Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-03-30
The License System.


The verdict of history is against the IL
cense system. Intemperance is one of the
most fearful words known in our language.
It is the embodiment of all that is crushing
in poverty, bitter in woe, or black iL crime.
The rum traffic is an adulterated, unmixed
cursc-a parent scourge from its first can
cerous seating upon humanity to this day.
That canvas, as it moves before us with
its fearful scenery of poverty, vice, and
crime, sketched from life in its deep color
ing of tears and blooc, has not one bright
spot on which the wearied eye can rest
Not single CLEAN of sunlight beams upon
it. Rum has been a lnalign star to man
From the cradle to the grave, its false light
has lured him to ruin and death. From
Noah's day to this, drunkenness has been
the same. Empires have passed away, ma
tions have been forgotten, and the cities
of their greatness covered with the dust of
oblivion; but Intemperance yet lives, the
most desolating scourge that ever darkened
the pathway of man. The pestilence
stalks forth and feasts upon its rotting tri-
butte, but passes away. War lifts its bea-
con crimson in the red glare of confagra-
tion, and strides over the torn field until
his garments drip and smoke with blood
but war ceases, and the harvcsts of peace
lift their golden waves where hostile squad
rons met in deadly shock Famine, gaunt
and spectral, stalks on around the fresides
of men, and the famished skeletons lie
down in death, and, without shrouds or
graves, bleach at the threshold. But the
earth teens again with promise, and the
Judgment is stayed. But how different
with rum! It never slHmbers. Its work
ceases not for moment. 1t is not like
the pestience, confined to particular local
tiles or classes. 1t invades all. 1t drools
and slavers on the throne aud in the hovel.
The civilian and the divine, the orator and
the poet, the statesman and the warrior,
are alike cut down. Like a serpent of gilt
tering eye, its deadly coils slime upward
over the pedestal where genious is enthron-
ed, the chaplet upon the godlike brow is
withered, and the fair fabric which fame
has reared crumbles into ruins. The stron-
gcst intellects from the hand of God, as
we'll as the weakest, rum has destroyed
Stars that have beamed in the worlds sky
have set in darkness, while unnumbcred
ones of lesser ray have gone out unnoticed
Such has been the work of ages. Onward
the dark and damning tide has rolled, ril
adding the tribute to ril, until individuals
families, communities and nations have
been swept away. The strong oak has
bowed to the storm as well as the slender
reed. While wept over by humanity and
denounced by God, strong behind the infa
nous legislation of ages it has moved on, g
whitening, wide-sweeping curse; seething
aud desolatiBg tide, black with the wrecks
of hopes, happiness and life, and in every
land and cline filling homes with poverty
and want, hearts with woe, the alms-house
: with paupers, the prisons with felons anC
murderers, the earth of God with grave
and he'll with the damned!
, Are we right! Where, where, on God
green earthr has the traffic borne differ
. ent phage than that We have given it? Ii
e civilized or savage lands it is the same
No spot so sacred or hidden away no hill
t side or valley, with its lakes, and rivers
: and blue sky, has escaped. By the school
r house and church,, the capitol and the aca
: demic hall : on the ocean; in the wilder
ness, where the axe opens the first view t
the upper blue; by the hearthsid'
s where cbildheed lives and old age dies
: everywhere rum is the same. In ever
t burial ground IN Christendom the sod
}. green above its victims, and the mould hs
gathered where. its triumphs are chiscle
d in marble. Every house has had one dea
d in it. Every circle has been broken.
h You say that the system is very ancien
and should be cautiously removed. 1t
ancient. 1t is hoary with years and wit
infamy, for millions have been offered l
at its shrines, and millions still 60 up
the sacrifice, until, like that idolatrous p
grim path of heathendom, its course
marked by the bleaching tribute of skull
Great God, sir! could all who have tn
e, died pass before us in vision, the mir
would reel. Yes, it is old, but ever
sr wrong. The whole system is falsehoo
$, and exists to-day upon falschood. Fro
te the time the Hungarian miners swallowt
" alcohol to give them endurance, to ii
e. drunkards and tipplers of the present, it b
D. been faIsehood. The history of the pa
le and the present write it so. Fact and re
son are against it. The instinct Of Il
h brute is emphatic. Physiology brands t
+ fatal deception, from the first faint net-wo
is cf red upon the cheek, to the swollen vel
at and livid purple of sottishness. From t
,ir unnatural and sickening laughter of co
1d viviality, to the wailing curses of madne
"a nature, assaulted and injured, everywhe
IL repels the falsehood, and in trumpet-tor
m speaks out against the wrong, and in |
o. citadels of heart and brain, wars faithful
ke against the invasion. Honor and m;
he hood, virtue, love, and truth-all that's I
to BILE and good, and pure, utter an empha
et- verdict against the falsehood. If it is cc
ms secrated by time, SO are its iniquities mc
. widespread and towering. 1t is ancit
ms indeed; but if all the injury that it has
be ficted upon the human race-their desti
tn in this world and the next--could be Ga
,cs cred from the record ofGod' angel and p
sented in one view, world would be st
Ids tied from its slumbers. We vencrate r
an we worship not at the altar of the Molc
ess because the pathway to Its shrine is W.
h deep, and beaten hard, by the ceascl
ith tramping of ages of idolatrous madness
nj W. ~ not x,;th its pilrriuc hecause