Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-11-04
Bachelors Hall, Oct. 18, 1857.
The National Division of the Sons of Tenn
perance of North America, in Fourteenth
Annual Session, to the Grand and Sub
ordinate Divisions of the Order,


GREETING BY the kindness of our
Heavenly Father, we have been permitted
to assemble once more in Annual Session
once more to meet some, at least, of the
old familiar faces-once more to welcome
new accessions to our numbers, and to ex-
change with one another the heartfelt graf
ulatIons of warm and genuine Affection
Our meeting has been pleasant and pro-
pltlous one. In most perfect harmony our
appropriate business has been transacted,
and as iron, sshaqpeneth iron, hath each |
man ptahrnAs cheered and eneonraeed
Unat 'oI MS DrPtnef; good tldIngs from
many quarters have fallen pleasantly upon
our ears, stimulating to renewed consecra-
ton and effort; and whilst we linger to say
farewell, we would convey to you some of
the hopes by which we have been anina-
ted, and seek your sympathy and co-opera-
ton in the great work yet to be accom-
plished.
From returns received at the office of our |
M. w. s., it appears there are at present in
active operation, over Two Thousand D-
visions, with a membership numbering over
Seventy Thousand; and that during the
past year the admissions of new members
have exceeded twenty-six thousand persons.
! The correspondence with the same Office
intimates general healthy condition Of the
Order, with manifest evidence of revival
in many jurisdictions.
These statistics, we are aware, will not
compare favorably with the returns of ear
lier years. Like every human enterprise,
. we have suffered decrease as well as reioic-
ed in increase and our history has been
more or less, continual change, in which
the losses have exceeded the gains but
the process through which we have passed
has been purifying one and it is believed
T that we have touched bottom at last, and
the rebound has already begun.
In referring to the past, it should be re-
7 membered, in order to right conclusion,
, that many associated themselves with us,
i simply on account of the novelty and pop
h ularity of our enterprise, and that reaction
} was therefore an inevitable result; foT
l though our principles will bear the fullest
+ test of time, yet all who enlisted with light
e motives, and without counting the cost
n necessarily fell off. Moreover, of those who
g remain, and still continue faithful and &C.
o tive friends of Temperance, many associa
; ted themselves with other Orders, and thus
e diverted their energies from us.
If Of other Temperance Orders we have
P however, no desire to speak but in mos
0 perfect kindness, and in all their labors W,
u wish them God speed But the time ha
n clearly come for concentration and uniol
. of effort amongst all the friends of Temper
d ance, and, in our long confirmed opinion
L the Order of Sons of Temperance is tn
It best and only practical instrumentality fo
II that purpose. In the legislation of the Ma
7. tional Division, the largest liberty has bee
is conceded to Subordinate Divisions, wheth
IN or in the management of their finances O
Sc the admission of members and our law
lg every way conform, as far as possible, t
Is the spirit of the institutions under whic
1t we live.
hg A large portion of the time of the pre-:
" ent session has been given to the carefl
To- revision of our Ritual 1t is not suppose
lat that Ritual alone, however excellent, wi
ne build up our Order, or give it place in til
mt affections of our people it is, nevertheless
I'm of no small importance that our ceremoni
les shall be such as the wants and wishes
our brotherhood demand. The unanimit
or nay, the cordiality of our action in this ma
ay, ter, inspires the hope that this will pro,
na- the case with the Ritual we have adopte
Ter, 1t must not, however, be forgotten, that
ap- each district of our broad land, the work
y be accomplished and the success to be
diy, tanned, deOotUes on the Divisions estabEs
up ed there, and on the taithfulnes and 20
the dom of the brothers attached thereto.
ing Our inducements to continued and fan
hen ful labor are of the strongest character. Y