier, and when
| next heard Of him he was a cadet in the
National Military Academy. A faint rumor
came also that an insidious habit was weav-
ing its chains around my young friend--a
AhAAbA a N"1 fVAI NiAlAhH w uloOCAiCNCs II
few years more, and | read his name among
the list of the subordinate officers who led
our Army in its march to Vera Cruz to the
city Of Mexico. In that march, and in all
the sanguinary battles which were during its
course, he approved himself, as at once, q
skillful officer, and a gallant soldier. Never
suspected of want of courage, he had never
been guilty If the idle bravado, which some
seem to consider the sign of courage, and i
was with amazement that his brother off
GERS beheld him, in one of the battles fought
before the capitol was reached, darting from
his place, and squirting his horse right be-
tween the %contending hosts, riding to and fro
Us if counting death, or defying it. A thou
sand voices involuntarily shouted him t
come back, but ere the shout reached his ear
the horse and it's rider bit the dust. His
companions in arms heard his last faint groaT
as they swept past him to the victorious as
sault, but it was not until they returned tt
gather up the dead, they discerned the rea
son Of his useless courage. The half-emp
tied flask in the dead mans pocket told thu
tale. His very daring was thus shown to bC
the daring Of the fool. The bravery whicf
he seemed to make manifest, was seen to be
not the courage of the collected, self con
trolled man, but bravery born Of the brandy
bottle-the courage, not Of one prepared Il
meet death, but Of one insanely reckless o.
life. They gathered up the cold remains
and brought them back to his native lanC
for burial. And when his friends, and hi
fathers friends, stood around the grave which
they opened for him in the soil which hi
youthful feet had often pressed, their hearts
sad because of his early death, were bur
dened with a deeper sadness, because tn
grave of the soldier, was, as they well knew
the grave of the drunkard too.
But this case, alas is not singular. 70
must all have similar histories which 20
can now recall, some it may be, more dar
and sad than this. | believe that may safe
ly appeal to you all, especially to those q
mature years, to confirm my words, when
say that one Of the chief perils Of the youn
man is the wine cup. l say, the wine cuI
because this is usually the beginning OF
course in which more powerful and more d.
structive draughts are the sad and fatal col
clusion. | know, too, that your best wisht
will 60 with me while l warn young men
the imminent peril and exhort them,
words which are not of man, but of God,
look not upon the wine when it is red. whe
IL giveth its color in the cup, when it movet
itself Alright For you know full well, fro
the histories we nave asked you to recall, fro
the wrecks you have seen floating upon I'll
great sea Of life, as we'll as from the word
the omniscient one, that ut the last, it bite
like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder