Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-10-07
Extracts from an Address.

u1ce
FELLOW CITIZENS We address you
BY instruction and authority of the York +
Division of the Sons of temperance The
objects of the society, aud the duty of the
the moral man, the good ritizen
and lover Of his county in reference there
to, will constitute our topics The ohjects
of the organization are readily expressed
in few general propositions They are,
to encourage each other in total abstinence
from intoxicating drlnks-so reclaim the
drunkard to suppress y counsel and ex-
ample all drunkenness in the land-to work
for the. eradication of all those induce
meDts, by which intem perance is sustained
ADD promoted, and thus by necessary con-
sequence promote the best interests Of our
peopie, and advance the welfare of our State.
The first consideration isis the use of
alcoholic drinks an evil 10 our land 2 Who
will stand up and affirm that it is no,--is
not mighty evil. the greatest of all the
social evils, which ppllute our homes, and
defle our country? Go where you may
wander where you will-whethcr TO the /
ballot-box. in the discharge of your duty
as citizen of this free republic-or to the |
field of military parade-or to the indis-
pensable sale of the effects of neighbor,
whose place on earth shall know lin no
more-or to any point of business or of
pleasure-or even to the sanctuary Of God,
what fear broods over your mind what
evil looms up before your imagination, ex-
cept the demoniac rawlings aud consequents
of the gnszlers of whiskey and distilled
spirits! lBteIperance il that feared evil
the only one usually realized Clear of
this blighting curse, our country would be
a comparative Eden. Fathers aud mothers
could better hope for their sons, and rest
in calmer security. The patriot could
look forward with greater confidence to
bright career for his cherished State; and
the christian would exult in the eulivening
prospect of a glorious ingathering of the
ransomed Of the Lori. Itis intemperance
mainly, which crowds your Sessions dock
ets-flls your prisons supplies your gal
lows-cuts the throats Of your citizens
| blights the happines, of the domestic fire.
side-breaks the hearts of wives and chill
dren and friends-beggars families-sows
uess-conduces to almost every other vice
l-impedes the progress of all moral reforms
! -crIpples the lapors of the sanctuary, aud
robs church, State and society of what
should be mans glory, duty and destiny.
/ 1t is an open, glaring, widespread, and
frightful evil If there be a single indi-
! vidual within the confines of our district,
whose understanding is SO perverted, and
whose conscience is in such condition Of
obii9uity as to doubt the evil of intemper-
ance, we tell him, this address is aot de
signed for him. Such man has our SYM
pathy, but not that consociation even I'M
piled by public address.
|, Admitted then to be an evil, an evil Of
, deplorable magnitude, should not drunken.
ness be opposed, suppressed and rooted out
of tn land? COnscience-your conscience,
, reader, returns 10 uncertain answer Fur
5 nished by your Creator with this inward
J monitor-this candle of the Lord, you
reply to the question with full affirmative.
5 No honest man can claim the privilege, I,
compromise with evil. To seek and affect
: the accomplishment Of this noble work
whose is the duty? 1t is yours as well a
: ours. Who permits you to repose at Mo
) roe? NOT He, which has pronounced
G bitter curse against those who "came no
f to the help of ,he Lord, to the help Of th
: Lord against the mighty" How and b
Bnat means is the evil to be opposed :
e abolished How else than g with all thy
n heart, and with all thy soul, and with al
i. thy mind"-by your counsel, influence, ex
:, ample and suDstance-"yea, with wha
it clearing of ourselves, yea, what indigua
is tion, yea, what fear, yea, what vehemen
= desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!
aud with that readiness aud zeal Of Phint
has, by which the piague of Israel WI
stayed. TO do less is to trihe with know
- duty. He, who knows his Masters vii
'. and neglects it, caunot escape with impI
" nifty
d The detail of the means is not yet e,
A. hausted. Man is social being. lie b;
ie to DO with his fellow man. The evil
's e abroad 10 society. The question here ar
- - ses, can the greatest good be accompIishe
n by individual action, or by combined effo
at and organization? Without the p9ssibil
Iy t, of doubt, reason itself cannot err fror
d, the correct conclusion. Why do good me
It organize Bible societies, Missionary socit
Il ties, Tract societies, and hundreds of otht
,e = benevolent societies why do individual
G. form associations or organizations in ever
\. department and cuncernment of life?
st is simply because of the superior eficienc
We of organization. The experience of mai
sh kind sp.aks trumpet-tougued on this sui
ject. But to close cavIl: the Spirit
~ ~ divine truth has affixed his seal that orgaI
he ization is the preferable mode, and is ou
is, reasonable duty. Ii not, why did Chri
as require organization Of HIS Church? II
as never requires vain thing. The concI'
rs sion then is inevitable, that, to suppre:
ss; intemperance, organizatinnin in more efkcier
~ =; more in accordance with duty than ind
nd yidual effort aad il becomes your and os
ar duty, whether as christians, or az good CT
at izens, to resort to it. To do less Is agai
I'm to trihe with duty.
IRE But to what organization does our dui
is. point? Truth aud couscience answer:
20 that which is most efficient without tran
ds crossing duty. This most efficient orgat
i'd. zation we are bold in ayowIng is the ol
he among US, known as the Sons of Tempe
Du- ance Reader, name the better and mo
ev- Hc;a AZ oroanization If vot, can othar tn