Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-03-30
For the Spirit Of the Ace.
~. DP"WO VI tIe Age.
Dialogue between a Son Of Temperance.
= heIaller who Is a member of the
Cnurch, and a Minister of the Gosnal

Son V I'll have long thought, MI. Re-.
'al'er' that you are pursuing a calling that i
no' ohly morally wrong, but one which Meth
II you, nor any one else, can justify on Bible
grounds and although the law Of man tols.
rates and j~ustiies it, your own conscience
must condemn it.
Hetdater.-l do not, Mr.. Temperance nre.
tend to he as well versed in ethics az Won ara
nor do | set myself up for a theolooian. hnt
Nneh our Legislatures countenance. yea ms
NY thls business, after you temperance men
nave detained so long and so stoutly against
i'-ahd our Minister says very little about it
"uy way am inclined to believe it is as mo-
raj ana honest as any other worldly avocation.
NS"tSeeT.~l am sorry, gentlemen, that
members OF the same Church. and cf NV
Church too, should take such different views
Oh a very important matter. | can assure
You 1t is a matter | have thought a GOOD deal
about, but as yet have not been able to ar
rive at any satisfactory conclusion. and beg
therefore to be excused, for the present, from
giving my opinion any way, either pro or con.
Son Of I'll confess | am no1ittle surpris-
ed to hear our Minister say that he has not
neen able to arrive at any satisfactory conclu- |
sion concerning the morality, or immortality,
OF the traffic in ardent spirits, when be can
not be ignorant, that intemperance is the
cause of nine-tenths of the crimes committed
in the land, and when it is the cause and
source of a large proportion of the cases of
discipline in the Church.. Besides our preach
er does know that his Bible tells him that
mo drunkard can enter the kingdom of Hea-
ven" and that retailing liquors is the fruit
full source of much of the evil that results from
drunkenness.
Retailer. DO you suppose, Mr.. Temper
ance, that when our Legislature is composed
OF men of our choice, and when the license
system has been in operation for many years,
that If it was morally wrong, or operated to
the detriment OF their constituents, they
you'd not have repealed it long ago?
Son Of lit seems to me, Mr.. Retailer,
that your logic is not very good, nor your
reasoning very just. Ifmen always acted up
to their convictions of right and wrong, then
1t would follow that they would correct every
thing that was injurious to society, and re-
peal every statute inimicalsto the peace, good
order and prosperity of the State. But such
Is not the fact. The law which empowers
Courts 10 grant license to men, for 80 or 60
dollars, to sell and retail all the liquor they
. may choose to dispose of, operates to the in
jury, yea the ruin, of thousands of our poor
. unfortunate fellow misunderstanding them
|, first OF their money, THAR time, their charac,
= Ter, and every thing worth possessing, and
this too for the paltry sum of a few dollars.
i 1t not strange, that men protesting to be
I christians, would enact such a law and
stranger still, if possible, that such a law is
still on our statute book
Njnister.-I must confess, gentlemen, thai
!: have long believed, that the law authorizing
4 men to retail spirituous or intoxicating Ii
\ quors to every man who may choose to buy
!, and drink them, was a bad law, and ough
by all means to be repealed. But, gentlemen
what can do to bring about the repeal o
T this law? You both know, as we'll as do
that if |, as a Minister of the Gospel, were t.
come out in favor of the Temperance reform
some of my people would withdraw their sui
). scriptions-and you also know that all | re
~ ceive, as it is, is a mere pittance-and hoy
n could | maintain my family and educate m
children, &c, &c. Now in view of the diff
!, culties that stare me in the face, when m
thoughts are turned to this subject, | al
Sorely perplexed to know what my duty il
You are both aware that some of the mo;
is prominent members Of my church, and me
m who are the most liberal in the support
the gospel, are violently opposed to the Ord
In of the Son of Tempeiance-and were l
i'll denounce the practice of moderate drinking
Trey would become offended, and probabl
on leave the Church and then the gospel cou'
pc not be supported the church would go dow
lie, and then the question arises, whether it
not best, upon the whole, just to let the su
ject alone.
Retailer.-Our Minister is situated in son
respects pretty much as | am. Some of n
best customers are these prominent, int1ue
do tial members of the Church, and while thu
ty. continue their patronage, it not only kee
ng my conscience easy, but they also supply 4
EN- with funds to keep my business from goi'
ley down. If none but drunkards would patro
lis ize nv establishment, | would be compell
up to desist, and close up, for want of mater
for aid"
to Son of TIT time and space permitted
gs, would like to show our Minister that he,
ing his own confession, is governed in his cour
leir IN reference to the cause of the great lie
perance reform, more by a worldly polio
than bv a heartfelt desire to glorify God,
or benefit his fellow-men. lie is most assured
are guilty of conniving at evil. His bounden a
imperative duty is, t. Cry aloud and spa
Ca not, whether the people will hear, or whett
still they will forbear." But as | expect to
the sumo this subject, | will say no more c.
this corning our good Minister at present,
fore leave him to his own reflections. | must
rate so reserve what | have to say about our
in taller, for another time. II
sue s