Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-11-02
GrmpRruntt Krnhing
For the Spirit of the Age.
The Political Aspect Of Temperance.
BY II. LANSING BURROWS.

by IL. LANblNH BURkOWS.
If those revered men who poured forth |
their life's blood in the defence of our
country, or who framed those laws which
made us happy, free, and independent
nation, could shake off the deep lethargy
of death and break their vaulted sepulchres,
and sec us now, they would behold us un-
der thraldom more domineering than the
court Of the Georges, and thrice deadlier in
its enmity. Over a portion of our wide
spread population, a demon worse than any
earthly power, rules with an iron sceptre.
Infatuated, charmed, unable to resist, his
victims fall speedily before his death-blows.
Age, sex, or condition, are not spared; his
miuions enter palace and hovel, studio and
boudoir, alike, and drag their inmates forth
to immediate them upon the altar of his
shrine.
Strange to say, men, instead of rising up
against the invaders will, instead of grasp
ing the weapons Of warfare, instead of
throwing off the loose shackles placed up
on them before they harden so as to defy
all attempts to throw them off, instead of
warning against him, they rush to his foul
embrace, court bis favor, and, as a matter
of consequence, fall, deluded and vain fools
as they are, in the diabolical snare from
which there is no release -a t...
This demon is Intemperance. Who can
deny his power9 Who can deny that he
has ravaged the lands Of many fertile dis
trict, emptied the Golfers of the opulent,
snatched virtue from the chaste, torn rep
lova nd Nf, h.ov,
or from the breast Of respectability9 Who
can deny that he has polluted the pulpit,
debased the bench, and corrupted the high
chairs Of officel Who can deny that il
has made widows and orphans, built pris
ons, poor-houses and mad-houses, opened 6
shorter path to the narrow house appointed
for all livingl There is no one, unless ht
be ignorant of the world-unless he be al
idiot or madman.
But | intend not to draw the horrible
picture of this "Demon of the fireside."-
Facts may suffice. The unsophisticate,
youth may 90 into some hovel upon tn
outskirts of his town or village and see on
scene in the drama Of wretchedness an
misery. But when we see these facts, W
who have been brought up with thes
scenes before our eyes every day of ou
lives, we who know it to be curse upo
upon the community in which we reside,
it not a wonder that the cause of Temper
aucc should be mingled with the cares
government 1t seems so to many, an
whyi
l. Temperance is essential to nationc
character. IL we were nation of cam
balls or pirates, It would be universal &C
mission that We would be despised hate,
and Stunned by every nation upon the fac
Of the globe. We should be the scand
of the world, and consequently scand
among ourselves. Every moral impuls
and every sense of civilization and rein
mcnt would be foreign to our hearts. W
should be disunited, and instead of a pro
porous nation linked together by the indi
soluble ties that do join us, we would, Ill
the Caffres and Hottentots of Africa, roa
over the country, imbrued always in Il
blood Of kinsmen-perpetrating a war e
isting from time immemorial, aud invitiI
strong powers to vanquish us and place L
their abject slaves, under their rod of o
preston.
Now, is not this the casel Perhaps Il
simile may be too strong-but is it not a
propriatcl Do not our magistrates liceu
the selling Of n liquor which maddens {
brain and ruins the body and soul! A
there not in every city, town, village al
hamlet of our country, bartering plac
where this liquor is dispensedl Is it 4
countenanced by law9 There is no one
repeat, who can deny the deadly effects
this "invisible spirit of vine" 1t is univ
sally admitted that it is curse upon m;
an indcllible stain upon national charact
ablght upon this fair world of ours. I'll
it poruays want of consistency display
between our laws and the emotions Of {
breast. We belle ourselves. We thi
the tolerance of ardent spirits to be cul
and yet by our laws make it blessing
For who can deny that the laws of .
government were not framed to adval
the welfare, promote tic interests, and
crease the prosperity of that goveTnmt
This is the firm basis upon which Law
placed. Still we allow the use of ard
spirits by that law; thus showing incon
tency in our government. And when
fortress Of the heart is stormed and tax
the others are almost always easy to c
quer. II nation displays inconsistency
will soon display other traits of charaC
which il may well wish to hide.
Then again government plainly sh,
by the unbridled license of the use of Il
liquors, that it cares not for the welfar
its subjects as individuals. 1t suffers
agent Of misery to rob the poor man Of
hard earned treasures. In fact, it autl