Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-11-04
gsboteS to Gsmysrause, gitsistnre,
RALElggl 1l0R119l CAROLINA,

social evil its blighting influences cast
their shadow especially over the cheerful
ness and happiness of home, withering the
hearts best affections, and destroying the
hopes that give to the domestic circle Its
happiest hours. Apart from this, it fills the
country with untold crimes and evils, and
oppresses it with the most burdensome re-
suits. This great evil must therefore be
overcome by combination of effort on the
part of those who love our principles, and
dare do battle in their behalf It is no
easy contest in which we thus engage, and
to hearty participation in which we earn
estly invite every true Son of Temperance.
Our opponents are many in numbers, their
pecuniary means are almost unlimited, their
influence among politicians is powerful, and
they hesitate at no device or subterfuge to
accomplish the purposes they have in view.
When Paul preached at Ephesus against
the idolatry Of the Greeks, Demetrius, the
silversmith, raised an outcry for the sake of
his craft, shouting, "Great is DIANA and
thus won many to his ranks, because of
their love for their divinity and so, like
Demetrius, the rumsellers of our day make
an outcry for their craft, shouting for the
Constitution, against sumptuary laws, inva-
sion of the domicil, and vested rights: and,
as in the former case the only care was for
the success of peculiar trade, so in the
latter the only object is the gain of pelf, at
qOhdteOer sacrifice of happiness, and at aohot-
eUer cost of life Should we not therefore
be united, as the heart of one man, in the
prosecutions of our undertakings-prepared,
if need be- to make sacrifices for our prin-
ciples and for their diffusion? If we love
this cause, we should be ready to labor for
it; and by laboring for it, we will learn to
love it.
By persuasion, by entreaty, by affection
ate appeal, we must win the drunkard from
his cups, and keep back our rising youth
from the alluring path of danger; but for
the traficker in strong drink, we can have
no argument but the legal one. For him
there exists no restraint sufficient but that
imposed by law. We must therefore sym
pathetieally work to elevate public sentiment
to the proper standard, that when prohibi
tory laws are enacted, they shall be sus
tanned; and above and before all things
we must adorn our profession, and so com
mend 0 lr faith to the acceptance Of all men
For whom do we labor? For innocent
childhood, for rising youth, for the matur,
of strength and years. for the hoary haar
descending to the tomb, for fathers am
mothers for the worse than svidls>1 -tla
trunKarus wfTe, Tor Jfe worse than orphans
the drunkard's offspring; nay, for tn,
trunkard himself, aye, and for the drunk
ard maker too, that all, all may be saved
Brothers, we are members one ofanother:'
we are each his brothers keeper; for VIVA
we do for what we neglect to do, we shal
be accountable. 0, that we may be faith
lul in this great enterprise, and that of th'
blood of every drunkard our skirts may bt
clear
Let us then, brothers, begin the worl
anew, laboring in the Order and for th
Order, doing all we may to make our Di
vision meetings not only interesting, bu
profitable Let every public temperate
effort have its beginning in and be identi
fed with the Division room, and let tn
world feel, as our cause advances, it is be
cause of the progress of our Order. Sen
the lectures abroad to renew the faggin
zeal of those who have tainted by the way
to instruct our people In the great truth
we advocate, and cheer the hearts of thos
who have still remained faithful throug
good or evil fortune. And here we woul
remark, that commanding eloquence, ,thoug
| desirable, is not necessarily essential; an
that any plain speaking, earnest man, who's
| own soul burns on behalf of our cause wi
ever be listened to with attention and re
pect, and may always be confident of mea
urable success. Use, also, literally, til
printed page, whether the newspaper {
the tract; it reaches where the lecture
cannot 90, and its still small voice will o
ten awaken that reflection which leads
reform Labor to enlist the sympathies
their eloquence in our behalf; enlist OF
women in the work, and make our boy
and girls, the children of your homes an
hearts and hopes, your aids in this gre;
enterprise and let all be done in humb
trust on His blessing, who alone can giN
success.
It has been said, "For a people to 10
liberty, it is sufficient that they knooo il
and to be free, it is sufficient that they wi
it." Do we desire heartily, before &c
and man, that our homes and our countl
shall be free from the fearful results of i
temperance let us show what these +
suits are to all men. Do we desire tn
our noble Order, swelling in numbers al
power, shall again press into the arena
the most potent human instrumentality
this great strife? let us aOiU II, and it shs
be so.
Respond, brothers, by your labors al
!, your prayers, and God will prosper US.
!, [Signed by the Committee.