Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-01-10
VOL. vi.


All private virtue is the public friend;
Asthot abounds the State decays or thriyes.
Each should contribute TO the general stock,
And who lends most is most his eountry's friend :"
The growth Of this Division vas rapid
and vigorous as the vegetation that springs
from the rich and arabic
lands of our county. The middle,aged, the
old and the young, the rich and the poor
met together--rallied around itsA banner
and put on the emblem Of Love, Purity
and Fidelity, until its numerical force,
when contrasted with the sparseness of our
population, would compare favorably with
any Division in the State It's moral force
would hsge compared equally favorable. -
rs g5od frasfeneas asnro eeens fstt. appres
'ciated and acknowledged by every observer
For time scarcely any intoxicated persons
were seen. Vendors of intoxicating bey
erages talked of abandoning their business
for want of customers At number of
Courts, held in the County, at which times
king Alcohol usually exhibits himself in
the most beastly and disgusting forms, a
marked change was apparent and could not
have escaped the notice Of the least OBJ
serving.
The motives which actuated those who
Joined and helped to swell its moral and
numerical force, and since have Withdrawn
or broken the pledge, it is presumed were
good, at any rate we have no evidence to
the contrary, and have no reason to con-
4 clude, whatever may have been the after
conduct of the individual, that sinister pur-
poses were the impelling cause of the act.
, Many of them engaged in the work with
zeal, spirit and resolution. They entered
into the contest, seemingly with a determi-
| nation to combat king Alcohol in whatever
/. position they might find him, and drive
him from pillar to post until he should
| have no Judgement within the border of
i our county, and like the Gladiators of a
2 former age, did for period earnestly con-
e tend for the mastery. But unfortunately,
f instead of conquering, they are conquered.
a We can but pity the man, who with
r ample means and abundant opportunities
e for doing good, buckles on his armor for
the righting of many wrongs, then yields
l. to the sound of political dospotism which
it seeks to beguile and solace its victims, anc
o is soon content to smile with those tha
d smile. Whether we receive the sentimen
l. of Milton that
- Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth,
Unseen, both when wake and when We sleep
:, as any thing more than poets imagery
y or not, it must be admitted by every re
fh sqtgg shg m6iaf W5pEa every ONE ACCUSTOMED
= rounded by two opposite and confictin
u classes of influences and motives-the on
u leading us on to virtue and happiness, tn
!, other to vice and crime, and that the il
" fuence of the latter is oftimes powerful an
le hard to be resisted 1t is often one Of th
Io 7, most fearful moments Of a mans life-on
. in which the most desperate, but unsee
y struggle takes place, as TO whether the goo
r influences and motives shall prevail, or II
=! bad. If, however, the bad prevail, rigl
10 and truth are not injured thereby beyon
y the individual in whose breast they ha
gained too loose a Judgement and tho
= within the inner circle of his influence. :.
r'i We say we can but pity and compassio
~ W. ate the man in whose bosom this confi
~ :o- has taken place and the bad class of infue
~ ces and motives have prevailed. Who C;
~ travel along the vista of the future and
M Maoo every point and angle of the obscure pat
M .Lo way see and tell what is to be the finale
,po .Io the triumph of the bad motives in that CO
tho Io fict? All men in all ages, have had &C
.niO I hicts of mind, and in proportion as the mi
81 is large and enlightened, so in proporti
are the conflicts severe and trying and tn,
5ht- consequences, in comparison, very good
lon' very bad. Of this, history bears witness
any not few instances. Can the idea, for n
EN- ment be entertained, that Benedict Arnc
KLY had no conflicts Of mind, ne struggles wi
ruer in his bosom, as to whether some compa
orld lively trihing thing should or should !
tne be done, many a long day before he agrt
to sacrifice Washington and his country
These conflicts with him were often, g
unfortunately for him the bad infuen
invariably prevailed and destroyed his pl
ciples and his peace.
D "Far more peace the dying Andre felt
Than Arnold ever knew in prosperous gull
Unfortunately, some of those who joi
this Division have broken the pledge-h
ion, returned to their former haunts and ha
FIVE like the dog to its yomit and the swine
8 at the swill.' Each and every one of tt
Dper cases are the strongest evidence of the
,crs, cessity of prohibitory law. They st
ac- out so prominently that they that run |
hose read. So evident to the understand
ions, are they that the way-faring man tho
rs In fool, need not err therein The mot
Out of these persons, when they joined the
he en- vision, were no doubt good. They des
snali and intended to abstain from the use ot
1t ior toxieating liquor. They longed to esq
more the physical, lneRtal and moral suffe
ie en- v 0lch the use of it had brought upon th
iIens, Dut unfortunately its use had so compile
hgnt- olGnted their sensibilities, broken e.
mas noble principle and distorted every N
= teeilng OF their nature, that the most sol
true, and binding obligation, when the graft
IL ana ton OF an unlgovernable appetite urged t
cher onward, had no power to move their S
ng It's OF honor or resuscitate their drowned
form luton. Their moral nature was not
Vles OF would have been, had they never use
small cohol The temptation was in tbair
earth, and they had not the moral power 10 ,
IS ne it. They fell A prohibitory law "
every have saved them. Nothing short of i
save them
virtue A score of the most wealthy and inf
drop, tial men in community may take onl
IN UNI of these unhappy persons and place
fresh selves around him as so many prone 70
: 1T to him up-may bring all their ,paa,.I