Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-03-18

OF 647 persons in the State prison Of N. T., 4e7
were intempcrate. of $50 children, imprisonedi
for crin1e in the city of New York, 400 were from
intemperate families. Of 1854 criminals in differ
ent prisons, 1900 were either incorporate men OF
under the power of Intoxicating liquor, when the
crimes for which they were imprisoned were com
mitted.
Judge O'Neal of S. g. says, that of II cases of |
murder examined by him. all but were from
drunkenness. Col Thos Williams cf s. G. says
That Of eases Of murder, tried at tht Cou is at
which he practieed in all the eases, the slayer or
the slain were intempeTate. Hugh Maxwell, Esq.,
of n. Y. says" That of 22 Of murder, which
it was his iuty to examine, all had been commit
ted in consequence of intemperance. Hon. Felix
Grundy, for 80 years distinguished lawyer in /
Tenn gave il his opinion that four ffths of all
TIE crimes in the United States be traced to in
temperance.
But why add to the list Does not every Court I
House, prison and penitentary in all the land /
have its testimony mournful testimony too, on this
subject2
And are you surprised at the fact? Man was
made to bc governed by Reason; to be controlled
by conscience And when under the sway of en-
lightened reason and pure conscience justice, /
truth honor and generosity his characteristics
| But let reason be dethroned and conscience be I
paralized. Ard when this is done, let bis lowest I
appeties and basest passions be aroused into fury
| and what is be not prepared to doi This ia the |
foul work Of Intemperance.
4. Intempersnce destroys the soul. 1t makes |
sinners more sinful. 1t blinds the understanding
lit sears the eonscienee-it poutes the affections
while 1t debases and dersnges all the powers Of the
i soul, II tends directly to counteraet the mereiful
designs of God and To bar mfn from the only |
remedy for lost world. It closes the mind to the
enlightening influences Of Gods spirit, hardens the
heart to the voice Of the Saviour, and shuts the
4 ear to the calls ofredeemiDg love.
! 1t prompts poor and blind aud vretched men,
to feel that they rich, and increased uith goods
and hare need Of nothing. While it st imulates 70
evil, il excludes from good. IL binds the soul in
awful bondage to the lusts Of the fesh. 1t drives
1t away from the influences and hopes ofthe gospel
to be panished Nth everlasting destruction, from
hs presence Of the Lord and the glory Of spdsrey
T. True Religion begins and progresses and ends
in purity An its requirements; all its inspira-
tons are holy. God is Holy-Ghrist is Holy
4 Heaven is Holy. All the enjoyments and employ
ments and society of that Blessed HI ngdom, are
free from sin. But Intemperance is unholy in all
its forms and designs. Its whole work is one of
pollution and degradation and nis cry. 1t seeks
no good. 1t knows no mercy. Its woes are not
limited to time; not bounded BY earth not con-
fined to the body. They swell on-and swell on,
through a dark Eternity
The God Of all truth and mercy has declared
that drunkards "shall not inherit the kingdom of
: God. Without holiness man shall see the Lord
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit
= the Kingdom of God"
The difference between death BY simple poison
: and death by habitual ntoxication, may extend to
the whole difference between everlasting happi.
. ness and eternal despair.
: Come calemities which afaiet our race, are lim-
!, ted in space. The burning volcano does not desc
y late every plain. The earthquake dees not visit
, l every city town. The crimson ravages of wsr,
Z do Est AAs 4 ssaip sii 4 sFsET q field;
. land. Whose desoIalions are seen in every ouD-
: try. Whose ruthless footsteps surround every
= Province, and every City, and every Town. Into
!. what Country what part pf any Crounfry can
p travel he ahla n say "a m
= from IntempeTGncef
L Other disasters are limited in duration. The
destroying Pestilenee rsges for a tine and then
q subsidies The sconfge Of rolls en-, adding
= victim to victim, and calamity TO calsmity but
y ere long its fury spent. Even the thirst fol
: blood becomes glutted and the hand of the most
= = cruel, becomes wsaried with slaug hter
- :. But here is death fend, which seems to know
- no limits in durs stion- calm for M ercy. WheI
y did Intemperance blow he Trumpet for t,uc'
:. in war? When did she call Of her forces from
p p the bsttle2 In what day or week or year gen
e erstion does she give ber victims resting time
na u. No Herroiee stiu for her work is still
~ onward and onward. Every new conquest seem
"s only 10 infame her thirst for slaughter
-. Here then is an awful enemy Let il enslav
the indiy idual it impsirs his health, deraDges hi
intellect, sqaanders bis money, ruins bis business
20 blasts his reputation and hsrdens his heart.
- Let it enter the family circle Domestic peac
~ Is crushed, the wife is broken hearted, the chill
-, drsD badly taught and badly governed, har
mony gives place discord and the voice of prais
H. to the roaDs of anguish. Let il enter the t0Er
~ heggars il paupers multiply, and criminal
~ grow in number and deportation, Let it invad
the Church, and all The interests of vital Godline
nv langush, and ths thinss that remain are ready
r., die
nh Aad must this foe to humanity and Religio,
!. . rage on and riot forever in human, misery? ]
:" there no remedy for this wide spread and appa
II. ling evils? Csn nothing be done to stay thi
Z; monster of destruction?
.1s This leads US to the second thing proposed:
- IL. The METHOD OF REFORMATION.
NV Yes, there is remedy. Plain, easy, safe an
n.s infallble. This remedy is total abstinence roi
-. all Intoxicating spirits. Let this be thorough
~ and universally tried, and all the evils of Intem
an peranee would cease.
d. Iptempsrance owes its dominion, its growth, il
very existence to the habtual of spirits Brea
this down, and all its odious Victories will end. :
LA Nothing can be palmer than the fact that the
who drinks none, will never be drunk. Let
- abstain, and the monster must die. Seal up Il
.n3 fountain, and the streams must step. Men a
Nd not born drunkards They are made so, by lit
;ah and little. Neither they born with any thr
a. for spirits. 1t is acquired by habit It is Il
:" moderate use, for which many plead, that fri
a. creates the thirst This thirst grows stronger an
ar+ stron ger by indulgence. Thus the habitual US
,,-s is the source from which the army of Intempe
-, ance gains all its recruits. As one generate
oaS dies off, another takes its place stop the
ing servies, and the whole army wsnld fall. He
in o is the high Road 10 rum.
lam Now, can that be right, which leads to wrUn
nds Can that be good which creates evil Can that
NTH safe which in the nature Of things produces da
anne ger
,llar If the habitual of spirits opels the suc
N to of darkness, can this use be countnanced a
persisted in by Christian men Withoutguilt? II
T. lis the fair rule by which to try the ue of ards
spirits It's natural, and uniform, an certain t.
.ade dency is to produce intemperance. It is vain
say that the moderate use will do no harm. i
nade the moderate which leads to the immderate
and so long as human nature remains What it
were will do so.
This fact is confirmed by thousands and h.
1870 dreds of thousands of instances. Perhaps
whole army Of drpnkards intended at fTstonly
ogue moderate use. And after thirty years Their pa
d be- will be taken by another army, who are now
tending no more than to drink temperately
luali- Beware Of the delusion! Take care Of he
ntry, chantment. Thousands ofstrong men hayefal
liars here's Of talents, of learning, of eharaaer
ment. Men of all ranks and conditions.
mercy The first drawings of this maelstrom--tbis
lat Of tex ofdeath may be searey felt but its attract
grow stronger and stronger, until ere long est
cast may be hopeless.
be a No man is safe, who persists in the mode
mper- use of pirits because be loves it.
,, you But admitting you perfectly safe y
orroW Selves are you not accountable for your inu
nst in and example2 Have you neighbars and fri
duea- and children whom you may benefit by a saf,
alton. ample and kind counselsl
ms the ~ man for himself If the town were on
I'll i