Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-01-27
For the Spirit Of the Age.
why stand We IDEAL the day?"

As there was in the days of our Saviour
upon earth, a large class of men who stood
idle, as though there was nothing to do, so it
is now. You may find in every community
a class of men, although they are among our
best citiZens-many of them consistent mem
bers of the Church of Christ, moral in their
department, and exemplary in their lives,
who, Notwithstanding, stand aloof from the
noble cause of the Temperance reform, as
though they had no 'lot or part in the mat
ter. They know and will admit that intern
pearaaTnHeseo inb g6dFgYeePpsslAHffa not only their peace
and happiness is affected by it, but their sons,
yea, and their daughters too, may experience
its ruinous and desolating effects that the
Church must suffer the taunts and jeers OF a
soothing world, in consequence OF her ntem-
perate members-yet, when efforts are every
where making to suppress and destroy this
dreadful curse to the Church and to society,
these good men stand idle as though they had
nothing to do, or as though this terrible evil
would finally cure itself. These good men
do not act thus in other matters. Ii their
country's rights are %infringed, or trampled
upon, they are among the first to take up
arms to repel the invaders from our soil
yet when avs are enacted to encourage ana
perpetuate the dreadful curse of intemperance,
they seem to be at ease, as though they could
do nothing.
It may not be amiss to inquire into the
cause or causes of this ~inaction or apathy and
indifference. There must be a cause for eve
! 80, 49, I6fe, wnen
there is so much to do, we would like to
know their reasons, that we may not do them
: injustice, or impute motives to them thew
. would Indignantly disown.
1t is amusing, as well as provoking in some
| instances, to hear the reasons assigned by
r these sober, steady and excellent men. when
the subject OF the great reform is introduced,
: especially IT they are urged to enlist under
: the banner of the Sons of Temperance. Some
I OF them tell us they would cheerfully Join a
3 temperance Society on the old plan, but they
1 are not willing to join an organization they
: know but little about, and consequently their
n ignorance of our order seems to be q sufficient
reason why they remain idle. Another one
tells us, he is as much opposed to intemper-
" ance as the Sons are. but he is opposed to
!, the secrecy of the Order. This plea seems to
form a sufficient excuse for him to remain
idle. Another tells us he is a stronger tenn
5 perance nan than the sons are, for he would
. be In favor of banishing ardent spirits from
the country entirely-but still he remains
! idle, as though he had fully done his duty bv
!, assuring us he would carry this matter farf6-
er than the Sons would. Another tells ne
that all our efforts to suppress intemperance
will prove abortive, as they allege that snir.
r itous liquors will be made and drank. while
the world stands, and that he has more sense
than to waste his ammunition upon a hone
: less cause. Others allege that they are IN
u willing to surrender the right to take a dram
when they feel like it would do them GOOD.
Others pretend that the Sons must have some
e wicked, nefarious purpose to accomplish. or
o they would open their doors to all, and have
!. no secrecy about the order. Thus we find
every man has his excuse for remaining idle.
> Now it matters not how often you refute
! /, these objections, or show the futilty of these
q excuses, they bring them forward again and
It again, as though they possessed sufficient
d merit to justify their curse even at the bar
of their own consciences. But alas-alas-i
!. these pleas were valid, then might zee also
y fold our hands II idleness, apathy, and indif
u ference, and let the worst enemies of our
!, peace and happiness, reign and triumph to
e their hearts content, and society be stripped
of every Vestige of morality, religion and So
cial order.
Now it would be easy to show the f~utility
? of all the excuses that have been noticed, but
this has been done again and again, and still
: they are relied upon to justify the course OF
g those who stand aloof from the noble cause
of Temperance. Were / allowed to offer a
d few conjectures on the subject, / would as.
{ / would remark, that will not do injustice