Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-08-10

M. ED,ron There is class Of people
4ho dcnonnce drunkenness, bnt indulge in
drinking Intoxicating liquors. They seem
4, regard ia very easy matter to control
tl,eir arpctites for strong drink, declaring
that they would drink no ardent spirits at
aIl,, II they could not take their dram with
out getting drunk. But these moderate
drinkers, in the course of time begin tol
take little moro of the critter than they
desire to be known to others They drink
very sIyly; and as it were steal their dram,
and should they be caught in the act, they
are not amenable to any law Of our coun-
try for theft; and have no fears that they
will be indicted for petit larceny and ar
raigned before any legal tribunal for such
q trivial offence So they continue to inn
bibe the ardent, partaking the exhilarating
beverage more frequently and in larger
quantities.; and occasionally becoming a
little fuddlcd. But what of that? There
ia no great harm done it only animates
their dropping spirits, and makes them feel
delightfully."- funny. Sometimes they drink
90 freely that IL makes them top heavy
their heads being inclined to gravitate to-
wards the center Of the earth and the mo-
ton thus given to their noddLes, causes a
particular rickety, tottering motion of the
lower extremities. These combined mo-
tons having destroyed the equilibrium of
their bodies, they perform peculiar and in
elegant perambulatious but it often haps
pens that the power of locomotion is en-
tirely suspended, and their bodies instan-
taneously sprawled upon mother earth,
without any regard to convenience or com
fort. - >,.... - - ~ =
Though the fortifcation Of moderate
drinking is completely demolished, and
the standard of sobriety of moderate drink
ers trailed in the dust, they will contend
they are not drunkards. How few are
they that indulge in the pernicious custom
Of periodically drinking their drains, that
escape becoming drunkards They seem
to have forgotten that all drunkards were
once moderate drinkers or why do they
boast that they can drink and not getdrunk
They are poor deluded mortals, and occu
py position soon to attain the much hatec
name of drunkard. Let such habitua
drinkers of Alcoholic liquors take retro
spective view Of their past lives, and they
will be apt to conclude that they have Of
ten deviated from the landmarks of sobri
ety. And though they once thought tina
their moderate drinking would never Civ
way to excessive indulgences, candor obi
ges them to confess that they were in CT
ror. Come, ye moderate drinkers, enlis
under the banner of total abstinence, an,
mill Aha 10 orr
evils, and all the degrading and abominabl
sins that follow in the train of drunkenness
If you abstain from all intoxicating liquors
you will never be under the necessity {
using the plea of "guilty but drunk" fc
any crime that may be alledged against yor
The plea of drunkenness to mitigat
crime, is dastardly plea and though
Is often used in our courts, to extenuate tn
crimes Of guilty wretches, it should by n
means shield them from punishment; fc
be who commits a crime when in stat
Of intoxication, is doubly guilty; an
should be punished both for drunkennei
and the offence he shall have committee
The man who has been reduced from
state Of affluence, independence and happ
ness, to poverty, dependence. and niser
must surely feel his own degradation, whe
he contrasts his former position in sociei
with bis wretchedness and. lossrof estee
among bis friends; if indeed he has N
descended so low in the scale of degrad
ton as to be insensible to the feelings of b
unanity. Though be has fallen so low, |
may yet retrieve bis former position in 5
ciety, II he timely abandons the inebriatii
cup Moderate drinking being the inciI
ent stage Of drunkenness, it 6ehooves a
and especially the youth of our country,
guard against the social glass in all
tempting aspects. If the youths could
be persuaded to pledge themselves to to
abstinence, and spurn the accursed CT
the next generation would be free frC
drunkenness, and all the heinous crimes
instigates its wretched votaries to perpe
ate. If such an agreeable state of thin
could prevail, the curse that blights
happiness of so many Of our follow bein
in this our day and generation, would
unknown TO the next. May the &C
spirit of the Age" have more extenc
circulation; and your efforts, Mr.. Edit
to enlighten the benighted minds of
people on the subject of temperance be
tended with success. And finally, may
great God speed the time, when King
Cohol shall be dethroned, and all his en-
saries and local agents deprived of Il
commissions. OLlC
A GooD CoMPANIoS.--A young ,
stepped into bookstore aud said he "
tod to get 'Young mans Companion.
well. sir. said the bookseller the