Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-09-24
81. 4.
Success and Failure.


In all enterprises and undertakings it ia
weilto now and then cast up accounts and
ascertain what has been gained and what
1851 In Its prosecution. In this way correc.
estimates can be made, and the mind inG,rm
Gu whether 1t ~ best to continue tie prosecp.
ton OF the enterprise or abandon If To+u
briefly review the success and the failure of
hue great temperance reform, and try to as
certain whether anything has been gained
or whether all the time, the labor and the
expense attending it has been lost.
when the subject of temperance was first
sprung upon the people, so thrilling were
the appeals of its orators and so toucb;n,
was its theme that it rushed like nra;r;o &c
before the storm sweeping away obstacles
ike chat and stubble. So rapid were its
str'aes and SO grand its progress, that a few
confirmed and hopeless topers began to think
with the Scottish Hermand that thew would
be left alone on the face of the airth drin-
KIN ciaret. The business of the grogseller
r seemed rapidly declining and some even ,
E began to look around for more profitable
employment. After the first rush of the
: Washlngtonians, sweeping almost all before
IT. and just as its excitement began 10 wane.
the Order OF Sons Of Temperance burst out,
g ike a new star in a troubled sky, with new
o and more attractive features than its imme-
c date predecessor. The glitter and the tinsel
OF this new order attracted the atten ton of
e the people and thousands rushed into it,
prompted too often by a morbid curiosity to
" see and learn something new. A great day
had arisen with a great light of promise
shadowing its morning. The banners of this
new Order flashed in the sunlight of every
g plain, its pluaes nodded on every hill, and
IT from the South, the North, the East, the
West, there came a thrilling bugle blast that
Id marshalled a host almost invincible. Sue
Ir- cess seemed certain. Drunkenness seemed
ed TO SIT on a %totterlng throne. Redemption
Of seemed just within grasp, and thousands of
ne. captlyes bore their CALLING chains with more
ow patience. hoping that their letters would soon
nd be broken and they set free from the TYRANNY
be of an Infamous master. A great day was
not expected and many hearts throbbed with a
it joyous anticipation. The temperance sky is
yht not as bright to day as it has been. A cloud
It'll has dimmed its promising brightness and the
lev enthusiasm of temperance men is less than
I'd in years agone. We need not stop to inquire
fat into the causes of this. Many circumstances
in have contributed to this effect. Political
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of ever attaining
nth a complete triumph WEAKNESS in we'll
n doing, etc., etc. having been instrumental in
placing the temperance reform in the posi-
ton it occupies to day. Then it does not re.
quire any great amount of mathematical
accumen to determine the fact, that in THU
great moral transaction with the public Their,
has been a failure-a loss per centum not al
all pleasing to our contemplation.
Has it been an entire failure ? Has i
amounted to nothing? Has there been NJ
mark upon the public page showing fortl
the progress of the reform ? Is there n
-. broken monument of its former greatness
- or is it Ike the old city of the East with n
stone left to tell the wayfarer its solemn tale
WI We thank God failure is not written all owe
the reform. There are a few bright spots
bright as FURNISHED gold-on which the ey
loves to linger. There are those in our Gil
Gle yet on whose heads we can lay the frate
-. nal hand, and like the Grecian mother e.
t un- ~
D.. many we cannot tell but there are mt
now who date their emancipation from Il
letters of drunkenness from their attachmel
-. to the sons of Temperance. If there a
only a few such, our moral crusade has n
been in vain, nor our labor lost. If {
Order has reached down its strong arm in
-: the great gulf of dissipation and lifted t
bloated form of a single individual therefor
washed the slime, and filth, and cankerfr fro
his wrecked mortality in a Kedron brool
bid him stand upright in the noble image
God and sent him forth among his fello
a pure minded man and an honor to his "a,
then " our labor has not been in vain"
to Thoso $1,000 80 -oa..;a
all that cheer the heart Of the old sold
- :" in the temperance warfare. But for tin
p blessed reflections, the lingering hope in
heart would sink and its pale star set fore1
There is so much drunkenness in the Lane
lpe the
suffer- -
i' = down the weapons of our warfare and
out " Stay on! Stay on, thou blasting ht
we're of Rum I" But when we look around
LACEY see even a tfeao of our friends, who were o
liquor sohor ,oon. ma,
men caring for their families, we are inspI
with fresh courage because we see that
'i az though the Order has not been eminel
penoo successful, it has, Notwithstanding, resc
On a few from the infamy attending a drunka
- neli career, and these are laurels brighter
~ greater than ever Swallowed a warriors b
We have been led to the foregoing obse
- tons by circumstances recently transpi
- and although greatly disheartened at the
nNO suit of our feeble labors at the time, we
- solved to grid on the armor again and st
a few more blows in behalf Of a down I
- den humanity.
And these blows shall be felt
CASH VALUE OF TEMPERAScE.-The
"' ns of temperance, in its effects upon bus
nesi ii and places, is getting to be understood.