Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-10-19
ut is a Failure"

Some persons apply this remark to the
Temperance enterprise and they back up d
the assertion by saying there is more liquor v
imported into, and therefore more persons il
drink in North Carolina, than ever heretofore; i
and further, that thousands who 'signed the S
pledge" and united with the Sons of Temper L
ance, have apostatised and become worse than
ever.
Now, let us look at these allegations, and $
see how they will stand the test of examina-
ton:
Frst-If it be true that more liquor is i'm
ported into the State than heretofore, it does
not follow that more persons drink than here
tofore, or even that more is drank, in proper
ton to our population, for two reasons-lst,
because our population is much greater than
it was twenty years ago and secondly, there
is not one-tenth the quantity of liquor man
ufactured in our own borders now, that there
was twenty years ago.
Secondly,-Though it be lamentably true,
that many who once gave in their allegiance
to temperance principles have apostatised and
gone back to their cups, yet there are thou
sands who have remained true, and are this
--I~ingg shining witnesses against the de
c~laration that the Temperance enterr-isais q
failure. And besides, the thousands OF NIL
dren who, through the influence OF temper
ance principles, have been, and are being
reared up to detest and abhor the use of in
toxieating drinks, andhave never tasted them,
largely oyerbalance the number who have
gone back to incorporate habits.
.Thirdlg,-Twenty years ago, there was
scarcely a family that did not use Intoxicating
: liquors, more or less, every day-they had
their morning, noon and evening drains. Now
t there are perhaps 100000 families in NORTH
: Carolina that do not use a drop in the way
/ of a beverage.
l. Fourthlg,-Twenty or thirty years ago, j
was common for christian members, and eve
ministers of the Gospel, to take drains an
have their side-boards stored with it to tres
their friends when they came to see them.-
$, Now, a drinking preacher or protested chri
d. tan, is locked upon as adisgrace to the nam
n by even drinking men.
Fyth,-There are thousands of young nj
from 20 to 25 years of age, that have new
yet tasted liquor whereas, before the Refo
10 nation began, scarcely one could be four
y who had not been fed on it from the We
" cradle. And there are thousands of familit
y making no ~pretensions to afhliation with tel
perance organizations, that have entire
JIG abandoned the use of liquor.
And all this has been accomplished by t
Temperance men of the State. Is all Il
nothing2 ToSsave, say only q few, who hs
become inebiates, and prevent hundreds
thousands fpm becoming drunkards ?
this nothing and can such an enterprise
- truthfully sad, to be "a tfailure" No, VI
Oh ly ! It's nj a failure; and the prospect
ely the aasrs..s Aieysmer1s CLEANS brightly
nay -, stSf.s .as-
still persist in making to themselves era
"a, over which no star of hopehall ever shi
but many will be true to he pledge VIII
has lifted them from theli it, and a mig
host, educated in the schol of total al
nence, will practice it, ano teach it to Il
children and their childre's children, "
like the Sons of Rechab, ill drink nett
>L wine nor strong drink forger.
The Temperance enterpise, then, is 1
and cannot be "a f~ailure.1