Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-07-22
How to insure the success of Temper.
ance.

~
ance.
1T was a maxim of O'ConnelPs that If you :
would strongly impress anything upon the :
public mind, it must be reiterated over and !
over again, that in fact, you must never tire {
of the repetition. That great observer of
human nature was we'll aware of the ~necessi-
ty of keeping steadily before mems minds the
purpose they had in view and by acting on
this principle during his lifetime he ~succee-
ded in a most wonderful manner in concen-
trating the feelings of his countrymen, and
combining them for a great purpose, which
he deemed of paramount Importance. He
did not live long enough in the possession
of vigor of mind and body to secure the re-
a~lization of the darling object of his life
but he did, to prove the great value of steady
persistence in the pursuit of one object, if we
would succeed in securing for it a large
amount of public sympathy. The object
which this great man sought to attain was
only popular with a section of his country
men and yet it is a wonderful fact in the
history of our time that, by the adoption of
reiteration, when.it was applied to an object
in which numbers sympathsed, he did suc-3
coed in gathering around him such an amount
of power as at one time made it appear more
than probable that what seemed impossible
to many was not far from realization.
We seek to apply this law of progress to a
question upon which all are united, but
which, perhaps as much as any other ques-
ton that has ever been agitated, needs the
constant repetition of its paramount impor-
lance as a remedial agentfor the attainment OF
human happiness because the impeachment
it seeks to remove out of the way, is founded
in the universal appetite for the poison alco-
hol, which all admit is the cause OF much
calamity to the human race, but which, be.
cause it has so entrenched-itself in the GUS
toms and habits of daily life, requires an
extraordinary amount of energy to grapple
with and overcome.
Twenty years of labor-of continuous ant
great labor on the part of a few-have beer
expended in efforts to induce mankind to pu
away their greatest enemy but While the
listen to and admit the force ofour argument
and freely acknowledge that alcohol is a de-
troyer of human happiness to an incalcul'
bic extent, yet they still sip the delicior
poison, and, unlike-the unhappy victims
!. music of the Syrens, allow themselves to
turned into swine.
Alcohol is the direct and inveterate foe
+ the human constitution, and yet the passi'
il. for it is so great, man deludes himself In
q the belief that he may use it with impunit
o Science in vain holds up the lamp of tru
to the unwise ones, who reject reason a
suffer appetite to be their guide. Expe
n ence points her steady finger to the past a
!? saws in vain, to the multitude, Open "
r ewes end behold abundant evidence of
D. madness of seeking health or happiness in
a wine-cup.' The numberless diseases Mh
ut by thoughtless and feeble age for the MON
$! tary pleasure it affords, regardless of
at warning voices of science and exporter
= which exclaim that danger and death
at near.
With such facts as these ever before
ng mind of the Temperance Reformer, he KIN
ey full well that he must continually keep 81
ey ding the alarm and, although his usefu
IN bors are exercised among those who s.
nix at his pains, and who oftentimes ridicult
he anxiety to do them good, yet he must
are become fainthearted or weary he has a
on and noble purpose in view, and what
hat difficulties may arise to thwart and re
in, his work, it will in the end succeed. He
yer have this assured confidence from the co
ing ton that man is a progressive being-th
er- not an empty sound-that civilization i.
he ward, and that, therefore, the day is col
do in which a more enlightened people vii
permit the demon alcohol to do his dev
work any longer in the world