Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-08-25
Close of the Volume.

LIe VI tl6 OPIhII OF THE AGE. EGI IIlIle lOIlR
ears have we tugged at the oar, and many
nd varied are the changes and vicissitudes
e have passed through in that length of
ime. When we placed our barqhe upon the
and critical tide for popular favor,
was with fear and trembling, lest it should
aeet the fate of many a gallant craft that had
it. But thanks to a generous p.Ib-
ic, it has withstood the shocks of storms and
opposition, and to-day we again touch our
mornings, preparatory to another voyage, ]
With our streamers flying, our flag Of Tenn
perance still unfurled, and with as gallant
noble a list of passengers for another
cruise as ever walked the deck.
The Spirit of the Age" was established cs-
for the purpose of advancing the in
terests Of the Order of the Sons of Temper
ance. Fifteen Divisions, with a membership
of some 500, was the strength of the Order in
North Carolina when the first No. of this pa
per was issued. From that time the tide of
prosperity set in upon us, and by the time the
first year expired, there were l75 Divisions,
with a membership of a little over 5 5000.
The second, third, fourth and fifth years of
its history, the Order continued to spread and
increase, until we had over 800 Divisions and
near Is, 900 members. What a noble and
glorious army of freemen was here, banded
together to rid their country and countrymen
of the enslaving vice of intemperance! Under
the mighty tramp Of their march, the State
shook and the hearts of patriots and philan-
thropists ~rejoiced in view of the approaching
day of jubilee from the liquor scourge.
But the bow of promise which now seemed
to span the sky, began to be ohscured by
clouds. ~Demagogues and bad men generally,
seeing the influence this cause was gaining in
the land, became alarmed for their craft, and
they raised the cry of ''our liberties are in
III danger"-''these men are seeking to take
away from US our natural privileges, and de-
prive US of the right to eat, and drink, and
BILE clap-trap, to miSlead and deceive the null
, titude. Then came the time for assertions.
!. The time-server and political aspirants who
had joined the Order in the hope that its vic
e torious waves would land them high on the
| beach of preferment and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, fed
f in terror when the batteries Of their masters
/ guns were turned upon it. The timid and
wavering shrank away, unable to face the
= torrent of obloquy and abuse heaped upon the
: Sons of Temperance and in a brief year or
two our army of fifteen thousand men was re-
;: duced to a mere Corporafs guard, few having
&c the courage to own themselves of this desplsed
and prosecuted band.
ID But in the midst of all these disasters, on,
' flag has ever kept flying. It has never trail
ne before the Liquor King. The Spirit of tn
e Age" still lives to fight the battles of Temper
u :c ance, and do battle in defence of the glorious
principles of our noble Order. We are neithe
lis conquered or disInayed but with a brave hear
n and stout arms we seEd again to-day, as il
~ the day of prosperity and triumph, the battl
A cry alongou r ranks-"DowN WITH THE LIoUo
TRAFFIC !"-and God grant that it may NEE
ANpPONA'N SNhO III wei pau ~ I, Oil
:, - be borne along on every breeze, until Fire
to dom to a rdnsomed uorLd ~ shall be the il
ne bilate to crown our victorious cause.
In looking around US for those men VIII
in
Wv = 10 ny "e No ""Seu "di uPe
in the Whiskey King, how few do we find J.
ng Some have gone down into honored and no
~ orable graves, with the scars of glorious stri
i4 upon them. Others have gone to dista
the fields of labor and are there valiantly conten
srs, ing for the right. Others have retired fire
the high places Of honor in the Order into t
M shades of indifference, and some have stu
nee back into the tents of the enemy, traitors
cry humanity and their solemn VOWS, and tn
neo names stand on our records as monuments
their disgrace and dishonor. But there ar
nee few of the old original panel, who have ne,
Or yet ''bowed the knee to BaaT"-their nan
nan ond honor hove 80 -
and y ~" mo :"
rae treachery-but to-day their voices are he;
har- in the thickest of the fight, and with Il
out hearts they still struggle on in the cause
God and their Country. All honor to tn
far glorious old veterans. Though few in NJ
old bers, like the Spartan band that met the
ms vaders at the pass at ThermopyIe, yet e.
at is a host in himself; and with them to /
may us on, we will not doubt of ultimate saee,
xpe- In entering upon the tenth year Of our
y be sada .oa;nc+ tho I;,or boot.
r a gallant heart and many a stalwart arm
help US bear our flag of Temperance alof
We have three thousand picked and enc
'ery- men, who tell US they viii help us fight
~ great enemy of our race. And there are
E felt thousand more, who, though not enro
'. S. among our members, are yet ready to ait
IN an in this glorious strife And with such a b
70 la
i mo- vi "nu VIZ as many Oh the Ialr Dat
tiers Of our land to cheer US on-what