Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-01
IOOR 10!
BY REV. T. A. GOODWIN.

30 was MS 1atner faVOrlte, and his elder
brothers determined to kill him, but his SEN
tence of death was ultimately commuted to
that of Egyptian slavery. Years had pass
ed, and series of circumstances had just
occurred which were calculated to call up the
cruelty Of the brothers, and they, with very
general consent, began to confess their guilt.
But Reuben, the eldest, exculpated himself.
He admitted that the treatment which 10
had received was cruel; but because he had
no immediate agency in the matter, and es-
pecially because he proposed the compro
mise OF starving him to death, in a pit, in
stead OF killing him outright, and, in gener
al, protested against their course, therefore
the blood OF the innocent was not on his
skirts. Reuben must have been consum-
mate coward. When Joseph's brothers re-
solved to kill him, Reuben's answer to their
murderous design was, Let US not kill him.
How insufficient such an answer was, to such
men, when meditating such deed, the sequel
shows. Had he, however, like a man of
courage, and like true brother said Sirs,
if you kill him, you kill me also, their cow
ardly hearts would have failed them, and
they would have quailed before such broth
erly affection. But it was that halfassenting
protest, coupled with his contemplate com
promise proposition to starye him to death, !,
In pitt that encouraged them to persist in
their. purpose. And their subsequently sell.
ing him, in Reuben's absence, was no viola
tion of any thing he had proposed. They
reasoned as many good temperance men do at
the present time he is doomed to die and
we might as well make esome money out q
him as not; it would be even better thar
Reuben's plan Of starving him to DEATH
Even at this day some propose moral suasior
as sufficient remedy for the evils of the Ii
quor traffic. However efficient it is in re
forming the drunkard, the labors of more
than twenty years have shown that it car
not stop the traffic. And, seeing that it ye
exists, these good temperance men say, LIE
us make some money out of it. If our broth
ers are doomed to die, by the hand of liquo
sellers,-for men will sell. any how-let u
make them pay US for the privilege of kill
ing Them Innocent Reubens They se
the determination of iquor-sellers to ruin
to worse than murder-our beloved, youn|
men. They see them filling our jails, AM
penitentiaries, and alms-houses with inmate
and our country with wailings, such as ia
cob could not have over slain Joseph, the
torn as he supposed, by beasts Of prey, Will
he remembered the innocence and loyelines
of his lost boy. The fathers, and mothers
and wives, and sisters of the lost drunkard
7
their beloved friends, however untimely an
cruel it might come than they do over thei
continued disgrace and ultimate DOOM An
yet what are these Reubens doing to prever
such widespread woe? 1t is quite true tbs
they say, Let us not kill Them If the
happen to think about it, they will vote n
license But there their protest ends. The
see every day the most promising young me
of the town or neighborhood in state
beastly intoxication land the utmost that the
will say or do is to exclaim, Poor Jov
may even be that among those victims is
brother, a nephew or a son, and yet thes
brave and very innocent Reubens are sati
fed with exclaiming, Poor 10 am sorr
you are gone! And when at last an accoul
must be rendered of the missing one, wi
! died of delirium tremens alone in his chan
ber, or on the roadside, or in the street, ar
these Reubens are summoned to the inques
their verdict is, Died of visitation of God
Reuben, who knew better, in his verdic
, said, Died by wild beast
: No man who truly understands the imp
tence of the guilty, when sternly met, evt
: by feeble one, in the defense of the rigt
will believe for moment that Reuben cou
; not have prevented, single handed, if ne
! be, either the murder, or starving, or sale
10. One resolute, manly, stern no wou
q have made their knees smite together wi
J. fear, and at once called to his aid some of t
. timid, halfhearted accomplices in the wo
= of death, and no harm would have befall
the lad. But he was either afraid to act t
man, and rescue his brother, or he secret
. wished them success, or at most, was ind
ferent as to the result, which is most like
the case, seeing how easily he joined wi
g them in their lie, after sighing Poor il
o and pocketing his share of the price of
2 blood. It is thus with hundreds and the
: sands of good temperance men of the prese
day. They see the evils of intemperanc
@ they know that it spares not the high nor
humble; they know that their own childr
q may be, or are already, its victims. To $
that they wish the murderers success wol
not be true, but to say that they are afr;
~ to incur their displeasure, or are indiffer,
as to their work of death, or both, is m
. certainly true. With our present laws,
Ie sufficient as they are. We might, to cons
1t cradle extent, prevent these evils. But c
|. you get these Reubens to aid i'm their enfor
y ment? Some of them are officers, sworn
execute the laws, yet they seldom if ever
"a force the laws against liquor sellers.
yet, Reuben-like, they say, Poor 10! So
of these same officers are eloquent temp
& ance lecturers, when lecturing consists O
Ve in saying, Do not hurt the lad But WI
they see the determination of the murder